Counter
Culture

A quick flip through the
mid-May issue of Wize
Spectator and it’s clear
which readers the maga-
zine is gunning for.

The oversize pages of the
thick glossy are filled with
ads tor Mercedes-Benz and
Range Rovers; estate plan-
ning professionals, golf clubs
and Cuban cigars.

Young and wendy the edi-
tors are not hoping to catch
— old and monied, they are.

It's a subject of some con-
troversy: that the wine indus-
try tends to ignore a vast,
untapped market: those of us
who fall under that now-
ubiquitous header
“Generation X.”

In 1996, Darrvi M.
Roberts, editor and publisher
of Wine X Magasine, spake
to attendees ar the Society of
Wine Educators Annual
Conference for the first time.

The reason the industry
Was experiencing a gradual
drop in sales, he said, is that
“marketing and business
practices remain status quo.
The industry continues to
market to the same people,
in the same publications, in
the same staid presentation
that it has for the last 20
years.”

For the next generation to
ty beverages other than
micro-brewed beer or spirits,
there needs to be a serious
shake-up in marketing strate-

gies.
Michael Dinn, the 32-
year-old sommelier of

CALIFORNIA Vino-a-go-ge is the first “wine rave” to hit Vancouver — and the

first local attempt to market wine to Generation X.

Vancouver's C Restaurant,
and 34-vear-old Gary Jones,
of wine and spirits ayency
Charton Hobbs, got the
message when they heard
Roberts’ argument at last
vear’s conference in Santa
Rosa.

It was on the 17-hour
drive home that they con-
ceived of the plan to orga-
nize California Vino-a-go-go
— the first-ever “wine rave”
to be included on the roster
of events for the Vancouver
Playhouse International Wine
Festival.

Dinn and Jones hosted
the sell-out on Wednesday
night at The Waldorf Hotel.

“This is a generation that

wants maximum pleasure
fast,” said Jones, when he
and Dinn sat down two
weeks before the rave to talk
about it. “They want things
that are intensely flavoured
and concentrated ... like
Starbucks coffee. They want
to get it all and get it fast. It
seems natural that wine
should be a part of that.”

But the chances that 20-
and 30-somethings would
spring for $225 tckets to
sniff, swirl and sip at events
like the gala dinner and auc-
tion — also held Wednesday
evening — are slim.

“We wanted to give peo-
ple our age a chance to taste
wines they wouldn’t normally

me nee a ne ste ty i os cone ttn sek eet st et tt sy

% Purchase one entree at regular price & }
'O receive the 2nd of equal or lesser value j
OFF of 50% off. orrer expires may 2000.

with this coupon

49 W. 3RD

ed

: : This is ame ofthe ai’ most clegat dnng
© vies, remarkable evening to share with amily and friends. Welcome Aboard,

i

—.

= Hayto October, 2000 - Sato

| Shyness

rc

i, NORTH VAN 987-9782 Authentic Mexican Restaurant
cot mt =e

£83.95 Dome $99.95 Please call BC Rail at 1-800-363-3733 or 984-5500.

wre. breil. com/berpass

try, in. an environment con-
ducive to having fun,” said
Dinn.

He emphasized the differ-
ence between the nwo events
at the press conference held
earlier this year to announce

See Taking Page M4

MoTHER INDIA
TAKE out Foops &
Home De.ivery

5-10 prn 7 days/week
900 W. 16th, North Van.
Ph: 985-8860 Fax: 986-5546

Friday. April 28. 2000 - North Shore News - 19

TABLE HOPPING PICK OF THE WEEK

Le Bistro Chez Michel
brings France to N. Van

Le Bistro Chez Michel, 206—224 West Esplanade. North
Vancouver, 924-4913: fax, 924-4914. Visa, MasterCard
and American Express accepted. Open every night for din-
nec. Open Sunday to Friday for lunch. Fully licensed.
Vegetarian options? Few. Take the kids or call a babysitter?
Calla babysitter.

Brothers Michel and Philippe Segur. propnictors of West
Vancouver's long-lived Chez Michel restaurant, bring their
highly reyarded French bistro cuisine to North Vancouver and
the spacious second: storey dining room that has housed such
predecessors as Goodtellas Hand Vivace!

Thev face significant challenges in keeping that dining
room full but thus far they and the tood of chef Joseph
Lassaga seem more than ep to those challenges.

Menu taps the simple and attordable end ot French gas-
tronomy, and the warmth of the dining room's ambience has
been upped several degrees with the addit.on of Segurian per-
senability. Expect Le Bistre’s large sundeck to beom when the
warm weather hits.

—rvishaw@nmews.com

—\ E ass
att es
ca
Hungry? Join us for Lunch!

Lunch Tues-Sat 12-2
Dinner Tues-Sun 5:30-Close
3135 EDGEMONT Buivp, NorrH VANCOUVER 980-5535

R

Capilano Performing Arts Theatre
Saturday, May 20,2000 ¢ 5:30 & 8:00 p.m.

Tickets: Ticketmaster (604) 280-4444 or

www.ticketmaster.ca

For more informaiton cdi Xextel DM (800-661-0178

Proceeds to...the Canadian Burn Foundation

PRESENTED BY:

xente

SPONSORED BY:
attable

IDM "600

NCORPORATED

www.xensel.cam

— a

sit, Www.barrage-org for more inf

PADULT FAVOURITES | FAVOURITES.

rts adorns