This month the wine writers have a task to explore something new; it's a wide open topic hosted by Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. My initial thought was to look at low alcohol or no alcohol wines. Instead I landed on a trend I didn't even know existed: younger adults are drinking less wine than their parents and grandparents.
The Line-Up
Here's the list of articles this month as the group explores and learns something new...
Albania: A New Wine Frontier by The Quirky Cork
Celebrating the New Year the Armenian Way: Ghapama and Lamb Kebabs Paired with Areni Wine from Yacoubian-Hobbs by Gwendolyn Alley...Wine Predator
Exploring a Dealcoholized Wine by A Day in the Life on the Farm
From Xers to Zoomers: Exploring the Decline in Wine Consumption by Culinary Cam (you're here)
Hot Topics: A Zero Alcohol Primer by Food Wine Click!
The Alcohol Removed Wines of Starla by Vino Travels
The Unveiling of Red Wine's Hidden Health Benefits and the Surgeon General's No-Alcohol Stance by The Good Life
What's all the hubbub about non-alcoholic wine? by My Full Wine Glass
Wine and Food Pairings – exploring the logic and the science by Crushed Grape Chronicles
A Wine-Loving Xer
I will start with this: I am solidly in Generation X. I started drinking wine in college, red wine to be precise. My college friends and I consumed many, many, many fiaschi of Chianti. Until I was in my 30s I didn't drink anything but red wine. When I joined several wine writing groups, our topics ran the gamut and I began delving into white wines, sparkling wines, wines from different regions of the world, biodynamic wines, and more.
My wine palate expanded with exposure and, now, I will pretty much drink anything interesting and create a food to match.
So, when I took my older son - born five years into Generation Z - to a wine tasting event at one of our favorite restaurants, the owner - who is also a good friend - was thrilled. She shared that the younger generations are not drinking wine. She said that the trend is that Millennials and Zoomers are turning away from wine more and more; and some winemakers are choosing to toss a harvest instead of making wine that won't sell. What?!!?
Interestingly enough, when I was debating which two bottles to purchase of the five that we tried, R and I were in full consensus. I have noticed that in a few subsequent instances as well. I realized: he has my palate.
Wine Exposure for My Zoomers
I did a bunch of reading and research, looking at others' suggestions for the drop in wine consumption from Xers to Millennials to Zoomers. Posited reasons included a movement toward non-alcoholic options and cannabis, that these younger generations are more health-conscious and more vigilant of what they are putting into their bodies, that they are demanding a transparency from the industry that doesn't exist, and that wine's presence in pop culture is limited. Honestly none of those really resonated with me as to why younger adults are not buying and drinking wine.
I took it upon myself to, at the very least, expose my Zoomers to the joy of wine. I initially thought that education would change the reluctance to drink wine and set about pairing and talking about wines with them during the holidays. I had four college kids around the table during the week of Thanksgiving. We talked about the producers I was pouring. They were very interested to hear about Tablas Creek Winery, the world's first regenerative organic winery located just down the road in Paso Robles. You can read more about Tablas in my post Regenerative Organic: Farmed Like the World Depends on It + the Feral Wines of Tablas Creek.
We talked about different varieties of grapes. We discussed single varietals versus blended wines. We poured and paired and poured some more. And, at the end of the break, I discovered that they eschew wine for one reason only: wine worth drinking is too expensive.
Well, at least that was the consensus for my very small sample set. They enjoyed every single wine I opened and poured during the Thanksgiving holiday. R told me that his friends weren't really wine drinkers, but when I sent wine home with him over the past year or so, one apartment-mate really enjoyed it. D told me that his roommate said the I. Brand Piquette that I sent up was the best wine he had ever had. So, it's not that they don't like wine. It's that the wines they would choose to drink are out of their budget. Fair enough, but very anti-climactic. There is no solution for that problem except time and gainful employment. Fine.
I asked what they were drinking. These are Zoomers who live in Berkeley, Santa Cruz, and Santa Barbara currently. I heard hard seltzer, PBR, and cheap spirits. Really? I avoid all of those! But I also am three decades more established than they are.
Still I will do my part to at least instill an enjoyment of wine in my circle of influence - my Zoomers and their friends. Our Thanksgiving menu was a celebration of food and wine.
About the Wines
2023 Dianthus Rosé
The Tablas Creek Vineyard Dianthus 2023 is a blend of four estate-grown varieties, incorporating the Rosé traditions of the Southern Rhône. The name, Dianthus, refers to a genus of flowering plants recognized for their deep pink blossoms and known colloquially to gardeners as 'pinks.'
Comprised of 51% Mourvèdre, 38% Grenache, 8% Counoise and 3% Cinsaut, this wine poured a deep, salmon color. On the nose, I noted a combination of Winter citrus, juniper, stone fruit, and a tinge of smoke. On the palate, the creamy texture is countered by the pucker of rhubarb and a bright acidity. This is a Rosé for people who don't take pink wines seriously.
I paired this with Lobster Bisque and Scallops Rockefeller. Recipes to come!
2022 Counoise
The 2022 Tablas Creek Vineyard Counoise is Tablas Creek’s thirteenth bottling of this traditional blending grape from the Southern Rhône.
I paired this with Caesar Salad with Airy Croutons and Chevre Truffles. You can find a process for my chevre truffles in this this post: Savory Chevre Truffles; for this version I used dried cranberries and macadamia nuts. You can find my homemade croutons in this post: Focaccia Smoked Olive Oil Croutons.
The wine poured a translucent garnet color. On the nose, I noted red fruits, specifically raspberries, along with warm baking spices and a distinct aroma of mint. On the palate, the wine has a creamy texture, flinty minerality, and a lingering finish of licorice and wild herbs.
2021 Le Complice
The Tablas Creek Vineyard 2021 Le Complice, a mixture of Syrah, Terret, and Grenache, is the sixth vintage of the blend whose name means, roughly, 'partner in crime.'
I paired this with Gilded Hens and Risotto with Truffles. Recipes to come.
On the nose, there were so many gorgeous aromas such as bittersweet chocolate, cypress, and Turkish delight. On the palate, I noted flavors of cocoa powder and garrigue with a lengthy finish of baking spices with a splash of cola.
2021 Esprit de Tablas Blanc
The Tablas Creek Vineyard 2021 Esprit de Tablas Blanc is a blend of five white Rhône varieties propagated from budwood cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel estate - Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Bourboulenc, and Clairette Blanche.
I poured this during my dessert course which featured mini baked Alaskas with dragonfruit sorbet, prickly pear panna cotta with a prickly pear gelée, and prickly pear marshmallows. You can find my Actual Good Meringue - the most important part of the Baked Alaska - in this post: The Mann Men's Birthday Treats: Bûche De Noël, Baked Alaska, and Tiramisù; you read about the process for making panna cotta in this post: Double Starch, Pineapple on Pizza, and Passionfruit Panna Cotta.
On the nose the wine has aromas of poached pears and roasted pineapple with layers of honeysuckle and a tinge oak barrel. On the palate the flavors are bright, crisp, and luscious and layers of honey, brioche, and some truly tropical fruits such as lychee and mango. This wine is simultaneously fresh and rich with an Old World charm.
I will make wine drinkers out of these guys one bottle at a time!
That's a wrap on my offering for this month's #WinePW. The group will be back next month with a look at the Forgotten Grapes of France for #Winophiles with Lynn of Savor the Harvest at the helm. Stay tuned!
What a beautiful feast and such great pairings!! I find with my girls, who are not yet drinking age, but do occasionally imbibe that they and their friends mostly drink the canned cocktails that are now available in six packs.