Wine bloggers are changing the wine landscape, and making wine much more accessible for everyone!
Wine has always carried a bit of stuffiness – something that made it unattainable for the masses. When asked to select a wine for a house warming present, the deciding factor was usually the label. Most people pressed for an answer could not tell you the difference between Merlot and Shiraz, but everyone can remember the kangaroo on Yellow Tail bottles. Even the nomenclature surrounding wines tend to scare off the casual wine drinker. On the internet, many self proclaimed wine critics are changing this.
“Average Joes” like Gary Vaynerchuk, Director of Operations at Wine Library in Springfield, New Jersey, give a no nonsense approach for his wine reviews. His spirited reviews of wine describe the tastes and aromas of many wines as “smelly socks”, “wet dog”, or “canned Dole pineapple juice”. These reviews would horrify many wine snobs in Napa Valley, but his approach is making wine more accessible. His tag line at the end of every show is “We’re changing the wine world.” The masses watching his podcast would agree.
There are many blogs on the internet reviewing wines too. A search for “wine blogs” on Google returns over 29 million links. Some blogs are written by actual wine experts, but the majority of sites (including this one) are written by amateur wine lovers. This revolution by amateur pundits is making wine tasting more interesting. More importantly, it is making wine more approachable. Web surfers can find reviews that they can understand and relate to.
These sites are creating online social communities with a common interest. These groups discuss every facet of wine. There are forums for wine aficionados, home wine makers, wine clubs, and even wine advice. Information on fermentation techniques to a good $10 wine is available to web surfers with a simple search.
Look out Robert Parker! The secret that is spreading across the web is this: anyone can appreciate wine.
