Sips and Social Change: A Conversation with Certified Sommelier and Whit & Wine Founder, Whitney Pope

Before having a sharp palette for wine, Whitney Pope had a taste for nature. Literally. “I was definitely that little kid eating dirt and licking rocks and going into my grandmother’s garden and picking and eating all of her raspberries (even when I shouldn’t have been). I was very much in it as a little kid. Which is why I think I like wine. I like tasting things.”

Born and raised right outside of Detroit, Michigan, Whitney could often be found playing in the lush greenery that surrounded her childhood home. “I was very fortunate to grow up around a lot of grass and trees.” When she wasn’t outside, Whitney almost always had her nose in a book. “I was a bit of an introvert and spent a lot of my time reading lots of make believe which is why to this day I am definitely a huge dreamer.”

This childhood hobby led Whitney to arguably one of the top global fashion capitals of the world — New York City.

“I knew I wanted to live in New York City and attend Parsons School of Design, which I did. I focused on design management and I got a business degree from art school and interned at a number of fashion magazines and companies. But I ultimately ended up getting a job in digital marketing.”

After a while however, Whitney became unsatisfied with her marketing career. “We [my roommate and I] were in our mid-twenties, living in Manhattan, just asking ourselves ‘what are we doing?’” To answer this question, Whitney took inventory of things that she enjoyed: floral arrangements, hospitality, planning events for her friends, and learning about wine.

So how did she go from design school to becoming a Certified Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS)? Lots of Saturday’s spent at free wine tastings around NYC and what she calls “a nice happy accident” and “good friends with fancy family members who own wine retail stores.” Whitney’s first job in wine was at Italian Wine Merchants in Manhattan where she had hands on experience with learning the business of wine. Hosting wine events and talking to clients was her first point of entry into the business and the passion blossomed from there.

She later enrolled in an Intensive Sommelier Training Course at the International Culinary Center in New York City. There are 4 levels of sommelier certification from the CMS. Introductory Sommelier is the first level and Master Sommelier is the fourth and final level. In between those levels are Certified Sommelier and Advanced Sommelier. According to Wine Folly, the CMS recommends one year of preparation between taking the Introductory Course and attempting Certification. Whitney became a Certified Sommelier in just 4 months.

Despite earning her certification in such a short amount of time, getting a full time job in wine is no easy feat. After two years of searching, she decided to move down to Washington D.C. with her husband. “I had a very difficult time finding a job. You know the normal reasons that anyone has when they’re trying to make the [career] pivot — you get great interviews, then they don’t happen. I had one instance that was unfortunately race-based on why I didn’t get the job.”

Like so many industries, the Court of Master Sommeliers, America (CMSA) has been called out for their lack of diversity as well as disturbing reports of sexual misconduct by male sommeliers. The industry has not been historically inclusive for Black people and other communities of color.

“It’s pale, stale, and male,” Whitney says. “Even on the event side, you didn’t really see people that looked like me. When I went to any of my interviews I was still pulling my hair back, getting blowouts, wearing black and white suits. Just very simple and assimilating to the cis-gendered, white, male culture.” Advocacy for change in this space has come in the form of social media callouts, to Master Sommeliers resigning from a system that shows little empathy for social justice, as well as the creation of organizations such as The Roots Fund, a foundation committed to investing in the Black, Indigenous, and Latinx wine community who are seeking careers and education in all aspects of wine, Whitney is thankful that the archaic ways of working in wine “has all been blown up.”

From proper education and resources to the chance to travel, Whitney is happy to see what opportunities are becoming available for up-and-coming sommeliers from underrepresented communities. “At the end of the day just giving brown people the ability to experience wine in new regions is a beautiful thing.”

Social media has not only helped identify businesses and organizations that have long-ignored the outcry for racial equality and social justice, but it has given new life to an industry that was hit particularly hard by the pandemic — live entertainment.

The coronavirus has reshaped society in lasting ways, from how we travel and work, to how we socialize. Concert halls, theaters, museums, who wouldn’t have normally given social media a second glance, began to flock to digital platforms of all types. Social media usage in July 2020 grew by 10.5%, compared with July 2019 and TikTok added over 12 million unique U.S.-based visitors in March 2020 alone, crossing the 2 billion download mark in April. With live events turning virtual, Whitney’s blog, Whit & Wine —where she hosts virtual tastings, offers wine consultations, and drops major gems about wine — came at the perfect time. Whitney believes that wine, specifically natural wine, should be taught in an “approachable and fun” way which she displays on her Instagram.

But what is natural wine and why has it become so trendy?

“As there is no official definition for natural wine, it can be confusing for consumers and is frequently debated among those in the industry. Some believe that the definition is as simple as "natural wine is nothing added and nothing taken away." The definition I’ve personally settled on is that natural wine is made from organically or biodynamically grown grapes and fermented using native yeast, without additives or excessive sulfur,” Whitney explains. “In short, it just doesn’t have junk.”

As more people are spending time cooking from home, the more they are starting to pay attention to what’s in their food. Whitney says the same should go for your wine. “Natural wine has followed the slow food movement. But instead of farm to table, it’s grape to grass.”

“Thanks to wine TikTok and other user generated content, there’s been such a democratization of wine which I think will continue. And the industry is realizing that they need to use social media to target people in a different way.”

“Even on the event side, you didn’t really see people that looked like me. When I went to any of my interviews I was still pulling my hair back, getting blowouts, wearing black & white suites. Just very simple and assimilating the a cis-genered, white, male culture.”

— Whitney Pope

So why natural wine? “With natural wines specifically, something I have been drinking for 7 years, I find it to be the best and most authentic expression of terroir, (pronounced: terˈwär) French for ‘a sense of place.’ If you are drinking wine, you want it to tell you a story. “There’s science, romance, and I like to say magic that goes into wine making.”

Choosing natural wine is not only good for your body, but it is good for the earth.

“In simple terms, it's better for the environment as well as your body. When using organic, biodynamic or regenerative viticulture, laborers in the vineyard (who are typically part of the BIPOC community) aren’t working with toxic sprays or damaging the soil – healthy soil equals healthy vines. It’s better for your body even though wine is alcohol and, therefore, a toxin. However, science has proved there are health benefits to the occasional glass of wine, but that's only if you're consuming wine without all the artificial junk. It’s better for your body and the land.”

Okay, now that you’re sold on adding natural wine to your bar cart and joining team #nattywine, Whitney has a few tips to help you navigate the endless aisles of your local wine shop. Tip number one, don’t be fooled by marketing ploys.

“Just because the bottle says “organic” that does not mean it’s a natural wine. You can use organically grown grapes but use commercial yeast which is a GMO-based yeast. Real natural wine is never marketed as or claims to be “clean wine."Clean wine is a lie. It is a marketing gimmick directed to the wellness-obsessed consumer and makes dubious claims. When you see “clean wine”, that’s a red flag.”

She suggests skipping your local grocery store to find natural wine and heading to a good wine shop. “If you're flying solo, the best tip (and one that I often use) is to 'shop by the importer.' A wine importer will carry wines that meet their quality standard, style, and point of view. If you like one or two wines from an importer, you're likely to enjoy others from their portfolio. Look for ‘Imported by’ on the back label and start taking note of who is importing your favorite bottles.” Here are a few natural wine importers that Whitney trusts:

Whitney’s knowledge of wine and storytelling ability has cultivated a diverse community of followers on social media or natural wine newbies and pros alike. She brings a fresh approach to a difficult topic and knows that having fun is just as important as educating. “I get to produce memorable events and share with others what I know about natural wine. I never regret following my passion.”

Want to learn more about natural wine? Whitney not only offers virtual wine tastings, but her Instagram is a great resource for entertaining, yet helpful information and features wines that are sure to spice up your next virtual happy hour!