Please please please wine typists: stop writing the same wine article over and over again. And now stay tuned for my annual "eat and drink separately" guide to Thanksgiving.
Thank you for say what we've all been thinking: pairing wine with Halloween candy is a total waste of time and resources. And let's be real, it's also a huge turn-off for anyone who actually takes their wine seriously. Can't we just enjoy our candy in its pure, sugary form without feeling pressured to elevate it with a glass of wine? Thank you for this public service announcement!
The wine industry spends millions of dollars on marketing campaigns that often target young adults and women. These ads can be misleading and create unhealthy attitudes towards drinking. By limiting these promotions, we can reduce the temptation for people to overindulge. Rather than pairing wine with snacks or meals, why not focus on other aspects of social gatherings that bring people together? This could include cooking classes, board games, or simply enjoying each other's company without the need for a drink. With the growing popularity of mocktails and low-ABV drinks, it's clear that many people are looking for alternatives to traditional wine and beer. By embracing these options, we can create a more inclusive and diverse beverage culture that caters to everyone's preferences. Excessive drinking is linked to numerous health problems, including liver disease, heart disease, and various types of cancer. By promoting responsible drinking habits and highlighting the dangers of excessive consumption, we can encourage people to drink in moderation or not at all.
And look, even if the wine newbie might get a kick out of such articles, and those articles get eyeballs (which gain the industry nothing financially) we really, really don't want them actually trying these pairings - not if we want them to still be into wine after they try them!!! Long game, people, long game!
I feel kinda sorry for the PR and marketing people who have to come up with these faux recommendations every year and write the ridiculous copy that goes with them. OTOH, maybe I don't.
I suspect that most of these annual "match this holiday fare to wine" pieces are assigned by food section editors who long ago stopped having an original idea in their heads. And the poor schlumph who is knocking out a freelance story is eager to please and so here comes the happy-go-lucky column about how Chardonnay is a fine companion to those wretched orange sugar pills that get handed out by the bazillions on October 31st. You are right to quote the Raven and say "Nevermore!" but you may as well try to stop the tsunami of Red Wine and Chocolate stories that will hit next February and for every February thereafter until there are no more wine columns in the universe.
It’s strange to me that, for an industry that is struggling so deeply with captivating younger consumers because of its pretentious reputation, your instinct is to slam light-hearted pieces that are encouraging people to pick up a bottle of wine when they’re raiding their leftover candy.
No one takes those articles seriously. And frankly, wine does *not* need to be more serious. It’s already excessively serious to the point that consumers are rejecting it for more approachable options.
If you love wine as much as you say you do, you need to encourage people enjoying it in all scenarios, not just those you deem worthy. You need to encourage people talking about wine in all scenarios, not just the ones you deem worthy. Otherwise, you’re going to find the already struggling wine industry in a very dire place.
Wine was equally serious in 2000, when folks were picking up wine. Are folks less able to appreciate the beautiful complexity of wine today? Why would that be?
Hear hear, Brooke. "Real world" pairings resonate with younger consumers (Big Macs & Burgundy didn't become a national bestseller on a fluke). These articles subvert the wine snob stereotype. If we're waiting on Gen Z to pick up wine with the same "seriousness" as the Boomers did 20 years ago... I'm afraid we've lost the plot.
Please please please wine typists: stop writing the same wine article over and over again. And now stay tuned for my annual "eat and drink separately" guide to Thanksgiving.
Thanks! Only hope the so-called influencers read this.
Agree. From my October column: "I know of no decent pairing of wine with treacly sweet trick-or-treat candy."
Thank you for say what we've all been thinking: pairing wine with Halloween candy is a total waste of time and resources. And let's be real, it's also a huge turn-off for anyone who actually takes their wine seriously. Can't we just enjoy our candy in its pure, sugary form without feeling pressured to elevate it with a glass of wine? Thank you for this public service announcement!
The wine industry spends millions of dollars on marketing campaigns that often target young adults and women. These ads can be misleading and create unhealthy attitudes towards drinking. By limiting these promotions, we can reduce the temptation for people to overindulge. Rather than pairing wine with snacks or meals, why not focus on other aspects of social gatherings that bring people together? This could include cooking classes, board games, or simply enjoying each other's company without the need for a drink. With the growing popularity of mocktails and low-ABV drinks, it's clear that many people are looking for alternatives to traditional wine and beer. By embracing these options, we can create a more inclusive and diverse beverage culture that caters to everyone's preferences. Excessive drinking is linked to numerous health problems, including liver disease, heart disease, and various types of cancer. By promoting responsible drinking habits and highlighting the dangers of excessive consumption, we can encourage people to drink in moderation or not at all.
That was hilarious.
Louder for the people on Instagram!!! 😂🤦🏻♀️
And look, even if the wine newbie might get a kick out of such articles, and those articles get eyeballs (which gain the industry nothing financially) we really, really don't want them actually trying these pairings - not if we want them to still be into wine after they try them!!! Long game, people, long game!
I feel kinda sorry for the PR and marketing people who have to come up with these faux recommendations every year and write the ridiculous copy that goes with them. OTOH, maybe I don't.
Amen
AMen, or Ackkkk.... milk chocolate and red wine??? seriously... Well said Tom
I suspect that most of these annual "match this holiday fare to wine" pieces are assigned by food section editors who long ago stopped having an original idea in their heads. And the poor schlumph who is knocking out a freelance story is eager to please and so here comes the happy-go-lucky column about how Chardonnay is a fine companion to those wretched orange sugar pills that get handed out by the bazillions on October 31st. You are right to quote the Raven and say "Nevermore!" but you may as well try to stop the tsunami of Red Wine and Chocolate stories that will hit next February and for every February thereafter until there are no more wine columns in the universe.
It’s strange to me that, for an industry that is struggling so deeply with captivating younger consumers because of its pretentious reputation, your instinct is to slam light-hearted pieces that are encouraging people to pick up a bottle of wine when they’re raiding their leftover candy.
No one takes those articles seriously. And frankly, wine does *not* need to be more serious. It’s already excessively serious to the point that consumers are rejecting it for more approachable options.
If you love wine as much as you say you do, you need to encourage people enjoying it in all scenarios, not just those you deem worthy. You need to encourage people talking about wine in all scenarios, not just the ones you deem worthy. Otherwise, you’re going to find the already struggling wine industry in a very dire place.
Wine was equally serious in 2000, when folks were picking up wine. Are folks less able to appreciate the beautiful complexity of wine today? Why would that be?
Hear hear, Brooke. "Real world" pairings resonate with younger consumers (Big Macs & Burgundy didn't become a national bestseller on a fluke). These articles subvert the wine snob stereotype. If we're waiting on Gen Z to pick up wine with the same "seriousness" as the Boomers did 20 years ago... I'm afraid we've lost the plot.
What about pairing your Dracula costume with a big glass of spooky blood red wine? Ah ah ah, I want to suck your Côte-Rôtie! 🧛♂️