In this episode of Uncorked, the Italian Wine Podcast, Polly Hammond sits down with Pauline Vicard, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Areni Global, a think tank dedicated to the future of fine wine. The conversation explores findings from Areni Global’s new report, Fine Wine and the Restaurants: Looking Ahead After Two Years of Global Disruption. Pauline shares how fine dining, wine lists, and hospitality itself are being reshaped—and what that means for business strategy, marketing, and consumer engagement.
From Prestige to Purpose: Rethinking Fine Wine’s Relationship with Hospitality
Restaurants have long been gatekeepers of fine wine—providing not just a point of sale, but also validation. A spot on a three-Michelin-star wine list could make a wine’s reputation. But after two years of global disruption, that old model is changing.
Pauline notes that fine dining is moving away from exclusivity and prestige for prestige’s sake. “Chefs and sommeliers are shifting from trying to impress to trying to connect,” she explains. Diners now want to be restored, not wowed—and they’re increasingly choosing restaurants (and wines) that align with their values.
This mindset is reshaping how fine wine is positioned. The shift isn’t just about price or format—it’s about empathy, personalization, and emotional relevance.
The Fifth Food Transition: A New Context for Wine
One of the most thought-provoking concepts in the report is the “fifth food transition,” a global shift toward eating “without pain”—without causing harm to people, animals, or the planet. Rooted in a growing awareness of interconnected health, this trend has implications far beyond food.
For wine, it means that social and environmental sustainability are no longer optional. Consumers are asking not only what they’re drinking, but how and why it was made. Pauline connects this to a broader redefinition of quality: “Excellence is no longer just about technical perfection. It’s about how the wine—and the experience—makes people feel.”
Rethinking Wine Lists and Business Models
Areni Global’s research shows that restaurants have adapted their wine programs in three notable ways:
- Switching strategies: Some abandoned fine dining aspirations entirely, cutting prices and refocusing on comfort and connection.
- Absolute margins: Rather than applying traditional markup percentages, some restaurants now use flat pricing for high-end bottles, making fine wine more accessible.
- By-the-glass innovation: To maintain margins without alienating customers, many increased glass-pour pricing or created tiered pairing options for set menus.
At the same time, staff shortages and high turnover are forcing restaurants to cross-train employees, build internal education programs, and prioritize mental health. Wineries, Pauline notes, can play a role in this transformation—by becoming mentors, educators, and ambassadors through deeper partnerships with hospitality.
Wine Marketing Lessons: Experience Over Information
One of the report’s strongest takeaways for wine marketers: facts are not enough.
“Sommeliers are no longer walking tech sheets,” Pauline says. Instead, they’re storytellers and guides. The goal? Enhance olfactory pleasure, not overwhelm with data. It’s about saying, “I love this wine and here’s why,” rather than reciting its elevation and clone selection.
The challenge for wineries is to adapt their communication accordingly—making space for emotion, personality, and customer-led storytelling. Clever producers are already embracing this shift. For others, it may take time, but the writing is on the wall: consumers want engagement, not lectures.
Key Takeaways from Polly and Pauline’s Conversation
- Fine wine must be more human: From service to storytelling, fine wine needs to meet people where they are—not just in terms of palate, but emotionally and socially.
- Restaurants are changing, and wine must follow: Business models are evolving, with a focus on accessibility, sustainability, and personalized experience.
- Narratives matter more than ever: The future belongs to brands that can connect emotionally and culturally—not just technically.
- Distributors and middlemen have a renewed role: Smart importers can bridge the gap between small wineries and complex international markets by helping producers craft relevant messaging.
- Sustainability includes people: Social sustainability—fair employment, mental health, and inclusivity—must be part of any future-facing wine strategy.
As Polly sums up, the question isn’t whether the fine wine world will adapt. It’s how quickly we can move from exclusivity to empathy, and from expertise to experience.
