Why I’m Taking This Class

As someone who has been legally allowed to drink for just one year, I have had little time to enjoy wines in the US. But when I go back to visit my family in Europe, the first thing we do is open a bottle of my favorite Barolo. We also have family friends who run wineries in Italy, not because of any financial benefits (in fact, the wineries cost them money and huge effort), but for the sentiment and history associated with their land. I think of wine as one of the only things left that you have to be patient for— most other consumer products (at least for my generation) have to be seamless, instant, automatic. I’m excited to learn about an industry with a long history and human connection. 

I also know that the wine industry is particularly strange, and want to understand more about the industry's behaviors introduced in class. Some global wine trends have been pretty consistent, like the year-on-year overproduction of wine (say, where do they store all the surplus?!). Consumption, on the other hand, is skyrocketing in some regions and plummeting in others. I want to learn more about this complicated industry partly to make better decisions as a consumer, and partly to apply this case study to similar industries I may work in. 

Finally, I love discovering new opportunities as an entrepreneur. I have mostly focused on the medtech space, but oddly enough some of those skills transfer (for instance, a savvy approach to regulatory + legal). I am excited to identify and back an emerging wine region through course assignments. I already have a few ideas in mind, and am looking forward to hearing what different teams come up with!