ABSTRACT
Several forms of mass media, particularly newspapers, special-interest magazines and blogs, report on fine wine, wineries and wine regions. One of the reasons people read these articles is to learn about wines they have not experienced firsthand, as this information can help them make satisfying purchases. In this way, these readers are dependent on the mass media for their knowledge about wine. Wineries, understanding the important role the wine media play in raising awareness of and interest in their products, provide these media with wine samples and documents that describe the characteristics, or attributes, of each wine. Wine writers typically offer numerous descriptors of each wine in their reviews and feature stories. Thus, one might expect to find both a media agenda-building and a public agenda-setting effect in this corner of the cultural landscape.
