Wine X Magazine Ceases Publication--Wine Industry Will Not Support 20-Something Magazine
- By CWF Sources
- Published 02/22/2007
- News
Santa Rosa, CA: Darryl Roberts, Founder and Publisher of Wine X Magazine, announced last week that Wine X will no longer appear in print form. The Wine X website will continue until all contractual obligations are met, then be dismantled.
“There’s a lot of talk within the wine industry about marketing to young adults,” said Roberts. “New wines have been created, new wine divisions have been formed by large wine companies, all with the idea of targeting young adults. Yet they give us absolutely no support. Considering we’re the only wine-related magazine in the world that targets young adults, it’s nothing more than a conscious-clearing PR stunt if you ask me.”
Wine X Magazine was launched in 1997 in an effort to get more young adults (Gen X at that time) to drink wine. Since 1997, young adults (20-somethings) have added 40 percent to per-capita consumption in the U.S. and 25 percent to the core wine consumer group. Wine consumption in the U.S. today is at the highest level it’s ever been. Prior to the launch of Wine X (and the funding of the Wine Brats… also out of business due to lack of wine industry support), per capita consumption in the U.S. was dropping at a rate of 2.5 percent a year (it dropped 25 percent from 1986 – 1996).
“It’ll be very interesting to see what happens now that there are no national/international groups or organizations reaching out to young adults,” said Roberts. “The wine industry is going to find out very quickly that animal labels and cheap prices have absolutely no influence on getting young adults to buy wine. It takes a peer-to-peer relationship and support to influence young adults to choose wine over other alcohol beverages. With Wine X gone, that peer-to-peer relationship and support is gone, too.”
Roberts will oversee the Wine X website until it’s dismantled. He has two projects underway, both non wine-related. And he is writing a book on the Wine X experience.
“It was a tough decision to pull the plug,” said Roberts. “At the end of 2006 we had a circulation of more than 330,000, with more than 2,000,000 readers per issue. But we can’t keep publishing with no wine advertising support.”
Editor’s note: Darryl Roberts can be reached at 707.545.0992.
“There’s a lot of talk within the wine industry about marketing to young adults,” said Roberts. “New wines have been created, new wine divisions have been formed by large wine companies, all with the idea of targeting young adults. Yet they give us absolutely no support. Considering we’re the only wine-related magazine in the world that targets young adults, it’s nothing more than a conscious-clearing PR stunt if you ask me.”
Wine X Magazine was launched in 1997 in an effort to get more young adults (Gen X at that time) to drink wine. Since 1997, young adults (20-somethings) have added 40 percent to per-capita consumption in the U.S. and 25 percent to the core wine consumer group. Wine consumption in the U.S. today is at the highest level it’s ever been. Prior to the launch of Wine X (and the funding of the Wine Brats… also out of business due to lack of wine industry support), per capita consumption in the U.S. was dropping at a rate of 2.5 percent a year (it dropped 25 percent from 1986 – 1996).
“It’ll be very interesting to see what happens now that there are no national/international groups or organizations reaching out to young adults,” said Roberts. “The wine industry is going to find out very quickly that animal labels and cheap prices have absolutely no influence on getting young adults to buy wine. It takes a peer-to-peer relationship and support to influence young adults to choose wine over other alcohol beverages. With Wine X gone, that peer-to-peer relationship and support is gone, too.”
Roberts will oversee the Wine X website until it’s dismantled. He has two projects underway, both non wine-related. And he is writing a book on the Wine X experience.
“It was a tough decision to pull the plug,” said Roberts. “At the end of 2006 we had a circulation of more than 330,000, with more than 2,000,000 readers per issue. But we can’t keep publishing with no wine advertising support.”
Editor’s note: Darryl Roberts can be reached at 707.545.0992.