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I think the gripe with things like wine tasting is the "elitist" nature of it all. Tasting a lot of wines and beers either makes you an expert or a drunk or an
by vagrantJin 6y ago
I think the gripe with things like wine tasting is the "elitist" nature of it all.
Tasting a lot of wines and beers either makes you an expert or a drunk or an expert drunk or drunk expert?
Either way, theres no certainty that a drunk isn't an expert or vice versa.
- JoeAltmaier 6y agoExpert drunk. In Iowa wine and spirits are sold mostly my state-run stores. They record the interesting fact that 90% of their sales are to 10% of their customers. Which actually puts that 10% at 81X the money spent on alcohol vs the rest of the population. That's a lot.
- adonovan 6y agoExactly. The whole liquor industry would collapse overnight were it not for their hard-core alcoholic customers. But "Drink responsibly", everyone.
- rectang 6y agoThis has profound implications for how we legalize marijuana, where the same dynamic holds and the real money is in supplying the heaviest users.
- jfengel 6y agoWine shouldn't be elitist. There are rich people playing stupid games for stupid prizes, which is tiny but highly visible because it lets people tell a story they want to tell. The vast majority of wine drinkers simply drink wine. Those who really enjoy it may search out something interesting and distinctive for special occasions. Those will be rarer and more expensive, and the experience is difficult to convey, as any purely sensual experience is difficult to convey. You can enjoy wine without participating in any of that. But don't be misled by the people putting on airs about it. That's just people being voyeuristic about the wealthy and seeking out snobbery to feel superior to. It's not about wine at all.