Wine Without the Snob | Lailand Flaherty | Barrels and Roots

In this Barrels and Roots episode, I sit down with Napa Valley native Lailand Oberschulte-Flaherty, VP of Marketing at OrderPort, to talk about wine without the intimidation.

We get into why wine feels “snooty” to so many people, why that idea is outdated, and how to build your palate without pretending you like a cult Cabernet just because the label is famous. Lailand breaks down how taste is personal, like music, like artists, like anything else, and why the best wine might be the bottle with duct tape on it from someone’s garage passion project. We talk Napa versus the old-world mindset, terroir and storytelling, underrated varietals like Vermentino, Syrah, Gamay, Grenache, Tempranillo, and why exploring smaller producers can be both more affordable and more meaningful. The bigger theme is simple, wine is an analog experience in a digital world, a way to put your phone down, slow your nervous system, and create memories that last a decade, sometimes longer, because taste and smell lock moments into your brain.

If you want wine to feel approachable, human, and actually fun, this conversation is a reset.