Young people and wine culture

“El riojano joven y fresco” is an initiative of lomejordelvinoderioja.com to bring wine closer to young people and involve them in responsible consumption. These are open days, held in the main streets of cities such as Logroño, Santander and Bilbao, which publicize the wines of the best Rioja wineries in a fun and festive atmosphere.

I was sitting in the park one afternoon in June, waiting to go to dinner at Nieves restaurant, one of the best Chinese restaurants in Logroño, which some friends of ours have been running for 15 years in the capital.

On the back bench, two people were sitting, they looked like father and son and were having a civilized and good-natured discussion that immediately caught my attention because of the reasoning of both of them.

I invent two names to tell you about the controversy with the initiative of the young and fresh Riojano that is held twice a year in the capital of Rioja, Logroño. Luis I will call the father and Juan the son.

Luis says that he thinks it is a horrible initiative, totally harmful for the youth and not very interesting for the wineries.

Juan replies that it is the great appointment with the world of wine and that about thirty wineries come to give a tasting of their wines.

Luis answers that it is the closest thing to a macro-botellón to which young people are getting used to and where they end up going wild.

Juan replies to his father that there is everything among the 4,500 attendees, as is normal, but that thanks to this initiative, he and for the first time 5 years ago had contact with the world of wine and not by his hand as other parents do with their children in different appellations of origin and in different countries.

Luis reproaches him for saying that there is always time to get closer to the world of wine.

Juan tells him that this is what most of his friends’ parents think and that this is why they flirt with beer first and continue to consume it regularly.

Luis replies that they start drinking too early.

Juan, “yes of course …., and when did you start drinking, Dad?”. Luis realizes that it was at a similar age………but with wine and by his father’s hand.

Luis remains thoughtful and Juan continues saying, “of course, it is easy to label us for practicing binge drinking, drinking and smoking early, but because of a misunderstood protection you do not make us participate in the moderate consumption of wine and the surrounding culture, despite being a heavyweight”.

Luis, “yes, that’s why ….., it is part of our culture and must be treated with respect”.

Juan, “yes, the bad thing is that by not treating it, making it flexible and close all my generation processed a beer culture. You were always very closed, remember the day I asked you to go with me to a tasting with your office mates, you answered me that it would not be possible because you had to have previous knowledge and we would make a fool of ourselves”.

Luis becomes thoughtful again……….

Juan, “yes dad, they are always closed circles that are aimed at people who already have a minimum level and where we are not well accepted by serious wine scholars”.

Luis “well is that wine is more than just a drink……..”

Juan, “yes dad, part of our Mediterranean diet, part of our millenary culture, but only for a few who understand something or for some gentlemen with money who want to pretend what they don’t know.I’ll show you, dad, currently on TV there are two ads of important brands of beer, both are different but with points in common:

• They take place in a festive atmosphere.
• Young people participate.
• Everyone consumes.
• They jump into the pool in their clothes.
• There is good background music.
• A person appears sitting carefully on the piano.
• One of them shows a mansion.
• In the other a discotheque with very neat decoration.
• Everything is attractive, close and invites to participate.
• And most importantly, no one is tearing their hair out over these facts.

How many men in the wine world do you know who are capable of making these announcements a reality”.

I answered for me, lomejordelvinoderioja.com with the young and fresh riojano that in addition to the two days in Logroño, they take it to Bilbao, Santander and Oviedo.

I remained thoughtful and realized that I had done in the world of wine just what Juan reproached his father for: If culture is not well practiced and shared with as many people as possible, it will end up dying and ceasing to be culture or becoming the culture of another time.

Fdo. Alejandro Perez