Authenticity and Transparency: Telling your story in Wine.
Transmissions Luke Reiss
Let’s face it—there’s a lot of noise in wine marketing right now. Too many brands are either over-polished, overly mysterious, or just copying whatever worked for someone else five years ago. But if you actually want to get the attention of a younger audience—and earn their trust—you don’t need gimmicks.
You need two things:
- Authenticity.
- Transparency.
That’s it. These aren’t marketing trends. They’re the baseline. And the brands that get this are the ones that will actually last.
1. Authenticity: Show Off Who You Are
If you’re making an affordable wine meant to be shared over pizza, on a weeknight, with no ceremony, be proud of that. Own it. Don’t try to dress it up like a trophy bottle. And if you’re making something small-lot, structured, and built to age, stand tall in that too. But you need to make it meaningful. Don’t just say it’s bespoke, show people why it matters.
What today’s drinkers are looking for isn’t status. It’s clarity. We want to feel like the wine we’re buying knows what it is and isn’t afraid to show it. When a brand is confident in its identity (whether that’s playful and punchy or serious and refined) it becomes easier to trust, and easier to connect with.
That’s why an entry level wine like 19 Crimes has seen so much success. It’s not pretending to be anything it’s not.
I’m in my early 20s. I’ve seen friends pick up a bottle, keep it on their counter, show it off.
Not because they want people to know they drink that wine, but because it’s got character. It’s approachable. It’s intentional. It stands for something, whether that’s being lighthearted and bold, or simply not pretending to be more than it is.
And this isn’t just about entry-level wines. The same rule applies at every tier. Whether you’re producing a $15 red blend or a $95 Pinot Noir, the goal is the same: be clear about what you are—and be proud of it.
When a brand leads with that kind of honesty, it resonates.
The wonder is, although young drinkers are especially tuned into this (maybe because we’ve grown up with more marketing noise than any generation before) everyone responds to authenticity.
When a wine stands for something, it opens the door for people to form real, lasting connections with it. That’s what brand loyalty actually looks like. Not exclusivity, but recognition.
A wine that’s proud of what it is gives people a reason to be proud of drinking it.
2. Transparency: Let People In
This one’s just as important. People want to know how and why their wine was made. Not because they’re judging you, but because they’re curious, and they care.
Tell them:
- How you farm
- How you ferment
- What you’re proud of
- What you’re still working on
You don’t have to pretend to be perfect. In fact, it’s better if you’re not. New wine drinkers respond to honesty. If you’re using conventional practices, say so. If you’re working toward sustainability, talk about it. If you’re experimenting with new blends or processes, invite people into that.
Transparency builds trust. And trust builds a following.
So How Do You Tell Your Story?
Your story is more than an About page. It’s the sum of what you believe, how you operate, and, most importantly, how clearly you share that.
When authenticity and transparency come together, the story becomes obvious. It feels honest. It feels lived-in. And it becomes something people actually want to support. But conveying that isn’t always easy.
So the real question is: how are you telling that story?
Through your label, your website, your copywriting. Every piece of communication matters. And when it’s built with intention, when the design reflects the soul of the wine, when the copy is clear and grounded in you, that’s when it works. It needs to feel true to itself, and if it does, the right people will show up for it.
Because when people understand what you’re about, they remember you; and they come back.
I’m writing this not to call anyone out, but to call more people in. There’s a whole generation of drinkers like myself who want to love wine. Who want to understand it. Who are ready to support brands that feel real and worth following. And there’s a whole collective of brands with touching stories to tell.
