Why is there an emoji for red wine, but not white wine? | Canada Voices

A stemmed glass of red wine is the only emoji we have for representing wine. Meanwhile, champagne and sparkling wine are symbolized by a bottle with a popping cork as well as two clinking glasses. Beer? A mug and two clinking mugs. For cocktails, you can choose from a martini glass, a tropical drink like a rum punch or mai tai, and a tumbler suggesting whisky.

The absence of a white wine emoji has long been a concern for wine producers and enthusiasts. Citing “an emojency,” New Zealand Winegrowers has spearheaded a petition to make a change: “Despite white wine being poured, posted and enjoyed around the world every day, there’s still no officially recognised white wine emoji,” the proposal reads. (Nearly 95 per cent of New Zealand’s wine exports are white wine, led by sauvignon blanc, pinot gris and chardonnay.)

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The campaign is targeted towards Unicode, the California-based non-profit organization that regulates the universal character set used for text displayed online, and will conclude with a formal submission to the Unicode Consortium planned for World Emoji Day July 17.

The initiative aims to ensure white wine is represented in modern communication, allowing people to share and connect through their passion.

“Public support matters because emojis’ are ultimately about how people communicate day to day – it helps show that this isn’t a niche industry idea, but something people would genuinely use around the world,” says Charlotte Read, general manager, brand of New Zealand Winegrowers.

This is the second formal proposal organized by the New Zealand Winegrowers, following a failed attempt in 2022. Best-selling California winery, Kendall-Jackson submitted its own white wine emoji request in 2018. According to Emojipedia.org,(created by Unicode Emoji Subcommittee member Jeremy Burge) the existing emoji “was intended to represent wine as a beverage category rather than a specific variety (e.g. red or white) hence its name Wine Glass rather than Red Wine. As such, no separate emoji has been approved, despite frequent requests.” (Unicode didn’t respond to requests for comment.)

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Read explains that the organization is encouraged by the response so far, with more than 1,500 signatures from 45 countries. Canadian support for a white wine emoji currently ranks ninth amongst participating countries, she says.

“At the heart of the campaign, this is about better reflecting how people talk about wine today, and we’re pleased to see that conversation resonating well beyond New Zealand,” says Read.