Why British Wine Critics Are So Stuffy
They have a lot to compensate for. The British, after all, invented the modern wine trade. They lead the world in the polite tippling of clarets and Sherry.
It must break their hearts that the younger generation is abandoning all that genteel tradition not only for White Zinfandel, but in favor of a heavily caffeinated swill of fortified wine and artificial flavors that simultaneously lowers inhibitions and raises energy levels. You can imagine the effect that has on, say, an angry soccer mob.
The UK is experiencing an epidemic of binge drinking among teenagers, and recently released statistics indicating that alcohol consumption among children 11 – 15 has doubled since 1990. The drinks they choose are sweet and powerful. Toss in a heavy dose of caffeine and…well, one British neurosurgeon explains the effect Buckfast has on a typical British hooligan:
“It’s going to have him bouncing around all over the place because the anxiety levels, the adrenalin will be running around. He will certainly be feeling very anxious, very aggressive.”
Police around Great Britain have started to record incidents in which Buckfast played a role, clocking more than 5,000 acts of violence in Scotland in three years, for example.
Previous calls to ban Buckfast have had the predictable result: sales and consumption surged.
January 18th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
It will be interesting to see if the Wine Tasting classes offered in select British schools will have any affect on this.
Perhaps someone should propose a ban on 100% fruit juice…