I am of that generation, and remember selling Reunite (which, having lived in Florence for about a year in university in 69-70, and buying good DRY lambrusco for less than $1, well Reunite was not my cup of tea. But in its day, it was the $2 Chuck- we sold it for 1.98 at the wine store I worked for. Interesting factoid about Reunite. The Coop that made it was one of the most Communist-oriented, in a very Communist region of Italy back then-- Ironic that the Marianis' picked that one to make their new brand.
I find that few people I know have moved past the most basic of wines and would never consider buying a wine over $15. And I’m talking mostly about people in their 40s, 50s or beyond with plenty of disposable income. I think either you get the wine bug that propels you to higher level wines or you don’t and that the concept of “starter wines” is misguided at best.
Jason Wilson.... do listen to the Blue Nun commercials. Radio only if I recall correctly, featuring Stiller and Meara. Very funny. The daughter of the owners of that company worked for the Napa Valley Vintners when I met her, and now owns a brand name winery making very good wines in Sonoma.
I never drank Riunite but I do remember those commercials. Those were also the days of white Zinfandel!
But the whole problem has nothing to do with young people or “entry level wine” (btw. whenever someone says entry level wine, I’m thinking of Raisins gaulois from Lappieres :)). The problem is ocean of cheap, mass produced, industrial wines that no one wants to drink any longer. That kind of alcohol is meant for what I call “daily mindless drinking” - no judging here. Just a drinking when you come home after work and have a whatever drink or you go out for drinks with colleagues and the place you pick is just nice place next to your office not necessarily known for great wine list or crazy cocktails. You take there whatever they serve. In that segment of daily-mindless-drinking, cheap wine loses to beer and other drinks. It’s not convenient - starting from the odd-size bottle to the narrative that includes chateau, wine glasses, special moments and Grand Vins, even if it costs few bucks. Narrative btw built by the same industry that complains now about decreasing sales….
Yes, I've already covered this in earlier pieces. The industry has justified the industrial wines as "entry level" wines and now is whining that its losing younger consumers to more interesting options in spirits, etc.
Adam or Jason, have you, or others here, seen the TV adaptation of the manga Drops of God (intense blind-tasting battles between two good-looking people to determine who will win an inheritance / wine collection)? My partner and I just started watching and are maybe three to four episodes in.
(I have not (yet) read the original manga so cannot compare.)
In this show’s universe, I am not sure there are such things as starter wines--even for people for whom wine is not the reason they get out of bed in the morning.
In these initial episodes, there was at least one attempt to have a (French winemaker) character speak passionately about how AOC and cost are not the determining factors of great wine.
However, so far, this message (?) is undercut by multiple scenes where both AOC and/or cost are *absolutely* factors when it comes to the “truly great” bottles.
While I like the idea that, in this show’s world, wine and its flavors and smells are a profound and passionate endeavor of the soul, it really does seem to subscribe to what Adam calls the “narrative” of “chateau, wine glasses, special moments and Grand Vins.”
Anyway, perhaps the show is an attempt to make wine fun again, but it’s not as fun as old Riunite or Blue Nun commercials. Or the Orson Welles’s Paul Masson ones (outtakes or originals).
Jason
I am of that generation, and remember selling Reunite (which, having lived in Florence for about a year in university in 69-70, and buying good DRY lambrusco for less than $1, well Reunite was not my cup of tea. But in its day, it was the $2 Chuck- we sold it for 1.98 at the wine store I worked for. Interesting factoid about Reunite. The Coop that made it was one of the most Communist-oriented, in a very Communist region of Italy back then-- Ironic that the Marianis' picked that one to make their new brand.
Very interesting - I would like to know more about that haha
I find that few people I know have moved past the most basic of wines and would never consider buying a wine over $15. And I’m talking mostly about people in their 40s, 50s or beyond with plenty of disposable income. I think either you get the wine bug that propels you to higher level wines or you don’t and that the concept of “starter wines” is misguided at best.
Totally agree!
Jason Wilson.... do listen to the Blue Nun commercials. Radio only if I recall correctly, featuring Stiller and Meara. Very funny. The daughter of the owners of that company worked for the Napa Valley Vintners when I met her, and now owns a brand name winery making very good wines in Sonoma.
I never drank Riunite but I do remember those commercials. Those were also the days of white Zinfandel!
I remember Blue Nun tv ads! The original idea was to include Blue Nun and a few others, but Riunite deserved its own piece.
But the whole problem has nothing to do with young people or “entry level wine” (btw. whenever someone says entry level wine, I’m thinking of Raisins gaulois from Lappieres :)). The problem is ocean of cheap, mass produced, industrial wines that no one wants to drink any longer. That kind of alcohol is meant for what I call “daily mindless drinking” - no judging here. Just a drinking when you come home after work and have a whatever drink or you go out for drinks with colleagues and the place you pick is just nice place next to your office not necessarily known for great wine list or crazy cocktails. You take there whatever they serve. In that segment of daily-mindless-drinking, cheap wine loses to beer and other drinks. It’s not convenient - starting from the odd-size bottle to the narrative that includes chateau, wine glasses, special moments and Grand Vins, even if it costs few bucks. Narrative btw built by the same industry that complains now about decreasing sales….
Yes, I've already covered this in earlier pieces. The industry has justified the industrial wines as "entry level" wines and now is whining that its losing younger consumers to more interesting options in spirits, etc.
https://www.everydaydrinking.com/p/satay-chardonnay-and-why-wine-does?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web
https://www.everydaydrinking.com/p/the-myth-of-so-called-starter-wine
Adam or Jason, have you, or others here, seen the TV adaptation of the manga Drops of God (intense blind-tasting battles between two good-looking people to determine who will win an inheritance / wine collection)? My partner and I just started watching and are maybe three to four episodes in.
(I have not (yet) read the original manga so cannot compare.)
In this show’s universe, I am not sure there are such things as starter wines--even for people for whom wine is not the reason they get out of bed in the morning.
In these initial episodes, there was at least one attempt to have a (French winemaker) character speak passionately about how AOC and cost are not the determining factors of great wine.
However, so far, this message (?) is undercut by multiple scenes where both AOC and/or cost are *absolutely* factors when it comes to the “truly great” bottles.
While I like the idea that, in this show’s world, wine and its flavors and smells are a profound and passionate endeavor of the soul, it really does seem to subscribe to what Adam calls the “narrative” of “chateau, wine glasses, special moments and Grand Vins.”
Anyway, perhaps the show is an attempt to make wine fun again, but it’s not as fun as old Riunite or Blue Nun commercials. Or the Orson Welles’s Paul Masson ones (outtakes or originals).