Two weeks ago, our own Eric V. Orange sat down with Laurie Forster on her podcast, The Sipping Point, to dig into a question that's been on our minds: are people still showing up to learn about wine, or is it all about the experience now?
One response stood out. A reader named Vincenzo "Enzo" Schiano wrote in with a challenge: "Wouldn't hurt you guys to look at it from all angles." Fair point — and Enzo isn't watching this industry from the sidelines. Born into a wine family outside Naples, he moved to the U.S. in 2018 and now sits in three corners of the business at once: importing and distributing through Impero Wine Distributors, and running his own wine events and tours business, which closed out 2025 with 152 events in Maryland alone — on pace to top that in 2026.
So I sent him a list of questions. What followed was a wide-ranging, no-filter conversation about the myth of a wine industry "slowdown," what he means when he says American production "caught up with itself," why "authentic" and "small production" have become marketing buzzwords stripped of meaning, and what he thinks every restaurant and shop owner should be doing differently in 2027.
Here's Enzo, in his own words.
**What surprised you most about the U.S. wine industry when you moved here, coming from a family that's been in wine for generations in Italy?
When you look at the American wine industry for the first time, a few things really catch your eye immediately, especially if you're coming from a European point of view. The first thing is the three tier system that uncle Sam has in place. And on top of that the way how some states (see PA) or parts of states or counties (see Montgomery county) are state or county controlled. Especially if you come from Italy or Europe these things really pop out.
The next thing that really pops out is the intensity and level of marketing that the big American companies, producers, and the major American national distributors have in place...from the branded trucks on the street to the graphics in the windows of stores to all the TV commercial commercials and social media ads. It's a massive operation. Nonstop. And most importantly you realize that it's effective.
I'm not saying there's no marketing in Italy, but it's completely different and especially when you're in local restaurants that are not part of the tourist track. It doesn't matter how much marketing a company or a producer puts in. The only thing that speaks is the product itself.
The last thing that immediately pops out is also the most important which is the amount of products that you see on the American market that don't exist in Italy, for example example that are made specifically just for export.
** You work in import, distribution, and run wine events and tours — how do those three vantage points inform each other? Does what you see in distribution change how you run a tasting, or the other way around?
Well, I do see on the market that it does and you see the effects for me personally, I try to make sure that it doesn't change or affect how I run a tasting event or a wine event in general.
I always tell everybody that my events that I try to share a little piece of my home and my culture. And to give the very best experience in that the wine tours are the most recent addition to my portfolio of events. As a matter of fact, the very first WineSlayer wine tour will start at the end of May 2027 and the inaugural tour will be literally to my home. We will be visiting Campania (Naples, the Amalfi coast, Pompei, etc., etc.) but not in a touristy way as a matter of fact, we will be doing everything that is the opposite of touristy.
The tourist will view home through my eyes. A glimpse to my home, my culture and traditions through my eyes and not through a generic tourist package that brings people to the same places in the exact same way every single time.
** You closed 2025 with 152 wine events in Maryland and are on pace to top that in 2026 — what does that kind of growth tell you about demand right now?
It tells me that people are very interested in events, but in a different way. People are tired of the same old events. the same old tastings, people are tired of walking in a liquor store and seeing those mass produced bottles being showcased.
People are looking for hidden gems something different for example in Store Tastings. As for wine, tasting events or wine dinners people want something different and an experience at the same time. Not only they're looking for unique products off the beaten path, but they're looking for someone that's able to guide them through the entire event that's not reading off a flash card or looking on their phone.
I like to tell everybody that my events are unique and different, but most importantly you cannot Google my events and what we do. We talk about all the things that maybe industry doesn't want wine drinkers to know. We talk about the stories behind the bottle. We talk about the family of the wine maker the economist, and everybody involved we talk about everything that goes into that bottle before it becomes something on a shelf. Personally, I see a very high demand, but for this type of events.
** Everyone's talking about a wine industry slowdown. Walk me through why you don't buy that framing.
I don't believe it I truly don't. And I know everybody's gonna pull out numbers and show statistics and research, etc. etc., but at the same time as always if you know what your thesis is, you can sometimes play with the numbers and try to have them work to your advantage. I don't think there's a slowdown at all.
There's a massive change in habits. From my perspective, I definitely see a huge slowdown on domestic consumption and big major mass produced brands consumption. I see a huge change into looking for more old world gems. But even here people are looking for the non-mass produced items. The bottles that actually exist in their country of origin and that are not made just for export.
** You said American wine production "caught up with itself" — what does that mean concretely?
Don't get me wrong. I think there's some great domestic producers out there I truly do. But I also think that the domestic production lived rent free for several decades, moving on the inertia from the 70s and the 80s and adding the huge marketing machine to that inertia. And ultimately that affects, I think the production. I strongly believe that today's drinker in the United States is more knowledgeable than the pre-Covid drinker and is also much more health-conscious in what they are drinking.
If you add that all up to me that's exactly what the wine production cut up with itself means. And now many many producers are struggling with what their next move is. They're struggling to understand how much of the product produced is really being sold to the market firsthand and actually consumed by drinkers in second. In my mind, this also means, though that this presents the market with a very unique opportunity. There's a great chance here to take a step back analyze regroup, and start putting out amazing product where it's the wine and the wine itself that does all the speaking and there's no need for anything else to help it.
** Is "drinking better, not less" something you're seeing in your sales, your event turnout, or more a feeling from being close to the industry?
Absolutely 100% yes. As mentioned I see a drinker today that is more knowledgeable than a pre-Covid drinker, but most importantly is more health, conscious and oriented to quality. Today's drinker is on the hunt for quality and it's not afraid to pay for quality as long as the value is there.
Old rating systems and a bunch of marketing just don't cut it anymore. The consumer wants value so it's not about the price tag, but it's about the value for money ratio in its whole. As a matter of fact for me personally, I'm seeing a lot more drinkers oriented to bottles that are over that legendary $25 mark and under 50 but show incredible value for that range.
Long story short drinkers will pay $40 for a bottle when they know they're getting a bottle that not only is worth the $40 but drinks maybe like a 70 or $80 bottle. Rather than a more famous and heavily marketed $50 bottle that has been living on inertia for the past 20 years.
** Our original newsletter question was whether people are still interested in learning about wine, or whether the focus has shifted to the experience itself. You run the events — what's your answer, from the ground?
Simple. Both. People are incredibly hungry to learn about wine, but also want the experience connected in that learning process. As I mentioned before people are tired of the same old events people are tired of something that they can Google themselves.
People want to learn the information that's tied, not just into the wine itself, but into what goes behind that bottle vision of the wine maker, the family, the history, the land, etc., for example why that specific vineyard is on that very specific estate in a very specific area of Italy because of a family feud that starts in the 1400s...that's super cool and those are pieces of information that people really want to know but if you don't have someone that actually has ties with the producer, their family, etc. it's hard to actually get.
And then on top of that people want to experience they want to experience something new something different. I try to give that experience at one of my events which all always have a theme. Giving them a theme makes it easier to try and deliver on that experience.
** "Authentic" and "small production" get used a lot as marketing terms. How do you personally define them?
They do when they get used differently in different countries as well. For me it's actually quite simple when I say authentic, I mean, for example, a bottle that exist in its country and that's not made just for export. A bottle that represents truly that family that land that territory. As in small production, I personally have several thresholds that I like to use that are very different than community standards. For me personally anything over 500,000 bottles is large scale mass production.
Even though the industry tends to see a much higher number for that. Keep in mind also there is no set scale or number for mass production. I personally enjoy old world producers in the under 25,000 bottles! But genetically speaking I personally try to avoid drinking anything over 150000! Now if you're not into bottle production, I know when you say 150,000 bottles may seem like a big number but trust me it's actually not a big number at all.
** Isn't there a risk that "authentic Old World" becomes its own trend or gatekeeping — excluding good winemakers just because they're not small or European?
I honestly don't think so. It's actually I think the other way around meaning we have to be careful about all the producers that try to make it trend so they can hide behind it. For example, speaking of Italy be careful of all the producers and new productions that come to be that are factory mass produced items, but masterfully marketed and hide behind the Italian flag.
Also, Asci said today's drinker is more knowledgeable and more health conscious and I personally think that that's only going to grow so my prediction is especially in the next coming 5 to 10 years. There's going to be a massive trend to change towards quality and quality, and even more quality. So we'll be seeing not authentic old world or domestic or anything in that matter being the trend, but the trend being quality itself.
** What should a small restaurant or shop owner actually do differently in 2027 if they believe your read on this?
Simple: have the courage to be different. Have the courage to step away from the mass marketing. Have the courage to talk to smaller importers and smaller distributors so that instead of selling comfort in their wine list they sell quality and unique, rare gems.
And of course, every restaurant wants to have their own unique gem. Trust me it's not a problem. There's so many incredible unique gems out there that you could literally build a wine list for every single restaurant with different wines that are amazing and there would not be one single repeat wine. So what I would be different is had the courage to be bold and be different. When you see a wine that's on every single wine list and every single state you're being sold comfort and safety.
Also, I would love to see a beverage Director that would create a wine list that instead of having crazy and out of touch wine descriptors would have simply the regionality of the wine, a very general indicator of the wine without going into the crazy notes of the scriptures for example like bodied or extremely bold, etc. etc. most importantly would have the number of bottle production. I would love to see a wine list that shows exactly how many bottles are produced of that wine although I understand understand that that's asking for a lot it would take a beverage program Director, a lot of courage to do something like that.
** ANY CLOSING THOUGHTS TO SHARE?
Ultimately, I honestly think that the industry has a whole is not in a major decline or dying. There's definitely certain segments that are suffering and probably suffering a lot. But the industry is filled with opportunity. Today's drinker is hungrier than ever for wine, information and wine knowledge, and most importantly today's drinker is hungrier than ever for wine events. They're just tired of the same old thing.
ABOUT ENZO:
Vincenzo Schiano, affectionately known as Enzo, hails from the picturesque town of Monte di Procida, nestled just outside Naples, Italy. Enzo's roots run deep in the Italian wine tradition, as his family has been immersed in the craft for generations. His grandfather, a carrettiere del vino, delivered wine from the family vineyards to Naples and Puglia, paving the way for a legacy of winemaking excellence.
In 2018, Enzo brought this heritage to the United States with a singular mission: to share his passion and knowledge of the finest Italian wines that truly reflect Italy's rich culture and authentic taste and not what marketing was telling you Italians drink.
What sets Enzo apart is his commitment to offering wines that Italians actually drink-hidden gems that are often overlooked by international marketing trends. He specializes in finding and showcasing rare, exquisite varieties that capture the true essence of Italy, elevating the American wine experience with unparalleled authenticity.
Through his partnership with Impero Wine Distributors, Enzo continues to share Italy's best-kept secrets, one bottle at a time. Enzo is passionate about sharing his heritage and expertise while focusing on the uniqueness of the wines he shares, appealing to wine enthusiasts and clients alike.
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