Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/620640
+ The Boomer Generation, aged 51-69, includes 77 million people. Considered to be optimistic and driven, Boomers are currently buying and drinking the most wine in America. + Gen Xers, aged 39-50, include about 44 million Americans. Xers are considered skeptical, individu- alistic, but also community mind- ed. This is primarily a cocktail generation, but it is now drinking more wine. + Millennials, aged 21-38, include 70 million people. This group is optimistic, team-oriented and assertive – and it drinks a lot of wine. ABOUT THE SURVEY An online survey of 1,055 wine consumers was conducted during the spring of 2015. Respondents were 59% female and 41% male, located in all 50 states. The median annual income of the sample was $70,000-$99,999. The data were sorted and ana- lyzed by generation, with 219 Boomers (21%); 241 Gen Xers (23%); 290 Younger Millennials (27%), between the ages of 21 t is common knowledge that people who grow up in different eras have varied value systems, and those may affect their purchasing behaviors. This is especially true when it comes to wine in America, as clear differences can be found among the generations. A new research study conducted by the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University reveals how Millennials, Gen Xers and Boomers are currently engaging with wine in the United States. The sur- vey provides information on a sev- eral topics, such as preferred wine categories, involvement with wine, purchasing behavior, price-points and interaction with social media. GENERATIONAL OVERVIEW Although there are different defi- nitions regarding the names and dates of American generations, we will use those provided by the Wine Marketing Council, illustrating age ranges in 2015: + The Swing Generation, aged 70-82, is comprised of 30 million people. Considered to be cau- tious, disciplined and self-sacri- ficing, this generation is drinking less wine due to health reasons. BY DR. LIZ THACH, MW AND DR. KATHRYN CHANG Wine Generations Sonoma State survey takes a fresh look at consumer wine preferences Wine Generations Sonoma State survey takes a fresh Sonoma State survey takes a fresh look at consumer wine preferences look at consumer wine preferences DR. KATHRYN CHANG BY DR. LIZ THACH, MW H, MW AND AND DR. KATHRYN DR. KATHRYN CHANG CHANG CHANG and 29; and 305 Older Millenni- als (29%), ages 30-37. Millenni- als were segmented into two age categories because prior research suggested that Younger Millenni- + A 2015 survey by Sonoma State University studied the wine preferences and purchasing behaviors of dif- ferent generations. + Red wine was preferred by all four survey cohorts. + Boomers scored highest in preferring dry wines, whereas Millennials scored significantly higher in pre- ferring sweet wines. + Older Millennials are con- fident about their level of wine knowledge. + When buying wine to drink at home, the most common price category was $10-$15 per bottle for all generations. AT A GLANCE 1 2 4 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J a n - F e b 2 016 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m