We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Roth recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

A few weeks ago, my friend shared that she purchased a case of clean, low sugar wine that won’t result in headaches. I tactfully let my friend know that sadly, she fell for a big marketing scam in the wine industry. What a lot of consumers don’t realize is that the term “clean” is not regulated in any country. So there’s no way to determine what a winemaker means when they say their wine is “clean”. Additionally, most wines are naturally low in sugar. Since the fermentation process naturally removes sugar as alcohol is produced, the higher the alcohol content in a wine – the lower the sugar. Most wines with 12% or more ABV will be lower in sugar.

Instead of focusing on flashy terms like “clean”, “fit”, or “low sugar”, I gave my friend a few tips for wine labeling terms to look for. If a wine is less than 11% ABV or is bottled with the terms “dolce” , “sec”, “demi-sec”, “off-dry”, or “late harvest” – it’s likely sweet and has ay least 7 grams+ sugar per 5oz serving. If you’re looking for wines that are made without chemicals and additives, look for wines that are labelled as “organic”, “biodynamic”, or “natural”. Natural wines, or “Nattys” as the wine industry playfully calls them, are wines made with minimal intervention and no chemicals or additives. This group of wine is becoming especially popular and can be found in trendy neighborhood wine bars and major wine retailers around the globe.

Another term I look for on wine labels is “sustainable”. Winemakers are becoming more and more aware of our carbon footprint and the impact of wine production and distribution on our planet. Shopping from winemakers who are sustainable and local is one great way to impact our planet.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started The Wine CEO 2 years ago after more than a decade in the wine and hospitality industry. Working as a sommelier at Walt Disney World in Florida, I realized that the wine industry as a whole is overwhelming to the average consumer and wine education is expensive, difficult to understand, and hosted by intimidating and sometimes snobby sommeliers. The Wine CEO stands for “Community” and “Empowering Others”. I’m building a community of wine lovers who are able to ask questions, appreciate wine together, and feel empowered to shop for and enjoy wine. I want wine to be approachable and fun for the average consumer and I use my podcast and YouTube channel to share helpful tips and wine content that is easy to digest and fun! I share food and wine pairing recommendations, discuss current wine topics and trends with winemakers and industry professionals, and share tactics for becoming a better wine taster. My Disney leadership training helped me become an excellent facilitator and hostess, and my listeners have shared that my educational content is the easiest to understand and most enjoyable you will find! I love sharing my passion for wine and believe that others enjoy it more when they understand the story behind the wine.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I started The Wine CEO, my focus was on virtual and in-person wine tastings and my educational podcast was just a side project. As time passed, I realized that my time was limited and my business would plateau if I didn’t pivot. As a business owner, you can only be in one place at a time, so investing in the right things is crucial. I quickly changed paths to focus on building my podcast audience and focusing on wine education. With recorded, on demand wine content, I could reach a larger audience and increase my long term potential to reach a great customer base. The opportunities since making this pivot have been astronomical and I’m so glad I made the shift. It’s brought me better work life balance, refocused my time and attention in the right areas, and helped me to gain the right focus for my brand.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

When a customer or client shares that you have impacted their life or journey, it fuels your soul. There will always be days where you feel like you want to quit and you wonder if you are making a difference. I save those positive client comments to a notepad and pull it out to read on those days where I’m questioning my purpose. Following your dreams is a great motivator, but knowing that your dreams are also positively impacting others, is truly liberating!

Contact Info:

• Website: thewineceo.com
• Instagram: @thewineceo
• Youtube: @thewineceo

Image Credits
All photos credited to Orlando Photographer: Jeannie Albers