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Changes in the social meaning of alcohol consumption in Italy: a "privileged" look.

Article Excerpt
Explanations of the social mechanisms behind the consumption decline have been discussed and studied with several key informants, (1) whose observations represented a valuable complement to the output of the interviews. The opinions expressed, not always in agreement, highlighted the more significant aspects of Italy's drinking culture, and the role of socio-economic factors in recent changes.

We saw that changes in drinking habits of alcohol, and wine in particular, affected the two age groups differently. The older age group drank wine either as an accompaniment to meals, or as a socializing instrument, as they had throughout their lives. On the other hand, for the 40-45 age group, not only did wine represent an important part of a healthy diet, but it also had an important role in confirming social prestige. Social distinction was also expressed by alimentary habits of the individual (Bourdieu 1983): working classes preferred abundance and simplicity in the assortment of wine and food, whereas the middle classes chose wine and food by other criteria, such as authenticity, rarity, area of origin, presentation. For example, wine in cartons was typically drunk by the lower classes.

Journalist:

In my opinion, in the past one used to drink wine, while today one talks about it as a conversational item. One brought a bottle of wine when invited to dinner. If a rare bottle of wine were brought, a conversation commenced on the subject. It was a big thing to talk about, everyone wanted to be an expert, to know the terminology, like "aftertaste". This was also a fashion. One drank wine less, and had grand conversations about it.

EPAT Representative:

There are two status issues, one is how one appears to others, the other is how one appears to oneself. We sell bottled products that few can afford. Some of these bottles are bought at these prices so that the buyers can show others that they understand about wine; others buy the wine for a sense of emotional gratification. I have made tests to see if people really understood wine, putting simple sparkling wine in a champagne bottle, and there were few who were really able to distinguish the difference. It is only a problem of status. One looks at the label, it's a question of fashion.

In Italy, however, wine consumption cannot be exclusively interpreted as a sign of social distinction, as the phenomenon is complicated by the existence of symbolic values and alimentary habits that are rooted in time as well as by new trends. Even bars, diffused throughout Italian territory, have responded to the new consumer trends by offering wine lists to their clients, something that a few years ago could be found only in restaurants. Indeed, many of these are often referred to as "wine bars" by their employees, where the importance of wine is emphasized.

Journalist specialized in oenology:

The wine bar is largely an Italian phenomenon, like the bar itself. It was a product of the attention commanded in this country by wine and particular types of foods. It is, to a certain degree, substituting for food bars. Instead of just sitting down and eating a quick sandwich, one actually wants to sit at the table, eat something on a little plate and have a glass of wine to accompany it. It started as a fashion, but I think it will remain, even if there may be a selection. With us, it is considered an evolution of the bar: in fact, it is a bar that offers a good selection of wines and tends to give more importance to wine in general.

The Director of the wine-growing company believed the changes experienced in the younger age group were caused by a shift from an alimentary to a hedonistic way of drinking. Wine, that for...

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