New Books Network Meg Bernhard, "Wine" (Bloomsbury, 2023)
Nov 28, 2025
Meg Bernhard, a journalist and essayist, discusses her book on wine, unraveling its deep cultural and ecological ties. She explores the complexities of wine language and its connection to class and memory, while addressing gender imbalances in winemaking and the recent Court of Master Sommeliers scandal. Bernhard emphasizes the impact of climate change on vineyards, including wildfire smoke's effects and innovative adaptive strategies like hybrid grapes. Reflecting on her personal journey, she shares how her experiences in vineyards transformed her relationship with wine.
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Learning Wine In A Spanish Vineyard
- Meg Bernhard lived and worked on small family vineyards in central Spain after college, learning winemaking hands-on while living with a host family.
- That year taught her both technical cellar work and the seasonal rhythms that shape grapes and wine.
Tasting Language Encodes Class
- Tasting language reflects class and travel, so common descriptors assume experiences some listeners lack.
- Standardized tasting notes and point systems privilege a narrow, often Western, sensory vocabulary.
Knowledge Hoarding Drives Inequity
- Gatekeeping of wine knowledge concentrates power among those who control mentorship and certification pathways.
- Abuse and exclusion—like the Court of Master Sommeliers scandal—show how hoarded knowledge enforces gendered and racial disparities.
