Should Wineberserkers Try to Attract Younger Members?

[cjsavino]

For the younger crowd, invite us older folks to your offlines, we like to share our aged bottles and wisdom

[MChang]

@JulianD

@MChang

I mean, wine events sorta do that.

I posted semi-jokingly, but it was a lot easier to get into burgundy etc at 80/90s prices than todays

I guess, I haven’t found it that hard to get into it and I think the knowledge and information was much harder to find in the 80-90s, plus obviously I wasn’t drinking then lol

[Nick_M]

What do you want to see younger members contribute?

I also found WB via another channel and realized how informative it is for someone learning about wine and a great place to find advice/recommendations for wine experiences (e.g travel). I can engage on topics I have experience with and add to the trove of information over time but I don’t have the experience to share an opinion or data point on most of the topics in Wine Talk.

[Matthew_King]

Social science research has proven that older people that want to age well do the following:

• Spend time with younger people … to broaden perspectives and get out of their echo chamber.

• Stop saying “no” to offers to do new and unfamiliar things … get out of your tried and safe rut.

• Ask more questions, instead of pontificating or complaining. Talk about 30% of the time and listen the other 70%.

I’d like to see more younger people engage on WB for these reasons … but I can see why it’s intimidating.

Too many cranks and know it alls and gotcha police dominate the rap … (behaviors I’m guilty of too!)

We should have a Silent Sunday like in AYSO when all the type A parents were forbidden from hectoring/talking on sidelines during the entire U10 soccer game.

No one over 35 (?) could post or respond for the day.

[MThomasMartin]

There used be a younger dude from Chicago that posted wild pictures from his parties. I kinda miss him.

[TGibson]

@JulianD

but it was a lot easier to get into burgundy etc at 80/90s prices than today

Which is why I would love to see younger people posting more about what they’re finding and enjoying. Good Burgundy on the regular is out of range for most people today, especially young people with limited financial means. As much as I love the stuff, I’m more interested in finding wines that are financially accessible.

[MChang]

@TGibson

@JulianD

but it was a lot easier to get into burgundy etc at 80/90s prices than today

Which is why I would love to see younger people posting more about what they’re finding and enjoying. Good Burgundy on the regular is out of range for most people today, especially young people with limited financial means. As much as I love the stuff, I’m more interested in finding wines that are financially accessible.

People have been posting about dureuil janthial pretty consistently here (although I sometimes wish they wouldn’t). There’s a bunch of their wine at the whwc sale.

[Alan_Rath]

Which may be why it has doubled in price

[MChang]

@Alan_Rath

Which may be why it has doubled in price

Yeah I bought the last of some cheap meix cadot and vv before I made that post

[Ramon_C]

@Phil_T_r_o_t_t_e_r

@Jeremy_Holmes

grumpy old fuckers who know everything

Yep, seems like a viable niche market to me.

I actually found the old fuckers here who know everything … actually do.

[LasseK]

Another millennial here. I am in my late thirties.

I think there are multiple reasons.

First of all, a forum like this is just a bit old and outdated (sadly, as I love them). The handling of ads doesn’t help. All of my wine-loving friends are on Instagram, but most of them have never, or would ever, write on a forum like this.

Furthermore, this can, as others have mentioned, be an intimidating place. A few voices can be very loud.

For me personally, it was also a bit of a cultural shock to see how people discuss topics here and how little humbleness and understanding there seems to be about how well many of us are doing financially (though this might just be me as a Dane on a US-dominated forum). I know many people for whom spending more than €50 on a bottle of wine would be for a very special occasion. Yes, there are interesting threads on cheaper wines, but they don’t dominate the discussions and often drown in the (Burgundy ) ocean. Better subsectioning might help, but I’m not sure.

And then there’s the complete disrespect for the “natural wine” world. I think there is a substantial sized group of younger people who are getting into wine through it these days. Why would any of them sign up here?

I would also love to see a younger and more diverse crowd here. There’s so much knowledge on this site.
But i think it is a hard sell.

[Emery_A]

Agree that BD is great event to expose younger folks to wines of great quality and value. But how many people outside of the WB community have even heard of it?

[MChang]

@LasseK

Another millennial here. I am in my late thirties.

I think there are multiple reasons.

First of all, a forum like this is just a bit old and outdated (sadly, as I love them). The handling of ads doesn’t help. All of my wine-loving friends are on Instagram, but most of them have never, or would ever, write on a forum like this.

Furthermore, this can, as others have mentioned, be an intimidating place. A few voices can be very loud.

For me personally, it was also a bit of a cultural shock to see how people discuss topics here and how little humbleness and understanding there seems to be about how well many of us are doing financially (though this might just be me as a Dane on a US-dominated forum). I know many people for whom spending more than €50 on a bottle of wine would be for a very special occasion. Yes, there are interesting threads on cheaper wines, but they don’t dominate the discussions and often drown in the (Burgundy ) ocean. Better subsectioning might help, but I’m not sure.

And then there’s the complete disrespect for the “natural wine” world. I think there is a substantial sized group of younger people who are getting into wine through it these days. Why would any of them sign up here?

I would also love to see a younger and more diverse crowd here. There’s so much knowledge on this site.
But i think it is a hard sell.

Idk, I’m not sure there are THAT many burg threads here. I see one in the last 6 hours and it is Jim anderson’s post about 98 gouges and has 1 reply. Maybe the WSOTY post talks about burgs a bit. I think the burg posts just get argumentative.

The money thing is certainly an issue, but at the end of the day people should drink what they want to and can afford. I haven’t seen the same sort of negativity regarding at on other forums like instagram, Reddit, and discord, but it is what it is, I guess.

[LasseK]

Well I was a half kidding, hence the smiley. But some of you are very good at turning threads into Burgundy discussions about extremely expensive wines

[Robert.A.Jr]

@LasseK

Another millennial here. I am in my late thirties.

I think there are multiple reasons.

First of all, a forum like this is just a bit old and outdated (sadly, as I love them). The handling of ads doesn’t help. All of my wine-loving friends are on Instagram, but most of them have never, or would ever, write on a forum like this.

Furthermore, this can, as others have mentioned, be an intimidating place. A few voices can be very loud.

For me personally, it was also a bit of a cultural shock to see how people discuss topics here and how little humbleness and understanding there seems to be about how well many of us are doing financially (though this might just be me as a Dane on a US-dominated forum). I know many people for whom spending more than €50 on a bottle of wine would be for a very special occasion. Yes, there are interesting threads on cheaper wines, but they don’t dominate the discussions and often drown in the (Burgundy ) ocean. Better subsectioning might help, but I’m not sure.

And then there’s the complete disrespect for the “natural wine” world. I think there is a substantial sized group of younger people who are getting into wine through it these days. Why would any of them sign up here?

I would also love to see a younger and more diverse crowd here. There’s so much knowledge on this site.
But i think it is a hard sell.

Lots of good posts on this thread. I’m just mortified to learn that I’m no longer young, sexy and spendy. Now I’m just spendy! God I hope my posts never come across as unwelcoming or condescending. I generally think this is a very welcoming forum. When I started on eBob some eons ago, it seemed a far more intimidating place. Heck, even Uncle Bob himself posted regularly. I recall the first time he posted one one of my threads to complement me for posting a TN on a killer QPR Bordeaux that got no play in that forum, and he chimed in to say it was a personal daily drinker of his. He also chastised the board that my post sunk to the bottom, getting no AirPlay in a form where everybody bragged about the big boy wines, but then also complained about the price of Bordeaux, and here I was touting a cheap wine. Have to admit - and I know it sounds pathetic - that I felt validated, and welcomed. That was 20 years ago. Reality of it is, everyone has value here and offers something of substance . We cannot have community without content, and content and membership always needs renewal.

[MChang]

@LasseK

Well I was a half kidding, hence the smiley. But some of you are very good at turning threads into Burgundy discussions about extremely expensive wines

It definitely happens, but I think it’s generally more noticeable because certain posters like to start arguments in burg threads.

[MChang]

@Emery_A

Agree that BD is great event to expose younger folks to wines of great quality and value. But how many people outside of the WB community have even heard of it?

A lot, it was featured in Forbes lol

[TGigante]

@MThomasMartin

There used be a younger dude from Chicago that posted wild pictures from his parties. I kinda miss him.

I don’t think those were parties. Tasting experiments and uses of wine as as stain remover.

[Max_S1]

I think one of the best things WB could do is change the Wine 101 forum to “New to Wine” and focus on entry level bottles, resources like Wine Folly and the New Wine Review, and lock out people who cant keep their shit together / be welcoming.

[MChang]

@LasseK

Another millennial here. I am in my late thirties.

I think there are multiple reasons.

First of all, a forum like this is just a bit old and outdated (sadly, as I love them). The handling of ads doesn’t help. All of my wine-loving friends are on Instagram, but most of them have never, or would ever, write on a forum like this.

Furthermore, this can, as others have mentioned, be an intimidating place. A few voices can be very loud.

For me personally, it was also a bit of a cultural shock to see how people discuss topics here and how little humbleness and understanding there seems to be about how well many of us are doing financially (though this might just be me as a Dane on a US-dominated forum). I know many people for whom spending more than €50 on a bottle of wine would be for a very special occasion. Yes, there are interesting threads on cheaper wines, but they don’t dominate the discussions and often drown in the (Burgundy ) ocean. Better subsectioning might help, but I’m not sure.

And then there’s the complete disrespect for the “natural wine” world. I think there is a substantial sized group of younger people who are getting into wine through it these days. Why would any of them sign up here?

I would also love to see a younger and more diverse crowd here. There’s so much knowledge on this site.
But i think it is a hard sell.

Regarding the natural wine thing, I think it’s interesting, and I do think that the wines do deserve more attention, especially given the new attention to farming/cultivation. The issue is that a few flawed experiences make them people not want to drink them.

I’ve had some experiences with Chantereves, some of them were great. Some other wines, like Dandelion, were utterly undrinkable. Some wines like Les horees are quite expensive, and perhaps the reputation of natural wines makes them less attractive.