Efforts are underway to change the conversation about wine with campaigns like Come Over October and the Wine Market Council’s “Wine Is.” It’s about time. Wine is a beverage to enjoy with food and with friends and family and is a nice social connector. But somehow it all became complicated and intimidating for many consumers. Maybe that is why younger consumers are gravitating to other options like cocktails, beer, hard seltzer and THC-infused beverages.
The Wine Market Council recently partnered with Ethnifacts, a demographic-focused research group, to conduct a two-part study on younger and multicultural consumers. We are still digesting the data, but it is clear that the discussion about wine and presenting it to younger and multicultural audiences needs to be tweaked. If you have not read this article yet, we recommend: Why Did Wine Have to Go and Make Things So Complicated? (winebusiness.com)
We don’t need scores and unicorn bottles to enjoy wine. We don’t need wine-shaming because we are pairing the wrong way or buying a bottle that didn’t get a great review. And we don’t need a sword of Damocles hanging over our heads every time we uncork a bottle to remind us that consumption of alcohol can be hazardous to your health. That data has been around for years. Frankly, we’d like to see ultra-processed food to get the same kick in the butt that wine is receiving.
What we need is the story of the bottle and about the people and places that help shape the wine’s unique provenance. We need simpler explanations about what sets a wine apart and how to enjoy it with food. We also a judgement-free zone when we decide to open that bottle and enjoy it.
So, we applaud any effort to change the conversation about wine. Frankly, let’s just start with encouraging conversations. Many people are so wrapped up in their social media on screen that they have become non-social when it comes to a real conversation. And that’s not fun. We have enough in this world to worry about. Let’s uncork more positivity and connectivity around a table with great wine, food and conversation.
Conversations and connecting over food and drink: That is why we created The Connected Table in the first place!
Please drink responsibly, in moderation and in good health.
