Wine, what are saving it for?

[Randy Caparoso]

Well, folks, Jason probably hit the reason on the head why Xers are slower to embrace fine wine (re $8+ range products): they have a lot more choices! Boomers didn't have the wealth of microbrews, ciders, or even variations of lower priced wine to choose from. Remember? -- it was either jug wines, Lambrusco, Miller or Anheuser Busch products! Would we had been so quick to jump into premium wine if we had these choices? I'm not so sure...

Good point about the Europeans, foodie. But it seems strange, when you think of it, that less wine is being consumed up there in the Continent, but there are much larger numbers of craftsmen and more "enlightened" growers than, say, 20-30 years ago. So like it or not, the trend is towards finer wines; along with the flipside of this development, pricier wines in smaller quantities. Frankly, I prefer the recent development. Sure was a lot of schlock out on the market when I first got into wine (mid-'70s).

So at least when Gen X finally gets into the swing of things (just wait 'til wine becomes "in"!), they'll be a lot more sophisticated about it than we were. Scary, huh?