The Wine Industry Doesn’t Have a Youth Problem; It Has a Marketing Problem

The wine industry has been in a panic for the last few years over a declining interest from younger drinkers. Bulk wine isn’t selling. Boomers are aging out. Young people aren’t drinking wine, they say. Sales are going down. Older collectors are dying out. People are starting to freak out. What are we going to do?!

You know what I say? Big fucking surprise. I’m not sure what people expected given the circumstances. Most serious wine companies have completely stopped marketing serious products to younger drinkers. What did you think was going to happen?

Wine as a beverage isn’t in decline with younger drinkers, as much as it’s suffering from a complete failure of marketing from an industry that has failed to rise to the challenge of the modern age. I’m talking about serious wine here, not the shit in a can with dynamic colors and modern graphics meant to attract the eye, or the entry-level leftovers that large producers repackage into edgier branding.

I’m talking about Bordeaux. Burgundy. Napa Cabernet. Barolo.

You know why young people aren’t drinking serious wines? It’s not because they’re no longer affordable, although that doesn’t help wine’s appeal one iota. Young people aren’t stupid. They’ve seen what’s happened to the housing market and they’re not about to overpay for a one bedroom dump to fund some boomer’s retirement. They’d rather rent and be happy. The same goes for wine. They’re not going to pay $80 for a Pinot Noir that was $40 five years ago.

The wine industry is in this sticky situation because it got fat and lazy over the last decade, while ignoring the changing landscapes of the market. Boomers had the interest and the money, so wineries kept feeding at the same old trough. Millennials and Gen Zers were harder to reach, didn’t have the same level of disposable income, and required a greater amount of effort to convert, so no one even bothered trying to guide them along the path. Instead, wineries raised their prices to make up for slumping sales and blamed their struggles on the kids when it didn’t work.

Here’s the thing though: young people have no problem spending money on luxury. Have you walked into a Gucci store lately? What was once an outdated Italian luxury designer is today one of the most desirable couture labels out there. At least half the store is catering to Gen Z shoppers specifically, and any 25 year old who can afford a $1000 pair of tennis shoes co-branded with Adidas can easily afford a $75 bottle of Margaux.

Most of the twenty and thirty-something people I know also enjoy luxury accommodations. Airbnb houses in the Mojave Desert, suites in Las Vegas, or cabanas on the beach in a tropical, Instagramable location are all the rage. Those digs aren’t cheap. It’s simply a matter of motivation. They’ve decided these things are worth paying for. So why couldn’t we convince them to spend a little more for a bottle of Morey St. Denis?

From my vantage point, the problem is quite simple: young people have been given zero context for why the world’s greatest wines are desirable.

Zero.

Worse, no one seems interested in helping them with that understanding. That sounds like a lot of work!

I didn’t stumble into an appreciation for fine wine. I was aided, nurtured, and mentored by numerous friends and colleagues in the field. My relationship with wine grew and blossomed because I was able to hang around with people who helped me better appreciate it. It didn’t happen in a vacuum. It was the product of a community, an industry, and an enthusiasm that was palpable and welcoming to all ages. Yet, I don’t see many high-end wineries putting together any type of education, marketing, or outreach that would inspire younger generations into giving a shit.

The pandemic didn’t help, either. With the world stuck at home and booze consumption going through the roof, wineries and retailers experienced record sales with little effort required. Gen Xers and Boomers were drinking so much wine it didn’t seem to matter that the younger generations were opting out. After two years of monster profits, no one seemed to care about fostering the future of wine appreciation. Why put in the effort when you’re still getting rich?

Why? Because eventually that laziness and lack of effort is going to bite you in the ass. And now here we are. The Boomers don’t have any more room in their cellars. They have all the wine they can drink already. Gen X is carrying the mantle as best we can, but we can’t do it alone. For regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Napa to thrive moving forward, younger generations will need to be courted, trained, tutored, wined and dined, and indoctrinated. It’s not that they don’t like fine wine; it’s simply that no one has even tried to reach them on their level.

Young people like nice things, more so than older generations. Because they want access to luxury at a more precocious age, you’re not going to win them over with Bordeaux Superieur or Macon-Villages Chardonnay. You can’t throw them a $20 bottle and call it a “journey,” then save all the good bottles for the older clients. You need to open the high-end shit and show them what’s possible right away. Make it aspirational—immediately. Tell them why it’s so good. Put it within their sights.

I have my own proof of concept. When I take someone younger out for dinner and bring a bottle of Bordeaux or Burgundy from my cellar, they’re always impressed. 100% of the time. Without fail.

“Wow, I didn’t realize how much I liked wine,” they’ll inevitably say. I give them a short spiel, they ponder the glass for a moment, and then we continue with the meal. My Gen X friends tell me similar stories about dining with Gen Zers. The interest is there. The desire is waiting to be tapped. Now the wine industry must do its part. Get off the couch. Get back into shape. Do the heavy lifting. Throw parties, have dinners, host tastings, and trips, and soirées. Open bottles. Pop corks.

Start with groups of 5-10 people. Engage them. Impress them. Create an experience they will remember. Then repeat. That’s how you start out in wine marketing. It’s clear the industry has forgotten how.

-David Driscoll