To most of us, Instagram bloggers, influencers, communicators, (insert your chosen title here) should all be used to internet trolls by now. Most people would tell you that it’s the natural consequence of putting so much of ourselves out to the world.

Or is it?

There are a LOT of things on the internet to hate—politics, racism, and misogynists are a few that I avoid like the plague. Those topics incite very heated conversations and are often so polarizing it’s hard to NOT comment or share. But to me and a some other friendly people in the online wine community, drinking wine and discussing it with our communities should not be on the receiving end of some of the trolling that’s popped up lately. There has been certain people who take photos from our Instagram pages and overlay very inappropriate imagery next to them, people who turn their nose at millennials trying to dive into the world of wine, or people who in general want to knock us down for being attractive women & men taking photos with wine (which just blows my mind if I’m being honest. IT’S JUST WINE).

Minor rant over—instead of naming names on the people who are attacking us, we’re going to flip the script. A friend of mine Sarah Tracey, a New York Sommelier and creator behind @thelushlife.xyz, had an idea to unite those of us who genuinely want to connect in a positive way.

Introducing #YouCanSipWithUs

In her words: “Our community of friendly wine bloggers, wine lovers, & content creators is joining together to create the most inclusive, welcoming, and wine-derful space on Instagram.”

Why should you join us?

• You want to connect with other lovers of wine, travel, and lifestyle.

• You believe that snobbery, elitism, and bullying have no place in wine media.

• You want to see gorgeous & fun wine content in your feed every day.

• You want to share your own content & get surprises & giveaways.

How to join in?

• Head to your instagram to follow the hashtag “#YouCanSipWithUs”

• Tag your own posts to be featured across multiple accounts and make new wine friends!

This is a community that I’ve been a part of for over 2 years now. It’s allowed me to make new friends, learn more about wine, and encouraged me to further my wine studies! I want it to continue to be a fun place to connect, plan future wine trips, or discover my new go-to bottle of $10 rosé.

We’re looking forward to having you sip with us.

Chelsey, Sarah, Chelsie, Nicole, Kacey, Ami, Kristen, Casleah, Samantha, Meg, Sarah, Amanda, Alexa