In Defense of Wine Influencers
Love them or hate them, wine influencers are shaping the way younger consumers discover, engage with, and buy wine.
At this year’s World of Pinot Noir, I had an unfortunate encounter with someone who, based on their reaction, perceived me to be a wine influencer. *Gasp*
I go to WOPN every year to get photos and videos for my clients who are pouring and to network in hopes of reaching more potential clients. This year, I attended with my friend Kristin (who I’m starting The Pour Memories Podcast with, btw!). We were enjoying some truly awesome pinots at one of the tables, and as one does when one is a wine photographer and marketer, I was grabbing some photos and video.
At one point, while getting a video of the folks pouring, I accidentally backed into a person behind me. I immediately apologized, laughing at myself for being a total clutz, but they clearly weren’t having it. As I stepped to the side to give them space at the table, they made a snarky comment—something along the lines of, “let me show you how not to be annoying at a wine tasting.” They then flounced off in a huff.
“Yikes,” I remarked to my friend, eyebrows raised. For the record, I had permission from the winery to get photos of them and we were yapping it up in mutual wine nerdiness. But to that person, I had already been written off as one of those annoying wine influencers.
And honestly? Fair enough! Even though I don’t consider myself a wine influencer, to an outside perspective, what I do—photographing wine, making content, helping wineries with their social media—probably looks a lot like what a wine influencer does.
And I suppose being stepped on by someone taking a photo of wine when all you want is to taste said wine is a bit annoying.
But this interaction made me realize two things:
There’s a weird amount of disdain for wine influencers, which is a total bummer.
I’ve probably (definitely) been guilty of this same attitude—dismissing influencers as annoying, unobservant plebs, and undervaluing what they bring to the wine world.
And that, my friends, is a problem.
The Stigma of the Wine Influencer
It’s no secret that influencer has become a bit of a dirty word. There is an assumption that wine influencers are unserious, uninformed, and only in it for the free booze. That they show wine in a way that is too casual, too playful, or just plain wrong.
I’ve had people comment on my posts implying that influencers are to blame for wine being marketed the wrong way. But I think it’s worth stepping back and asking:
What, exactly, is the right way to market wine?
As I explored in my post Is ‘WineTok’ Ruining the Wine Industry?, social media—particularly TikTok—has created a fascinating (and at times frustrating) split in how wine is perceived. On one hand, you have influencers making wine approachable, fun, and relevant to new audiences. On the other, you have a flood of content that either mocks wine culture, spreads misinformation, or leans into unhealthy drinking habits.
It’s easy to scapegoat influencers for what some see as the “dumbing down” of wine, but the reality is that influencers—especially those who take their role as educators seriously—are doing some of the best and most important work in modern wine marketing. They’re filling the gap between the old-school, highbrow approach to wine and the more casual, experience-driven way people actually enjoy it today.
So instead of dismissing wine influencers outright, maybe we should be asking: How can we work with them to shape the narrative around wine in a way that’s engaging, educational, and still rooted in its rich history and culture?
Wine Influencers Are Word-of-Mouth Marketing… but More Malleable.
The irony of all this is that word-of-mouth marketing has always been one of the most powerful tools in selling wine (for selling anything, really). For years, wineries relied on sommeliers, wine critics, and traditional media to spread the word about their wines. Wine influencers are just a modern version of that.
Instead of a gatekeeper telling people what to drink, you have creators making engaging content, sharing their experiences, and helping their audiences discover wines they might not have picked up otherwise. The medium might have changed, but the function hasn’t.
And the numbers back this up. Influencer marketing is a multi-billion dollar industry because it works. People trust recommendations from real people more than traditional advertising. A wine influencer telling their audience, "Hey, this Syrah is incredible, and here’s why I like it," carries way more weight than a static ad in a magazine or even a winery making a post on their own social media.
Where Wineries Get It Wrong
I think part of the pushback comes from a disconnect between wineries and the influencers they should be working with. Some wineries are wary of influencers because they assume their audiences aren’t “serious” wine drinkers. Others don’t understand how to build effective partnerships, leading to half-hearted influencer campaigns that don’t move the needle.
But when done well, a collaboration with the right influencer—someone who genuinely loves your wine, who knows how to tell a story, and who has an engaged audience made up of your target audience—can be more valuable than any paid ad.
Let’s Stop Undermining the People Who Are Actually Selling Our Wine
Wine influencers—sorry, wine educators, since many prefer that term—are not the enemy of the wine industry. They’re an asset. They help wineries reach new audiences. They make wine feel less intimidating. They get people excited about wine in a way that many marketing campaigns often don’t.
Are there bad actors in the space? Absolutely. That’s true in any industry. But dismissing all wine influencers because of a few people who are in it for the wrong reasons is like refusing to work with journalists because some media outlets publish clickbait. It’s lazy and keeps wine brands playing small.
At the end of the day, the goal of any kind of marketing is to get people to buy our wine. And whether we like it or not, the people who are best at making that happen aren’t always the critics, the journalists, or the somms.
Sometimes, it’s a person on TikTok, opening a bottle, and saying, “You guys have to try this.”
Your Turn: What Do You Think?
I know this is a topic, so let’s talk about it. Have you worked with wine influencers? Do you think they help or hurt the industry? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
And if you like these kinds of discussions, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps me keep making content like this and helps me inexplicably piss off more randoms at events like WOPN😅 (at the very least it buys me a glass of wine).
💯, Heather. We are currently working with local influencers who provide great content for our target demographic that is beautiful and feels authentic. We’re starting to think of them as long-term partnerships now.