Exploring the Rising Popularity of Wine Among The 30-Somethings: A New Study Reveals

30-Something Millennials Enjoying Wine

The death of wine among U.S. Millennials is grossly exaggerated, according to a new study by Wine Market Council, a non-profit research firm. Though other recent reports have bemoaned the fact that Millennials (ages 27 to 42 in 2023) are not adopting wine at the rate of other generations, now that the majority are in their 30’s, that trend is reversing.

In fact, not only are 30-something Millennials consuming more wine, but high-end Millennial consumers spend more per bottle on average than Baby Boomers. At a recent conference, Wine Market Council (WMC) Director of Research, Christian Miller, commented on these findings.

“Despite all of the concerns in the press, this study shows that the Millennial generation has not underperformed in terms of their population as wine drinkers across time,” said Christian Miller.

The research named U.S. Wine Consumer Benchmark Segmentation Survey is conducted by WMC every one to two years since 1997, and is recognized as the longest continuing survey of the American wine consumer, with a total of 18 studies done so far.

In 2023 the study had a representative sample of 4,470 Americans of legal drinking age, out of them 1,584 were wine consumers. Being the President of Wine Market Council, I participated in interpreting the results, however the survey was outsourced to the external research provider, Caravan OmniBus.

For this year’s WMC survey, Miller executed a longitudinal analysis comparing the mean wine consumption rates of Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z consumers when they become of the legal drinking age i.e., 21 years.

The following graph shows, Millennials have moved ahead of the rest with 36% average consumption in 2023. The graph also refers to the ‘Covid Hangover,’ caused, partly, from certain Americans starting to drink less alcohol in general as a consequence of an increase in consumption during the peak of the pandemic, among other factors.

Percent of Wine Consumption by American Generation Across Time

In addition, this analysis highlights an interesting phenomenon in that both Millennials and Gen Z embraced wine at higher levels when they first turned age 21, only to have that decline. However, with Millennials, wine consumption

has since increased.

This supports other wine lifecycle research showing that young adults enjoy experimenting with different beverages when they first reach legal drinking age, but generally do not adopt wine as a more regular part of their lifestyle until they reach their 30’s, when they are more settled, and often have higher-paying jobs, mortgages, and a family.

Indeed, the 2023 WMC study showed that 71% of American wine drinkers own a home, 60% are married, 53% live in the suburbs, and 36% have children under the age of 18 living at home.

One fascinating finding of the study indicates that high-income Millennials are currently matching high-income Baby Boomers (those aged 60 and above) in terms of importance in wine consumption. Danny Brager, a Wine Business Analyst and ex-Senior Vice President of Nielsen’s Beverage Alcohol Practice Area, who is also a member of the WMC Advisory Board, shared his thoughts on this discovery.

“Upper-income Millennials, who consume wine at least once a week, constitute one-third of the core wine consumers, and they now surpass high income Baby Boomers in percentage within this crucial segment,” Brager shared, “To add to this, the Millennial generation now outnumbers the Baby Boomers.”

High-progressing Millennials Outpace Boomers as Core Wine Enthusiasts

Further analysis shows that when we consider high-end wine consumers, or those who consistently spend $20 or above on a wine bottle, the average spending of Millennials in their 30s is $65.80 per bottle. On the contrary, Baby Boomers aged 60 and above only prefer to spend an average of $36.67 for wine on exceptional occasions.

Given the fact that wine sales volume has decreased in the U.S. in the last few years, I reached out to several winery professionals to see if they were experiencing the same increases in Millennial wine consumption and purchasing behavior. They confirmed that it was true, especially with higher-priced wine, wine that falls in the ‘better for you category,’ and wine that is more inclusive.

“The 30-something group, surprisingly young and responsible for 83% of purchases over $15, illustrates a vibrant, opportunity-filled market landscape far from the pessimistic portrayal of younger wine enthusiasts,” reported Karen Daenen, Director, Research & Consumer Insights, Jackson Family Wines.

At Scheid Family Wines, Heidi Scheid, Executive Vice President, said, “Millennials and Gen Z share a different relationship with wine then their parents did. They appear to embrace moderation, which is actually a good thing! The greater focus on health and wellness from the younger generations inspired our development of our zero sugar, low alcohol wine option, Sunny with a Chance of Flowers.”

Tapping into the growing diversity of the U.S. population, Ceja Vineyards, a Mexican-American family owned winery in Napa Valley, is finding success with food and wine pairings.

“At Ceja Vineyards, we’ve observed a growing number of millennials enrolling in our Casa Ceja Wine Club and participating in our quarterly wine release events. We showcase our Mexican roots by serving traditional Mexican dishes alongside our balanced wines. Imagine savoring Mole Poblano with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon! This distinct combination is an exciting delight for millennials in search of fresh experiences in wine!,” shared Dalia Ceja, the Executive Marketing Director.

Contrary to earlier claims that Millennials are not as passionate about wine as other age groups, it becomes evident that as they transition into their 30’s, Millennials are integrating wine into their lifestyle more and more. The impending query is, will Gen Z emulate this trend? Given that only a third of them are legally of drinking age (21 – 26), wine marketers might need to wait a bit longer to find this out.

Pairing Wine with Mexican Food has been a Successful strategy in Attracting Millennial Consumers to Ceja Vineyards

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About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!