Great stuff, Meg. Just followed Regine, too, so that's for putting her on my radar!
To Tom's point, it's hard not to see the 21st Century Postmodernist rise coinciding with the world wide web, not just the cheap blogging platforms but also the ever-increasing global connectedness. These viewpoints could be hashed out in large, diverse groups for the first time. Wines were traveling to more countries than ever before, more access, which leads to more questions, more desire to be included from all corners. And then the questioning of tradiitions and rules that no longer held the same necessity for "authenticity" in an information age.
One other though to add: you mention Phylloxera, but there's also Prohibition which was America's Phylloxera (it own blight that devastated it's wine industry and demanded a nearly equal length to recover as it took Europe: roughly 50 years.) While Europe was recovering, they struggled to compete with American wines. Then that reversed, Europe recovered in full, establishing thier designated regions and regulations as American wine all but vanished, before staging its own comeback.
I only touch on globalization here, but indeed it was a powerful force not only in distribution but in brushing cultures up against each other and challenging notions of what's delicious, what's appropriate, what's transgressive.
I sometimes wonder about the emergence of simple, cheap blogging platforms and the explosion of new voices that emerged on their back. There was a certain transgressiveness that the bloggers reveled in and the established media noticed. These voices were clearly a response to your "modernists," but don't strike me as entirely postmodern. I think it would be interesting to incorporate the evolution of technology with your analysis of changing approaches to writing about wine. Or at least evolutions in communication technology. I think it's perfectly clear, for example, that the emergence and ubiquity of social media has helped change the way we think and the way we think and write about wine. Really fascinating subject.
I mention the wine apps and the influencers, but certainly the ability of any writer, anywhere, to share for free (or freeish) their experiences democratized and popularized cultural criticism across the spectrum. Blogging and microblogging (social media) and newsletters (hello!) shred hierarchy. AI is another disruptor. I'll expand details about transformative tech to my grid. Many thanks.
There is still a cohort of WSET devotees that rail against less dogmatic wine writing. In social media they sometimes evoke “OK Boomer” level responses, framing disagreement in generational terms, which also impede understanding.
Thank you for giving a name, and a framework for understanding, to our moment in wine. It rings true with the segments of the wine world I study. Brilliantly written and argued!
Great stuff, Meg. Just followed Regine, too, so that's for putting her on my radar!
To Tom's point, it's hard not to see the 21st Century Postmodernist rise coinciding with the world wide web, not just the cheap blogging platforms but also the ever-increasing global connectedness. These viewpoints could be hashed out in large, diverse groups for the first time. Wines were traveling to more countries than ever before, more access, which leads to more questions, more desire to be included from all corners. And then the questioning of tradiitions and rules that no longer held the same necessity for "authenticity" in an information age.
One other though to add: you mention Phylloxera, but there's also Prohibition which was America's Phylloxera (it own blight that devastated it's wine industry and demanded a nearly equal length to recover as it took Europe: roughly 50 years.) While Europe was recovering, they struggled to compete with American wines. Then that reversed, Europe recovered in full, establishing thier designated regions and regulations as American wine all but vanished, before staging its own comeback.
Also, great point about Prohibition. I'm adding that to my grid.
I only touch on globalization here, but indeed it was a powerful force not only in distribution but in brushing cultures up against each other and challenging notions of what's delicious, what's appropriate, what's transgressive.
I sometimes wonder about the emergence of simple, cheap blogging platforms and the explosion of new voices that emerged on their back. There was a certain transgressiveness that the bloggers reveled in and the established media noticed. These voices were clearly a response to your "modernists," but don't strike me as entirely postmodern. I think it would be interesting to incorporate the evolution of technology with your analysis of changing approaches to writing about wine. Or at least evolutions in communication technology. I think it's perfectly clear, for example, that the emergence and ubiquity of social media has helped change the way we think and the way we think and write about wine. Really fascinating subject.
I mention the wine apps and the influencers, but certainly the ability of any writer, anywhere, to share for free (or freeish) their experiences democratized and popularized cultural criticism across the spectrum. Blogging and microblogging (social media) and newsletters (hello!) shred hierarchy. AI is another disruptor. I'll expand details about transformative tech to my grid. Many thanks.
There is still a cohort of WSET devotees that rail against less dogmatic wine writing. In social media they sometimes evoke “OK Boomer” level responses, framing disagreement in generational terms, which also impede understanding.
Interesting. The arguments from demographics have to be carefully made, and often aren't.
Yes, but that is social media.
You’re writing is so beautiful! Thank you for your insights and commitment to this industry. Thank you for seeing me.
Thank you for what you do, too, Regine. 🥂
Thank you for giving a name, and a framework for understanding, to our moment in wine. It rings true with the segments of the wine world I study. Brilliantly written and argued!
Thank you as always for reading, Valerie. I am hopeful, and I want to share that hope with others. I'm glad it rings true.
🤌🥹🫶