When The New York Times wine critic writes a lengthy piece regarding the budding friendship between cannabis and wine, the times may be a-changin’. Eric Asimov wrote this week regarding the intersection between marijuana and wine, which is deeper and robust than you might suppose.
This comes in conjunction with a study stating that in states with legalized recreational cannabis—Colorado, Oregon, and Washington—beer sales have “collectively underperformed.” In other words, legal weed has, as Asimov wrote, led “some in the alcohol industry to regard it as a threat to their profit margin.
The fine wine industry, however, has not panicked. Despite occasional efforts to pit wine and weed against each other, many in the wine business exude an air of mellow acceptance that the two substances can coexist in harmony.
As Asimov pinpoints, there is an appreciation for cannabis that stems from a similar vein as wine seekers and craft beer enthusiasts. How certain weeds deliver a different type of high or how consuming it as an edible versus a vape could impact the experience or how all this can combine with food. And how, it could pair with wine, which will be just one topic of conversation at the upcoming Wine & Weed Symposium.
“People are trying to say there is a threat, but I really haven’t talked to any wine industry person yet who actually sees it that way,” said Tina Caputo, who will be a moderator at the first Wine & Weed Symposium. “We haven’t actually seen anybody who’s laying down their glass of wine to pick up a bong. There’s room in people’s lives for both.”
And it seems others are already paving the way for that pairing. Cultivating Spirits, a company in Colorado, offers, according to their website, “a gourmet 3-course fine dining experience, select fine wine and cannabis pairings, imported cheese, meats and chocolates with superior-quality Cannabis, and luxurious limo ride—all in one tour.”
In addition, there is the growing industry of cannabis-infused wines, like singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge’s No Label brand and CannaWine, which Asimov highlighted, “a Spanish wine that has been fermented with marijuana.”
As many people are already realizing, weed and wine don’t have to be enemies. They’re much better off as friends.
