History of The Wine Enthusiast Magazine

The Wine Enthusiast is one of the most respected and referenced magazines in the world of wine, spirit, food, and travel.

The prime objective of The Wine Enthusiast is to make professional wine culture such as glasses, corkscrews, and storage solutions available to the general public.

1979

The magazine was founded by Adam and Sybil Strum in 1979, who decided to share their passion for the wine lifestyle with the wine-loving people across America.

They were newlyweds and wanted to take their family wine business further than just the dinner table. They quickly realized it was hard to obtain tools to present wine at home due to the lack of accessories. This was when the Wine Enthusiast Company began.

Initially, Adam and Sybil started a catalog in the attic of their home. They wanted to share the finest accessories and tools essential for the wine lifestyle. This proved successful, and in their first year, they received 100 orders through their mail-order catalog from different parts of America.

This seemed surprising because most of their sold wine was still ordered in jugs. Adam wanted to broaden the business concept by making wine and its accessories, such as glasses, corkscrew, and storage solutions part of the wine lifestyle.

1988

He also wanted the wine lifestyle to be accessible to everyone. Their philosophy was “to provide everything needed to enjoy wine to the fullest [1].” As a result of the company’s vision of creativity, they published a magazine called The Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 1988.

The magazine’s main focus was to highlight the current wine trends, ratings, and reviews. It also contains food, travel, award-winning commentary, and lifestyle articles.

Today, the magazine is world-renowned and multi-channeled, with exclusive products sold only at Wine Enthusiast. The magazine has approximately 4.1 million readerships and is produced ten times a year.

It features over 25,000 complete tasting notes annually, a bi-weekly podcast, and virtual and in-person events. Wine and business are lifelong passions that will be passed down to future generations.

Adam is the Chairman, CEO, and co-founder, and his wife is the Chief Brand Officer and co-founder. Their two daughters Jacqueline and Erika are stepping up to help with the family business.

Erika earned an undergraduate degree from Tulane University with a double major in business and sociology and a minor in French in 2005. She also earned her MBA from NYU Stern School of Business.

Also read:

• The Tuscan Duet Who Brought Bocelli to Life
• The Beginning of Wine Spectator

While Jacqueline was promoted to President and Publisher, and Erika Strum was promoted to President of Wine Enthusiast Commerce in 2021.

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References:

1. About Us. https://www.winemag.com/about-us/.
2. Company History. https://www.wineenthusiast.com/about-us-company-history.
3. Enthusiast, Wine. 2021. Wine Enthusiast Companies Names New Presidents, Erika and Jacqueline Strum. June 9. https://www.winemag.com/2021/06/09/wine-enthusiast-new-presidents/.
4. Taken from Wine Enthusiast, Company History (Company History
5. Wine Enthusiast, Wine Enthusiast Companies Names New Presidents, Erika, and Jacqueline Strum (Enthusiast 2021)