EDITOR ' S NOTE

On the subject of Millennials and Gen Z drinking wine , I tell this story often , but it bares repeating . It stars my cousin in his mid−30s . Thankfully he does not own a liquor store or alcohol brand , and will unlikely read this column . He ’ s a travel writer who has lived in Los Angeles , Brooklyn and Chicago . He ’ s a foodie with a refined , knowledgeable palate . He ’ s extremely hip and very intelligent . He competed on an episode of “ Jeopardy .”

Some years ago , he brought a bottle of Beaujolais nouveau to a family gathering . I thought , “ Great ! My cousin got into wine . Can ’ t wait to chat him up about it .” When I asked him about Beaujolais nouveau , however , he had no clue what the term meant . He had bought the bottle because it was cheap and had a colorful label . Beyond that , he knew next to nothing about what he was drinking .

Such ignorance is the opposite of my cousin . He knows everything about everything . Not in an obnoxious way , but in the manner of Millennials who are genuinely , pleasantly hyper-curious . His being unfamiliar with Beaujolais nouveau , even as he swirled and sipped it , is an outlier in his character .

And it ’ s a canary sounding the alarm in a coal mine , as far as I ’ m concerned . Someone as bright , trendy , urbane and well-traveled as my cousin not knowing wine is indicative of a bigger problem . Millennials and Gen Z do not understand wine , and hardly drink it .

Why ? A number of reasons . Boomers watched their parents drink whiskey , and so avoided brown spirits . Now , Millennials and Gen Z see their Boomer parents drink wine and naturally reject what their folks enjoy .

Younger generations also tend to drink less in overall volume . And they prefer affordable convenience like canned cocktails and hard seltzers . Many Millennials and Gen Z also prefer cannabis over alcohol , believing the former is the healthier of the two . ( Pot ’ s spreading legalization obviously helps grow this consumer support .)

But perhaps most damaging for wine is that younger generations see it as pretentious and too difficult to understand . Which is too bad , because wine obviously offers the high quality , artisanal processes and rich history and that these same Millennials and Gen Z love about American whiskey and craft beer .

How can wine break through with these key consumers ? Court Liquors , our feature retailer story on page 10 , has found success with some strategies . The key is highlighting aspects of wine that naturally appeal to younger consumers , while simultaneously demystifying the category . ( For more on this , also see page 24 ).

Otherwise , you ’ re left with a generation of drinkers whose knowledge and interest in wine is as deep as Beaujolais nouveau is old .

Beverage Group Vice President Jeremy Nedelka Tel : 763-383-4413 email : jnedelka @ epgacceleration . com

Editor , Off-Premise Kyle Swartz Tel : 763-383-4447 email : kswartz @ epgacceleration . com

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Associate Managing Art Director Nicole Siewert

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Kyle Swartz Editor , Off-Premise

Beverage Dynamics is published by EPG Brand Acceleration Editorial and executive offices at 7760 France Avenue South , Suite 810 , Bloomington , MN 55435 .

4 Beverage Dynamics • Spring 2024 www . beveragedynamics . com