How Wine Can Save Youth from the Loneliness Epidemic

The "Tasting Group" needs to make a comeback among the young

First, let’s assume that the decrease in consumption of alcohol that we are witnessing among younger consumers is a permanent phenomenon. That is to say, let’s accept going forward into the next couple of decades, far fewer people will be inclined to embrace wine not only as an accompaniment to their caloric intake, but even fewer will embrace wine as a source of intellectual and hedonistic pleasure.

Besides grubbing up vines, accepting the demise of numerous wineries, retailers, and wholesalers, and learning to live with a smaller contingent of like-minded wine enthusiasts, what’s the plan to build off of a smaller base? What’s the plan to keep wine relevant? What’s the plan to teach the meaning of wine to the smaller corps of younger folks looking for guidance?

I don’t think the best answer is to just lean on social media influencers who might create compelling content and pique the interest of their peers.

I don’t think the answer is to just lean on wine writers and media to introduce curious and potential wine lovers to the diversity of soils supporting vines in the Willamette Valley.

And I don’t think the answer is just more sophisticated, AI-aided, Tech-dependent direct outreach to wine-curious young adults.

All these things will proceed and play some role in a cultural environment where wine is marginalized.

But in addition, I want to suggest a seemingly archaic approach to growing the cadre of young folks who view wine as an essential element of a good, curious, intellectual life: Socializing with wine. Put another way, the return of the Tasting Group.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that a majority of the thousands of folks who subscribe to this newsletter have in the past and may even now participate in an informal tasting group that regularly gets together to taste wine and socialize. This format has the potential not merely to give folks access to numerous wines and learn a bit about the subject, but, equally important, to provide a forum for face-to-face socializing and friendship formation.