Actual e-mail received by the Young Winos, 17 July 2007:
Hello--
Unfortunately, the name of the group has a very negative connotation and seems to suggest that it is facilitated by a group of alcohol dependent young people. Why not consider using the name "The Young Wine Connoisseurs."
G.Dear G,
Thank you for your comments regarding the Young Winos of LA. We’re pleased to learn that our moniker has conveyed to you so accurately the essential character of the group. Perhaps by the time we’ve become actual connoisseurs we’ll consider changing the name, but only if we’ve kicked our alcohol dependency by then, which is unlikely.
Best,
Jesse Porter
Head Wino
About the Young Winos of LA
The Young Winos of LA is a gathering of twenty-something Angelenos who meet once a week to drink and discuss wine. The group traces its roots to Ithaca College, where it was formed as an unofficial student organization in the spring of ’05; it then migrated to LA with its founder that summer. Now in its third year, the group continues to grow and evolve as new members come and go, new regions and grape varieties are tasted and evaluated, and new levels of drunken enlightenment are achieved.
While the Young Winos are experts at consuming alcohol to excess, we reject the wanton indifference often endemic of yesterday’s twenty-something wine consumer. Meanwhile, we simultaneously reject the exclusionary attitudes espoused by some of the more closed-minded veterans of the wine world. We’re drunks, but we’re not philistines; we’re enthusiasts, but we’re not elitists; we’re discriminating, but we’re not prejudiced.
Beginning in 2008, the Young Winos began a significant two-pronged enhancement program. First, we expanded our online presence, authoring a weblog, posting tasting notes from weekly meetings, archiving our three years of meeting topics, and reviewing both sample bottles and major wine events.
Secondly, we reached out to other young rummies around the country in a clarion call to raise the Young Winos banner in their hometowns. Our list of affiliated local chapters is growing every day; all of these, along with our hundreds of new members nationwide, can now be found interacting on our organization-wide Facebook page. (The site you’re viewing now, youngwinosofla.com, remains dedicated to the activities of the original LA chapter.)
The Young Winos of LA. We meet weekly, we drink often. Connoisseurs? Perhaps not. Enthusiasts? Indeed. And, most importantly: winos forever. Join us on our quest to edutoxicate the age-appropriate boozehounds of Los Angeles.
Come Taste With Us
Join the LA chapter’s Facebook group to find out about upcoming meetings and events.
The weekly tastings: our gatherings are capped around sixteen Winos per meeting in order to preserve some semblance of order, and members who have spent a long time in the group receive preference in assigning those spots; however, a portion of seats at every meeting meeting is reserved for new members. Once you’ve joined the LA chapter’s Facebook group, you’ll receive an e-mail every Sunday night detailing the coming week’s meeting and information on how to RSVP. Depending on the specifics, attendees bring either a bottle or a $10 tasting donation which gets put towards a not-for-profit Winos fund; that, in turn, pays for everything from pricey bottles for the tastings, to gas money for the field trips, to web hosting fees.
For further info or individual questions, send Jesse an e-mail. (Disclaimer: responses received between 4pm and 5am were likely written while under the influence of wine.)
Our Website
Webmaster & site designer: Jason Meltzer
Site content by Jesse Porter
Tasting notes by Jesse Porter and Sasha Kopas