Wine

Millennials chugging sparkling wine to unwind

By Nicholas Robinson

- Last updated on GMT

Younger drinkers: wine needs to target Millennials in a different way
Younger drinkers: wine needs to target Millennials in a different way

Related tags Generation y Fermentation Chardonnay

Sparkling wine is attracting more Millennial drinkers, who are choosing to drink it after a ‘rough day’ because it is one of the easiest propositions in the category for them to understand.

Consumers aged between 18 and 32 (Millennials) are a highly influential demographic with fluctuating tastes that lean more towards sweet profiles, leading to a spike in the popularity of fruit fusion and sparkling drinks, wine buying director at Kingsland Drinks, Neil Anderson, told The Morning Advertiser.

“Millennials are key spenders when it comes to sparkling wines for social occasions, an increasingly high number of beginner drinkers are now partakers of a 'drink after a difficult day' – perhaps a sign of a digitalised generation that is constantly connected and struggles to switch off from the working day.”

The wine consumed ‘after a difficult day’ is enough to fill 15 Olympic-sized swimming pools a year, said Anderson.

Younger drinkers can be difficult for wine producers to pinpoint because the demographic doesn’t have the “knowledge of a seasoned wine connoisseur”, he added.

Younger drinkers make a choice

Instead, drinkers aged between 18 and 32 are more likely to make a choice based on marketing campaigns, word of mouth and the overall popularity of a product in their age group.

“Research shows that the over-55s hold 80% of the UK’s wealth, yet there is no denying the influence that Millennials have and this industry-shaping authority will only continue to grow,” he said.

“Not only highly ‘influential’, but the Millennial generation also tends to fluctuate in terms of physical taste. Millennials are statistically the most likely to lean towards sweeter-tasting palates and this has led to a real spike in the popularity for fruit fusion drinks, with wine brands fighting to concoct the most original and pioneering flavour profiles.”

Such “concoctions” are being developed by wine brands to stay ahead of the competition and to cater to the “sweeter inclinations” of Millennials' taste buds.

Earlier this year, Kingsland Drinks launched a range of ‘wines’​ developed to attract Millennials into the category.

Rhubarb & custard wine

The rhubarb & custard and pear drop-flavoured liquids are being marketed as ‘fun’ alternatives to wine under the Mr Gladstone’s Curious Emporium moniker.

Each of the drinks are 9% ABV and are being targeted at consumers aged 21 and older, brand manager Hannah Kennedy said.

“We’ve been doing a lot of research and wanted something that was targeting a younger consumer," Kennedy explained. 

“This brand doesn’t take itself too seriously and makes the idea of drinker wine a little cooler.

“We’re trying to take people back to their childhood and that’s a really powerful tool for us – it’s also a talking point.”

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