Recently, I have had the opportunity to see the wine world through a different set of lenses, a newer perspective then the unfortunate, but endemic nonplussed air that sometimes permeates practiced enthusiasts.
I have been enjoyably hanging out with people that enjoy wine, but are coming at it with a relatively slight base of knowledge. In other words, they fit into the same category of millions of other people in this country who are trying to crack the wine code.
While good for my ego because I know the most in the room, it is not a healthy situation for the wine business, in general.
Last week, John Gillespie, released his annual Wine Market Council research. Gillespie was one of the very first to get in front of the Gen. Y/Millenial movement in wine, calling his hand with pocket aces, as the Gen. Y demographic gathered steam five or six years ago.
According to a Winebusiness.com article on the most recent report:
The most positive trend, Gillespie reported, was among the younger generational segments: generation-Xers and millennials. The greatest growth and the most optimistic conclusions from the survey come from millenials, ages 15 to 32. They and the generation-Xers accounted for what Gillespie described as “stunning growth in the core wine-drinking population.” In 2008, nearly half of the millennial segment reported a net 23 percent increase in wine consumption—double that of generation-Xers against minimal or declining figures for the aging baby boomers. Gillespie described this trend as a “trade-off” phenomenon, where better than 10 percent of wine drinkers, primarily generation-Xers, are increasing total wine consumption at the expense of beer and spirits.
I can attest to this growth in both the Gen X segment, as well as the top-end of the Gen. Y demographic.
Having recently become a part of a small, monthly gathering of growing, young wine enthusiasts, I know there is a rippling fascination with wine that is enduring. This is not a flight of fancy or something that eventually gets set aside for the next “thing” du jour.
However, here is where the wine industry is failing them—now and for the future.
Wineries and the wine industry have long ago forgotten what it’s like to be new to wine and the bridge that needs to be traversed between enjoying wine and understanding what you are drinking.
Many of us have diligently worked at it, tasting, tasting, tasting, keeping notes and practicing sensory evaluation. Yet, there are millions upon millions of core wine drinkers who love wine, drink wine all the time who cannot pick out and break down components on the nose or on the palate.
And, that is a shame because nobody makes it easy on them. It is like a secret society that needs to be penetrated and many (most) regular wine consumers do not care to do the studying.
And, it is not their fault.
Ironically, the same core enthusiasts who drink a bunch of wine, but cannot discern the nuance in a wine never likely advance beyond the grocery store, drawing the ire of staunch and practiced enthusiasts for perpetuating industrial wine.
It is a catch-22. Not everybody who enjoys wine and drinks it frequently is built to know how the watch is made, many just want to know what time it is. Just the same, the wine industry is partly responsible and needs to ensure that newer core wine drinkers do not turn into mindless digital clock readers, unable to track the sweeping second hand at a glance.
And, all of this could be alleviated with the handy use of some consumer tools.
What the wine industry needs to provide now, more than ever, is a predominant de facto standard for flavor components like the AC Noble Wine Aroma Wheel, but more consumer-oriented. A complete re-tinkering of this in order to be accessible by consumers is necessary.
In addition, somebody at Le Nez Du Vin needs to get their head out of their ass and realize that if they drop the price on their wine aroma kit from $400 to $100, they will increase their sales volume by 8x. It’s a volume play, not a luxury play. Nothing like the French to screw up a sales strategy on an ongoing basis.
And, yes, I know Wine Enthusiast makes a lower priced point kit; a kit that I promptly sent back for quality reasons, so I cannot recommend it.
That is it, perhaps simplistic, but in order for wine to continue to grow in an orderly and disciplined fashion, with the consumers growing in knowledge, there needs to be an understood tool that acts as an accepted mile marker for wine fans whereby they can lightly study to cross the bridge from frequent and avowed wine drinker to knowledgeable enthusiast. The wine world needs a flavor component tool and study aids in the form of something visual in addition to an affordable Le Nez du Vin.
Is this simplistic? Yes. But, so are politics. Save the domestic car business = write them a check.
Having seen it first hand, and having sent out a half dozen requested emails on what to do to learn more about wine and understanding flavor components, I am convinced this is the single biggest obstacle to more studied appreciation for millions of wine drinkers.
What do you think? Have your say and leave a comment.
Recommended Links
Delong Wine —has a nice sensory evaluation/ wine tasting guide
Essential Wine Tasting Guide—This is my fave and well worth the $12
