We talk about Stacy’s journey from the music scene into the wine industry, the magical weirdness of Walla Walla, and how Blood of Gods started as a “social experiment” and evolved into a community-driven, culture-shifting project. Stacy shares how the annual Merrymaking event came to life, what it means to create space for wine folks who don’t fit the mold, and how ego and elitism have sucked the joy out of wine for too long.

This is a warm, wide-ranging, and at times cathartic conversation about the power of storytelling, the joy of building subculture, and why wine should be fun, loud, and deeply inclusive.

About Our Guest:

Stacy Buchanan is the founder and editor of Blood of Gods, an independent print zine based in Walla Walla, WA, that blends wine, heavy metal, art, and alternative culture. He’s also the creator of Merrymaking, an annual event that champions inclusivity and creativity in the wine world. Stacy is a punk at heart, a zinemaker by trade, and a champion for people who love wine but hate the pretense. He was also named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Future 40 Tastemakers in 2023.

Instagram: @bloodofgodszine

Awesome People, Places, Wines, & Wineries Mentioned in This Episode:

• Blood of Gods Zine

• The Annual Merrymaking in Walla Walla

• harles Smith Grenache “The Boy”

• Yallerhorn Wines (featured at Blood of Gods)

• Quilceda Creek

• Pepper Bridge Winery

• Kiona Vineyards

• Foxen Vineyard & Winery — especially their Chenin Blanc

• Delmas — Viognier and Syrah

• Jolie-Laide Wines

• Iruai

• Jett Wines

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There’s a song that keeps popping up on my Instagram by The Brudi Brothers called Me More Cowboy Than You—a sharp, funny critique of Nashville’s country scene and the artists who dress the part but haven’t lived the life. After ADHD hyperfixating on it (read: listening to it over and over until I got sick of it), I couldn’t stop thinking about the wine industry.

The song mocks the idea of needing to prove one’s authenticity: wearing the boots, buying the tools, learning the lingo because they want to be seen a certain way. Or, as Maxim Mower said in his article on Holler about the song, “They’re all hat, no cattle.”

Sounds mighty familiar, don’t it?

In wine, we do a version of this all the time. Obnoxious tasting notes, obscure cult bottle flexes, humblebrag harvest stories. Me more wino than you.

And I’m not exempt from this. I can posture with the worst of them. I’ve caught myself at tastings trying to prove I know what I’m doing, using terms like “flabby” and “voluptuous” as if that will somehow convince everyone that I belong there. It’s so dumb and makes me look like such a twat.

Why the fuck are we like this?

We’ve built an industry where ego and dickishness are celebrated and rewarded. We elevate the posturers and gatekeepers while making people who are new to wine feel like they need to do more homework before they can sit at the table.

And that’s a problem for so many reasons, including because it scares off people who might otherwise fall in love with wine.

The irony is that wine is supposed to be about connection. That’s what makes this whole thing so absurd. When we’re busy performing, we’re not listening. We miss what someone is trying to share because we’re too caught up planning our next clever riposte. And the wine—this incredible, messy, living thing in the glass—gets lost in the dick waving.

There’s a lyric in the Brudi Brothers’ song that goes:

“They all just want to be heard and seen / Speaking their minds and taking their stance.”

And I think that’s what it all boils down to, right? We all just want to be heard and seen. We want to be taken seriously. And in wine, that often means trying to prove ourselves instead of just… being.

But some of the best wine conversations I’ve ever had came from folks who weren’t trying to prove anything. They were just sharing what they loved, asking questions, and gushing. The people who clearly have a big fat crush on the wines they are drinking are the ones I really want to learn from.

What would wine culture feel like if we stopped needing to be the smartest one in the room?

Kristin and I may be sitting on a solution to this problem. But more on that later.

We talk about what pulled Erin into the wine industry, how she’s spent over a decade helping shape the conversation around wine business, and why she’s now building something of her own with Novel Pairings—a project that connects wine, books, and music into curated experiences.

Erin shares her favorite “pour memory,” how wine can act as a time capsule, and why excitement often matters more than expertise when it comes to connecting with wine. We also dig into how books shape us, what sibling dynamics in literature can reveal about us, and how music is increasingly part of the reading experience. Of course, we had to ask her for her top book recommendations and what wines she’d pair with them.

It’s a cozy, creative, and deeply thoughtful conversation about storytelling, sensory memory, and the joy of bringing people together around wine and words.

About Our Guest:

Erin Kirschenmann is the managing editor of Wine Business Monthly, where she’s worked since 2012, and the founder of Novel Pairings, a new subscription and community experience pairing books, wine, and music. She’s a reader, a writer, and a fierce advocate for making wine more welcoming and accessible, especially for those still finding their way into the industry. She also really loves a good Chenin Blanc and the occasional Trader Joe’s Grüner.

Listeners of Pour Memories can enjoy their first month of Novel Pairings free with code POURMEMORIES at checkout.

Join Novel Pairings

Books and Wines Mentioned in This Episode:

• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

• The Wedding People by Alison Espach

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

• The Three Lives of Kate K by Sharon Maas

• Beach Read and Book Lovers by Emily Henry

• Vineyard Rocks and Soils by Alex Maltman

• Limited Addition Wines by Bree Stock

• RN Estates Pinot Noir from La Encantada Vineyard

• Tablas Creek Vineyard Viognier

• Floriana Grüner Veltliner from Trader Joe’s

• Literally any Chenin Blanc

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Please also consider sharing our show with someone you know will love it.

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• Looking for your favorite wine merch? Visit thewinoshop.com and use code POURMEMORIES for 10% off your order! [Sponsor]

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We unpack whether it’s good or bad to be “busy” (seems like the distinction is in the eye of the beholder), the impact of family legacy on career paths, and the importance of making intentional choices. Riley shares her personal journey in wine and how therapy, reflection, and lived experience have shaped her growth both professionally and personally.

We also dive into evolving attitudes around mental health (“I love that your reaction was ‘nice!” when learning about me going to therapy”), what it takes to find the right therapist, and how we each try to manage overwhelm in our own lives. As is our way when enjoying delicious beverages with our friends, the conversation slips into some tangents about baseball, wine hospitality, and the emotional ups and downs that come with working in passion-driven industries.

It’s an honest, warm, and unfiltered conversation about showing up for our work, our friends, and ourselves, exactly like how our conversations go when we aren’t recording ourselves for the world to hear.

About Our Guest:

Riley Wathen Slack is a second-generation wine industry professional and our dear friend. She is one of the children of one of the founders of Foxen Vineyard and Winery based in Santa Barbara Wine Country. She likes cats, her amazing husband Chuck, and Chenin Blanc.

Awesome People and Wine Mentioned in this Episode:

• , who gave us some food for thought about the term “busy.”

• Alta Colina Trailer Pond, where Riley & Heather stayed during WiVi/Central Coast Insights

• Foxen Vineyard & Winery 2007 Chenin Blanc

Support our Show:

You can support us by subscribing, rating, and reviewing our podcast wherever you listen.

Please also consider sharing our show with someone you know will love it.

Share

If you have the means and motivation, you can support our show by purchasing from one of our sponsors or buying us a beverage!

• Looking for your favorite wine merch? Visit thewinoshop.com and use code POURMEMORIES for 10% off your order! [Sponsor]

• Support our beverage enjoyment:

BUY US A BEVERAGE!

Chapters

00:00 Understanding the Wine Journey

00:16 Maslow's Hierarchy of Wine Needs

10:16 Redefining Wine as an Everyday Beverage

11:36 The Language of Wine Marketing

20:08 Understanding Your Audience in Wine Marketing

23:51 Breaking the Rules of Wine Consumption

24:47 Celebrating Wine and Life's Moments

Support our Show:

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Please also consider sharing our show with someone you know will love it.

Share

If you have the means and motivation, you can support our show by purchasing from one of our sponsors or buying us a beverage!

• Looking for your favorite wine merch? Visit thewinoshop.com and use code POURMEMORIES for 10% off your order! [Sponsor]

BUY US A BEVERAGE!

Chapters

00:00 Aha Wine Moments: Discovering Personal Connections to Wine

11:41 Our Journey into the Wine Industry

15:55 Emotional Connections: Wines that Transform Us

20:50 Spirits vs. Wine

22:48 Historical Context of Wine and Beer Consumption

22:58 Experiencing Unique Wines: A Personal Anecdote

26:42 Exploring Wine Bars: Noble Rot and Beyond

31:52 The Joy of Tasting: Expanding Palates

35:27 The Broader Beverage Experience

36:46 Closing Thoughts and Future Topics

Support our Show:

You can support us by subscribing, rating, and reviewing our podcast wherever you listen.

Please also consider sharing our show with someone you know will love it.

Share

If you have the means and motivation, you can support our show by purchasing from one of our sponsors or buying us a beverage!

• Looking for your favorite wine merch? Visit thewinoshop.com and use code POURMEMORIES for 10% off your order! [Sponsor]

BUY US A BEVERAGE!

Who We Are

We are passionate wine professionals with a collective 25 years of experience in the industry. Our journey has been rich with learning, from vineyards to tasting rooms, and we’re here to turn that knowledge into engaging discussions with you - whether you’re a fellow industry professional or a novice to experienced consumer, we want you to chat with us.

Kristin

I started work part-time at Dragonette Cellars in January 2015 just to bide some time before applying to medical schools. But after my first taste of harvest that Fall, I basically said screw medical school. That, and within my first few months in the tasting room I hosted an array of medical professionals all telling me to run, not walk, away from medicine if I was happy in wine. I let the idea marinate and decided to change career paths. Over the course of 7 years, I wore many hats at Dragonette, morphing me into a bit of a Swiss Army knife in the industry. Still being a wine noob, relatively speaking, I was able to get a big-picture view of wine’s role in the average consumer’s life, how they interacted with wine, and ideate on how to reach a broader audience. When 2020 slowed things down a bit, I enrolled in online business and marketing classes through Harvard and Wharton. Between those classes, locking in my professional values (make👏🏽 wine 👏🏽 accessible 👏🏽), and binge-watching Schitts’ Creek, my wine brand Cote of Paint was conceived. I worked a bit for other wineries, both family-run and corporate, but found my values and ideas were better suited for being a passionate, self-employed risk-taker. Currently, I work alongside badass femmes and friends in the industry, bringing my expertise to their spheres: Maryam Ahmed of Maryam + Company, Terah Bajjalieh of Terah Wine Co, Katy Rogers, and Tamara Bingham of Likely Story Strategies. Your turn, Heather!

Heather

I got my start in the wine industry working part-time on the weekends in the Foxen Vineyard & Winery tasting room in 2010.  My ambition was to be a winemaker, so in 2012, I did my first harvest with Foxen, working as a seasonal harvest assistant (intern).  In 2013, I moved up to the Willamette Valley, Oregon, to finish my Bachelor of Science in Viticulture & Enology, working in production during harvest for Spindrift Cellars and then working hospitality with Willamette Valley Vineyards. After finishing my degree, my husband and I moved back to the Central Coast of California, and I worked again for Foxen in production, shipping, and the tasting room. In 2017, I started working with Coastal Vineyard Care Associates, a local vineyard management company. While working for them, I rediscovered my love of photography and a previously untapped love for marketing. In 2019, I had the opportunity to leave my full-time job as the Compliance & Marketing Manager for CVCA to start my own wine photography and marketing business called Craft & Cluster.  Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with incredible wineries like Foxen Vineyard & Winery, Bien Nacido Estate, Cambria Winery, Brewer Clifton, Brave & Maiden Estate, Roblar Winery, Jonata and The Hilt, and many more.

Why Pour Memories?

The idea for Pour Memories (as for many publications and podcasts) was conceived of at the end of a long conversation over food and drink.  It taps into those unplanned, unscripted moments around the table where wine, beer, and other delicious beverages act as lubrication for connection and trying to solve the world’s problems. We aim to replicate that warmth and authenticity, bringing you into our circle of conversation no matter where you are. Pour Memories is our attempt at making wine culture more accessible by mimicking those moments that occur organically, around the table or on a couch, with friendly folks. These are the conversations we’re already having, but we are now having them with you as well. 

What to Expect

• Cultural Sips: How wine is mirrored in media, the fun of 'High-Brow/Low-Brow' pairings, and stories behind pivotal wine experiences…aka, the Pour Memories 😉

• Unfiltered and Inclusive Conversations: From the romanticism of wine to the realities (and sometimes ugliness) of wine industry challenges, and how we can improve. All beverage drinkers are welcome to join in.

• Debates and Discussions: About current events and perspectives in the wine, food, and beverage industries, how it all pertains to the bigger culture picture for these industries, and how professionals and consumers can adapt to meet the moment. Side effects may include expanding audiences and increasing profits.

Plans For The Future:

Our plans include transitioning these written dialogues into an interview and discussion-style podcast, inviting more voices to the conversation, and expanding our discussions to include live Q&A sessions and guest appearances from the awesome people behind our favorite brands. Or just people we want to share a glass of wine with (full transparency, we’re trying to manifest having our crush, Pedro Pascal, on the podcast, but you know… all in good time).

Some examples…

Bob’s Burgers

Looking past Kristin’s obsession with voice-acting and perfectly cast voices to play outrageous animated characters, we bring you Bob’s Burgers. In Season 4 Episode 15, The Kids Rob a Train, Bob and Linda go wine tasting on a train and meet Rick, a wine enthusiast. While the kids are trying to steal the train’s entire supply of chocolate, Rick is inserted into Bob and Linda’s tasting experience and offers up the most outrageously awkward, sexualized tasting notes and descriptions about the wines they’re tasting. Basically, Rick is talking dirty to the wine. It’s both hilarious and cringe-worthy, mostly because Rick isn’t the type of dude you would want talking dirty to you, let alone a glass of wine 🥴

A battle of the egos eventually commences as Bob and Rick compete in a showdown to determine who can guess a wine correctly. (SPOILER: The wine is a cuvée from the dump bucket, and Bob guesses it correctly). 

How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM)

There are so many examples of the “wine drinkers are pretentious fucks” trope in HIMYM that it could have its own article, but the first example we see is in the episode Okay Awesome, S1E5, when Lily & Marshall host a wine tasting while the rest of the gang go to a hyper exclusive club. While Ted, Robin, and Barney (“the cool kids”) are dancing at the club, the guests at the wine-tasting party are high-fiving over 30-year fixed mortgages, and Marshall is bummed that he has to wait to drink the wine “to let the tannin’s mellow” (Marshall’s line, “Freakin’ Tannins” is an oft-repeated line in Heather’s household 😂).

The message from this episode is clear: people who do wine tastings are boring.

Gilmore Girls

In S3E5, Eight O’Clock at the Oasis, Lorelai recalls her date with Peyton Sanders (played by the adorable Jon Hamm) to daughter Rory, and she complains about how he spoke at length about wine, which bored her immensely. Lorelai describes how Peyton “sniffed, swirled, swished, and did every other pretentious and borderline-disgusting thing you can do with a glass of wine in a public place.” Her daughter Rory's horrified reaction, "Oh no, he's a winey?!" reflects their perception that an intense interest in wine can be off-putting and overly pedantic, especially when it dominates the conversation 🥱

Our Problem With It

Let us be perfectly clear: it’s not that we don’t find these jokes funny–they are–and there’s a good reason these tropes exist. Our issue with these jokes is that there’s a good chance that these portrayals are influencing a would-be new consumer. If a person’s first exposure to wine is a joke about how boring and pretentious wine drinkers are, they will be less likely to get into it. Would you want to be considered boring, pretentious, and pedantic? We think not!

Celebrating Positive Representations in Wine Culture

Even the positive representations of wine are paired with the negative assumptions and perceptions about wine and its accompanying culture. For example…

We love the film Bottle Shock. It kicks off with a light-hearted scene featuring Bo Barrett (played by Chris Pine, complete with a VERY questionable wig) dancing in the vineyard to "China Grove" by the Doobie Brothers, then contrasts this with a more pretentious depiction of the wine world through the character of Steven Spurrier (memorably portrayed by the late Alan Rickman, may he rest in peace). This juxtaposition captures the spirit of wine as both an agricultural product (Chris Pine describes them all as “farmers” in his voiceover) and a pretentious product of sophisticated culture. 

And for the record, we are well aware that Bottle Shock takes creative liberties with its portrayal of the historic 1976 Judgement of Paris (looking at you, Chris Pine’s Wig)—it serves as a beloved, though romanticized, representation of the wine industry's dual nature.

We’ll dive deeper into the romanticization of the wine industry in the future, but for now, our mission is about finding the balance between celebrating the rustic roots and the refined reaches of wine culture.

In Conclusion

As we work to shift the portrayal of wine culture in the media, maybe the jokes won’t be as funny. Or maybe they will! Maybe they’ll become more relatable and make people feel they are in on the joke instead of being laughed at.

But the whole goal here is to decrease the barrier to entry and foster an environment that is welcoming rather than intimidating.

If we hope to shift culture to make it less pretentious and more accessible, then we should probably stop scaring the newbies. We want to invite people into the conversation and the experience instead of freaking them out about it. After all, wine at its core is an art form that serves as an extension of human connection. Full stop.

PS - For funsies we’ll revisit more of these wine references in popular media, including that very recent episode of The Simpsons.