Beautifully written. I've been emphasizing "wine is connection" for some time, you put a very personal and heartfelt perspective on it. And you've helped clarify my own perspective on why I shake my head whenever reading about "wine in crisis" because of this, that or the other -- all those things aren't what wine is about.
Yes, yes, all of it YES. (And I love your writing!)
But… pray tell: what about capitalism?!?! CAPITALISM!!! From my vantage point, wine is just one of many pieces of capitalism’s collateral damage. Because *this* market—right now, in 2025– necessitates faster growth than deeper audiences, more loyal guests, and truer connection permit. In my darkest corners, I worry that we (and wine) are losing to bigger and inevitable forces, and it will take a bigger economical and social reckoning than this.
If this proves true, then I hope the producers I care about can at least carry on (for fun, not for career) making enough cases to sell me one or two out of their garage while we watch the war wage and then wait for the dust to settle and the rebuilding of society to begin.
Beautifully articulated. I believe very deeply in the fundamental importance of the connections that wine helps to build: the connection between the winemaker and the grower of the grapes he hopes to shepherd into something of Beauty; the connection between the winery and the local wine store and restaurant - we both feed each other and take measures of good will and joy as the only real currency to be exchanged; the connection between the winery and the wine lover - where the only real goal is to be able to build an emotional bridge over which flows something of substance that makes life richer.
I agree with you, too, that there needs to be a reframing of and a deeper way of talking to people about the miracle that is wine.
There is so much in this that I like. The big idea is bang-on, and really important. But the little things, too, that add up: people really have stopped seeing them for what they are. What we say, what we do, and why. Beautifully said.
“The world doesn’t need more wine. It needs wines worth wanting. And people willing to stand behind them like it matters.”
💯💯💯💯💯
Beautifully written. I've been emphasizing "wine is connection" for some time, you put a very personal and heartfelt perspective on it. And you've helped clarify my own perspective on why I shake my head whenever reading about "wine in crisis" because of this, that or the other -- all those things aren't what wine is about.
Thank you Dave, that means a lot coming from you.
Yes, yes, all of it YES. (And I love your writing!)
But… pray tell: what about capitalism?!?! CAPITALISM!!! From my vantage point, wine is just one of many pieces of capitalism’s collateral damage. Because *this* market—right now, in 2025– necessitates faster growth than deeper audiences, more loyal guests, and truer connection permit. In my darkest corners, I worry that we (and wine) are losing to bigger and inevitable forces, and it will take a bigger economical and social reckoning than this.
If this proves true, then I hope the producers I care about can at least carry on (for fun, not for career) making enough cases to sell me one or two out of their garage while we watch the war wage and then wait for the dust to settle and the rebuilding of society to begin.
Casual and lighthearted, I know…
Regan, thank you for your wisdom and dedication. More Regan!
Thank you Steven! Keep fighting the good fight.
Beautifully articulated. I believe very deeply in the fundamental importance of the connections that wine helps to build: the connection between the winemaker and the grower of the grapes he hopes to shepherd into something of Beauty; the connection between the winery and the local wine store and restaurant - we both feed each other and take measures of good will and joy as the only real currency to be exchanged; the connection between the winery and the wine lover - where the only real goal is to be able to build an emotional bridge over which flows something of substance that makes life richer.
I agree with you, too, that there needs to be a reframing of and a deeper way of talking to people about the miracle that is wine.
A reframing, sure, but maybe we just need to just do more of it however awkward or weird it may be at first!
There is so much in this that I like. The big idea is bang-on, and really important. But the little things, too, that add up: people really have stopped seeing them for what they are. What we say, what we do, and why. Beautifully said.