Poster on the Wall

What does a $25,000 bottle of Burgundy have to do with the $14 Pinot Noir at Trader Joe's?More than you'd think.Most people assume the fine wine world is a parallel universe for rich people — disconnected from the wine the rest of us actually drink. In this essay, Jon makes the opposite case: the top of the wine world is the reason the rest of it works.Using the Ferrari-and-Toyota analogy — the kid with the Ferrari poster on his wall who grows up to drive a Civic but still cares about cars — Jon argues that aspiration builds categories. Champagne's mythology fuels its mass market.Bordeaux's classified growths made Napa possible. Burgundy's prestige launched Oregon's 700+ wineries. Remove the top of the pyramid, and the bottom doesn't get stronger — it gets flatter."Fine wine and everyday wine aren't two separate worlds. They're the same world at different altitudes. The mountain is the reason the valley has a view at all."Host: Jon Frutkin (@winewithjon) — lawyer turned collector turned contentcreator, opening Preface Wine in Delray Beach, FL.