Who isn't drinking their share?

WINE TALK
41

I can state that my use of recreational herb for medical purposes (joyously enabling sleep after 11/2018 disc herniation, and then fractured shoulder surgery 12/2019), has greatly impacted my wine, beer and spirits consumption.

However, a drink is tempting after this fracture. [snort.gif]

42

That is a true “reason to drink” fracture! [cheers.gif]

I know a guy who only uses pot when drinking.

About 90-120 minutes before the end of a drinking session, he takes some edibles and says it prevents hangovers.

If I mention that maybe not drinking as much would reduce his hangover, he looks at me like I am a poor dumb animal and says, “But my way I can still drink as much.”

I think, perhaps, he drinks more in light of reduced hangover misery.

I can’t decide if he’s a genius or a menace.

He is a dedicated Uber rider, I give him that!

43

As a millennial who really enjoys wine and certainly buys more than their fair share, I’d say that there are a lot of factors that are playing into it - cost, perceived level of effort to learn wine, and number of other “easier” options available in the market. I don’t drink much or often, but really enjoy wine - getting to taste different varietals, vintages, appellations, winemaker styles, etc. and learning about the stories behind wineries, winemakers, and vineyards. I see wine as more of a hobby or passion where I really enjoy the academic side of it, with the bonus that it tastes great! When I go to a restaurant with a good wine list, I enjoy just perusing it. I’d say i’m definitely in the minority though. Everyone has their own hobby, a busy life to lead, different priorities and budgets. For people that just want a good tasting drink that suits their mood, its way easier to pick a beer, cocktail, hard seltzer, or other drink that they don’t have to spend a ton of time studying or having to store for years on end! If you take a step back, it’s also kind of crazy to think that a bottle of fermented grape juice can cost hundreds of dollars, which once you open it has to be consumed within a day or so. Just my 2 cents :stuck_out_tongue:

44

I think that’s a very valid point. With social media and perhaps a little more self-appreciation also comes the need to shine a little, be an expert on something or nerd out about things. Especially amongst men, I think - we like to dig deep and nerd out. But with wine that’s very hard to do. It’s just so vast, so big, so much to take in that you cannot really become an expert or know it all. I think this hurts the newer generation, who are used to be able to grasp something more instantly. It’s much easier to become an expert at whiskey, or cocktails, or beer than wine. And nobody likes to stand at the bar and say: “I know nothing of this, let’s just order whatever”. Everyone wants to shine and impress a little.

This why I think the new world did the right thing by starting to put varietals on the label. That was an easy way to democratize wine and make it more accessible. The French, the Italians and the Spanish are still clouding their wines in this regard, and it makes it less accessible for non-experts.

45

Or maybe Americans are just dumber?

I’d recommend the 2020 report put out by Silicon Valley Bank’s wine group earlier this year, which gets into this trend in depth.