Enjoying wine at any age, over 21 of course

 There is much to say about millennials, their demographics and their impact on the wine industry. With the craze of Facebook, Wine 2.0 and Open Wine Consortiumwine and technology have blended to appeal to this audience. Millennials have now given Baby Boomers a run for their money (literally) as the largest consumers of wine to date. While I will undoubtedly agree that data in this age range proves that milennials are a valued force in the market today I can’t help but ask myself; what about our elders? Though they may not drink as often or as much, their years of experience has led them to wines that suit their pallets. Living in wine country I have had the pleasure to meet some of these pioneers who are now “older” but basically helped to build the industry and survived many hardships. They are the few founding families that still exist today and let me tell you, they still enjoy their wine.
With the massive changes in the wine industry over the last century from technology and marketing to modifications in winemaking techniques and large multinational corporations I wondered what one would say about wine today having been present through these times. I recently sat down with my Grandmother; Anna Marie Heck who will be 92 years old this year and has experienced first hand some of these changes. She lived a good part of her life at Korbel Champagne Cellars, raising her family and supporting her husband in his business endeavors. I talked with her about some of her memories from Korbel and what she thinks about the wine industry today.

Me:  About how many years have you been drinking wine?
Anna Marie: The first wine I recall drinking was a sweet red wine back in St. Louis, Mo. where I was born and raised. Wines back then didn’t really have the name of the grape on them. They were usually a blend of several types of grapes and they just called it “red wine”. I think I was around 20 years old when I first started to drink wine.

Me: What are your fondest memories from your time living at Korbel?
Anna Marie: Paul and I moved to Korbel in 1953, the year before my youngest daughter was born. Paul had just left his job as manager at the Italian Swiss Colony and purchased Korbel with his brother and Carl Wente. I remember a lot of good times by the pool house. Paul would have friends from the industry and family over and we would BBQ and have wine and champagne. The kids would play in the pool or go for rides in the jeeps, it was a fun time.

Me: What do you like most about wine?
Anna Marie: I like how it brings people together, it’s something that can be enjoyed by family and friends around the table with a meal. I also like the history behind it. People have been drinking and celebrating with wine for centuries.

Me: What do you think have been the biggest changes in the wine industry during your lifetime?
Anna Marie: I have seen the wine industry expand more than I ever thought it would. Now many countries produce wine that didn’t before. Also the technology used in wineries is far more advanced then what we used and I think better wine is being made today because of that.

Me: What are your hopes for the wine industry in the future?
Anna Marie: Well that people continue to enjoy and drink wine and that it brings family and friends together.

So while there is no doubt that milennials are vital consumers of wine today, lets not forget that wine can be enjoyed at any age…..over 21 and including 92.