Traditional upscale wine publications, such as Wine Enthusiast Magazine (80,000 subscribers) and Wine Spectator (115,000), are aimed at connoisseurs and loaded with glossy pictures of sunshine on buxom grapes in Burgundy and celebrities’ elaborate cellars. The bimonthly Wine X (5,500) is printed in shades of gray on unslick stock, with no photos.

However, the biggest difference is the writing. A recent Wine Enthusiast report described a cabernet sauvignon as "dark and chewy with vinous fruit and mint nuances in a sturdy frame." Sounds more like a burnt piece of toast. A Wine X review says the "nose on this wine is like a neon sign flashing: ‘Drink me, drink me.’"

Publisher Darryl Roberts, 33, a former winery worker, says only 4% of Generation Xers drink wine, compared with 35% of the general public. A big reason, he says, is that they’re put off by the established mags’ mumbo vinbo.