Hip-Hip Hooray!!
The numbers are in and everything's aces. According to the Washington Times Americans are turning up the bottle at a record pace. Of course, this is entirely dependent on what the definition of "wine" is. Or maybe what the definition of "is" is.
Wine Coolers = Sweet Fizzy Crap
Yellow Tail = Sweet Un-Fizzy Crap
I shall carry on, fighting the good fight. Fare ye well.
More wine has not been consumed per person in the United States since 1989 at the height of the wine cooler craze.First off, was it really a craze? Secondly, Bartles & James weren't making wine.
Wine Coolers = Sweet Fizzy Crap
Yellow Tail = Sweet Un-Fizzy Crap
I shall carry on, fighting the good fight. Fare ye well.
3 Comments:
Christian, let up on Bartles and James because there were many a date in the late 1990s that was made better with a few wine coolers. :-)
Not sure I understand your comments on the article. On one hand, you laud the increased consumption (which I agree is a good thing, we don't want the US to be behind Moldova in per-capita consumption) but denigrate yellow tail (as an example) at the end of your post.....?
Let's not forget that YT sold 6 million cases last year and its appeal to Gen-X & Millenials is actually bringing in new consumers. Much of the growth is coming from these new lower-priced wines that have creative and colorful labels.
While its always chic to play up our own wine tastes as more elitist than the mass consumer, let's not forget that two-thirds of wine consumed is below the $7 price-point (i.e. YT). Wine should be an everyday beverage consumed and enjoyed with meals. The wine-producing countries of Europe has cheap, ordinary table wine that they drink with every meal. YT and others like it are no different, no need to turn your nose up at it, its all part of a positive trend.
/Huge
Huge,
First off, thanks for your comment. As I am sure you can tell I am very new to this and appreciate any feedback whatsoever.
As far as the elitist thing in concerned, I can only say that I beg to differ. I don't know if you have checked my main website (lechai.com) but I am in the retail end of the wine trade. It is the "elitist" aura which has been afforded all things wine that I try to combat on a daily basis.
With respect to Yellow Tail and other 'entry' wines, the do have their place. I simply find it frustrating that a cute label and a healthy dose of residual sugar = 6 million cases sold. What these brands have done is a monument to marketing and that is no small accomplishment. And I do hope that it will bring more people into fold. However, I think that wines of this nature are a race to the bottom. Instead of raising the bar they appeal to the most basic interests of the average consumer. I'm pretty sure that the sales of Burger King aren't doing much for the dry-aged beef market.
And finally, you are absolutely right that European countries produce oceans of mediocre juice. So does this country. So why import 6 million cases of anything from anywhere? In my opinion they should all be done away with.
Oh yeah, I thought your piece on the Riedel sales reps was spot on.
Ch.
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