19/03/2025
On the subject of wine education and business.
I recently delivered a wine oriented marketing program for EBBS WINE AND SPIRITS Business School. So far, most of my wine teaching experience has focused on delivering product knowledge, so it was exciting to have the opportunity to share not only about marketing concepts, but also insights gained beyond the tasting arenas.
This led me to reflect on the gap that still exists between wine knowledge and wine business skills. Accessing wine education is relatively easy, with plenty of wine schools offering comprehensive content on wine regions, styles, tasting techniques, and more. However, being a good taster and knowing everything about the world's wine regions does not inherently make someone a good salesperson—and the wine trade needs efficient salespeople.
During my MW studies, I vividly remember a piece of advice I was given: "Acquire all the wine knowledge you want, but never forget that, ultimately, it should be applied with a business mindset. There are many wine-educated individuals, but not all are business-minded."
With more and more consumers becoming highly knowledgeable about wine, acquiring in-depth wine expertise is crucial to staying ahead. However, understanding how the wine trade works is just as important. As Eric Hemmer MS MW aptly put it: "You can’t just have wine geeks who have no idea how to sell anything."
Shortly after I finished teaching, I came across an Areni Global podcast that offers an interesting perspective on the topic of wine education—very interesting and a podcast well worth listening to.
I am always delighted to teach and share and it was great to do it with business students who are to be the decision makers of tomorrow. 🤩