Field Notes from a Wine Life – Consumer Lifestyle Edition Pt. I

Odds and ends from a life lived through the prism of the wine glass …

American Wine Society

Started in 1967 and incorporated as a non-profit in 1973, the American Wine Society (AWS) is the oldest and largest consumer based wine education organization in the US and membership is open to the general public – those who have an interest in wine and wine culture.

Given the state of growth in the U.S. around wine, you might think that membership would be robust, right?  You would be wrong.

In fact, you’ve heard of the American Wine Society, but it means nothing to you, right?  You’re not alone.  I was the same way. 

Last year at this time, I joined the American Wine Society to conduct an informal one-man cultural anthropology study.  I wanted to observe the effect that technology and shifting demographics might have on a legacy wine enthusiast organization.

I was hoping to see an attempt at relevancy in a world quickly becoming governed by pixels. 

Based on my observations, this year I’m going to join the Grave Dancers Union.  I may learn more while receiving better value for my money. 

Simply, for the apocalyptic type, those who revel in the change wrought by disruptive technology like the Internet on standard ways of doing business, forget wine mainstream media, they should look to the American Wine Society and, perhaps, the Tasters Guild as Exhibit A.

Now, I don’t mention this as some sort of nihilistic, mean-spirited exercise, but rather an observation that “adapt or die” is as salient as ever. And, unfortunately, I don’t think these dusty enthusiast organizations are long for a world where content is free and networking takes place principally online, supported offline, in places other than the living rooms of Baby Boomers holding Saturday night potlucks while passing the bottle.

For the $62 dollar annual membership fee I received a handsome (and positively quaint) certificate of membership, a photocopied booklet on, “Organizing and Conducting Wine Tastings” (first printed in 1985 and then reprinted in 1994), and bi-annual (reduced from quarterly) copies of their four-color 32-page magazine – nicely designed, but skimmable in approximately 120 seconds.  In other words, I received approximately $7 worth of value.

Near as I can tell, the real value of a membership to the American Wine Society has to exist with engagement in a local chapter (see also Saturday night potlucks while passing the bottle).  Not that I know this first hand, but that has to be where there is *something* tangible to latch onto.

Joe Brodski, a newly elected Secretary to the American Wine Society, noted in his candidate platform much of what my observation and instincts are telling me about the relevance of the organization for anybody under the age of retirement.  He said:

In order to move the AWS forward in the future, we need to better look at the next generation of potential members.  The philosophy of Generation X and Y towards membership is any organization is much different than that when AWS was started and today.  We have to change with that generation’s ideology whether it includes going green with e-newsletters, etc.  The organization has to investigate why we are not retaining members or signing up new members and improve in those areas.  In areas of larger population we need to look at demographics and fill in the pockets with a new chapter if needed.

Yet, change is going to be hard earned.  In the annual P&L statement, the American Wine Society completed their fiscal year with a $68K deficit against budget with a mere 2600 members nationally (based on dividing membership income by membership fees).  However, even more ponderously, in 2009 they spent $237,285 for their annual conference against conference income of $198,934, leading to a loss of over 38K.  Conference expenses account for over ½ their annual budget.  By contrast, they spent just $10,182 on their web site.

I’ll repeat that.  They spent just $10,182 on their web site in fiscal year 2009.  In 2008 they spent nary a dime on their web site and in 2007 they spent $4,582.

In that same three year period they spent $575,412 on their annual conferences.

I sent an email to Executive Director Mary Ann Coskery asking about the issue of membership demographics and relevance and she neglected to respond.

Now, I’m not that bright, but if my membership is primarily older and I want to attract a younger audience, I might not spend $575,412 on an annual conference over a three year period, marketed to my existing, dwindling membership, while spending just a little over $14K on my web site.

I won’t be renewing my membership to the American Wine Society, not because I’m a righteous, holier than thou zealot who takes philosophical stands against incompetent financial malfeasance that violates my sensibility, even though this does. 

I’m not renewing because organizations like the American Wine Society, in an age of social media and connectedness, don’t offer me or anybody under the age of social security eligibility any value.  And, that’s a lesson they need to learn more so than how to spend their members money as a non-profit.