One of the most popular presenters at Aspen’s Food & Wine Classic, Mark Oldman returns to the event this fall—his 15th appearance—to lead two seminars: “Wines for Quintillionaires” and “Getaway in a Glass: Wines of the Mediterranean.”
An author of several wine books, including his latest, How to Drink Like a Billionaire, Oldman is known for breaking down the barriers to the world of wine with humor and entertainment, making an often intimidating subject approachable and fun. When the pandemic prevented him from hosting live events, he stayed put in Manhattan, bought a special Zoom license (to increase his virtual audience to 500) and pivoted his wine tastings online. He also launched Bevinars, a new platform that brings wine education and entertainment into people’s home (participants purchase wines from wine.com to taste alongside him). It was an immediate hit. Oldman listened to his audience about what they wanted to sip and learn.
“In general, most people want to drink like a billionaire without paying like one,” says Oldman. “People really wanted to learn about excellent values and how to outsmart the system of vertiginous wine pricing.” Oldman has a knack for finding functional substitutes—he’ll feature a $30 stand-in, or a “stunt double” as he says, for a $200 wine.
