Meet Gen Z's Big Sister of Wine - Pilar Brito aka @barpilarr
3 Questions with the digital creator behind "Name-Drop Wines"
My Dear Enjoyers,
If my memory serves me correctly, one of my first thoughts when I stumbled upon
on Instagram was, “this girl gets it!”. After years working in the wine industry, my awareness of the bubble in which I operated had become more acute. Pilar’s videos felt like a breath of fresh air for my beloved (wine)! I had never heard anyone from outside the industry bubble, let alone a young woman, speak about the special wines I worked hard to know and love.If you’re here, odds are you’ve already seen one of her videos pop up in your feed. She’s usually found leaning on the counter in her bright, well-appointed kitchen, displaying an impeccably styled outfit, sharing wine knowledge like a cool big sister who just arrived home from a global circumnavigation. The wines Pilar shares on her platform are anything but casual- some of her most popular videos are about Tignanello, Château d’Yquem, Mas Doix 1902,Château Mouton Rothschild… you get the point. Here’s what’s truly impressive: 83% of her audience is Gen Z and Millennial, with over 10% in the elusive 18-24 range. That’s a stat that should make all the wonderful wine marketers on this mailing list sit up straight. Young people want to know about expensive and collectible wine.
No matter where you exist in the wine universe or what brings you to my corner of the internet, I assume we all share a human desire to bring people together through wine. Whether you’re a marketer, a winemaker, a sommelier on the floor, or a wine enthusiast- the way you deliver the information you know or the product you make is the most important piece of the puzzle, and I think there is a lot to learn from Pilar’s tasteful approach.
Introducing: 3 Questions With _____
This is an experimental new series on the Last Call segment of the Business of Drinks podcast where I chat with some of my favorite drinks influencers to pull back the curtain on what they do. This series aims to provide insight into working with influencer marketing in the drinks space as it is primarily produced for the BOD audience who is especially concentrated in drinks brand entrepreneurs.
Below is an abridged version of the segment for your reading pleasure, but be sure to listen in to Episode 52 to hear the full conversation in all of its glory!
Me: Pilar, welcome! Can you give us the quick origin story of @barpilarr?
Pilar: Absolutely! So, I actually started out as a lawyer. But while I was in law school, I got obsessed with wine—joined the wine society, started running tastings, even did blind tasting competitions. I went into law, but my love for wine never faded. Fast forward a bit, and I realized there weren’t a lot of people speaking about wine the way I wanted to hear about it. So, about a year ago, I started my account.
At first, I was just making videos on random wine topics, but I quickly realized those weren’t really hooking people. When I switched to a series format—giving people a reason to come back week after week—that’s when things really took off.
(#1) What kinds of content have been the most successful for you?
Pilar: Without a doubt, my series content. My biggest hits have been “Name Drop Wines” and “Cult Classics.”
Name Drop Wines is for people who want to navigate business dinners without looking lost. I break down the wines that often come up in professional settings—what to order, what to gift, and how to sound like you know what you’re talking about without faking it.
Cult Classics taps into something different. It frames wine as a taste thing—like fashion or interior design. People want to have a signature style, right? Same with wine. Maybe you own the designer bag everyone has, but you pair it with a perfectly curated vintage find. I show people how to have that mix in their wine selections. And I relate it back to personal style—your taste in wine should be as unique as your taste in clothes or music.
(#2) Can you tell us about what demographics engage the most with your content and why you think that is?
Pilar: Absolutely. 42% of my audience is 25-34, and 31% is 35-44. But what I’m most excited about is that 10% are 18-24—that’s huge because people love to say young consumers don’t care about wine. I don’t buy that. I think the issue isn’t making wine more “accessible” (Gen Z is perfectly capable of teaching themselves anything with YouTube and ChatGPT), it’s about giving them a reason to care.
My audience cares because I show them how wine can enhance their life. It can help them in professional settings, make them feel more sophisticated, and—let’s be honest—give them something interesting to say at a dinner party. Plus, I think people appreciate that I don’t dumb things down. I keep wine aspirational without making it intimidating—like something you want to be a part of, not something you feel like you have to study.
(#3) Let’s talk about partnerships. How did you decide to work with Louis Jadot, and how did you measure the success of that campaign?
Pilar: That was my first paid partnership, and I was really happy with it. I get a lot of partnership offers, but I only want to work with brands that actually make sense for my audience. Louis Jadot was perfect because they were one of the first wines I really learned about. It’s accessible, widely available, and something I actually drink.
We measured success through engagement—comments, DMs, shares—and it performed even better than my regular content. People really resonated with it, and I got messages from my followers saying it made total sense that I was partnering with them. That’s exactly what I want—people to trust that if I’m recommending something, it’s because I actually believe in it.
Do you have any quick tips for brands looking to pitch influencers for partnerships?
Pilar: Yes! First, know who you’re targeting and have a real conversation with the influencer about whether there’s alignment. A good influencer won’t take your money if it’s not a fit. Second, set clear expectations upfront but then trust the influencer to do what they do best—make content that resonates. You’re paying for authenticity, so let them have creative control.
I’ve had brands come to me and say, “Here’s exactly what we want you to say,” and I’m like… that’s not how this works. My audience will know immediately if something feels off. The best partnerships are the ones where the brand says, “Here’s what’s important to us, but we trust you to deliver it in a way that makes sense for your followers.”
What Pilar is doing differently isn’t uncovering a brand-new audience—it’s helping the wine industry understand the one that’s already there. Just read her comment sections, they’re full of people excited to try the bottles Pilar has told them about. She’s captured the attention of young professionals that are interested in wine and are wondering how exactly it can fit into the lives they are crafting.
She’s proving that exclusivity isn’t the enemy- it’s actually her secret sauce! People want to be impressed and feel impressive. Her method is about leaning into the aspirational while still inviting people in. Wine is a tool: for connection, for advancement, for self expression. All of these values resonate clearly with us twenty-somethings who are just trying to figure life out.
Again, listen in to Episode 52 of the Business of Drinks for all the juicy insights Pilar shared on-air. It is much more than I could squeeze in this newsletter!
Until next time…
xox, Caroline