By Karen MacNeil
July 10, 2026
Originally 3/18/2026
(A version of this piece originally appeared in Decanter magazine in May 2026.)
It takes a long time to become hated.
First you have to become desired. Deeply desired.
Such is the psychological paradox of Bordeaux and Napa Valley in 2026. The regions are simultaneously revered and vilified. But how can this be? How can regions that are so commercially successful, regions that have such long track records of producing great wines, also be places that some in the wine community love to hate?
I have been intrigued by this question for a long time, partly perhaps because I live in Napa Valley and feel a sense of pride about it. Yet sommeliers in San Francisco and New York have told me that with Napa wines, they don’t have FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) as much as they have LOMO (Love of Missing Out).
But the other reason I’m fascinated is because it isn’t exactly clear why Bordeaux and Napa engender this schizophrenic love/hate reaction. Is it just the price of being “at the top?”
The Elite Paradox: Bordeaux and Napa Valley
“There’s a perception in the marketplace that we’re all just elitist bastards,” says Aaron Pott, a winemaker who’s worked at top estates in both Bordeaux (Chateaux Troplong Mondot and La Tour Figeac) and Napa Valley (Quintessa and Seven Stones). “We’ve priced ourselves out. For so many people, the wines are economically out of reach, and we’re therefore viewed as out of touch.”
The price argument is a compelling one. Single bottles of the top Bordeaux and Napa wines cost many hundreds of dollars each. In restaurants, the wines are often virtually untouchable. (In a restaurant recently, one of the six wines I saw on offer by the glass was a 3-ounce “taste” of a current vintage of Opus One for $100).
But as Meaghan Becker, CEO of the consultancy In Vino Veritas LLC says, “If it’s just down to price, why doesn’t Burgundy—where the wines are also extremely expensive—suffer the same negativity?”
The Image Illusion: What about Burgundy?
Why indeed? Becker thinks image has a lot to do with it. “When someone thinks about Bordeaux or Napa Valley,” she says, “the picture that comes to mind is not a farmer sitting on a tractor.”
Burgundy, however, still evokes that archetypal connection between a vintner and his/her land. As Jancis Robinson MW points out, “the famous figures in Burgundy actually do the vineyard and cellar work themselves, in contrast to Bordeaux and Napa.”
Or maybe Bordeaux and Napa invite criticism simply because they’re extremely well-known. “With its fragmented ownership and small vineyard holdings, Burgundy can feel opaque and therefore mysterious,” says Christian Moeiux, owner of numerous estates including Château Pétrus in Bordeaux and Dominus in Napa Valley. “Bordeaux and Napa operate with a different kind of visibility. That visibility can perhaps make them feel less like something to be ‘found,’ even when the underlying complexity is just as great.”
Or maybe Pinot Noir could have something to do with it. Pinot is often subtle. Appreciating it means appreciating nuance. Bordeaux and Napa, on the other hand, are in a bigger, more extroverted organoleptic world—the world of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Maybe it’s easier to dislike the Goliaths of grape varieties?
Optimal Distinctiveness: The Non-Conformist Stance
Another observation I’ve made is that a love/hate dynamic may not be as true for consumers as it is for people in the wine industry who know both regions well. In particular I think some who write about wine, as well as some sommeliers, find a kind of satisfaction in dissing Bordeaux and Napa Valley.
What’s operating here may be what the social psychologist Marilyn Brewer calls “Optimal Distinctiveness Theory”—the need for belonging and yet the need to be different at the same time. So the underlying attitude becomes: I belong to the community of wine experts, but don’t tell me what to like. I’ll damn well like the wines I want to like.
Being a non-conformist—not wanting to like (or drink) what everyone else says is great—is ironic in one way. Both Bordeaux and Napa Valley are arguably making the best wines they ever have. Price aside, the two regions continue to make wines that astound, that emotionally move people, that push the boundaries of what it means for a wine to be great to begin with.
“As an historic wine region, Bordeaux offers continuity, accumulated knowledge and a deep understanding of its terroirs over centuries,” says Véronique Sanders, President and CEO of Château Haut Bailly. “In a world fascinated by novelty, Bordeaux represents something rare: continuous improvement. The real strength of Bordeaux lies precisely in this resilience and balance: the ability to respect tradition while constantly evolving.”
Resilience. Now that’s something we can probably all agree to love.
Karen MacNeil is a nationally known speaker and writer. She is the author of The Wine Bible, one of the most successful wine books in America, and the editor of WineSpeed. You can find her at [email protected].
