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Writer's pictureNathan Westfall

I’m A Millennial, And This is Why I Stopped Drinking Wine



Identifying why the vast cohorts of Millennial customers were fleeing away from wine has never been difficult for me. As the lion’s share of our industry attended panels at conferences, took webinar courses and endlessly debated why we’re losing market share amongst the young; I’ve known the root causes all along. A solution to this persistent and pervasive issue is going to be something that not only restores wine to its former glory, but also serves to define the next era of the industry itself. How could I have possibly figured this youth engagement puzzle that’s stumped wineries for years now out?


Believe it or not, I’m the exact Millennial you’ve been looking for.


Let’s start with age:


I’m 34 years old at the time this blog is being posted. That means I was born in 1990 and belong to the group colloquially known as “Peak Millennials”, the single largest cohort of the US population by age. As of earlier this year, there were approximately 4.75 million of us, with an additional 4.74 million 33-year-olds born in ’91.


Second, there’s my history:


I turned 21 in 2011 at the exact time craft beer was beginning their renaissance. What started as a fun hobby of visiting breweries with friends on the weekend, turned into a full-blown obsession thanks to apps like Untappd. When I moved to Sonoma County back in 2018, I immediately found a similarly vibrant community in wine that captured both my curiosity and imagination.


How about financial status:


Well, much like many of my fellow millennials, my wife and I are doing ok so far in life. We’re not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but minor luxuries aren’t beyond the realm of possibility if we want them. That means there’s still plenty of room in the budget for a wine club membership.


Finally, and I would argue most importantly, my profession:


There isn’t a single day that goes by where I’m not actively analyzing what’s happening in the wine industry. I’m subscribed to what feels like every newsletter, feed, publication and industry platform known to man, and I pour through them all every morning after I finish reading the local newspaper.


After laying that all on the table, you can see how I’d represent exactly what you’re looking for when expanding into this demographic. The young wine devotee with an appreciation for variety forged by his early days as a craft beer hop head, an in-depth understanding of quality product, and just enough money in his pocket to afford something like a wine club membership. I’ll let you in on a little secret though; I cancelled all my clubs and haven’t purchased a single bottle for myself in over a year.

Why Did I End Up Here?

Cost

The most obvious and pervasive factor that led to my waning interest in purchasing wine is the cost. Back in the early days of the pandemic, just after the government issued their first round of stimulus to the American people and supercharged market demand, the wine industry reacted by collectively raising prices. Economically, it made perfect sense and worked well as a measure to manage supply constraints and preserve inventory on-hand. At that point, the lower end of the financial spectrum was focused on purchasing the necessary items to survive month-to-month, while the middle and high-tier earners were able to utilize more of the money as disposable income. Wine traditionally caters to a more affluent cohort in general, so this injection of capital spelled nothing but growth for the industry. Once wineries were able to start leveraging sales via eCommerce effectively, they couldn’t lose. Here’s where things start to go sideways though…


In March of 2021, after 8–12 months of unchecked growth (depending on how fast you were able to start leveraging digital sales), the government dropped another massive round of stimulus to the American people. Wineries responded in kind with another collective raising of prices, but this time it didn’t play out like it had before. Now, with inflation on the rise, the mid-tier consumer (yours truly included) was effectively priced out of wine as a rapidly consumable commodity. We either changed our pattern of consumption to something more occasion based, or fled to cheaper alternatives like beer, seltzer or RTDs. This didn’t have much effect in the short term, as baby boomers were the primary consumers of wine pre-pandemic and continued that trend throughout. They held the highest paying jobs, lived in homes that were either paid off or with low mortgage rates, and had wealth portfolios that were diversified into stocks and real estate where valuations were skyrocketing. Now though, as that generation moves into the retirement phase of life with fixed incomes and increased health concerns, the pool of consumers who can still afford this new world of luxury wine is rapidly shrinking. The demand from younger people hasn’t disappeared, we’re still absolutely interested in wine and the culture that surrounds it; but we’re not about to sacrifice taking our kids to the beach or buying quality pet food for a one time buzz.


Marketing

It’s amazing to me how often I’m forced to go out of my way to find examples of wine marketing. The fact that there’s a subgenre of product marketing that’s actively seeking my direct engagement as a potential consumer but lacks a significant presence where I spend my time is baffling. I’ve never seen a wine ad on a streaming service, my social media stopped serving me wine content that I wasn’t previously subscribed to ages ago, and wine certainly isn’t sponsoring any ad reads on my favorite podcasts. This lack of digital and physical presence in the spaces where younger people congregate represents the second key factor where wine is missing the mark.


I’ve sat in the back of my fair share of the aforementioned panels, attended countless webinars and read pages upon pages of content about wine marketing. No matter what ideas or techniques are presented though, the wineries always seem to miss one fundamental takeaway: you need to meet the consumer where they spend their time. As an industry, we’ve been able to accurately nail down what works for baby boomers to the letter. Email is king at starting them down the funnel, and you can grab their attention easily with references to things like fine dining, leisure activities and travel.


I swear, there was a time a couple of years ago that I could have sold wine by the pallet running micro-tastings in a golf course pro shop…

No matter how effective any of these techniques may be though, they’re a complete mismatch for millennials like myself. Any emails that aren’t from someone I know or a brand I already trust are immediately deleted. Fine dining is a luxury we rarely partake in, travel is something we watch other people do on YouTube or TikTok, and don’t get even get me started on the ridiculous barriers to entry for sports like golf or tennis. Unless wine is willing to start diversifying spend into new channels and specifically gear messaging to resonate with a younger audience; we’ll need to start looking at a pivot into vinegar sales.


Culture

When I take a step back and objectively observe how I feel when visiting a winery today, my Gen Z sisters and brothers would say “it’s giving unwelcome”. Wine hasn’t always been this way though… I can remember back to my early days in Sonoma, heading out with a group of interns I’d met in town during harvest season, and having the single greatest tasting experience of my life at Chateau Montelena. When we arrived on property (without an appointment, I might add), we were welcomed with open arms and treated to something immeasurably valuable. Our price of admission was nothing more than passion for the craft of winemaking and its result when executed to perfection. It’s a beautiful memory that I think back on often with sadness in my heart, lamenting that my daughter will more than likely never be given the same opportunity.


The biggest missed mark at the core of my dissolution with wine comes from the shift in culture that took place during the past few years. Don’t get me wrong, I think wine as an industry is doing great things by prominently featuring and giving a voice to professionals of all genders, races, backgrounds and demographics. Even still, you can’t hide the consistent undercurrent of distaste directed at you as a younger patron coming in for a tasting. Let me make one thing abundantly clear before I dive too deep; this feeling, in no way whatsoever, is coming from the winery staff. With very limited exceptions, I’ve not met a winery employee that I didn’t get along with almost instantly. This unwelcome feeling comes directly from the other patrons.


It’s like I’m a kid again, walking into a room where the adults are chatting, only to get glowered at until I feel so uncomfortable that I leave.

The unwavering belief that my youth does not entitle me access to THEIR space is almost palpable. I could be rich beyond belief, famous the world over, wildly accomplished in my career or a combination of all three and I would still expect a handful of sideways glances when walking to my table. It’s an unfortunate byproduct of extended market positioning designed to project luxury and attract wealth. We’ve created spaces for a microcosm of Haves, complete with mountain top tastings that allow them to gaze down upon the throngs of Have Nots with villainous distain.

How Can We Turn This Around?

The real key to wine’s revitalization will be taking the industry back to its roots. We need to recreate the wine country of years past, where the aspiring chef or visiting bridesmaid sits shoulder to shoulder with the Michelin Star recipient and the CEO. A wine country that’s more focused on sourcing the best grapes instead of the best customers; one that takes pride in what they serve more than who. The recipe for long term success moving forward requires nothing more than incorporating these three things: broader affordability, wider market presence, and fostering an environment that welcomes all equally.


In the end, every single person that walks through your doors is visiting for the exact same reason.


We’re all looking for that communal experience of enjoying something delicious in a room filled with other doing the same. It’s what made wine great in the first place, and what’s carried it through the ages as one of Earth’s original beverages.

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