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Swiftonomics: It’s a Love Story between Taylor Swift and wine
Could the American singer’s influence extend beyond music to the vineyards? As Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio dominate recent sales, db‘s resident Swiftie Iris Fabre explores how the pop star’s preferences are reshaping the wine market.
It’s Taylor Swift’s world and we’re just living in it.
That seems like a dramatic statement, and yet, facts and data back it up: on top of being one of the Forbes listed billionaires (with a fortune estimated at $1.1 billion), a whole part of economics is dedicated to studying the American pop star’s impact: Swiftonomics.
There’s no denying it, between the seismic activity recorded at her Edinburgh shows last month and the tourism surge induced by her European leg of her sold out Eras Tour, the 34-year-old singer is shaking not only the music industry but our whole economy.
Could her influence extend to the wine industry? This is Liz Thach MW’s conjecture in her recent Forbes article, after having analysed the latest wine trends.
A cruel summer for red wines
It is no secret that Taylor Swift enjoys a good glass of wine – she even mentions it 19 times in her music catalogue, as reported by David Morrow for Bottle Raiders.
Her friend and former support act Gracie Abrams recently shared in an Apple Music interview the creative process behind her new song “us.”, that she wrote with Taylor Swift in one night after opening a bottle of wine.
Taylor Swift had previously revealed her favourite wines, in a 2019 episode of The Ellen Show, where she had to answer the host’s “burning questions”. When asked what she would bring to a party, Swift immediately replied “white wine”, adding it would be “Sancerre, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc”.
And guess what are the only two varieties to have shown sales progress in the last year? Bingo: Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio.
Coincidence? It might well be, but the fans of the star, called “Swifties”, who love to find the Easter Eggs the singer leaves in her every move, outfit or video, would simply argue she’s a mastermind. And she was actually asked, in the very same interview with Ellen DeGeneres, if she had left any Easter Eggs during their talk. To which she replied yes – I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Swifties were quick to notice Taylor Swift revealed her favourite wines, and hundreds of TikTok show fans trying “Taylor’s wine” – which is now the new unofficial name of Sancerre.
But there are other elements that can explain the rise of white wine sales (which grew from 41.6% in 2021 to 43.8% today in value) over red wine.
These include the increasing demand for less calories and lower alcohol levels as well as the diversification of cuisine in the U.S. with Asian and Latin foods for instance, which pairs well with white wines.
Entering a Sancerre and Pinot Grigio era
What draws Taylor Swift to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio? Although the singer does not say, I put my Swiftie and DipWSET hats on to provide answers…
It’s interesting to note Swift mentions both Sauvignon Blanc and Sancerre, as the latter is a subregion of the Loire Valley where white wine is made solely from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. But Sancerre, with its steep hillsides and microclimate, produces a particular type of Sauvignon: crisp, intense with a high acidity. On the other hand, Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough in New Zealand will for instance tend to display more tropical notes while maintaining a high acidity.
If Pinot Grigio is usually less aromatic than Sauvignon Blanc, they both share a crisp character and some green aromas. Both are typically unoaked, which means Swift seems to enjoy refreshing and fruit-forward wines.
Plus, although these styles of wine can pair well with a variety of cuisines, they are easy drinking and can be consumed without any food, as an aperitif for instance – or during a nocturnal songwriting session with Gracie Abrams, maybe?
Taylor-made wine pairings
The Global Wine Masters, the series of competition organised by the drinks business, actually has competitions dedicated to both Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. By focusing on a grape variety rather than a region, preconceived notions of the importance of location are pushed aside, allowing wines from across the globe to be judged by our panel of experts purely on style and price.
Below are the award-winning wines from the Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters 2023 and the Global Pinot Grigio Masters 2024 that Taylor Swift would probably like too.
Welcome to the Global Wine Masters (Taylor’s Version), paired with some of the pop star’s best hits.
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylor’s Pass Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Gold medal at the Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters 2023
Marlborough, New Zealand
Approx. retail price: £16
Taylor Swift music pairing: Lover (Album: Lover)
Compared to “textbook” Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs, this wine shows an elegant restraint. It smells like a young love, with aromas of floral peach blossom, apple and pear, and a hint of lemon peel. If it had colours, it would be the Lover album palette for sure, with cloudy pastel shades of pink and blue.
Swift’s song is written in a waltz tempo, which is refreshing in the world of pop – just like this wine, described as “very enjoyable” with a “refreshing yet not overpowering acidity”. I still have the secret hope the wine’s name refers to Taylor Swift and not the historic New Zealand road.
Barton & Guestier Sancerre 2022
Silver medal at the Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters 2023
Loire Valley, France
Approx. retail price: £32
Taylor Swift music pairing: Style (Album: 1989)
If you just change a few lyrics from Style’s chorus, you obtain proper wine tasting notes: Sancerre “never goes out of style”, it has “that classic thing that you like”.
Judges enjoyed the traditional Sancerre expression of the Barton & Guestier, “dry and crisp” with a clean and mineral style. Just take it home.
Clos du Val Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Master medal at the Global Sauvignon Blanc Masters 2023
Napa Valley, USA
Approx. retail price: £45
Taylor Swift music pairing: All Too Well (10-minute version) (Album: Red)
This Sauvignon Blanc is a sipping wine, you need to absorb its complexity and many layers like you absorb every lyric of Taylor Swift’s longest song. Judges said of Clos du Val that “the skilled use of high-quality oak wraps around the luscious fruit, giving it body and weight. This wine is elegant, layered and long, with true finesse, and will improve for at least a further five years” – just like Swift in the All Too Well short film, as she successfully turns a heartbreak into a successful writing career.
Ménage à Trois Pinot Grigio 2021
Gold medal at the Global Pinot Grigio Masters 2024
California, USA
Approx. retail price: £9
Taylor Swift music pairing: august (Album: folklore)
This wine is a blend of three grape varieties, with a majority of Pinot Grigio. Taylor Swift sings “august sipped away like a bottle of wine” – of Ménage à Trois, she could have added, since she is effectively telling the story of a love triangle, with this song from the point of view of the “other woman”. This fresh and fruity wine, light-bodied with a racy intensity, is perfect for easy sipping. Judges even said it would be “perfect on a summer’s day with fish and chips while enjoying a view of the river”.
Domaine de Reuilly Les Fossiles Reuilly AOC 2023
Gold medal at the Global Pinot Grigio Masters 2024
Loire Valley, France
Approx. retail price: £22
Taylor Swift music pairing: willow (Album: evermore)
Fans go crazy every time Taylor Swift performs a new mash-up during the “surprise songs” part of The Eras Tour. Well, consider this wine a mash-up of the singer’s favourite: Loire Valley x Pinot Grigio. Judges described the wine as earthy, with smoky nuances and a “svelte texture”: willow, the opening track to Swift’s most “witchy” album, will be the perfect companion to sip this Reuilly. Swift described her song as “casting a spell to make somebody fall in love with you” – I suspect this wine did the exact same thing to our judges. First time participating, and already rivalling established Italian Pinot Grigio!
Cantine Vitevis, Gordon Ramsey Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC 2023
Gold medal at the Global Pinot Grigio Masters 2024
Veneto, Italy
Approx. retail price: £10
Taylor Swift music pairing: Love Story (Album: Fearless)
“A really impressive, affordable and super-fruity Italian Pinot Grigio” said the judges. To which I’m sure Taylor Swift would reply “it’s a love story, baby just say yes”. Do I even need to remind you that Romeo and Juliet, which inspired the song, is set in Veneto, Italy, where Gordon Ramsay chose to make his wine?
And he is a Swiftie himself, as he was spotted exchanging friendship bracelets with the singer at her London show last month. A 10/10 wine and music taste from chef Ramsay.