Wine Consumption and Trends Among Millennials

Now that nearly all millennials are 21, we dig in to how they perceive and consume wine, as part of our larger study on millennial alcohol consumption.  Learn how they compare to older generations, and discover their drinking habits and overall attitudes. 

As you might guess, as people get older they generally drink more and different types of wine.  But younger consumers today are actually branching out earlier with a variety of craft beers, wines, and whiskeys.

Still Exploring

Driven by a lack of knowledge and experience, millennials are far more undecided before they go shopping.  They’re less set on type, variety, and brand.

Chart showing by generation if customers know what they want before going to liquor or grocery store

Younger drinkers are also more interested in new, trendy drinks. For example, 54% of millennials have tried or are open to trying canned wine, in comparison to only 28% of Boomer+.  Younger generations crave diversity in their choices.

Occasions for Influence

When they’re home, millennials are the most likely to drink wine.  This holds true across red, white or sparkling varieties.  But when they venture out, only about half of them drink the same wine that they do at home. This is a great opportunity for marketers to influence emerging drinkers and introduce them to new brands. In comparison, nearly three quarters of millennials drink the same type/brand of beer when they’re out.

Despite their digital savvy, millennials generally don’t turn to online sources or apps for information on wine. In fact, only 14% cite websites or blogs as a source of influence on picking what brands they buy. Instead they turn to people close to them for recommendations. This is especially true for emerging drinkers, who are most influenced by friends and parents.

Connecting In-Store

Labels matter for millennials, especially when it comes to wines. They’re more likely to try new product if it’s got a good looking label.

Wine label popularity by generation chart

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