Vin de Napkin_Flip Floppers

The annual Gallup polling on wine versus beer preferences has been kind to the US wine industry in recent years as wine consumption and subsequent mindshare have grown, creating wind for the sails, so to speak.

I always attributed the huge surge in wine drinkers to the wave of Gen. Y’ers coming of age, who continue to come to wine with strength.

So, it’s with a bit of curiosity and intrigue that the most recent Gallup poll shows beer taking a sizable lead in preference, especially amongst 30 - 49 year olds, historically the wine sweet spot for consumer adoption.

The interesting thing to me is the folks that switch back and forth.  I like beer; craft beer is a muse, but wine is my mistress and I don’t think I’m that different from a lot of other folks that are into wine.  I say let the beer crowd have these namby-pamby folks who can’t make up their mind.  We don’t want them.  The wine industry and its consumers is only as fast as the slowest buffalo and the confused, conflicted and dazed need to be thinned out.  The wine industry is slow enough as it is.