using on Steve Heimoff’s recent blog post, “How the invasion of social media players is changing the rules for wineries”, in which the longtime West Coast Editor of Wine Enthusiast holds forth that the old guard of wine critics is giving way to “a gigantic invading army of ants” (AKA amateur critics making themselves heard via Web 2.0 tools), I had to chuckle.

Because the editorial landscape where wine is concerned is indeed evolving – undoubtedly chaotically, for now – though in some ways it’s no different than the changing of the guard we see any time a new generation rubs up against its predecessors and presses for something new (happily, something Heimoff also noted).

What comes out of this kind of interaction is friction, for sure, but also fresh ideas. In this spirit, here is my take on a quintet of new influencers shaping the wine world. Whether they’re expounding mostly via social media, in ways more traditional, or often a combination of both, they’re all accomplishing essentially the same task: helping people like you and me to better enjoy wine. Cheers to that.

Alder Yarrow: The New James Laube
Alder Yarrow – one of the first “serious” wine bloggers to come online with his award-winning Vinography blog started in 2004 – has begun to generate the kind of following for his mostly California-oriented wine reviews that merits a comparison between the San Franciscan and Wine Spectator’s longtime Napa-based editor, James Laube. And though Alder writes almost exclusively online while Laube is best known for his print work, their similarities are actually pretty remarkable: Besides the influence where California wines ratings is concerned, both scribes often pen sentimental pieces that remind us that wine is about so much more than just the numbers.

But I wonder: with Vinography pulling in just $20,000 annually through advertisements and other income streams, will Alder be able to translate his newfound influence into real cash? Guess only time will tell.

Tyler Colman: The New Steve Heimoff
Both academics who maneuvered their way onto the wine scene by sheer tenacity after following careers in other areas, Tyler Colman (AKA Dr. Vino) and Steve Heimoff have more in common than may first meet the eye. Both have published two books. Both refuse to shy away from voicing their opinions clearly and – at times – even brashly on their respective blogs.

Call them sages with verbal flair. Colman, however, epitomizes the way new voices in wine are leveraging social media to be heard, creating their own brands and blogs rather than waiting around until an established publication decides to pick up their work (and in doing so grant them “credibility”). No doubt due to the immediacy of his chosen medium, Colman’s rise in wine has been quick and effective (he now consults, writes for a number of mainstream publications and teaches wine classes at NYU) and it epitomizes the way in which credibility in wine journalism can be self-actualized in the social media era.

If Heimoff, had kicked off his career today rather than in the computer-bereft early 80s, he would have no doubt leveraged to advantage as well. (Indeed, his own blog – started in 2008 – now numbers among the web’s most popular wine blogs.)

Gary Vaynerchuk: The New Robert Parker
In a piece dubbed “the new influencers,” I could hardly call the article complete without reference to the “most influential wine critic in the world,” Robert Parker. And with anti-Parker sentiment (Too much influence! Wines becoming “Parker-ized!”) reaching a crescendo, it’s probably apropos to introduce “the new” mega-influencer where wine is concerned: Gary Vaynerchuk.

Vaynerchuk is the exuberant New Jersey wine retailer, whose popular daily Internet show, Wine Library TV clocks as many as 90,000 viewers for some shows (compared to just 50,000 subscribers for Parker’s quarterly newsletter). Although Vaynerchuk couldn’t seem more different than his subdued suit-wearing counterpart, he has managed to capture the admiration and cult-like following of many a wine enthusiast, just as Parker did with his sumptuous tasting notes and easy-to-comprehend 100-point scale when he first appeared on the wine scene.

Similarities and differences aside, for now, the only direction seems to be up for Vaynerchuk, who has appeared on The Today Show, Ellen, and Conan O’Brien, and just inked a seven-figure book deal. But will a backlash follow for the Russian-born Gary “Vee”? It’s certainly possible that fans will tire of Vaynerchuk’s daily diatribes about the importance of “crushing it” and personal branding. Still, he’s managed to charm industry stalwart Jancis Robinson into appearing on his show – an indication of persistence, at least. And though it’s unclear if Robinson actually likes Vaynerchuk, she does cop to liking his palate. And isn’t that what really matters?

Dan Dunn: The New Bobby Balzer
Born in 1912, Robert "Bobby" Balzer was the original bon vivant wine writer. Consult the archives or fellow oenophiles who’ve been around for a bit and you’ll find that the longtime wine columnist for Los Angeles Times Magazine was always impeccably turned out, dated actresses, hobnobbed with presidents, and even appeared on the big screen himself. Indeed, the Wine Appreciation Guild – which awarded him its highest honor, the Wine Literary Award, in 2004 – calls him “charming, outrageous, flamboyant, a man of exquisite taste, keen wit, great loyalty and shocking frankness.” All of which I interpret to mean: this guy had a blast