Senator Elizabeth Warren targeted the South Bend mayor for partying with deep-pocketed donors in Napa valley

This article is more than 9 months old

This article is more than 9 months old

Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate in Los Angeles may have been a war of words but for many viewers, the event could be summed up in two: wine cave.

The phrase came up repeatedly when Senator Elizabeth Warren critcised Mayor Pete Buttigieg for holding a fundraiser with high-dollar donors at a wine cellar in Napa valley. “Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States,” Warren said.

Following the contentious exchange, the hashtag #winecave quickly began trending on Twitter as users tried to catch up on what exactly a wine cave was.

Amy (@bunnyhugger75) Everyone frantically googling what a wine cave is right now. #DemocraticDebate pic.twitter.com/blkJEUeoxz

Comedian Andy Richter jokingly lamented that a similar event he had hosted for presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, who failed to qualify for the Thursday debate, had gone unnoticed.

Andy Richter (@AndyRichter) I held a Marianne Williamson fundraiser in my cognac oubliette and nobody cares #winecave

A news anchor for a local Fox News affiliate in Washington DC, shared a photo of his own wine cave.

Jim Lokay | FOX 5 DC (@LokayFOX5) Little known fact: we have a wine cave here at FOX 5. But we just call it “hiding out under the desk.” We’ll explain why #winecave started trending during tonight’s #DemDebate on #TheFinal5 at 11:30 on #FOX5DC. pic.twitter.com/yLjXhsCQWc

But allies of Buttigieg’s opponents capitalized on the viral moment to promote their candidates. Bernie Sanders’ surrogates wore shirts in the post-debate spin room that advertised the website PetesWineCave.com, which redirected to the Vermont senator’s fundraising page.

Some of Warren’s supporters tweeted their photos with the presidential candidate, noting that they were not taken in a wine cave. (Warren repeatedly boasted during the debate that she has taken 100,000 selfies with supporters.)

Andrea Ciannavei (@AndreaCiannavei) This photo was free and not taken in a #winecave #Warren2020 pic.twitter.com/5eJAe4q8ta

But the wine cave had at least one defender: California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, who said many winning Democratic candidates had hosted events at the Napa site.

“There are literally hundreds of Democrats that have been in that same cave,” said Newsom, who owns several wineries. “Some of the most enlightened progressive voices in American politics today.”