Young Winos

American food and beverage trends come and go, some staying longer than others and some have just refuse to go away. But when it comes to wine consumption, it seems like the trend just continues to grow year after year. What's interesting about wine right now is the age in which it is being consumed. Twenty somethings and young thirty somethings are lining up at winery tasting bars and wine-focused restaurants eager to know more about the flavor profiles of varietals and learn which wines pair well with which foods.  Sites like Winechatr.com and magazines like Wine x magazine and WINO magazine, though great resource for anyone who loves wine, heavily cater to younger wine drinkers. And why not? According to a 2007 survey of consumer trends in the U.S. wine market, conducted by the Wine Market Council, twenty somethings are by far the fastest growing group of wine drinkers.  The surge in wine tasting parties over cocktail parties, weekend wine tastings in Napa's wine country and the popularity of  events like 20Something- The New Vintage are just a couple of examples of the rise of younger wine drinkers. The survey also showed that 53 percent said they are spending $20 or more on wine more frequently. Is this considered a good thing? Does this rise coincide with the new food movement? Perhaps it's because there are more wineries year after year and it is becoming just part of the norm to understand wine.  I personally believe chefs that know their wines are better chefs. Learning about wine should be as much of a requirement as learning about food and to that I say earlier the better!

Above wine tattoo photo by Rambleonsylvie