How To Market Wine That Appeals To Younger vs. Older Millennial Consumers
Understanding the preferences of various generational subgroups is crucial for brand success, particularly as younger generations exhibit lower engagement with wine compared to older age groups, such as Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. According to the 2024 Silicon Valley Bank report, State of the US Wine Industry 2024, when separated into older and younger segments, Millennials continue to trail behind older generations in their affinity for wine.
To have a more nuanced understanding, it is important to note that people of the Millennial generation do not all think similarly, when comparing the younger to the older sub groups. A few years difference in age can yield very important preferences.
A study published in the American Sociological Review found “the formative experiences, and thus the characteristics of each birth cohort, are unique in many respects and do not fit into a linear or monotonic pattern of intercohort variation”, when comparing cohorts of subjects born 10 years apart (Glenn, 1976). The 10 year variability between these groups is not linear, indicating the preferences of consumers within the generation of Millennials might fluctuate significantly.
Understanding Differences in Younger and Older Millennials Preferences
Analysis of Quini wine tasting sensory data revealed distinct preferences in white wine varietals between younger and older Millennials. Younger Millennials showed a strong inclination towards Muscat Ottonel and Pinot Grigio, while older Millennials preferred Ehrenfelser and Pinot Grigio.
Younger and older Millennials share a preference for Pinot Grigio, indicating the varietal’s broad appeal for marketing to Millennials. While Pinot Grigio is a common choice for both cohorts, Muscat Ottonel and Ehrenfelser offer an actionable preference window between the two groups.
Identifying preference divergence between sub-groups is crucial for wine marketers aiming to target Millennials as a whole, highlighting the importance of nuanced marketing strategies tailored to each sub-segment.
Data Scope and Analysis
The analysis, which utilized 1,392 consumer Quini wine reviews, looks at the same data set presented in our previous blog post discussing how to engage millennials by leveraging white wine. However, this time, the reviews were parsed between younger and older Millennials, exclusively focusing on white wine. The age cutoff used for older Millennials was people born around 1992, and younger Millennials were grouped around 1998. The same 23 types of varietals were analyzed across overall total score and drinkers willingness to recommend a wine score. The top wine varietals were chosen based on the difference in individual mean score from the cumulative group mean.
Key Insight
For younger Millennials, white wine varietals like Muscat Ottonel and Pinot Grigio topped the list. In contrast, older Millennials leaned towards Ehrenfelser and Pinot Grigio. Utilizing this insight allows for targeted marketing strategies to more effectively break into the Millennial demographic. As Millennials trail behind other generations in wine affinity, informed and personalized approaches can increase the appeal of wine, benefiting not just the brand but the industry as a whole.
Recommendations
While there are thousands of great wine brands within the varietals uncovered, here are a few that stood out in the Quini database that were part of the various consumer sensory tastings done using the Quini app, over time.
Top performing Muscat Ottonel for younger Millennials:
Hillside Heritage Series Muscat Ottonel 2019 – “Handled gently to preserve its delicate aromatics, the fruit was de-stemmed and given overnight skin contact before draining/pressing off skins and cold settling. The juice was allowed a long slow fermentation in stainless steel. This wine has lovely floral aromas and hints of spice” -Hillside Winery
Top performing Ehrenfelser and Pinot Grigio wines for older Millennials:
Pelee Cottage Series Pinot Grigio 2018 – “Expect an expressive, vibrant wine that has a refined mineral and floral driven bouquet. Crisp citrus entry on the palate, light acidity but finishes with a slightly tart quality” -Pelee Island Winery
Summerhill Pyramid Winery Ehrenfelser 2016 – “A fruit explosion with intense aromatic notes of apricot, citrus, and tropical undertones. This luxuriously textured wine offers palate coating acidity and sweetness, leading to an extremely smooth mouthfeel and long finish” -Summerhill Pyramid Winery
Both younger and older Millennials enjoyed:
The Winemaker’s House Pinot Grigio NV – “The Winemaker’s House Pinot Grigio has gentle notes of tropical fruits, and a light, refreshing finish” -BCLiquor
Conclusion
By identifying the specific varietal preferences of younger and older Millennials, wine marketers can craft more personalized and effective marketing strategies.
In our next post, we’ll dive deeper into the wine itself, breaking down how flavor profiles affect Millennial preferences.
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Sources:
– Glenn, N. D. (1976). Cohort Analysts’ Futile Quest: Statistical Attempts to Separate Age, Period and Cohort Effects. American Sociological Review, 41(5), 900–904. https://doi.org/10.2307/2094738
– McMillan, R. (2024). State of the US Wine Industry 2024. Silicon Valley Bank Wine Division. https://www.svb.com/globalassets/trendsandinsights/reports/wine/svb-state-of-the-us-wine-industry-report-2024.pdf
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