The Tastemakers

By Mike Muirhead, ISG, CMS, Sommelier

Who are the modern taste influencers? It might come as a surprise to know that for you, it’s you.

When we look at the current movement toward organic, low-intervention, and natural wines, we can see a reflection of what is on a lot of people’s minds: a rising concern for the damage that chemical intervention has

done to the environment. However, it is, in fact, also an indicator of our current cultural moment and a larger market trend. How we came to this point has been an interesting path. We have gone from following large companies and even bigger personalities for guidance in the wine world to finding smaller, niche wine stories and trusting our own voices (and palates).

Royalty Makers

At a time when large, commercial wine companies and conglomerates led the market, the international wine market found an advocate: Robert Parker Jr. was the first “modern influencer.” In the 1970s, Parker was frustrated by the lack of impartial wine critics: you see, at the time, most “critics” were also attached to wine sales companies. In 1978, he decided to start his own subscription-based newsletter called The Wine Advocate, launching his 100-point scale for rating wine. Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, MW Jancis Robinson, and Decanter eventually followed suit— and for the next three decades, wine agents would sell us the Next Big Thing based on these points rankings. Customers would only purchase wines rated over 90, and every winery clamoured to show their wines to “get some points.” Points were a way for casual wine lovers to determine what was good, based on professional tastemakers—whether or not they agreed with their taste.

Cheese • mon • ger (noun) a person who sells cheese, butter, and other dairy products

• Cut to order cheese counter • Exclusive provisions and pantry items • Cheese, Charcuterie, and Grazing boards • Guided tastings and classes • Cheese of the Month Club subscriptions • Cheese wheel cakes for weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries

The impact on the market was a general homogenization of wines and wine styles that catered to these mainstream palates. This included the very popular “big” wines that reigned: Napa Valley Cabernet, micro-oxygenated Bordeaux and big California Pinot Noirs (that didn’t taste at all like Pinot Noir and, in fact, likely had Syrah blended into it). If you wanted to show your “good taste,” these were the wines you brought to the dinner party.

From Points to Likes

In the mid-2000s, the emergence of YouTube reviews and vloggers like Gary Vaynerchuk (Wine Library TV) sought to bring wine back to the people with honest, fun reviews and open, unpretentious interactions with followers. These influencers held their own well into the 2010s, directing tastes and deciding on the Next Big Thing. The rise of Instagram and crowd-sourced reviews in the last five years has resulted again in a shift—one that has both mirrored and influenced how we make and choose wines.

This new era has ushered in an opportunity for winemakers and small producers to interact directly with different wine communities. One of the strongest connections has been within the natural wine movement. The wine lover’s focus has turned to the stories of wine, the value of appreciating the craft behind small-batch products, and a focus on sustainability and stewardship of the land. Because these seemingly more intimate conversations are taking place on the grand scale of the Internet, niche wineries (such as natural winemakers) that don’t have any financial clout on the mass market have exposure. Interesting stories draw followers and, happily, that builds demand for more diverse styles of wine on our shelves.

Communities of Wine

One of the great equalizers in the wine industry is the proliferation of apps that allow everyone to be instant wine-raters. Crowd-sourced reviews create conversations around wine and allow us to follow people who share our taste, which explains why they are now the main influence on how people choose wine. Customers that used to come in with a wine recommendation from a friend now have thousands of recommendations from a broader community available at their fingertips: friends, winemakers, wine critics,

their favourite Sommeliers. The role of a Sommelier has shifted from the person who recommends a wine to the person who can help you sort through the massive amount of digital information available to find the wine that suits your palate (or your level of adventure).

This new era of smaller wine communities has given wine lovers access to like-minded people, but also a direct line to winemakers who share their philosophies about being custodians of the land, about smallerbatch winemaking, and about wine culture. With that knowledge, wine lovers are able to make decisions regarding wine that not only align with their palates but also their ethics.

Through this democratization of wine communities, the wine lovers in our community are discovering what we at Banville & Jones have always known: they are the most important “tastemakers.” The people who love the subtle intricacies and light body of a Burgundian Pinot Noir are not the same people who love rich, voluptuous Napa Cabs. What one person might consider a wine fault, another might consider an exciting new approach. What one might consider a perfectly clean wine might be very boring for others. In addition to your personal preferences, your palate is always evolving with experience, age, and knowledge—as are the people influencing you.

There is a wine for everyone. A bottle of wine can be special to you for different reasons, whether you value a certain wine style, a wine philosophy, or even a good story. The best thing about this moment in wine is that, with access to broader wine communities, wine lovers are starting to trust themselves and ask for the wines they love, not the wines they have been told to love. 

Find Your Community

CornerVine: If you want to see what wines your local wine experts and friends are drinking, download the Banville & Jones CornerVine app. It keeps track of the wines you have purchased, your own reviews, and reviews by the people in your community. You can also search for wines we carry within the app and order delivery to your home.

Instagram: Start with wines you like and follow the winemakers! You will get info on their wines but also find out what they are drinking and are excited about. Follow wine writers and Sommeliers you trust to see what they are drinking—then follow those winemakers. Just follow the Internet rabbit hole!

Raisin: The Natural Wine App: This app is all about natural wines! You can create a profile and interact with other users, scan a label to find out if that wine is natural, find locations where natural wine is available, and read about natural wine news and events.

Delectable App: Learn about wines by taking a photo of the label, keep track of the wines you have tried, find friends from your contact list, follow your favourite influencers and see their reviews, see what wines are trending on the app, rate wines, and post your own reviews.

WINE & FOOD EVENTS SCHEDULE

FEBRUARY 2020 THROUGH MAY 2020

Wine & Food Evening

Join us for our wine and food pairing series! Our talented Wine Experts work with Winnipeg’s finest chefs to create the ultimate pairing experience. Cost: $89.99 per person

Thursday, February 6: The Mitchell Block Thursday, April 16: Beaujena’s Thursday, May 28: Chef Ben Kramer

Cooking Demo

Learn from the best! Banville & Jones Sommeliers team up with Winnipeg’s premier chefs for an instructional evening of recipes and wine pairings. Cost: $89.99

Thursday, February 20:

Pizza with the Pros featuring Diana’s Cucina

Top Shelf Tasting

Taste the luxury when our Sommeliers open the doors to our specialties cabinets to explore some of Banville & Jones’s exclusive treasures. This event is held on the main floor and is wheelchair accessible. Cost: $99.00

Friday March 20: Tolaini Estates –

explore library and current vintages from this iconic Tuscan Winery

Wine Workshop

Wine workshops are one-evening classes that dig deeply into specific topics of interest, with an educational and engaging approach. Cost: $79.99

Thursday, March 12: Benevolent Neglect

Essentials of Wine

Essentials of Wine is a two-evening class (7–9 p.m.) that will help you understand price and quality, develop your tasting skills that appeal to your unique palate. Cost: $79.99

Saturday, February 22 & 29 Thursday, April 30 & May 7

For updated information on wine and food events, and to register online, click on the Events & Education tab at banvilleandjones.com.

To inquire about private events, call 204.948.9463.

• Tickets for events are non-refundable, but are exchangeable 14 days prior to the event. • Events begin at 7 pm and take place in the 2 nd floor Tuscany Room unless otherwise noted. • Prices do not include taxes.

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