Wine Eliteism Continues to Annoy Me

I think one of my first posts on here was a rant about wine industry members or critics lambasting the wine choices of a majority of American consumers. I believe I was spurred on by a posting on a blog called Vinography. And they are at it again, I think about the same topic as last time: the top wines sold on-premise (i.e., in restaurants).

Here's the blog: http://www.vinography.com/archives/2009/09/who_is_the_average_wine_consum.html

I tried to comment there but I kept getting an error message. So this is what I would have said, were I able to say it:

Isn't this almost the exact same thing you said the last time this list came out? And I have the exact same reaction: I wholeheartedly reject the attitude that the popularity of these wines is "sobering" and that "serious wine lovers... wouldn't be caught dead" drinking these brands.

Maybe it's that sort of elitist element that intimidates these enthusiastic wine consumers from pursuing other brands/varietals or increasing consumption. They are afraid of making mistakes and having "serious wine fans" tell them they are wrong and making hideous choices that they "wouldn't be caught dead" drinking. Or they just don't want to be associated with people who snidely give them backhanded compliments.

It constantly mystifies me how the wine industry wants to grow their base while undercutting the opinion and tastes of the consumers they need to attract. It's like a condescending pat on a child's head, sending them off to bed and then laughing at them after they leave the room.

"Aww, how cute. They like Ecco Domani! Ha ha ha ha ha. Maybe someday they'll learn!"

The wine-intimidated American consumers are never going to embrace a product whose most ardent fanatics are insulting and laughing at them. And until these fanatics and critics and writers can admit that any wine consumption is good wine consumption, regardless of the "status" of that wine, AMerican consumers will be intimidated.

This reminds me of a literature class I took in college. Modern Literature, specifically. One day the discussion centered around whether people reading pop-fiction written at around a fifth-grade level (such as Stephen King) is good or bad for "serious" writers and "acclaimed" novels. I had the same position there as I do now: any consumption is good. There's only so much of one thing a person can find, if they're truly interested, and eventually they will want to try something new. And when they do, there's a whole world for them to explore. And if they happen to find something else they like, their tastes will expand.

It's important to note that their tastes EXPAND, not follow someone else's notion of what's "better." If someone can't stand a wine or a novel, it doesn't matter if it's the most highly regarded wine or novel ever created. They can't stand it and will likely come away from the experience thinking that the critics are jerks who dictate from on high about something ridiculously bad.

I encourage people to enjoy what they like, and to keep on enjoying it regardless of what some "more educated" or "more discerning" critics might sneer at them. And with that, I am off to a third-rate rugby match, which I will likely enjoy as much as I would have if it were a full International squad.