
Recently I was reading an article in Standart Magazine’s Winter 2024 issue (which is a wonderful magazine for those who love coffee culture) and Ben Wurgaft’s Coffee in the Mirror Hall of Culture had me thinking of his ideas beyond coffee. Ben’s article focuses on the ubiquity of coffee shops, brand design, and other elements which seek to give the perception of depth and quality, but actually are a copy and pasted version of a shop that could be anywhere. While there is a lot to unpack on the topic, Ben mentions, “If you want to find good coffee, people are the better route (rather than succulents in a grey pot on a tile countertop).” He goes on to recommend that we, “break away from the spell created by design so that we do not mistake appearances for depth.” In an attempt to not confuse my point, I recommend reading the article for more insight.
Thinking about The Next Tasting, this feeling of generic travel, hospitality, food, and wine experiences is why we believe we need better connections between the people of the region and those traveling to it. Social media and AI can democratize information for planning your trip, but ultimately it becomes an echo chamber that tends to amplify those with the largest marketing budgets. On the other side of that, travel planning services can be really expensive and take away the curiosity and serendipity of exploring a new place. It resonated with me that “people are the best route,” and it applies when traveling. Our best experiences in Napa and Sonoma have been around meeting people with passions for the region and what they make. We know we have barely scratched the surface, but that is also what makes us come back for more. Travel is a way to find new oddities or challenge your idea of what a place can be and embracing that infinitely increases your chances of discovering something new.
For wineries and those creating experiences, I also wonder what makes you feel more authentic? That article focuses on why so many coffee shops look so similar and that can be a problem too when creating great hospitality. When a tasting experience in Napa Valley looks and feels like a tasting experience in Fredericksburg Texas that is a problem. Not because Fredericksburg is bad, but because the essence of the place is gone and we just give an experience that is come to be expected because we all now have a shared expectation through social media. It might be unexplainable but doubling down on people right now seems to be a good approach as the article hints at. Travel and hospitality is about personalized experience, but we can not confuse personalization with convenience. AI or automated marketing texts take the feeling that we get when we are in Napa or Sonoma away. Hospitality is about creating unexpected moments (see Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara).
This is a big challenge that does not have any right or wrong answers. But, we know travel planning is getting less personalized and more expensive. It is not about trendspotting or finding that great place before it blows up, but more about embracing connection with people and getting excited when we are surprised by a great wine, pastry, and shop. Our hope is the Next Tasting can guide you to these moments, but leave enough space for you to discover the uniqueness on your own and in your own way. The region is full of surprises so you may have to come back more than once!
Alex Moore
The Next Tasting
