This pushed me over the subscription cliff as well.
I’d posit (and my experience selling wine at retail to consumers of all ages since 2008 suggests) that what is missing from this discussion is that younger consumers value authenticity and transparency, neither of which is in evidence when you look at what most wine producers, especially the large ones, present to consumers.
There is nothing authentic about putting generic juice in heavy bottles with deep punts to make the Boomer-consumer (and I’m a Boomer) think they are getting a serious product at an under $15 price point
There is nothing transparent about gumming up your Central Valley/Modesto grown overripe Pinot Noir with overripe Syrah, PV, plus MegaPurple and sanitizing it with Velcorin and then writing label copy that implies it is an artisanal product.
When you buy a liter of €8 wine in a plastic bottle in the EU, they are not labeling it as Grand Cru and bottling it in heavy glass. Everyone knows what they are getting. Cheap and hopefully, drinkable plonk. It quacks, walks and drinks like what it is.
But in the US, the plonk is bottled in glass, closed with a cork, branded as Estate This or Chateau That, and has label copy that promises timeless greatness. This worked on Boomers. It’s not authentic and authentic, hence the “yung’uns don’t drink wine problem.”
The yung’uns know the difference between Busch Light in a 30 pack and what’s in a $30 bomber of artisanal lambic. It’s obvious from looking at it.
Big American wine has spent 75+ years doing its best to obfuscate the difference for wine consumers.
Totally. Either they aren't buying the sham of plonk in nice packaging, or worse, they assume the packaging signals quality, taste it, and walk away thinking "I guess I just don't like wine."
So true. As I like to be as consistent as I can be, I grow a lot of the food I eat, and I eat 0 km as the say in Italy. I also work with Georgian wine and have a sizeable collection, but I go down the road to a vignaiolo and buy 5lt of vini sfuso for 15 euro and it's fine for every day drinking and doesn't have the same carbon footprint as bottles from everywhere else. It's organic and contains low sulfites. There is no real table wine culture in the US and that's sad.
What a refreshing and insightful article. I am very close with my niece who is 27 this year and I hang out with her and her friends whenever I am in town, and though they aren't wine professionals or even wine geeks, they are interested in good wine and are want the information, and they love finding winemakers who align with their worldview, and they are 100% more inclined to want to share a really nice bottle of Tsolikouri that I advise than a Yellowtail or the crap I was drinking in my 20s. I decided to upgrade my subscription due to this article and look forward to more from Caroline, I am interested in the worldview of Gen Z.
Thank you so much, Sarah. In the late-stage capitalist world we live in, I see my friends and I putting more and more emphasis on where every dollar goes -- gravitating toward companies that align with our values across all purchases. Thankfully, in wine, we're spoiled for choice when it comes to small, artisanal producers who share our worldview.
I agree. Lower the prices and you welcome exploration and adventure. When I was in my early 20s many moons ago and had no money: You could always have wine in San Francisco or New York without thinking twice. Society I think has become much more investment and capital charged.
It’s tough. Even as a real wine lover I find myself having to weigh the value of a $15 glass of wine over a $7 beer every so often. There are still places that offer a great glass at a good price, but you really have to know where to go.
Wine is a complex subject, yes. But, that's what makes it so intriguing and beautiful! It has such a long history. It reflects all the different cultures where it is made. Double-down on the rich fabric of the world of wine. It will replenish your spirit.
Fabulous article! I'm 62, but I started loving wines in my 20s in the same way. I have friends my age who never really cared about wine and still don't. Maybe they signed onto some fads along the way, but they just weren't into it. It's not about the generation.
I’ve lurked for long enough, this article also got me to subscribe. At 26, I’m on the middle/older side of Gen Z and there are plenty of us who enjoy the concept of locality, terroir, stories, etc. the big difference is that I’m far more willing to buy a smaller amount from my local winery or brewery at premium instead of have a giant box of bulk alcohol with no story that just sits around for when my friends visit. My friends who are younger than myself have turned to edibles since they are far cheaper, but they enjoy craft breweries as much as I do. It’s only a matter of time till they explore wines beyond the bulk producers, and I’ll be there to share my favorites.
The idea that our generation needs to be spoken lightly to is as dumb as you said. The ~75% that aren’t interested shouldn’t be the focus. They should embrace the 25% since we’re the ones who will introduce our friends to the things we love.
1. There has always been an easy unpretentious to get into wine. Does it exist still? When I was in my ltwenties I hosted dinners where we drank gallons of Sangre de Toro ($2.50 the bottle at Whole Foods in Dallas!) with those little plastic bulls. After that I discovered Chianti Classico and Inferno at an Italian deli. Then a wine shop opened down the block and I started chatting with the owner and graduated to the Rhone. These things happen. Wine + food and friends.
2. One thing that really annoys me is when people describe wine and cannabis as part of the same choice card. I smoked enough pot in my life (prior to John Lennon's assassination when I stopped) and I have drunk much wine. Pot is done for a high. Wine for a meal and vibe and taste. Unless you are 15 of course!
1. It totally still exists. I think we all have our own wine origin story a little like this. Mine is Franzia out of the bag at frats parties and then eventually $8 Sauvy B from the liquor store to have with the tacos from the truck outside. Both of these things still exist and are a valid starting point.
2. Haha! Agree mostly, though I'm sure there are some wine moms out there who swapped their "glass to decompress" for a gummy.
It's also a matter of access to these bottles, which are more aligned with Gen Z values. Here in Spain, even in organic supermarkets, the wines are industrialized. It's impossible to find and buy a low-intervention wine if you decide to grab a bottle on a whim, it requires planning!
This! I think this is the part that is often missed in the accessibility conversation. It’s not about making the concept of the wine more accessible, it’s about good wine actually being on the shelf where people shop.
Rt if you read WS and just want to comment “OK boomer”
I agree that demystifying as dumbing down is bad, but I don’t agree with the broad-stroke, “demystifying wine = A Bad Thing” that has appeared in EDD lately. Sure, it’s easy to use “demystify” as a shortcut to make fun of the ridiculous “hello, fellow kids” marketing people, but in my experience (Caroline and I are the same age) my generation wants demystification in the sense that they want explanations. It seems like the “here’s what to order to impress your boss” videos resonate exactly because of that, and that doesn’t necessarily mean people are doing the work - those videos are popular because they’re shortcuts to cultural capital. A lot of my friends just want to be told what to drink- the same reason Jason’s wine recommendations are popular, because he’s taking a complicated topic and writing about it in an accessible way that doesn’t dumb down. And at the end of the day, what is general-interest wine writing but demystification?
I think when we’re using “demystification” we’re talking about a certain type of flattening out of wine. And often the goal of the bad de-mystification is to sell cheap bulk wine. If you remove wine’s complexity, it mostly serves big brands selling shitty wine.
I would agree with what Jason said about our use of "demystification" but I think in terms of the example about Pilar's videos or even Jason's wine recommendations -- these are more like a Spark Notes for someone who doesn't have time to read the whole book. The plot is preserved and all relevant themes and details communicated without, of course, the time and detail it would take to gain a full understanding. IMO that's not demystification or education but a third thing I don't have a word for yet.
This pushed me over the subscription cliff as well.
I’d posit (and my experience selling wine at retail to consumers of all ages since 2008 suggests) that what is missing from this discussion is that younger consumers value authenticity and transparency, neither of which is in evidence when you look at what most wine producers, especially the large ones, present to consumers.
There is nothing authentic about putting generic juice in heavy bottles with deep punts to make the Boomer-consumer (and I’m a Boomer) think they are getting a serious product at an under $15 price point
There is nothing transparent about gumming up your Central Valley/Modesto grown overripe Pinot Noir with overripe Syrah, PV, plus MegaPurple and sanitizing it with Velcorin and then writing label copy that implies it is an artisanal product.
When you buy a liter of €8 wine in a plastic bottle in the EU, they are not labeling it as Grand Cru and bottling it in heavy glass. Everyone knows what they are getting. Cheap and hopefully, drinkable plonk. It quacks, walks and drinks like what it is.
But in the US, the plonk is bottled in glass, closed with a cork, branded as Estate This or Chateau That, and has label copy that promises timeless greatness. This worked on Boomers. It’s not authentic and authentic, hence the “yung’uns don’t drink wine problem.”
The yung’uns know the difference between Busch Light in a 30 pack and what’s in a $30 bomber of artisanal lambic. It’s obvious from looking at it.
Big American wine has spent 75+ years doing its best to obfuscate the difference for wine consumers.
Totally. Either they aren't buying the sham of plonk in nice packaging, or worse, they assume the packaging signals quality, taste it, and walk away thinking "I guess I just don't like wine."
Thank you for this
I'm lucky I live in a wine region where producers still make wine for their community.
So true. As I like to be as consistent as I can be, I grow a lot of the food I eat, and I eat 0 km as the say in Italy. I also work with Georgian wine and have a sizeable collection, but I go down the road to a vignaiolo and buy 5lt of vini sfuso for 15 euro and it's fine for every day drinking and doesn't have the same carbon footprint as bottles from everywhere else. It's organic and contains low sulfites. There is no real table wine culture in the US and that's sad.
What a refreshing and insightful article. I am very close with my niece who is 27 this year and I hang out with her and her friends whenever I am in town, and though they aren't wine professionals or even wine geeks, they are interested in good wine and are want the information, and they love finding winemakers who align with their worldview, and they are 100% more inclined to want to share a really nice bottle of Tsolikouri that I advise than a Yellowtail or the crap I was drinking in my 20s. I decided to upgrade my subscription due to this article and look forward to more from Caroline, I am interested in the worldview of Gen Z.
Thank you so much, Sarah. In the late-stage capitalist world we live in, I see my friends and I putting more and more emphasis on where every dollar goes -- gravitating toward companies that align with our values across all purchases. Thankfully, in wine, we're spoiled for choice when it comes to small, artisanal producers who share our worldview.
BUT WE NEED TO DEMISTIFY WINE FOR YOU!!!!!!
LOL
I agree. Lower the prices and you welcome exploration and adventure. When I was in my early 20s many moons ago and had no money: You could always have wine in San Francisco or New York without thinking twice. Society I think has become much more investment and capital charged.
It’s tough. Even as a real wine lover I find myself having to weigh the value of a $15 glass of wine over a $7 beer every so often. There are still places that offer a great glass at a good price, but you really have to know where to go.
Wine is a complex subject, yes. But, that's what makes it so intriguing and beautiful! It has such a long history. It reflects all the different cultures where it is made. Double-down on the rich fabric of the world of wine. It will replenish your spirit.
Yes, yes, yes.
Fabulous article! I'm 62, but I started loving wines in my 20s in the same way. I have friends my age who never really cared about wine and still don't. Maybe they signed onto some fads along the way, but they just weren't into it. It's not about the generation.
Absolutely agree. Thanks for sharing.
So true
I’ve lurked for long enough, this article also got me to subscribe. At 26, I’m on the middle/older side of Gen Z and there are plenty of us who enjoy the concept of locality, terroir, stories, etc. the big difference is that I’m far more willing to buy a smaller amount from my local winery or brewery at premium instead of have a giant box of bulk alcohol with no story that just sits around for when my friends visit. My friends who are younger than myself have turned to edibles since they are far cheaper, but they enjoy craft breweries as much as I do. It’s only a matter of time till they explore wines beyond the bulk producers, and I’ll be there to share my favorites.
The idea that our generation needs to be spoken lightly to is as dumb as you said. The ~75% that aren’t interested shouldn’t be the focus. They should embrace the 25% since we’re the ones who will introduce our friends to the things we love.
Thanks so much & happy to have you!
Welcome! Thank you!
Two more things:
1. There has always been an easy unpretentious to get into wine. Does it exist still? When I was in my ltwenties I hosted dinners where we drank gallons of Sangre de Toro ($2.50 the bottle at Whole Foods in Dallas!) with those little plastic bulls. After that I discovered Chianti Classico and Inferno at an Italian deli. Then a wine shop opened down the block and I started chatting with the owner and graduated to the Rhone. These things happen. Wine + food and friends.
2. One thing that really annoys me is when people describe wine and cannabis as part of the same choice card. I smoked enough pot in my life (prior to John Lennon's assassination when I stopped) and I have drunk much wine. Pot is done for a high. Wine for a meal and vibe and taste. Unless you are 15 of course!
1. It totally still exists. I think we all have our own wine origin story a little like this. Mine is Franzia out of the bag at frats parties and then eventually $8 Sauvy B from the liquor store to have with the tacos from the truck outside. Both of these things still exist and are a valid starting point.
2. Haha! Agree mostly, though I'm sure there are some wine moms out there who swapped their "glass to decompress" for a gummy.
It's also a matter of access to these bottles, which are more aligned with Gen Z values. Here in Spain, even in organic supermarkets, the wines are industrialized. It's impossible to find and buy a low-intervention wine if you decide to grab a bottle on a whim, it requires planning!
This! I think this is the part that is often missed in the accessibility conversation. It’s not about making the concept of the wine more accessible, it’s about good wine actually being on the shelf where people shop.
Rt if you read WS and just want to comment “OK boomer”
I agree that demystifying as dumbing down is bad, but I don’t agree with the broad-stroke, “demystifying wine = A Bad Thing” that has appeared in EDD lately. Sure, it’s easy to use “demystify” as a shortcut to make fun of the ridiculous “hello, fellow kids” marketing people, but in my experience (Caroline and I are the same age) my generation wants demystification in the sense that they want explanations. It seems like the “here’s what to order to impress your boss” videos resonate exactly because of that, and that doesn’t necessarily mean people are doing the work - those videos are popular because they’re shortcuts to cultural capital. A lot of my friends just want to be told what to drink- the same reason Jason’s wine recommendations are popular, because he’s taking a complicated topic and writing about it in an accessible way that doesn’t dumb down. And at the end of the day, what is general-interest wine writing but demystification?
I think when we’re using “demystification” we’re talking about a certain type of flattening out of wine. And often the goal of the bad de-mystification is to sell cheap bulk wine. If you remove wine’s complexity, it mostly serves big brands selling shitty wine.
I would agree with what Jason said about our use of "demystification" but I think in terms of the example about Pilar's videos or even Jason's wine recommendations -- these are more like a Spark Notes for someone who doesn't have time to read the whole book. The plot is preserved and all relevant themes and details communicated without, of course, the time and detail it would take to gain a full understanding. IMO that's not demystification or education but a third thing I don't have a word for yet.
okay but i want the link to a dorky wine discord lol
search Cork Taint on Patreon ;)