If you need a proper analogy for understanding Substack, the platform on which this and thousands of other newsletters are publishing, then think…Direct to Consumer Publishing.
And what does the wine wing of the Substack universe look like? Here is what is on offer:
Wine Wanderings by Tricia High Conover
A newsletter focused on food, drink and travel by a veteran writer.
The Wine Curmudgeon by Jeff Siegel
Jeff is an expert in inexpensive wine and a refuge from the wine blogging world where he has written for years.
Not Drinking Poison by Aaron Ayscough
Aaron is a champion and student of Natural Wine reporting from Paris. “Not Drinking Poison” is reportedly the most subscribed wine-centric newsletter at Substack.
Press Fraction by Lenn Thompson
Lenn is one of the original wine bloggers who built a stellar reputation for his work covering New York and East Coast wine scene.
Everyday Drinking by Jason Wilson
Jason, an established author, explores all facets of drinking and alcoholic beverages.
Tiny Vineyard by Joseph Daniel
Daniel chronicles his journey to grow, make and sell wine.
Gus Clemens On Wine by Gus Clemens
Syndicated writer Gus Clemens uses his Substack Newsletter to primarily review wine and deliver humor on a regular basis.
The Secret Life of Wine by Larry Alan Leigon
Legion, and longtime veteran of the industry, opines on any number of wine-related subjects, usually from a winemaker’s perspective.
Naturally Wine by Rachel Kagen
Kagen writes about her experience with Natural Wine from her perch in Canada
Darby’s Wine Newsletter by Darby Higgs
Higgs is an Australian specialist on alternative varieties.
The WineWiz by Laura Wiz
Wine reviews and commentary on the world of wine by Laura from New Jersey
The Fizz by Margot Mazur
Mazur, a somm and wine educator, interviews women in wine and delivers deeper dives on wine-related topics and trends
To me, Substack newsletters like the one you are reading and those listed above closely resemble the blogosphere, but with a simple and elegant way to set up a subscription function. The best description I’ve seen of what the Substack wine writer has chosen comes from an article by Falon Fatemi:
“The independent writers that join the platform own their own content, as well as their subscription lists. They also have no obligation to stay on the platform. They can leave at any time—and bring their subscribers with them. Ultimately, Substack changes the incentives for writers. As Substack author, Judd Legum has said, “It’s not about gaming the Google algorithm or the Facebook algorithm.” Instead, it’s about writing compelling content that wins hearts and minds. Not incentivized to game the algorithm, writers are pressed to do the work to discover what a reader finds interesting and engaging.”
The insight here is that writers on Substack are not attempting to game algorithms, but rather winning hearts and subscriptions with compelling content.
Criticism and Success at Substack
It’s true that since its founding in 2017, Substack has come in for some criticism. Interestingly, this criticism has come primarily from large, established mainstream media outlets. The criticism centers on the impact of popular newspaper and magazine commentators deserting their benefactors to work for themselves on Substack and even some of the most prominent media have taken steps to compete with Substack. Others have attempted to brand Substack as some sort of haven for heterodox individuals who don’t conform to recent trends in thinking on identity. Some have criticized Substack for providing subsidies to particularly well-known and popular writers, leaving writers like me on their own. None of these criticisms have stopped Substack from growing substantially as more and more writers have retreated to this new space and paying subscribers has risen to over a million.
I expect more wine-focused writers to migrate to substack or other subscription-based platforms and make the case that their work is worth a price. Success in this space will be determined by whether these writers can provide quality content and value to readers.
"Not Drinking Poison"??
No wonder so many wine lovers are turned off to Natural Wine.