Show Notes
🍷 Is wine still culturally relevant? What makes someone become a collector? And how can the fine wine trade connect with the next generation?
In Episode 13 of Uncorked, Tom Gearing and Jonathan Stevenson welcome Pauline Vicard, Co-founder and Executive Director of Areni Global, for a wide-ranging discussion on the future of fine wine. Drawing on Areni Global's landmark research into under-40 fine wine consumers, the conversation explores collecting, community, cultural relevance, wine events, changing consumer behaviour, and the challenges facing the industry today. Pauline shares her views on what separates buyers from collectors, why community is essential to engagement, and how the wine trade can create more meaningful experiences around wine. Together, the panel discusses whether fine wine is still culturally relevant, how younger consumers discover the category, and what businesses need to do differently if they want to engage the next generation of collectors.
📌 Topics covered in this episode: Meet Pauline Vicard and Areni Global Is wine losing cultural relevance? Why the industry can no longer take culture for granted The difference between buyers and collectors How younger consumers discover fine wine Why community matters as much as education and access Rethinking wine events and hospitality Selling fine wine in a changing market Sustainability, education, China and the future of fine wine Fine wine as an investable asset Hype or Hold: separating long-term trends from short-term noise
One of the episode's central themes is that collecting is about far more than ownership. Pauline argues that collectors don't just need great bottles, they need great people to share them with. This sparks a fascinating discussion about wine friendships, community building, hospitality and why the industry's future may depend as much on connection as it does on product. The conversation also explores Areni Global's research project, The New Fine Wine Consumer: How Under-40s Find Their Way into Fine Wine, which draws on interviews, surveys, focus groups and behavioural research conducted across London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai.
📖 Interested in learning more? As an Uncorked listener, you can receive 15% off Areni Global membership using code CULT15 at checkout (valid until 20 July 2026).
🔗 Areni Global: https://areni.global/ 🔗 The New Fine Wine Consumer report: https://areni.global/report/the-new-fine-wine-customer/ 🔗 Become an Areni Insider: https://areni.global/become-a-member/
Whether you're a collector, investor, wine professional or simply passionate about fine wine, this episode offers a thought-provoking look at where the industry goes next.
🍇 Explore more: 🔗 Cult Wines: https://www.wineinvestment.com/ 🔗 CultX: https://www.cultx.com/
Follow Uncorked for more conversations on fine wine, collecting, investing, and the people shaping the future of the market.
More from Uncorked: A Cult Wines Podcast
🍷 How are tariffs reshaping the US fine wine market? Who is actually collecting wine in America today? And can the industry solve its access problem before the next generation walks away?
🍷 Is the fine wine market finally turning? Where is liquidity returning? And after more than two years of correction, could flat really be the new up?
🍷 What can the wine industry learn from Taylor Swift? Is fine wine really an investment? And why might France's most protected traditions be its biggest weakness?
🍷 Is English wine finally having its moment? Can the UK sell as much wine as it can now make? And why is vineyard tourism booming right on our doorstep? In Episode 14 of Uncorked, Tom Gearing and Jonathan Stevenson welcome Alice Griffiths, wine writer, columnist and passionate advocate for English and Welsh wine, for a lively deep dive into one of the UK's most exciting wine categories. This episode heads much closer to home. Drawing on Alice's two decades in agriculture and her full-time career championing homegrown wine, the conversation explores cellar doors, vineyard trails, still wines, Welsh producers, social media, supermarkets and even a Guinness World Record attempt involving 80 vineyards in seven days. Alice shares where to start if you want to visit English vineyards, why tourism is becoming a genuine hospitality opportunity rather than a novelty, and what the next stage of the industry really depends on. Together, the panel discusses the English wine boom, the challenge of selling enough of it, and how supermarkets, cellar doors and vineyard visits can each become a doorway into the category.
Welcome to Episode 12 of Uncorked, the Cult Wines podcast. Tom Gearing, our Co-founder and CEO, is joined as always by Jonathan Stevenson, EVP of Cult Wines North America, with special guest Aarash Ghatineh, Cult Wines’ CRO. Aarash returns for what Tom calls the ‘big guns’ episode, because we have reached that point in the year where the market story matters. We are already at the end of Q1, and with Bordeaux En Primeur about to dominate the calendar, this is the moment to take stock of what has changed, what has not, and where collectors are actually putting money to work. The conversation starts with a straight read on the tone of trading so far this year, then pulls apart the themes sitting underneath it: stability returning to parts of the market, buyers focusing more on fundamentals, and renewed activity in the vintages and regions that offer both stature and opportunity. From there, attention turns to the questions everyone asks at this time of year. What needs to happen for En Primeur 2025 to land well? How should buyers think about value once carrying costs are considered? How has easier trading changed the old buy-and-hold logic? As ever, it is not all spreadsheets and seriousness; there is room for a bit of fun between the numbers. 📌 What’s covered in Episode 12: End of Q1: Steadier Market ToneQ1 shows greater price stability, with less speculation and more disciplined buying. After recent volatility, there are signs the market is finding support.