It’s been a busy summer at my place of work. Despite the dire news that wine sales are plummeting, sales remain brisk where I work. Some of what the pundits are saying is not necessarily true. They keep saying Gen Z’s are not drinking wine, or alcohol in general. This is true, simply because most of this generation is not even of drinking age yet. That alone would skew the numbers.
Susie and I are getting excited about our trip to Spain in October. Our first stop will be Paris, where we will celebrate our eight-year wedding anniversary. From there, we will head to Spain, stopping in San Sebastián, Jerez, and Seville. While in San Sebastián, we will visit a winery in the Basque Country and do other activities. After a few days there, we will head to Jerez. While there, I’ve scheduled a visit to a sherry-producing winery. I’m super excited to see what a winery that produces this unique style of wine looks like. Susie has also booked a horse show where we will have a chance to see the famous horses of Jerez! We will also have the chance to attend a traditional Flamenco show in Seville. We are getting very excited.
I’m doing my best to grow my YouTube channel. I feel god about the content, and I think you could benefit from subscribing. I’ve covered a lot of wines over the last few months. If you want to learn a bit and find some great wines to try, check out my channel, Stan The Wine Man TV. For August, I’m going to focus on the best varietals coming out of Washington State in both red and white wines. Can you figure out my choices? Give it your best and see what I come up with. That should be fun challenge for you.
One reason for the decline in wine drinking, aside from the Gen Z factor, is what is happening in the restaurant industry. If we want the younger generation to indulge in wine while going out to eat, we need restaurants to stop marking their wines up 3x retail. Yes, that’s correct. A bottle you might buy in a store for fifteen dollars will be forty-five bucks at a restaurant. I understand that restaurants need to find a way to cover the cost of doing business. However, if we want the younger generations who eat out to buy wine, we are not going to get them to spring for a bottle that is way more expensive than it should be. I’ve had discussions with many folks in the industry who agree, including some who have worked in restaurants. I’m not sure if it will ever happen, so it is up to us in the wine industry to attract the younger generations to wine. Wine has been a part of culture for thousands of years. It’s certainly a healthier choice than many other alcoholic beverages. As one wine YouTuber puts it at the end of his show…”Remember, to stay thirsty!”
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
