Episode 2480

Ep. 2480 Jessica Dupuy interviews Shana Clarke | TEXSOM 2025

TEXSOM 2025

September 27, 2025

1743.36

Shana Clarke

Wine Industry

Episode Summary

<think> I need to analyze the provided text, which is a transcript of Episode 2480 of the Italian Wine Podcast featuring Jessica Dupuy interviewing Shana Clarke at TEXSOM 2025. I'll need to create a concise content analysis following the specified format with maximum word limits. First, let me understand what TEXSOM is from the search results: - TEXSOM is a prestigious wine education conference founded in 2005 as the Texas Sommelier Conference - It's held annually in Dallas, Texas (specifically at the Irving Convention Center) - The 2025 conference is scheduled for August 24-26, 2025 - It's considered one of the most respected gatherings in the wine world - The conference includes seminars, roving tastings, themed lunches, tasting suites, and a grand final tasting - It attracts top wine professionals from across the country - It's a key education sponsorship for organizations like Wine Australia - The 2025 conference marks the 20th anniversary of TEXSOM Now, let me analyze the podcast transcript to identify key themes, summarize the content, extract key takeaways, notable quotes, and formulate follow-up questions. Key themes I'm noticing from the transcript: 1. The role of TEXSOM as a networking and professional development hub for wine industry professionals 2. The evolving landscape of wine media and journalism, including challenges and opportunities 3. The importance of storytelling in wine writing and how to craft compelling narratives 4. The value of breaking out of regional "bubbles" (like the "New York bubble" mentioned) to gain broader industry perspective 5. New platforms for wine content creation (Substack, etc.) as alternatives to traditional media 6. The connection between wine and broader cultural contexts For the summary, I'll need to condense the main points of the conversation into under 200 words. Key takeaways should highlight the most important insights from the discussion. Notable quotes should capture particularly insightful or representative statements. Follow-up questions should be thoughtful and relevant to the content discussed. Let me now craft each section according to the required format and word limits. **Key Themes** From the transcript, I can identify these main themes: 1. TEXSOM as a professional networking and development hub - The conversation emphasizes how TEXSOM provides access to industry professionals, generates story ideas, and helps break people out of regional "bubbles" like the "New York bubble." 2. Evolution of wine media landscape - They discuss challenges in traditional media (declining print magazines, reduced freelance budgets) and emerging opportunities (Substack, direct audience engagement). 3. Storytelling in wine journalism - The discussion focuses on what makes a compelling wine story, moving beyond critic scores to connect wine with broader cultural, social, and environmental contexts. 4. The value of community and human connection in the wine industry - Both speakers emphasize how conferences like TEXSOM help professionals reconnect with why they entered the industry and maintain human connections in an increasingly digital world. 5. New platforms for wine content creation - They highlight Substack and similar platforms as opportunities for writers to maintain creative control and build direct relationships with audiences. **Summary** The podcast features Jessica Dupuy interviewing Shana Clarke, a wine journalist and author, at TEXSOM 2025. Clarke discusses how TEXSOM has been instrumental in her career development, providing networking opportunities, story ideas, and a chance to break out of regional industry "bubbles" like New York's wine scene. They explore the evolving wine media landscape, noting challenges with traditional publications (declining print, reduced budgets) while highlighting new opportunities through platforms like Substack that allow writers to maintain creative control and build direct audience relationships. Clarke emphasizes that compelling wine stories connect wine to broader cultural contexts rather than focusing solely on critic scores, and she shares insights from her book "150 Vineyards You Must Visit." The conversation underscores TEXSOM's role in fostering community, professional growth, and meaningful human connections in the wine industry. **Key Takeaways** - TEXSOM serves as a vital professional hub where wine journalists gain access to industry contacts and develop story ideas that connect wine to broader cultural contexts - Traditional wine media faces challenges with declining print publications and reduced freelance budgets, creating both difficulties and new opportunities - Compelling wine stories go beyond critic scores to explore connections with climate change, agriculture, economy, and cultural trends - New platforms like Substack allow wine writers to maintain creative control and build direct relationships with audiences - Regional "bubbles" (like New York's wine scene) can limit perspective, making conferences like TEXSOM valuable for understanding the broader industry landscape - Having an editor remains crucial for quality writing, regardless of the publication platform **Notable Quotes** - "Wine is a lens into greater culture... when we learn about wine or we hear something about wine that touches on something else that's happening in the broader world." - "You cannot replace hospitality with AI" (referencing TEXSOM's focus on human connection) - "I reserve my best ideas for my Substack now because I think that that's where they really need to live." **Follow-up Questions** 1. How might the shift toward individual content creators (vs. traditional publications) impact the credibility and diversity of wine journalism? 2. What specific strategies can wine writers use to effectively connect wine stories to broader cultural, social, or environmental issues? 3. How can conferences like TEXSOM adapt to continue providing unique value as digital networking and content platforms become more prevalent? Let me check the word counts to ensure I'm within limits: Key Themes: 5 points (under 5 max) Summary: Approximately 150 words (under 200 max) Key Takeaways: 6 points (under 6 max) Notable Quotes: 3 quotes (under 3 max) Follow-up Questions: 3 questions (under 3 max) This analysis should meet all the requirements of the assignment. </think> **Content Analysis** **Key Themes (max 5 points)** 1. TEXSOM as a professional networking and development hub - The conference provides critical access to industry professionals, generates story ideas, and helps break regional "bubbles" like the "New York bubble" mentioned by Clarke. 2. Evolution of wine media landscape - Discussion highlights challenges in traditional media (declining print, reduced budgets) while identifying emerging opportunities through direct-to-audience platforms. 3. Storytelling beyond critic scores - Emphasis on connecting wine to broader cultural contexts (climate change, agriculture, economy) rather than focusing solely on ratings and scores. 4. Value of human connection in wine industry - Both speakers stress how conferences like TEXSOM help professionals reconnect with why they entered the industry and maintain meaningful relationships. 5. New content creation platforms - Substack and similar platforms are presented as opportunities for writers to maintain creative control and build direct audience relationships. **Summary (max 200 words)** The podcast features Jessica Dupuy interviewing Shana Clarke, a wine journalist and author, at TEXSOM 2025. Clarke discusses how TEXSOM has been instrumental in her career, providing networking opportunities, story ideas, and a chance to break out of regional industry "bubbles." They explore the evolving wine media landscape, noting challenges with traditional publications (declining print, reduced budgets) while highlighting new opportunities through platforms like Substack. Clarke emphasizes that compelling wine stories connect wine to broader cultural contexts rather than focusing on critic scores, explaining "wine is a lens into greater culture." She shares insights from her book "150 Vineyards You Must Visit," discussing how she selected vineyards that represent the current state and future direction of the global wine industry. The conversation underscores TEXSOM's role in fostering community, professional growth, and meaningful human connections in an industry increasingly challenged by digital transformation. The interview also touches on the importance of editors for quality writing and the value of direct audience engagement in building trust amid AI's rise in content creation. **Key Takeaways (max 6 points)** - TEXSOM serves as a vital professional hub where wine journalists gain access to industry contacts and develop culturally relevant story ideas - Traditional wine media faces significant challenges with declining print publications and reduced freelance budgets, creating both difficulties and new opportunities - Compelling wine stories connect to broader contexts like climate change and cultural trends rather than focusing solely on critic scores - New platforms like Substack allow writers to maintain creative control and build direct relationships with audiences who value authentic voices - Regional "bubbles" limit industry perspective, making conferences like TEXSOM valuable for understanding the broader wine landscape - Having an editor remains crucial for quality writing, regardless of publication platform, as "there's no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting" **Notable Quotes (max 3)** - "Wine is a lens into greater culture. I've always focused my stories on... when we learn about wine or we hear something about wine that touches on something else that's happening in the broader world." - "I reserve my best ideas for my Substack now because I think that that's where they really need to live... I get to write in a personal way, which is wild." - "People are getting news from individuals... I think that with the rise of AI, people are looking for what they consider to be a trust source, and that often means that they want to know the person that the information is coming from." **Follow-up Questions (max 3)** 1. How might the shift toward individual content creators impact the diversity of perspectives in wine journalism compared to traditional editorial gatekeeping? 2. What specific strategies can wine writers use to effectively connect regional wine stories to global issues without appearing superficial or exploitative? 3. As AI-generated content becomes more prevalent, what concrete steps can wine journalists take to establish and maintain audience trust in their expertise?

About This Episode

Sh Oregon, a journalist and founder of the wine industry, discusses the importance of storytelling in the industry and the challenges faced by freelancers in the wine industry. They emphasize the need for a broader context and the importance of creating a trusting audience for freelancers. They also discuss the use of profile and sub stack in media and the importance of creating a cohesive flow. They stress the need for a trusting audience and discuss the shift towards content creation. They also mention a book sale and their interest in a book to make their world different in the future.

Transcript

As you've developed your career into freelance writing, particularly about wine, has Texon been a place that has helped you develop that? One hundred percent. Again, it's the access to people. It's the connecting with people. Some of the seminars have come out of it story ideas, and I've actually pitched stories based on topics and conversations that we've discussed. It's great to also see people who are doing things in the wine world other than what we do because we can get very stuck into our little worlds and communicate with the same people all time. As I said, I'm based in New York, and we always talk about the New York bubble. So New York, in terms of being a place for wine, is truly one of the most exciting places in the country, for sure. We get everything for so many trends come to us first, but On the other side of that, we're in our New York bubble. So what I think is interesting. A lot of stuff has not necessarily reached other parts of the country, or that's not what's really reflective of the broader state of the wine industry in our country. Yeah. And so this helps ground me in that way, where I can really truly get a sense of what else is happening Yeah. Out there in the world. Ciao y'all. I'm Jessica Duppuis, guest host for a special Texom series on the Italian wine podcast. Covering the twenty twenty five Texom Conference in Dallas, Texas. Join me in the heart of the lone star state as we dive into conversations with key speakers and attendees, exploring career paths, challenges, and the latest trends shaping the wine industry today. This series is proudly sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture' Uncourt Texas wines program, which celebrates Texas wine culture by promoting local wineries and grape growers, those in state and around the world, building a vibrant community around the Texas made wine. Be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you get your podcasts. And don't miss our Texas wine tidbit in every episode. A fun little fact insight or story that highlights the people and places behind this exciting wine scene. Alright. Sheena Clark, thank you so much for joining us on the Italian wine podcast. We are in the thick of TexOM. We are in it. We are so deep into this. Yes. Like, all these people are running around, like, tasting wines, like, at the expo break. Mhmm. Yep. We just got out of a nine AM session. So, basically, as soon as that ends, people start running around with wine classes and tasting wine until the next session starts. So thanks for joining me because we could be doing that right now. We could be, but we are here. And you know what? I get to hang out with you and chat with you, and that is very exciting to me. And also sitting this close to each other. I know. We're so cozy. We're so cozy. So there's a reason I wanted to bring you on. Well, or there's a lot of reasons. But first of all, maybe you could give everybody just a little bit of a background on who you are, what you do in the wine industry, and then we'll kind of start talking about techs on after Sure. That sounds great. So for those who I have not met yet over the telecast, I'm Shanea Clark. I'm a journalist. I focus on wine, sake, and travel. So I'm freelance as part of what I do pitching articles to editors publishing. I also do a lot of content work for clients, wine companies, wineries, helping with various needs such as website copy, brochures, vintage release notes, anything like that. So it's, you know, wear a lot of different hats, do lots of different things as we all do in the freelance world. But I love it and very focused on things that I love to talk about, which is wine, sake, and travel. Yeah. And that's the thing too. Like, I try to remind myself and my parents are really good at doing this. They're like, you've carved out a niche where it's like, this is what you get to do. You get up in in the morning, and this is what we do every day. It's hard. Yeah. But it's enjoyable. You know, we're at techsom. I was just thinking about it before we kinda started recording. This is where we met. Yep. Right? Like, this was ten years ago or how long ago? It's been like nine years or something like that. Yeah. Yeah. And I remember that's when you were just kind of transitioning to doing more writing and everything else in the industry. Correct. So I wonder if you could just tell me kinda what brought you to text on, like, how did you even discover it if you're based in New York? I'm based in New York. Yep. Okay. Yeah. So it actually my husband, Jim Clark. He's been very involved with Texom for years. He does multiple things. He's sponsors. He's a speaker on different panels. And so when we got together, he brought me along, and I got to experience Texom for the first time. And ever since then, my relationship with Tech on his groan, and I do various things now, because we can discuss a little bit later, but that's what really brought me into the fold. And every year, it's something I look forward to doing. It's a great way to reconnect with people, meet new people. But, you know, we're all very busy. And so when you have this opportunity to ground yourself, and spend a concentrate amount of time with people that are in your industry and doing things that you love. It's really invigorating and really exciting. I like the Tuesday invigorating because I do feel like that's sort of a keyword here. Like, we all kind of work we're all busy, whether you're in freelance writing or sales or importing or whatever it is for the people that are coming here. And you get stuck in your little bubble sometimes, just doing what you do every day. One hundred percent. I feel like one of the benefits to this conference is we all get to reconnect and remember Mhmm. Why we do what we do. Yeah. And that there are so many people in our community. We just happen to work in all different parts of the world, and then we to come back together. Mhmm. I'm curious if you could say. So, like, for instance, you mentioned you came here, like, your first year was probably as an attendee. Yes. And then you've volunteered on the media team kind of helping do all the behind the scenes stuff for Texoms media group. Yep. But then also we've been coasting in secrets. Yes. Actually, yeah. If you could kind of tell me about that, as you've developed your career into freelance writing, particularly about wine, has Texon been a place that has helped you develop that? One hundred percent. Okay. One because, again, it's the access to people. It's the connecting with people. Some of the seminars have come out of it with story ideas, and I've actually pitched stories based on topics and conversations that we've discussed. It's great to also see people who are doing things in the wine world other than what we do because we can get very stuck into our little worlds and communicate with the same people all the time. Yeah. But I get so excited when I see Samuel's retailers, when I get to hear their perspectives and sort of under stay on the challenges that they're facing or the things that really excite them. Yeah. I think that that's always really helpful. Yeah. But again, it's really just this connection with everybody. As I said, I'm based in New York, and we always talk about the New York bubble. So New York, in terms of being a place for wine, is truly one of the most citing places in the country, for sure. We get everything for so many trends come to us first. So we see so much. And if you wanna drink great wine, like New York is the place to be, but on the other side of that, we're in our New York bubble. So what I think is interesting, a lot of stuff has not necessarily reached other parts of the country, or that's not what's really reflective of the broader state of the wine industry in our country. Yeah. And so this helps ground me in that way where I can really truly get a sense of what else is happening Yeah. Out there in the world. Yeah. I think that's a really good poi