Millennials account for 30% of weekly wine drinkers. That number, included in an editorial over at Wine Industry Advisor (How Millennials Are Changing The Wine Industry) caught me off guard.
There’s a lot of talk about millennials (those born 1976-2004) and their impact on the wine industry — especially in relation to that of craft beer — and many lament that younger consumers are moving away from wine. But that figure (almost one-third!) seems, to me at least, to be quite significant, and to counter that assertion. Most reports peg baby-boomers as having the most influence on wine sales. Makes sense. They have disposable income. And presumably a tradition of wine. That tradition it would seem is under attack as tastes broaden in recent years. Cocktail and craft beer makers have successfully arm wrestled for increased shelf space in stores.
Amber Carpenter writes:
“Millennials are the first digital generation, and their technological fluency shapes their buying decisions. They have grown up with instant, on-demand access to information, price comparisons and peer reviews. They don’t wait for a special occasion to drink wine, nor do they stash wine in a cellar for a decade like their boomer parents.”
For a millennial wine is just an everyday thing — like Snapchatting, scoring deals at the local thrift store, or hanging with friends at a silent disco.
That’s substantially different from the past. Wine back in the day was a unicorn. Widely misunderstood, often considered snobbish. Not, mind you, in my childhood home in Ottawa. There a special wine occasion meant breaking open the Baby Duck.
Other interesting tidbits of information from the article:
Millennials don’t like slick ads, and they want to know the story behind the wine
This drives me nuts of course. Because a story is… a story. And by definition it means anything but transparency. Plus: we don’t need no stinkin’ wine stories!
Per Bottle Budget: Max $20 with $10 a typical daily spend
Just about the same as me!
Social media has increasing influence in wine buying decisions
Carpenter mentions that more wineries are hiring director of social media positions. There must be a good reason for this trend?
Wine packaging matters
This is a great thing to see. I still shake my head every time I see a massively over-packaged electronics product. The world needs more plastic yes? Happy to report that the younger generation is concerned over issues such as eco-conscious.
For more head on over to WIA for the full article.
