127: Wine Influencers + Drinking Too Much? Part 2 with Devin Parr

What makes someone a wine influencer? Why is there so much uproar in the wine industry about celebrity wines and influencers? How did heavy drinking become such an entrenched part of the wine industry? Do you sometimes feel you drink too much wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Devin Parr, Founder and Managing Partner of Devin Parr & Associates. You can find the wines we discussed at www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks.   Highlights What makes someone a wine influencer? Why is there such frustration towards wine influencers from the traditional wine community? How can we bring a sense of inclusion to the wine community? What would Devin like to see from wine influencers? How can wine brands improve their relationships with influencers? Why is awareness such a critical part of marketing? Do we drink too much in the wine business? What's it like doing wine press tours? How did such a heavy drinking culture develop as “the way we do business”? What is Devin’s opinion on mommy wine memes?   Key Takeaways I agree with Devin that an influencer is anyone who actually influences opinion on wine, not just those with official certifications. There’s a role for many voices, particularly in the wine industry. She makes such a great point: we don't drink wine in a vacuum. Wine is part of our broader lifestyle. I just wish more media trips would incorporate that … it’s why I stopped going on them altogether. And yes there have been times when I know I’ve consumed too much wine, though usually, this has been at home not at an industry event, thank goodness. But I think it’s something the wine industry needs to address more openly as do we all who love wine and want to keep it a part of our lives.   About Devin Parr Devin Parr is the Founder and Managing Partner of Devin Parr & Associates, a PR, marketing and content agency for the beverage, travel, and tourism space. She holds a level 3 WSET certificate and in 2017, was named one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine's Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers. She's written for Bottlenotes, WineCountry.com, NapaValley.com, Sonoma.com, The Plum, The Gourmet Insider, and others, including her own popular blog. Devin earned her B.A. in Political Science and Economics at UC San Diego and she joins us now from her home in Southern California.   Watch Party Join me for the debut Watch Party of the video of this conversation that I’ll be live-streaming for the very first time on Zoom on Wednesday, May 5th at 7 pm eastern. You can save your spot for free right here. I’ll be jumping into the comments as we watch it together so that I can answer your questions in real-time. I want to hear from you! What’s your opinion of what we’re discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn’t answer?   Giveaway You can also win one of two tickets to an exclusive virtual wine tasting led by Devin Parr that also includes two bottles of premium California wines that’ll be shipped directly to your home. These tickets are priced at $135 each and enable up to 6 participants per household to participate. We’ll be giving away two tickets, one to each of two different winners.   How to Win All you need to do is comment on one of these posts before 7 pm EDT on May 5th: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn I’ll select the winner randomly from those who participate. You get a bonus entry for every wine-loving friend you tag and if you re-share this post in your stories. Good luck!   To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/127.