New magazines such as Swing, Blue, and Wall paper are commanding the attention of the lucrative Gen-X market. Many of these glossy publications feature food and wine stories in a fresh, irreverent style. Some, like Britain's EatSoup are devoted to the subject of groovy gastronomy.

Wine X, targets those 80 million Gen Xers who prefer beer and designer cocktails to a fine Merlot. Editor/publisher Darryl Roberts says only 4-6% of Gen Xer's drink wine compared to 35% of the general public, because, he says, wineries spend more advertising dollars targeting an older consumer.

Starting out as a newsletter with the distribution of only 1,000, the magazine's circulation has jumped to 35,000 in less than two years. The bold look and snazzy features are designed to demystify the elitism of the wine industry. A typical review describing a 1994 Merlot is a far cry from standard winezine prose: "Like the leaning tower of Pisa, a bit angular. But, unlike the tower, time will straighten this sucker out."

Techno-savvy Gen X'ers also tune in to the Web, where they can find Bob Blumer, "The Surreal Gourmet," who has hosted several shows on The Television Food Network (TVFN). A hip version of "The Galloping Gourmet," Blumer teaches his audience that the spirit of cooking can rise above mismatched place settings and an ill-equipped kitchen.

TVFN is also championing the fresh generation of foodies with shows such as "Quench" and "Emeril Live." We started to see a trend in young viewers of Generation-X and developed shows that appeal directly to this audience," says Patricia Melton, TVFN'S VP of Marketing.

The TBS network’s "Dinner and A Movie" features two quirky hosts, who prepare a ‘themed’ dish during commercial breaks of a movie while combining cooking tips, recipes, and humor. Their accompanying WebSite includes a forum called BlenderHeads where fans can discuss the weekly shows. Targeted toward the 18-35-year-old market, it’s cable’s highest rated program on Friday nights, a full 31% ahead of the next closest competitor.