[ptsal]

The wine industry has a fundamental problem. For no matter how hard we all collectively talk about, and make and share stories about wine and its genius winemakers and idyllic wine regions all over the world, it all boils down to one thing. Most consumers don’t care about wine.

At least they “don’t care as much as we want them to,” is how Paul Mabray started his whistle-stop, rollercoaster talk at the MUST Fermenting Ideas conference earlier in the summer.

Remember the maxim: How to become a millionaire in the wine business....Start with two.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

I grew up in the Pittsburgh area. Loved Iron City beer. The only wine I ever tried that I could stomach more than a sip of was Gewurtztraminer. It tastes enough like grape juice that I could drink it - but why would I when there was Iron City? Everything else I ever tried (which wasn’t that much to be honest, and never the “good” stuff) tasted like rurnt grape juice.

I don’t drink any more, so no plans to upgrade my knowledge of wines.

[Vision]

I didn’t care for wine until I started spending more for it.

[x]

It's sort of like saying "Most consumers don't care about potatoes." Sure, we don't have a passionate relationship with potatoes and don't think of ourselves as connoisseurs, but who doesn't like a baked potato or french fries?

The problem is expecting wine or potatoes to be more important to people than they realistically can be.Wine is like beer. It's functional. You drink it to be sociable, to get a buzz on, or just to get to sleep.

Some people have the idea that wine ought to be marketed as a luxury good, or even as an experience. There will always be people who feel that way, but most consumers don't.

Is any of that new or surprising?

[wardaddy]

Good wine is actually quite a feat

The rest is just fortified or blended swill

Too bad booze is such dark road for so many

It’s destroyed my family

I say it....booze in the hands of some people....and it’s not an insignificant percentage

I’ll never even drink socially

I detest a drunk