A Letter of Apology to Non-Drinkers in Wine - And Action Items For A Better Drinking Culture
Guest Post by Martha Wright
I owe an apology to the non-drinkers who entered my tasting room - I probably left you feeling out in the cold. I just didn’t know any better and I didn’t “see” you.
Then last year, after 20 years in the wine business, I came to a place of second-guessing my drinking patterns and played around with setting limits before finding the tools to easily recalibrate my relationship with alcohol. I had so much fun doing that, I wanted to help other people do the same, and hopefully add to the conversation on this topic.
Wine and me - it’s a conscious uncoupling (to borrow Goop-speak) rather than a divorce! We can still spend the holidays together…with the kids! I love my wine friends, wine country, shopping at wineries and wine related businesses, staying at wine country hotels, dining at wine-centered restaurants. And I still love wine. I just choose not to drink it today.
So it is with new eyes that I consider what it means to extend wine world hospitality. It means having options comfortably available so that people don’t have to “other” themselves. It means not making assumptions, for instance, that drinkers always drink, or that non-drinkers don’t mind being left out.
Let me share a few examples.
In their gorgeous tasting room in the Willamette Valley, Ponzi Vineyards offers their non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice that I made a special trip to taste. Not only that, but I was delighted to find a big beautiful water jug filled with fresh citrus alongside self-serve glassware. Roots Wine Company is now making a non-alcoholic CBD-infused canned Sauvignon Blanc grape juice and offers it in their tasting room and on their website.
Raptor Ridge Winery offers a flight of NA beverages made with assorted flavors from Honeybee Lemonade Syrups, a female-owned enterprise in Portland, and presents them in carafes on a beautiful wooden slab tray.
I love sending people to these establishments and look forward to even more options.
On the dining front, I was thrilled to celebrate a milestone birthday at Le Pigeon in Portland and find a “nogroni” and one of the country’s coolest and fastest growing new NA (non-alcoholic) craft beers, Athletic Brewing, on the menu. Non-drinkers want to be part of the ritual. And they have money in their pockets.
There are dozens of reasons someone might not be drinking today. Working on upleveling a business, qualifying for the Boston Marathon, making a baby, rocking Whole 30, or simply paying attention to “what do I need right now” are just a few.
The Sober Curious movement is not going away. In fact, the non-alcoholic segment of the drinks industry is set to grow ten percent per year for the next five years. An excellent recent article in Seven Fifty Daily cites that Athletic Brewing which makes exclusively NA beer is growing by four hundred percent…per month! The NA wine industry is expected to be worth $10 billion by 2027. There is a reason Big Alcohol conglomerates like AB-InBev and Diageo, plus brands like Heineken, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Guinness and Martini (owned by Bacardi) have invested heavily in NA products.
Younger generations embrace a wellness lifestyle, they want more options for connection and they don’t want to be labeled. These brands understand that there is now a new fluidity to the term sober, and it doesn’t necessarily mean all the time or forever. And that people who aren’t drinking mix and mingle, of course, with people who do.
I spoke with a veteran wine broker who imagined how much more easily a group of friends can sink into the tasting room experience, relax (and spend) if they know that the non-drinking member of their party feels taken care of too. One winery owner noticed how her friend’s non-drinking husband lit up and was much more engaged in the conversation after she offered him an NA beer in her tasting room, and that in turn made her friend more relaxed and comfortable too.
We have the opportunity to create comfortable spaces where choosing not to drink, or even just choosing to drink water between glasses of wine, is welcomed and accommodated. For example, could we offer a craft beverage that is as thoughtfully considered in flavor and provenance as the wines? Maybe a local kombucha, or a shrub or non-alcoholic cocktail made from fruit sourced from the property and in doing so, wouldn’t those wineries gain fans and word of mouth? Can we make the non-alcoholic offering visible (via a display or signage) and attractive?
We’re a creative, hospitable breed. I know we can!
If you have current non-alcoholic offerings or plan to, please let me know! I’d love to help you spread the word. Let me say again to the non-drinkers, my apologies for not having had a plan back then to make you feel part of the celebration. Cheers to a new more fluid energy around normalizing choice and true inclusion.
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Martha Wright is the co-founder of Champagne and Burgundy importer Caveau Selections, and former owner of Scott Paul Wines. After regaining control of her own relationship with alcohol, she became certified as a mindful drinking/sobriety coach through “This Naked Mind” and established her practice, Clear Power Coaching, in 2019. Learn more about her upcoming FREE Zoom seminars and Dry January program at Clear Power Coaching or connect with her on Instagram @clearpowercoaching.
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
The Effects of Alcohol on Masculinity - Hello Sunday Morning.com
Whether it’s the behaviour, the choice of drink, or even how you drink – alcohol is deeply ingrained in the male psyche.
What Is Yoga Nidra—And How Do You Practice It? – Joseph Hernandez for Eatingwell.com
Could this special type of yoga help you feel happier and less stressed and even sleep better? We’re in.
How to Not Let Pandemic Fatigue Turn Into Pandemic Burnout – Everyday Health.com
As the COVID-19 health crisis drags on (and on and on), lack of an endpoint is causing frayed nerves and heightened frustration. Here are strategies that can help.
COVID-19: Protecting Our Mental Health While We Ride Out the Pandemic -Everyday Health.com
A therapist's advice, tips, and resources for protecting your mental health when physical distancing, lack of routine, and uncertainty get you down.
How journalists can ward off burnout – Samantha Ragland for Poynter.com
Start by understanding trauma and practicing digital wellness.
This Week's Reminder:
Keep these short meditations and inspirations bookmarked for when you need them.
REPLAY - Parenting During the Pandemic: An ABG Webinar
If you missed our community webinar earlier this week , you can watch the audio or video (or both!) replay on the A Balanced Glass website here.
Meet the Community!
Here we meet some of the talented folks who make our community and profession so dynamic.
Richard Rza Betts co-founder An Approach to Relaxation and co-founder and CEO of Casa Komos Beverage Group (New York, USA)
Years In Industry:
25 years starting as a busboy, then line cook, then sommelier, eventually turning to winemaking and distilling.
My Biggest Challenge To Wellness:
As the old song goes: "the good times are killing me." Not really, but they will if you let them. Travel and hospitality are two wonderful parts of our business but left unchecked and without a counterbalance, they can overwhelm anyone.
I can tell I'm overwhelmed when I don't get my workouts in, I'm short of patience, and I'm over tired. This sometimes leads to falling back on comfort foods and an extra glass of wine which only deepen the spiral. The key at this point is to pull the plug on something non-essential and focus on the pieces that matter most: health, relationship, and partnerships.
How I Keep It Together To Stay Well:
I make a point to make time for myself. This often takes the form of exercise but it can also be downtime between appointments and dinner, or putting my legs up the wall for 10 minutes, or even an early bedtime when traveling which is not easy to do. I will say it has taken a long time to figure out the balance but once you do, the healthy feeling is addictive.
When traveling I used to be a big runner, but these days I find more peace and great health in both doing yoga and lifting weights. I no longer travel with the running shoes but I do haul around the extra-long Manduka yoga mat which is heavy but it's worth it because it's a commitment and I'm therefore more likely to use it.
The creating part is the fun part, it's what I love to do and live to do. With that, I make it a priority to create systems and build teams that afford me the time to do this. I also know I am at my best creatively and as a human when I am well rested and feeling fit. Thus, it becomes a positive feedback loop - take care of yourself and the creativity flows which in turn benefits the business and my partners.
One thing I will note is that as an entrepreneur there is a tendency to always be working and, regretfully, some people see that as a badge of honor but in reality it just leads to lower quality work and burnout. It's been said again and again but quality hours of work are so much better than just racking up a bunch of hours that, in the end, are less fruitful and steal from the rest of your life to your detriment. One example of how to fix this: don't work all weekend unless it's truly dire. Get a hobby, you'll be a healthier, better person and thereby a better partner.
You can connect with Richard on Instagram @yobetts Twitter @yobetts and Medium @yobetts or through AnApproachToRelaxation.com and CKBG.com
Let's Get Connected!
Sharing Events from our Global ABG Community.
Monday 23 - Tuesday 24 November
Wine2Wine Business Forum - Verona IT
In the post-COVID-19 scenario, the Wine Industry faces a major challenge: building a new way of doing business. And it has to be successful. The 2020 edition of wine2wine will focus on this resolution. “Focus 2020” will be dedicated to the Wine Business in a post-COVID-19 era, and it intends to guide companies faced with the difficult task of laying the foundation for the Wine Industry to come.
Purchase tickets now and join the conversation.
Thursday December 3rd, 10am - 2pm PST | 1pm - 5pm EST
Be The Change Virtual Job Fair
Be The Change is the firstwine industry virtual job fair focused on Diversity and Inclusion. Brazen’s cutting edge virtual platform extends the opportunity for job-seekers to connect and engage in real-time with employers looking to recruit and hire diverse talent.
Have an event that our ABG community would love? Email to events@abalancedglass.com for consideration.
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