Wine Brats

Spectator readers write letters to the editor discussing the magazine's "refreshingly candid coverage of cork" and arguing over synthetic cork substitutes. Wine-X readers write in bitching about why wines are so expensive.

Spectator advertisers run full-page, almost pornographic photos of their bottles, with a few words emphasizing the vineyard's quality and tradition. Wine-X advertisements feature such slogans as "Classic Look, Rockin' Taste!"

Occasionally the industry coverage of the two magazines actually overlaps. Both publications recently reviewed a $22 bottle of 1991 vintage Maxus English Cuvee California champagne.

"Rich, up-front aromatics include fresh toast and butterscotch," wrote Morgan in the Spectator. "On the palate, hazel-nut, lemon-lime and spice make an en-ticing blend."

Roberts' Wine-X comment: "Mr. Toad's wild ride through a yeast factory."
"I think [Roberts'] approach is more intended for humor and discussion than he is to seriously critique something," admits wine columnist Dan Berger. " 'Try this with a cigar.' I don't smoke. What am I supposed to do? Ignore the wine?"

"I think Wine-X magazine is impossible to read, whatever age you are," states Jerry Mead, author of the long-running "Mead on Wine" column. "The way those pages are laid out, I can't follow the story. I'm not sure what the content is. I'm not very impressed. Whether they're accomplishing their goal, I don't know."

From his perch at the Spectator, Morgan delicately addresses what he sees as the problem of Wine-X:

"I don't find that giving a wine an X rating reflects my values. I think it sends a confusing message that doesn't necessarily have much to do with wine."

Roberts will have none of that. "These guys are 107 years old," he says, clearly delighted to irritate the Old Guard. "[Wine-X] is not written for Jerry Mead, it's written for consumers. Jeff Morgan's an asshole. Better not quote me on that. Wine Spectator watches what we do. They want to keep it a beverage for the rich and famous. Keep it on a pedestal. They're writing for themselves. They're afraid of having an elitist image and nobody's gonna gravitate toward it."

Wine Brats and Wine-X claim the industry has completely ignored young consumers, who instead are choosing beer, vodka, and scotch. If the kids don't switch to wine soon, they insist, the wineries are in for a steep slide when the older generation dies off. It's time to wake up and smell the bouquet.

But the Abbie Hoffman-style rabble-rousing, the parties and Wine Raves, the interviews with Sammy Hagar, the pretension-poking irreverence, hasn't necessarily worked. True, the Brats are drinking wines and having a good time, Wine-X is receiving free bottles for review every day, and the Brats founders are getting their future customers hooked early.

But so far, none of it appears to be making a difference.
People in their 20s have never been big consumers of wine, and statistics say they probably never will be. According to the Wine Institute, the 20 to 29 age group has never added much to the total volume of wine consumed, hovering around a mere 4 percent of the market. Consumers don't generally develop a Sacred Palate of their own until they're in their 40s. The largest group of U.S. wine drinkers remains the over-60 crowd, which consumes more than 36 percent of all table wine sold.

This vast split in ages was evident at a recent daylong zinfandel event held at Fort Mason, sponsored by Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP). Over 5,500 grape geeks roamed the aisles with engraved wineglasses, tasting their way through the wares from 180 wineries, mostly Californian.

The majority of attendees looked to be, at minimum, in their 40s. The few Gen-Xers wandering the floor were completely outnumbered by their elders. The Wine-X booth was stuck back in a corner, a foot-note to the event. At $45 a ticket, anyone in his 20s who was present was probably on a business tab.

Asked about the Wine Brats movement, a small group of young wine fans snorted. "A lot of people find them annoying," said one representative of a wine distributor, with a smile. "They certainly don't speak for everybody."

One wine marketer wrinkled her nose. "I don't want to taste Brad Pitt stepping out of the shower.

Published:In our Feb. 17 cover story "Wine Brats," we jumbled some letters and wound up misidentifying a restaurant. It's Za Spot, not Za Stop. We regret the error.