Introducing Blackthorn
A Secret Society for Wine Loving Rebels
Crush It Wine Education is no more. We’ve burned it to the ground and built something darker, wilder, and far more delicious in its place.
OK. That’s maybe a bit dramatic. But we have created something new.
Introducing Blackthorn, a hidden wine society for the curious, the unruly, and the ones who never quite fit into the sommelier-approved mold. We blend wine with myth, rebellion, ritual, and a little mischief.
If you’re still here, it means you’re one of us. You’re not just a subscriber, you’re an Initiate.
Here’s what’s changing:
New monthly video drops with stories, secrets, and sips.
A redesigned podcast: Renegade – A Blackthorn Podcast.
Mystical content, hidden passwords, and seasonal themes.
The launch of our curated Ritual Wine Box wine club subscription
Monthly email’s live on Substack now. Browse old posts, discover more fun content and chat with other members of the Blackthorn community.
And yes, the wine is still the star, it’s just... darker and weirder now. And hopefully, a lot more fun.
Blackthorn is a secret online world you can immerse yourself in. It’s here if you’re tired of snobby wine lists, sterile tasting rooms, and the gatekeeping that keeps wine knowledge locked away behind velvet ropes.
So grab your favorite glass of wine, a tasty cocktail, or a hot mug of tea and browse the new website and the new world of Blackthorn. You can also hear more of the behind the scenes of our transition to Blackthorn on our podcast.
Check out the Website - joinblackthorn.com
Listen to Renegade - Spring into Life & Fire
Let’s discuss gatekeeping:
Obviously we’re here trying to get away from the gatekeeping that is so prevalent in the wine world. Even as members of the wine industry there are still aspects of it that made us feel like we weren’t worthy, didn’t know enough of the correct buzzwords, didn’t have enough money to compete or weren’t quite funky enough to hang with the natural wine crowd.
Blackthorns mission is to combat that. Blackthorn helps curious, rebellious wine lovers who feel alienated by the snobbery and gatekeeping of traditional wine culture. It offers an inclusive, story-driven alternative that blends wine education with mystery, ritual, and myth—inviting members into a secret society where learning is fun, intuitive, and a little bit subversive.
And yet…we’re still asking you to find the password, enter the vault, leap through the hoops to make your way into the inner circle. It’s gatekeeping light. It’s the fun aspect of the secret society of wine rebels, not elitism.
So as you’re browsing the new website, enter the password and explore the members section. There are a couple of fun things waiting in there for you already, and more coming soon!
To the initiate looking for the password - Those who wish to unlock the next layer must name what they’ve just become.
You may also notice a link at the bottom here about upgrading to a paid subscription here on Substack. This is a the new version of our Patreon but even better - extra bonus podcast episodes every month, additional Vault content from Cybil the Blackthorn archivist, and more. Because yes, we are a fun online secret wine society…and also a business.
We’re so excited to have you join us here! We also know this is new so if you have any questions, comments, feedback or anything else please hit reply and chat with us!
Cheers,
Allie & Julie
Founders of Blackthorn