This episode of “Wine 101” is sponsored by La Marca. Meet Prosecco Rosé, the newest official category from the historic region. La Marca’s Prosecco Rosé is the standard-bearer in Northern Italy when it comes to this type of wine. If you wanna surprise and delight your friends with what’s sure to become an instant staple in their bubbly lineup, this is the one for you.
What does it mean to have diversity in wine? What does it look like? How can we continue to work toward absolute equality in this industry? We know about diversity in wine grapes and production, but we haven’t covered diversity among the people in the wine business.
For a long time, Virginia-based wine professional Reggie Leonard III thought that wine was reserved for “people with art history degrees.” From the outside looking in, it seemed inaccessible, as if there was some barrier to entry around it. Though, after attending a few free tastings at a local wine shop, he quickly realized that that wasn’t the case. Leonard saw that a wine-learning journey doesn’t have to be uptight or gate-kept; it can be as simple as tasting, deciding what you do and don’t like, and creating conversation around the wines you want to learn more about.
However, he knew he couldn’t be the only one who had reservations about getting into wine in the first place, so he’s made it his mission to show the world that wine is for everyone — of all creeds, colors, and socioeconomic backgrounds. “People need to see people that come from a background like theirs, which means a lot of different things. Diversity means as many versions of representation as possible in this industry,” he explains.
In the last episode of the season, Keith sat down with Reggie Leonard III, co-founder of Virginia’s Oenoverse and the Two Up Wine Down Festival, to talk about what inclusivity in wine means and what we can do to further promote it. Tune in for more.
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“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. Listen to this. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.
E& J. Gallo Winery is excited to sponsor this episode of VinePair’s “Wine 101.” Gallo always welcomes new friends to wine with an amazingly wide spectrum of favorites, ranging from everyday to luxury and sparkling wine. (Gallo also makes award-winning spirits, but this is a wine podcast.) Whether you are new to wine or an aficionado, Gallo welcomes you to wine. Visit TheBarrelRoom.com today to find your next favorite, where shipping is available.
