A Butter Understanding

I used to claim that I was an easy-goer when it came to wine selection.  "No preference." "Red, white, somewhere in between, all good."

Then, last year, a friend and connoisseur (and also a TA of this class!) helped me understand that I do have a preference or two.  We were at a tasting when she pointed out that there was a trend in the types of wines that I kept telling her that I enjoyed.  I was surprised to learn that I have one varietal that I typically tend to gravitate towards.

Hold tight though.  The story doesn't end here.

I was hanging out with my wine-snob brother-in-law a few weeks later when I told him that he should be proud of me...  I had learned something about wine! I explained that I have a type and proudly told him that I love a "good, oak-y, buttery Chardonnay." Where I expected to receive an impressed look, I instead received one of complete and utter disgust.

"Chardonnay? Buttery? That's an old person's drink.  Like, really really old."

Now don't worry.  I am holding strong in my Chardonnay love.  No shame.  What I've found interesting since then, though, is just how much of a marketing world the wine industry plays in.  I'm experiencing how trends, packaging, authenticity, brand advocates, and channels play a role.  Chardonnay's cool one moment, less so another? Who perceives it that way? What influenced the shift? Which brands are rising with the tide of a new trend or taste?

Before the GSB, I was a Product Marketing Manager for consumer products (both at Google and at BloomThat). I have a passion for learning about branding strategies in conjunction with non-market forces, supply chain influences, and growth strategies.  I want to learn more about this industry where branding is key, and I also want the opportunity to apply what we learn in various courses and experiences at the GSB to tactical, real-life cases (of wine).