Thanks for the great content, once again! As a wine drinker in my mid 30's, although a little ahead of your graph, i think part of the problem for my generation is price. People can explore craft beers at a relatively cheaper costs, allowing them to try a wider variety and educating themselves in the process. That becomes harder to stomach when you're looking at $30-50 per bottle, you simply won't try as many new wines. I think it's imperative to share nice wines with my friends and others my age so they can see what wine can be.

@Randal835

5 ай бұрын

100% agree with that - price is a huge part of it. We still have plenty of cheap wine on the shelves, but higher quality, interesting wine is becoming too expensive to entice younger buyers. Why risk $30 on something you've never tried and might not like, when you can buy some craft beer or hard seltzers.

I completely agree Tom and I can confirm your wedding scenario to so many restaurants in wine producing countries like Spain and Italy. Prices are the problem. Yes, good beer is an option but people would still like wine in a restaurant but the wine prices are a minimum of six times the prices of a good beer which can last a meal. National wine, outside of their own market, are five times the price of retail. Restaurant's are backing up with this stuff and so are wine merchants. The life cycle you describe is not just shrinking, it's collapsing. Wine, its history, culture and properties are becoming increasingly irrelevant to younger people.

Tom, agree 100% with you here. As somebody working in a wine retail shop I see this trend playing out. Price is a big part here - if prices continue to rise we rule out a large chunk of the market...i find it very hard to see wholesale prices decreasing on mid to high quality wine any time soon. In your experience in the industry did you see periods of distributors/negociants decreasing their wholesale prices year on year?

@winemoneysong

5 ай бұрын

No!

Wow interesting video. Had no idea this was the situation. I am in my early 50s and am following your path. But u are right, the younger generation is not on The Path.

The “natural wine” trend, and say what you will of it, is the only thing that I’ve seen getting anyone in my age bracket (30-40) to be interested in wine. On top of that, prices are higher than many are willing to pay and buying wine can be an intimidating experience overwhelmed with choice.

@henryoliver2833

18 күн бұрын

I know many people for whom the only wine they relate to is natural wine

Just came across this channel and really liked the info !

Thank You Tom... In my opinion one of your best videos yet... I think education open mindedness intimidation all play a part Of the wine buying process... I do think price plays a minor role. However women, and yes, I'll use women as an example Are buying a lot of Tooty frutti Wines I'll call them fruit drinks with alcohol Josh Apothic Red Meomi Sangria etc etc And although these wines are cheap in content they do range from $15 to $30 plus.... Without getting too wonky or wordy. Most people aren't open-minded or willing to take chances. Or they don't have somebody That they can reach out to who is educated friendly And open them up to a lot of the great wines of Italy France and Spain There are so many great wines from those regions in that price range which will decimate any of those other wines they're drinking. I consider myself a wine drinker. I rarely duplicate a wine. I don't believe in daily drinkers. But most people I believe just drink to get buzzes I really believe if you were to introduce some Southern Rhone wines to these individuals who are drinking these other lousy wines. You could convert them easily and then maybe their wine journey would begin I'm not sure... But I do know one thing Nothing can substitute for drinking wine. The only way to know wine is to drink it lots of it and keep on drinking different ones good ones The more you drink, the better understanding you'll have, the more excited you'll get and the more passion you'll have for trying more CHEERS 🍷🥂🍷

@winemoneysong

5 ай бұрын

Each new wine you try adds to that rolodex of info in your brain. Wine expertise is built wine by wine you experience (like a structure is built brick by brick).

Thanks for the great insights, Tom! I continue to enjoy all your new content. Curious, what’s your opinion on internet retail vs brick and mortar stores/restaurants? Do you think wine tourism experiences are a better way to introduce younger consumers to new wines?

@welshtoro3256

2 ай бұрын

A lot of wine sold in the U.K is sold by bricks and mortar shops with an online presence. Casual sales from supermarkets are the largest share. Lot's of small specialist shops with online sales but they're selling to an informed minority. Most wine tourists fall into that category. Tom's right, young people aren't interested in wine and unlikely to go on wine tours. Wine appreciation involves a journey and a bit of study. That's too much like hard work. That's why the beer market has boomed even in traditional wine countries like Spain and Italy.

About 10 years ago in my late 20s I moved to western Europe. If I hadn’t, I don’t think I would’ve become a wine drinker. Definitely at least not to the extent which I do now. Everyone I knew 10 years ago used to just drink craft beer.

I'm an older guy who started buying fine wines in the early-mid '80's when prices were very reasonable. I have copies of Parker's Wine Advocate bimonthly guide starting with number 28. I believe Robert Parker had more to do with prices going up than any other factor. My first red wine was Riunite Lambrusco in the late 70's and it had a cork in the bottle back then. I have friends who collect craft beers that are flavorful and complex. IMO of course, they are not nearly as good as fine wines, but there are a lot of great beer producers and many are on draft. Young adults are drinking these and hoppy beers now.

Great content here!

I've worked at a great alcohol retailer for the last 7 years and I have been trying to tell people for quite some time now that these price hikes have been insane across the board for so many regions. My budget for fine wine is technically higher than when I started, but the wines that were $50 on the shelf might be closer to $130 for a recent vintage. We're also seeing a rise in negociants providing great deals that these producers fail to give. Younger audiences have so much choice. Cocktails (in package and at bars) are better than ever and you have tons of choice in the beer world (especially if you count seltzers and cider). It looks like wine is no longer held up on a pedestal as something truly magical over all the rest. Wine has doomed itself by ignoring the constant rise in competition without them even considering introducing competitive prices

I feel like young potential wine lovers have spoken, they are tired of wine that taste the same, speak very little of the place they come from and are manufactured with formulas… there is a reason why the only style of wine that sees growth is a natural wines, skin contact wines and wines from unique varietals… wine market is not doomed. old wine market is collapsing.

@winemoneysong

5 ай бұрын

Why aren’t the younger segments of the market drinking wine? Large wineries try to make wines that target the largest population. I remember when the company I was working for was bought out by a bigger company and at the merger meeting the acquiring company stated if people want wines that taste like bananas we will make wines that taste like bananas. “If anyone here doesn’t like that they should get up and leave”. No one got up and left. The wine industry has been trying to go natural for the last twenty years but I don’t see people demanding these wines. Customers don’t walk in a wine shop and ask is this wine natural? I wish they did but they don’t ask that question. Small producers can led the way but they only fill niche markets. Unfortunately, the masses must suffer innocuous, bland wines that fits a certain flavor profile. One must be adventurous and seek out producers who express the grape and terroir.

Love the videos. As a person who just hit that 40 mark this graph holds truth especially financially. Although my experience was backwards as in I ended up in some chateaux’s during my backpacking days around Europe early in my hay day. But the experiences left a mark that’s for sure.

The demographic shift in American society is definitely going to affect the wine industry. The Silent and Baby Boomers had the life experience with wine and the disposable income to purchase high quality examples as they got older. That is not true for the younger generations in this country. As these 70- and 80-year-olds pass away who is going to replace them as prime wine buyers?

Really enjoy you business lens perspective on the current state of the wine industry. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on what would happen if there was a collapse. Would you see 10/15/20% of some great producers go bankrupt,?Could they weather the storm based on price points (Antinori vs a Sassacaia for example? If you are on the sidelines with money and enjoy wine at the 4 stage of your lifecycle, would it be dumb or smart to root for a collapse so prices come down, or would it be very hard to find the wines available etc. Thanks Dave

@winemoneysong

5 ай бұрын

In the mid-seventies the Bordeaux wine market collapsed. There were many reasons for the collapse but the major factor leading to the fall was speculation. Many people got in the wine business because they thought wine was the next gold rush. When financial indicators turned down they ran for the hills. I remember when I was in retail my price listing for Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1970 read $560 for a case of twelve in December then in January the price read $180 a case. Now that is a collapse! Pillsbury who owned Burger King at the time brought Chateau Souverain so they could supply BK with wine. Now that was wild speculation.😂 Fast food restaurants have never sold wine but in the early seventies businessman thought wine was going to be everywhere. The collapse lasted about 4 or 5 years until bloated inventories were liquidated at much lower prices. Just because you seen it doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future.

@davidtrapp7877

5 ай бұрын

Thanks...excellent perspective most people do not know, even the so called enthusiasts. And Mayacamas is one of my favorites from Napa too....excellent wine taste/tour as well@@winemoneysong

Keep pumping out videos

I concur, but I am not seeing wine prices drop.

Best content👍..think about what will happen if we all get Islamized😂

Wrongo, I started drinking wine in the 70s with cold duck. Now, I’m all over the map with my wine buying

@winemoneysong

5 ай бұрын

Did you know that Cold Duck was a mixture of Sparkling Burgundy and Domestic Champagne. I saw many bottles ring on the cash register during the 70’s.