Does wine have a future?

[KMP]

Here in the USA the future is called The Young Winos, and if you read this you just might believe that they will change the world of wine.

An excerpt:
The Millennials popped onto the wine industry radar in 2003 as drinkers remarkably different than those of previous generations. They like to learn through experience, by drinking instead of reading or tracking point scores from big-name critics such as Robert Parker. They glean information through Internet search engines rather than from books, magazines and newsletters aimed at people who aspire to be collectors. "They don't go for any of the folderol," Gillespie says.

The statistics bear that out, he says. Of the wine purchased by the 70 million Americans ages 21 to 30, 40% is imported. That purchasing tendency has been credited with pushing the rate of growth in sales of imported wines ahead of domestic wines, Gillespie says. Gen-Xers (the 45 million people ages 31 to 44) buy imported wines 32% of the time, whereas imports account for only 26% of wine purchased by 77 million baby boomers.

Mike

EDIT: Dr Steve Brule Wine Tasting

[Red Bigot]

"They like to learn through experience, by drinking instead of reading or tracking point scores from big-name critics such as Robert Parker. They glean information through Internet search engines rather than from books, magazines and newsletters aimed at people who aspire to be collectors."

Ha, many of us old-timers have been doing this for many years - but we are also smart enough to work out which of the critics, books, magazines and newsletters suit us as well, it ain't all on the internet - yet!

[KMP]

What's that Brian? Trying to tell us you are as smart as these kids?

Mike

[Ratcatcher]

"What's that Brian? Trying to tell us you are as smart as these kids?"

Shouldn't you have used the term - young whippersnappers?

[Red Bigot]

What's that Brian? Trying to tell us you are as smart as these kids?

Mike

I know I've said this before, but late in my working career I started to worry about the competition of the new generation of IT whiz-kids. Then I worked out most of them were making the same sort of mistakes I'd made (and not repeated) early in my career and just didn't have some of the basic disciplines and skills I had developed, let alone the ability to draw on lengthy experience that was still surprisingly relevant even in the new era of internet-based systems.

I stopped worrying about my prospects for continuing contract work and started worrying about the IT education system.

I started with this sort of weekly tasting group back in 1977 and it had been going a couple of years before I joined, 31 years on it still meets most Mondays. We did the same sort of research and experimentation, pre-internet, so via those antiques such as books, magazines, newsletters and winery visits.

Maybe these "kids" could learn than all that has gone before or comes from the oldies or isn't on the interent isn't quite so useless as they are reported to think.

I think there has always been a significant minority of wine drinkers that have quickly found there feet and how to expand their knowledge and trust their own palate, if there are more of them in the new generation who aren't like the sheep that form the rest of the wine-buying sector, great.

But it really isn't anything really new to this generation.

[winetastic]

One article on one tasting group in one city is hardly a study on wine drinker demographics?

[Red Bigot]

"Of the wine purchased by the 70 million Americans ages 21 to 30, 40% is imported. That purchasing tendency has been credited with pushing the rate of growth in sales of imported wines ahead of domestic wines, Gillespie says. Gen-Xers (the 45 million people ages 31 to 44) buy imported wines 32% of the time, whereas imports account for only 26% of wine purchased by 77 million baby boomers."

This one is a biggy for the marketing people to work out, both for the importers/exporters and local producers.

And this is the big challenge for the marketers/producers, short attention span, faddism, lack of repeat business.

"Millennials take disappointing wines in stride. And even when they find a wine they love, they aren't likely to buy a case of it, Merrill says. Tomorrow they expect to find a new wine they'll like just as much or more."

Will these "Millennials" eventually discover the joys of a more mature well-cellared wine or will they chose not to care? Will they tire of the proportion of disappointments their buying habits could lead too? Will their budgets eventually move up-market and will they take the same buying habits with them? (When the risk of disappointment comes with a higher price.)

Lots of questions, not many answers yet, interesting times for wine-producers.

[El Josho]

I think part of the solution rests within the consumers themselves. There is a school of thought that says these consumers will evolve to adopt and display somewhat more traditional tastes and behaviours within established categories, but the real rock and roll of trend and weird behaviour will occur/become more pronounced in new categories and emerging technologies.

As you say, interesting times.

[Ian S]

There should be a rule against winding up the old folk

Seriously, yes the article is someone trying to generate a story, to make their living as a journo. Facts and reality are a bonus, but not a pre-requisite in that game.

[Daniel Jess]

One of the (probably only!) important things I learnt in business school, was that the younger demographic treats purchases differently than most older demographics, in one particular respect.

Older (and clearly wiser!): "If I can't afford that particular style/standard of wine, I just won't buy it yet.. I might even save up!"

Younger: "If I can't afford that particular style/standard of wine, I'll just buy a cheaper one and hope it tastes ok. I don't have time to save up."

There you have it - the impatience factor!

I admit I prefer to try wines for myself rather than read reviews of them from a book - but there are two authors I particularly refer to when searching wine catalogues. I guess the article is right and wrong at the same time!

[Red Bigot]

There should be a rule against winding up the old folk

Yes, more respect please or we'll stop casting our pearls of wisdom in front of you (young) swine!

[Red Bigot]

Older (and clearly wiser!): "If I can't afford that particular style/standard of wine, I just won't buy it yet.. I might even save up!"

Older (and even wiser!): "If I now can't afford that particular wine of the style/standard I like, I just won't buy it - I'll find another one I like just as much but at a price I can afford."