The term “blogger” is as dated as an AOL email address. Those who would formerly fall under that designation with any notoriety must now couple their informal (or at least unpaid) writings with social media savvy or a professional writing gig. In other words, nobody is just a blogger anymore.
Whatever you choose to call them, here are five people in the wine industry who are influencing what we drink.
The Wine Tastemakers You Need To Know:
Whitney Adams
If you find the world of wine intimidating, Whitney Adams is the one to hold your hand as you take your first steps. She is an experienced sommelier, retailer, and writer, but the best part about Adams is that she makes the material accessible and engaging. Fresh and funny, Adams sees the world through a lighthearted, stylish, carefully-curated lens. Since she launched her YouTube channel two years ago, Adams has amassed a collection of short, delicious videos tackling topics such as wine travel, the alco-haul review series, and pairing challenges. Binge-watching these videos with a glass of whatever you fancy is the best way to catch-up on what’s going on in wine.
Follow her blog and YouTube channel via http://www.whitneya.com/
Abe Schoener
If ever there was a winemaker who doesn’t give a shit what people think, it’s Abe Schoener and his Scholium Project. Think of Werner Herzog, distinguished by his irony and indifference, making wonderful works of art that are not suited to everyone’s tastes. Schoener makes wine that is experimental and unpredictable -- he is not chasing commercial styles. Sometimes Schoener uses forced carbonation (usually a no-no in winemaking), or a heavy hand with the sulfur. Every wine is full of intention and that can make for the most glorious bottles. Add Scholium to your social media arsenal for keeping apprised of what’s up with the cool kids.
Follow him on Instagram @scholiumwines
Marissa A. Ross
Another ambassador for de-stressing wine education, Ross, is the author of WINE. All The Time. Since 2012, Ross has built a brazen and honest online presence that unites the charming parts of Russell Brand with actual wine experience. What makes Ross’s blog great is that unlike most of the stoic or stuffy people who influence our drinking habits, Ross is on the naughty side of the consumer. She is not the wine producer, retailer, or somm; she’s a talented writer with the type of real-world wine experience readers easily connect with. It is as if she whispers her insider secrets next to us in the trenches of learning. Okay, Ross would never whisper secrets; she parades them pool-side in a pair of cutoffs -- however she delivers her tips, we welcome them. She recently took up the position of Bon Appetit’s wine editor. It should be an interesting ride. Be on the lookout for her book Wine. All The Time.: The Casual Guide to Confident Drinking
Follow her on Instagram @marissaaross or at the blog http://www.wine-allthetime.com/
Rajat Parr
Think of Rajat Parr as the Renaissance Man of wine. He put his culinary degree to use working as a food runner at iconic San Francisco restaurant Rubicon, where he learned wine service under the scrupulous tutelage of famed sommelier Larry Stone. Parr went on to build some truly bananas wine programs, to partner in building a restaurant, RN47, and to pen a James Beard award-winning cookbook, Secrets of the Sommeliers. Around the same time, Parr teamed up with Charles Banks (formerly with Screaming Eagle) and winemaker Sashi Moorman to dig into the Sta. Rita Hills and produce some of the top Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Central Coast region under the label, Sandhi.
Follow him on Instagram @rajatparr
Jill Barth
Remember how the film Amélie changed your life? -- you got a stacked bob haircut and started dreaming of a francophone future where you’d move to France and blog about baguettes and Beaujolais. Jill Barth actually made that happen, in a sense. Her blog, L’Occasion transports readers through vineyards of the Languedoc and the Loire, interviewing lesser-known winemakers and uncovering beautiful wines. Focusing mostly on French wine serves the reader in getting to know one of the most traditional and influential wine-producing cultures in the world. Have a soft spot for Provencal Rosé? Barth is your ambassadrice.
Follow her blog at https://jillbarth.wordpress.com/
