It's not your grandparents pinot

Aging like a fine wine is an adage that may not be as pertinent to wine connoisseurs as in the past. While wine drinkers may typically have been of the forty and over crowd, younger generations are following suit, perhaps imbibing socially over a red wine versus the standby beer or mixed drinks.

"It's no longer a old, stodgy business," Jeri Moser, tasting room manager at Cristom Vineyards said.

Media may have a lot to do with this perception of change. Movies and popular culture have brought wine culture to the masses.

"The movie "Sideways" got people in general interested in wine," Moser said.

A 2004 dramedy hit, its main characters bond over the bottle, baring their souls through sub-text while speaking about Pinot Noir and other varietels.

Here in the Willamette Valley the grape of choice, of course, is Pinot Noir.

"Customers tend to experiment, but Pinot Noir is a logical choice here," Moser said. "It's one of the hardest grapes to grow because it's thin and can burst when there's too much rain. We have the perfect climate."

The burgeoning wine industry here has led many visitors to the area, young and old alike.

"We not only have locals, but people from all over the U.S. visit here," Moser said.

With increasing numbers of vineyards and wine bars, trying wine may seem less intimidating to newcomers.

"[Grand Vines] has a less traditional feel, so it's easier for younger people to feel comfortable," Maggie Crawford, manager of Grand Vines, said.

Crawford, who previously worked at Willamette Valley Vineyards for 15 years, says her customers base represents a range of generations.

"We get all ages. I have to card and I have people here up into their 70's," Crawford said.

Moser sees the same mix of ages in her tasting room, with a "surprising" number of 20 and 30 somethings who come in the door.

Younger people may, however, be more willing to taste new and different wines.

"They are a little more willing to go outside the box," Crawford said.

True wine aficionados tend to have favorites and stick to them.

"More mature people know what they like. They've done the exploring," Crawford said.

Oenophiles like this tend to spend more money buying high quality or premium versions of their favorite varieties.

"The wine buying population is still going to be an over 40, high-end buyer," Crawford said. "The top ten percent of buyers purchase 60-70 percent of wine sold."

Although it may be assumed that the 20 and 30 year old consumers simply don't have as much disposable income, the demographic of buyers seems to be slowly changing.

"Some of my biggest customers are of the younger generation," Moser said. "I think the number of younger customers we have is due to people waiting longer to start families or having a two-income household."

The increased use of technology in marketing is part of the process in appealing to people in their 20's and 30's.

Numerous local wineries have pages on Facebook and Twitter, making it easy for anyone to follow the latest news and trends.

In Oregon, the push is to promote Oregon wine in general, to boost the industry as a whole.

However, branding and advertising is spent in areas where appeal to younger people is more likely.

"We advertise in Mix Magazine and Food Day because our focus in on our customer base and those readers are a lot more of the younger generation," Moser said.

Crawford agrees that this sort of campaign is important and more common now.

"The [objective] is to market to younger folk, who are more willing to try new things," she said.

For those who wish to delve into the depth of wine culture here in the mid-valley, classes are another way in which to form an acquaintance.

"There are wine classes now, that I'm not sure were out there 10 years ago," Moser said.

Chemeketa Community College has its own viticulture program where students can take courses.

Wine culture tends to be as much about the experience as it is about the drink itself.

"I want to make sure people have fun. We don't even have to talk about wine," Moser said. "We're offering an experience."

Downtown wine bar, Grand Vines, has the same sort of philosophy.

"They come in here and their attitude changes. It's a positive place," Crawford said.

The landscape of winegrowers and owners is shifting as well.

"Some are taking over for 'mom and pop' so the demographics of owners is changing," Crawford said.

The skewing demographic is also seen on the other side of the counter.

A lot of people pouring [in the tasting rooms] are of the 30 and 20 something crowd. That's not to say that you won't see older people behind the counter as well," Moser said.

Though the industry is encouraging an whole new entourage of customers, the inexperience sometimes shows, especially at wine tastings.

"Young folk do need to pay attention to etiquette. They don't always make the obligatory purchase," Crawford said. "They want to do it on a budget."

While budget may be a concern of may in the current economic downfall, it's easy to find a selection of local wines at grocery stores. This may also be a less intimidating way to sample and find what types of wines one can stomach.

Though don't be surprised if celebratory occasions, like a bachelorette party call for a trip out to winery's tasting room.