Can We Just Not?
The Vivino Issue.
“Hi! Do you have any questions about our selection or need any help finding what you’re looking for?”
“No, I’ve got it.” *takes out phone and begins photographing in the Vivino app*
As someone who pushes for more interaction, more conversation, and more community, it will always break my heart to be lied to by someone who comes into my space to purchase wine. I am talking about the person who uses Vivino to shop in-person while eschewing the assistance of staff. The fact of the matter remains that no app will replace the knowledge of the person who has selected the wines that are in front of you. Furthermore, the people whose ratings and recommendations these customers are seemingly willing to trust are the same people who do not know the difference between dry wine and tannin, or fruit and sugar. It becomes an echo chamber of the uninformed and ultimately perpetuates narratives about wines and styles that are not helpful to the individual or collective. There will be someone who comes along and will tell me that pointing this out is not useful or helpful to the casual wine enjoyer, but I would ask that person what is the point of having physical places for you to come if you don’t want to actively partake in the experience?
To take this a step further, this attitude leads to a homogenization of options because this re-inforces an echo chamber which damn near forces retailers to bend to the will of popularity as opposed to curating something with depth and breadth that offers what we’re all seeking within wine which is something real. Wine is fun because of personalities at every level. Whether that is a colorful winemaker, a flamboyant salesperson, or a consumer seeking something esoteric, we all find ourselves in search of something intriguing but the beauty is in experiencing different interpretations of what a person holds to that standard. But this all is rooted in what I feel is a foundational rejection of education in favor of what is buzzy or what someone derives is worthwhile to be seen drinking. The look of natural wine is enough for far too many who do not care about the labor involved or the actual ethics behind why these items are important.
I’m not here to invalidate anyone, I am simply saying that instead of wanting us all to cater to everyone, appreciate what we’re offering as individuals who are trying to maintain independence from everything we’ve tried to escape in the form of sameness from conventional wine. Let’s not let natural wine go the same way.