THE NEW WINE WORD: COMMS FOR AN EVOLVING AUDIENCE Maiah Johnson Dunn · Clive Pursehouse · Christina Pickard · Tyler Balliet · Maryam Ahmed Sunday 3:15–5:00 PM · Heron Hill
Consider this: The wine world doesn’t have an audience problem—it has a communication problem.
Wine drinkers are becoming more curious, diverse, and culturally engaged, while the language around wine still feels exclusive, outdated, and often disconnected from how people actually experience it. So, what needs to change, and who gets to lead that charge?
Join moderator Maiah Johnson Dunn (wine writer and educator) in conversation with Clive Pursehouse (Forbes Wine), Christina Pickard (Wine Enthusiast), Tyler Balliet (The Rebel School of Wine), and Maryam Ahmed (Maryam + Company, Field Blends) for an unfiltered take on the state of wine communication today.
Across journalism, education, marketing, and community-building, each is challenging the entrenched norms and rewriting the rules: from how stories are told to who gets invited into the conversation. Together, they’ll dig into what’s broken, what’s worth preserving, and what it actually takes to connect with audiences in ways that feel honest, compelling, and relevant to now.
Expect strong opinions and practical takeaways for anyone ready to rethink how wine is talked about, sold, and shared.
Flight 1 1.Sheldrake Point Beta Series Blanc de Franc, 2023Cayuga Lake, Finger Lakes, NY 2.Cristom Vineyards Eileen Vineyard Chardonnay, 2023Eola-Amity Hills, OR 3.Ria’s Wines Viva Riesling, 2024Finger Lakes, NY 4.Maryam + Company × Massican, 2023Napa, CA Flight 2 5.B. Stuyvesant Brut Rosé Champagne, NVChampagne, France 6.(Blind #1) 7.(Blind #2) 8.(Blind #3)
