Why Niche Wine Festivals Are the Future of the Wine Industry
This month, I had the immense pleasure of pouring for Foxen Winery at the Blood of Gods Merrymaking event in Walla Walla. If you’re not familiar, Blood of Gods is a zine that brings together wine, metal music, and alternative art in a way that is weird, wonderful, and wildly intentional.
Pssst! If you want to hear more about the origin and ethos of the event, my friend Kristin and I had the absolute pleasure of talking with founder Stacy Buchanan on our podcast Pour Memories. You can listen to that episode here.
Aside from some pretty ridiculous air travel experiences I had to get there, the Blood of Gods Merrymaking was one of the best and most unique wine events I’ve participated in. And unlike some of the larger wine events I’ve experienced, this one didn’t devolve into a drinking frenzy.
It was clear that the attendees represented a diverse mix of advanced wine enthusiasts, including some who were members of wine clubs or in the wine industry itself, as well as those with less extensive wine knowledge. I did my best to meet each of these folks where they were at, getting more technical (if they were receptive to that) with the nerds and inviting the newbs to get curious if they wished.
We were pouring a Carbonic Cabernet Franc and I found myself leading each conversation with, “how familiar are you with this style of wine” and if they said they weren’t familiar with it I followed up with, “would you like to get nerdy about it or do you just want to vibe with it”— I think it was the right call because the newbs started asking more questions about the process and seemed genuinely excited to learn more.
This event embodied everything I love about wine culture when it is at its best. It felt inclusive and built on connecting people of different walks of life (seeing people with bright orange mohawks and multiple piercings yapping with the “girl-next-door” types really tickled my brain).
I love that Blood of Gods isn’t trying to be all things to all people. It’s made for a very specific audience. And I believe that specificity is its greatest strength.
It reminded me of something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: the future of wine events isn’t big ballrooms packed with 200+ wineries and a sea of tasters blitzing through tables where the people pouring become robots. It’s more intentional and focused.
Dare I say, smaller is better?
And clearly, the industry is listening. World of Pinot Noir (WOPN), for example, recently announced that they are stepping away from their massive annual weekend event at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara. Instead, they’re shifting toward smaller, pop-up-style tastings. In a letter to the community, they said that the large-scale format simply wasn’t resonating with the new generation of wine consumers. WE LOVE AN ORGANIZATION THAT LISTENS TO ITS COMMUNITY.
WOPN’s pivot reflects a broader shift in the wine industry. Wine lovers want more intimate experiences. They want to actually talk to the winemakers without people impatiently waiting behind them, tapping their toes (and getting annoyed at them for taking photos). They want to remember what they tasted and with whom. They don’t want to elbow their way through a ballroom.
These changes are exciting.
Walla Walla itself is a perfect backdrop for this evolution.
It’s not a place you stumble into by accident. Getting there requires a certain amount of determination (again, y’all, I cannot emphasize enough how fucked my air travel was). So, the people who show up do so with purpose and enthusiasm.
That energy was palpable at Blood of Gods. The music, the educational panel, the art, and the wines all worked because none of it was trying to appeal to everyone. They knew their audience.
It’s also worth noting that Blood of Gods backs up their values: proceeds from the event support Planned Parenthood, and founder Stacy Buchanan has been vocal about creating an inclusive, safe, and values-driven space for wine lovers who don’t always feel seen in traditional wine circles.
And this values-driven approach isn’t limited to Blood of Gods.
We’re seeing this trend across the industry. Hella Chenin, a one-day festival in Berkeley founded by Peter Andrews (Culture Wine Co.), Josh Hammerling (Hammerling Wines), and Marty Winters & Alex Pitts (Maître de Chai), has already grown a dedicated following. With a mission to hype up Chenin Blanc (IMO one of the more undervalued white grape varieties out there), highlight family-run wineries, and support Black families in Altadena through their nonprofit partner My Tribe Rise, the event is as intentional as it is joyful.
Here on the Central Coast, we’re seeing similar momentum. The Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers & Culinarians host an annual Celebration in March that uplifts women in food and wine, with proceeds supporting organizations like the Nature Track Foundation, She Raised Her Hand, The Rainbow House Inc., The Food Bank of Santa Barbara, and more.
At Her Table in SLO County is building a year-round platform to spotlight women entrepreneurs with pop-ups, panels, and parties that are genuinely worth attending.
Even more traditional players are leaning into this shift: Rhone Rangers continues to host grand tastings and educational panels, while also expanding into more curated experiences, such as their Twilight Tastings, Winemaker Dinners Under the Stars, and even a Dude Ranch Harvest Retreat.
Meanwhile, smaller-scale gatherings like the weekly Mattei’s Tavern Winemaker Bar Takeovers and the Rosewood Miramar’s reimagined “Bounty” winemaker dinners are allowing individual wineries to get more one-on-one time with consumers in an environment where their community is already spending time. I particularly love these options because they also come at a friendlier, more value-added price tag than some of the wine events of yore.
And that’s what all of this really comes down to: building communities who care about what you’re making, how you’re making it, and how they get to be a part of the conversation.
If you're a winery trying to decide where to pour next year, consider this your nudge to prioritize events that feel aligned. Be where your values, your voice, and your wines will resonate.
What wine events have felt most meaningful to you lately, either as a winery or a wine drinker? Have you noticed this shift toward smaller, more intentional gatherings? Please let me know; I’d love to hear where you're showing up!
100% agree. I recently attended a wine fair where attendees were shouting with the winemakers to ask about the production. The value from fairs comes from relationship building and it's simply not possible in large venue halls with 500+ attendees.
Those dinners where you actually get to talk to the winemaker. A pop-up at a shop with 10 people who really care. Even just a backyard bottle share. Way more heart in those moments.