Interview Madeline Puckette (Wine Folly) 4.92/5 (13)

Nowadays we are increasingly witnessing a digital and information revolution. However, we are realizing the importance of verified and studied information and then reflected in the different formats that exist today in the mass media. Social networks have marked a frontier in the way we communicate and new communicators have emerged in this new digital world. The world of wine has not been different from other disciplines. Madeline Puckette emerged inside this new order in the wine world creating the website winefolly.com.

Thanks to her work, wine reaches all places, offering the opportunity to know the wide world of wine from our home. Madeline saw the light at the end of the tunnel and with her work, she enlightened the entire spectrum of the wine world.

Who is Madeline Puckette?

I’m the founder of winefolly.com which is a website devoted to wine information and education. We produce books, maps, courses, and other online resources to help people find their passion for wine.

How did you arrive in the world of wine?

I was introduced to wine more readily by my dad who gave me a wine subscription when I turned legal drinking age – coolest gift ever! Surprisingly, the act of drinking wine forced me to slow down and appreciate taste and flavor. This was where my passion for wine began. It wasn’t until 2009, when I lost my job during the market crash, did I start working more directly with wine.

Why did you choose the name “Wine Folly”?

The idea about being drunk on knowledge has something to do with it but it’s an elegant name, as there are many ways to interpret «folly.» When we first launched, people thought we were crazy to choose such a silly name.

How did you come up with the idea of designing such beautiful and original graphics for the world of wine?

I am a designer with a degree in fine art. At the time, it was the only way I could communicate about wine intelligently.

Do you prefer any special grape varieties?

I’m a sucker for rare varieties in general. I think diversity in varieties is what makes wine both fun and resilient. For example, when I tried a 10-year aged Arinto from Portugal I was blown away with the quality and potential there.

What do you prefer: red, white, or rosé?

You left out sparkling. Ha! In all seriousness, I drink white wine more regularly these days, but it’s a paradigm shift from where I started (I was drinking bold reds mostly then). I find quality in all styles, honestly.

Which is the folly-est wine you have ever tasted?

Conceptually, I think «orange wines» fall into the category of «folly.» They’re essentially taking an old method and reviving it for a new era.

Organic wine, yes or no?

100% yes. And perhaps I would go on to say whatever growers can do to mitigate pests and diseases using the flora and fauna around them in a more regenerative way. Integrating composting and crop diversity to enliven the ecosystem around them to support the vines. It’s definitely the hard way to do things, but if we don’t do it with wine, it will become a bygone category. From what I can see, this is where the consumer luxury marketplace is going.

Consumers are increasingly demanding to know more about the composition of food, what do you think about including the traceability and chemicals added to the wine on the labels?

Wine is pretty entrenched, so I imagine regulatory changes will be slow. That being said, whatever producer is willing to be transparent with what they do will win.

Which European wine or wine region in Europe has surprised you the most?

I was very surprised by Naoussa Greece and the wine Xinomavro.

What does Madeline Puckette do in her spare time?

Ride bicycles and I’m a car enthusiast. I also spend a lot of time right now working on my yard 😅 (organic in the Northwest is hard!)