Wine as a category is experiencing myriad existential threats: climatic, meteorological, social, cultural, financial. It’s a destabilizing time. Wine writers exist, in part, to help make sense of it all. We pry apart false and shaky claims, dismantle gatekeeping, and share stories of innovation, creativity, and progress.
But wine writing itself is also in a precarious state as publications shutter and work dries up. What can wine writers do, collectively, to address these very real threats our profession?
We can help each other.
Wine commentary is like many other fields where experts labor solo, competing for diminishing scraps. The situation can lead to zero-sum thinking, the notion that there are only so many resources to be had, and if one helps a colleague, it reduces the pool of goodies available to oneself.
Nonsense. When we help each other it expands, rather than shrinks, the profession. It advances new writers who bring fresh insights. It opens opportunities for more experienced voices. It begets higher quality storytelling as we work to improve our craft. It leads to placements in both wine and non-wine outlets, sending our writing deep into culture. It raises our collective mood while boosting the fortunes of winemakers and regions. That’s better for wine writ large, which is concomitantly better for us.
So let’s help each other out. Let’s commit to supporting fellow wine writers, even just a single writer, in 2026. Maybe that’s someone new to the profession whom you’ve come to admire. Maybe it’s a colleague who’s struggling with a leap to a new medium, say, from writing to podcasting. Maybe they’re seeking new audiences, trying to reach consumers after a career in industry journalism. Or perhaps they’re switching topics or domains, from conventional to organic growing, from Italian wines to Portuguese, from wine aesthetics to wine economics. Maybe, like you, they’re simply struggling to succeed, earn bylines, and reach hungry readers, and they could use a chat.
Here are a few ideas to get started:
Strike up a conversation. Reach out to ask for a call to learn more about their work, interests, and ambitions. Tell them what you admire about their writing and why. Find out what they’re working on, what’s in their way, and what they’re trying to do about it. Ask how you could help. Once you have some chemistry and trust, set up a monthly call to check in. You may find, over time, the support works in both directions.
Introduce them to a favored editor. If you think they’d be a fit for a publication to which you’ve contributed, offer to make introductions. Ask for examples of their best work to make their case to the editor. Tread delicately to ensure each party is introduced in the best light. Such introductions spend some of your own social capital, so handle it all with a healthy mix of discretion and politesse.
Read their writing and offer feedback. One of the most supportive (and flattering) things you can do for a fellow writer is simply to read their work. But you can also offer to serve as a second set of eyes, reading their pieces in progress for tone, style, voice, grammar, structure—whatever they think would be helpful. Or, offer to help them craft a pitch for that editor you mentioned who is, by now, eager for their byline.
Give them a tip, a story you can’t tackle. We’ve all run across interesting stories we wish another writer would cover. When this happens, scan your network to think about who might address it beautifully. Send them the details, including sources, and offer to help with introductions if it’d be useful.
Share their contact information with a favorite publicist. PR firms and marketing teams are always on the lookout for new expert voices. Introductions can be especially helpful if your colleague is brand new to wine writing or is expanding their coverage into new markets or regions. Also, keep others in mind if you get invited to a tasting, event, or press trip you can’t make; ask if the publicist would like a recommendation. Be generous.
Read and subscribe. Give them some love by reading, commenting, liking, sharing, and subscribing to their output. There’s nothing that says “I respect your work” like paying real money for their writing. And while social media exposure doesn’t pay the bills, it does build platform. It’s called a network for a reason.
Imagine doing all of this for just one other person; by the end of 2026 they would be in a stronger professional position. Now imagine if we all did it for each other: win-win.
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, detto Botticelli, “Madonna of the Magnificat” (detail), c. 1483. Photographed 6 June 2023 at the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy; ©Meg Maker. A version of this essay also appeared in The Circular.
As a publicist and a writer, yes to all of this! Cheers!
Zero-sum thinking, indeed! This mindset leaves us all poorer. The win-win-win of reading, supporting, and sharing the work of writers we admire is irresistible. The way I've found to make this manageable, both financially and time-wise, is to narrow the choices: I have about 20 writers - across genres - I admire and learn from. I buy their books, subscribe to the magazines they write for, and of course follow/pay for their individual publications. When a fresh voice catches my attention, I will add it to the roster, and likely swap it out for another, at least for a while, to see how it fits in with my current needs and interests. It goes without saying that you, Meg, are on the core list!