Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/369547
1 2 2 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | S e p t - O c t 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m END POST TYLER COLMAN o m e o f y o u m a y h a v e b r o k e n o u t the foam fingers a year or more ago when the first esti- m a t e s t r i c k l e d o u t . But now, for the first time, the OIV, the international wine organization based in Paris, has ranked the Unit- ed States as the world's top wine- consuming country in its annual report. USA! USA! The report also had another t e l l i n g a n d s h o c k i n g s t a t i s t i c : Wine consumption in France is cratering, with the most recent statistics showing a drop of 8% year-over-year. The decline is hap- pening in the country where wine was once a part of nation- al image – a baguette, a beret and a bottle of wine – the land of the Mediterranean diet, no less. What's wrong with this picture? Well, to clarify, the U.S. wine mar- ket is now No. 1 m a i n l y b e c a u s e of population size. W i t h 3 1 7 m i l l i o n inhabitants, it's eas- ier for America to put away more wine than it is for France, with 65 million. But even though we are relative Lilliputians on a per capita basis (13 L to about 50 L in France), the two countries are clearly headed in opposite direc- tions. But each can learn from the other. Starting with France: While some of the best wines in the world still emanate from its hal- lowed terroirs, domestic demand has fallen as dinners are less struc- tured, lunches less boozy, and other drinks have come into favor. Even though quality wine is often much cheaper there, the economy is soft, with unemployment higher than 10% and youth unemploy- ment a staggering 23%. If wine is an economic nonessential, which it is, then it can be trimmed in house- hold budgets. And producers often mention the impact of efforts to reduce drunken driving as a part of a (successful) effort to bring down the rate of road fatalities. As if these factors weren't enough, there's more: the rise of neoprohibitionism in France. Wine became subject to stricter advertis- ing laws on health grounds when it was lumped with spirits and cigarettes a few decades ago. Since then, there has been a range of daft measures and proposals includ- ing a 1,000% increase in the tax on wine and a nutty proposal to muzzle anyone who t a l k s a b o u t w i n e on the Internet. (It doesn't even take 140 characters to point out that this is unenforceable.) In response to a min- isterial report with the cheery title "Damage r e l a t e d t o a d d i c t i o n s and strategies for reduc- ing the damage," one wine trade group even suggested that "WINE KILLS" might have to be scrawled on wine labels. In the U.S., by contrast, per capita consumption has been on a tear, rising for 20 consecutive years – perhaps the longest cur- rent bull market we have in almost anything. While the economy here still isn't firing on all cylinders, the fact that wine sales managed to tick higher (by volume) even dur- ing the Great Recession shows that wine firmly has a place at the table. People are really into food (check Instagram, your cable TV listings or your Main Street for real-time evi- dence) and an interest in wine has run parallel. Because the American history with wine is shorter, consumers haven't taken wine as a birthright; rather, they have jumped into wine with both feet as if it were time for pigeage (with clothes on, though). We used the scores of point-sling- ing critics at first. But we have become more educated and curi- ous with a zeal for exploring little- known grapes and regions, talking among ourselves on social media. Top sommeliers working in Ameri- ca exemplify this trend of youthful enthusiasm coupled with extensive knowledge. Fortunately, the biggest threat to derailing wine consumption in the U.S. doesn't hail from a return of prohibitionary forces. In fact, it's hops: Craft beer offers flavors that pair with food and more consisten- cy at a lower price than wine. But, I hope, both craft beer and wine can increase in tandem. And France can find a little joie de vivre, embracing wine as part of the national heritage rather than try- ing to purge it. Oh, and most cru- cially, pull some more corks. Tyler Colman, author of the wine blog Dr. Vino, teaches wine classes at New York University and the Uni- versity of Chicago, and wrote the book "Wine Politics: How Govern- ments, Environmentalists, Mob- sters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink." Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. (Opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of Vineyard & Winery Management.) Raise a glass, America, We're No. 1!