Wine Drinkers Are Younger And More Ethnic

Scarborough Research a company that specialises in regional and national consumer patterns unveiled the results of its national survey of wine consumers saying it's a new vintage of wine purchasers "hailing from a young and ethnic demographic."

Scarborough Wine Market Report reveals "that over a third (39 percent) of adults, age 21 and older, have purchased wine in the past three months. The report also confirms the hunch that today's wine consumer is more affluent (33 percent have a household income of $75,000.00+) and better educated than the average American (39 percent have attended some college). The data also gives a new, wider definition of the wine consumer.

One quarter (25 percent) of wine purchasers are between the ages 21-34 and nearly half (45 percent) are between the ages 35-54. The ethnic make-up of wine drinkers closely mirrors the ethnic break-out of the U.S population with 10 percent of wine consumers being African-American and 10 percent Hispanic."

The news has to be heartening to wine producers who have invested a huge amount of energy in getting their message out to consumers while at the same catching considerable criticism for not reaching out to both the young and ageing ends of the market.

"When painting a picture of the American wine consumer, most advertisers would render a drawing of a person who is Caucasian, older, affluent and well-educated," said Alisa Joseph, vice president of advertising marketer services, Scarborough Research. "However, the Scarborough Wine Market Report shows a portrait of a wine consumer who is also multi-cultural and multi-generational."

Interestingly, but hardly surprising to any of us who are parents, were the findings that, "younger wine consumers are more apt to pay a higher price for a bottle of wine. Wine consumers, age 21-24, are twice as likely than the average purchaser to spend $20 or more on a bottle of wine, and those age 25-34 are 76 percent more likely to pay for high-end wine while adults, age 65 or older, are 74 percent less likely to pay top dollar for wine.

Other fascinating tidbits from the report establish a correlation between the price point of a bottle of wine and ethnicity.

Only six percent of drinking age adults spent more than $20 for a bottle of wine, but Hispanic wine consumers are 96 percent more likely to spend $20 or more on a bottle."

Sparkling wine producers will be ecstatic to learn African American wine purchasers are 39 percent more likely to reach for the higher-priced wine labels and they seem to have an affinity for champagne or sparkling wine. This consumer segment is 59 percent more likely to purchase a bottle of champagne or sparking wine than the average wine consumer. Hispanics are also slightly more likely (13 percent) to purchase champagne.

Researchers say the report demonstrates that it is increasingly important to develop marketing strategies that will cross generations and ethnicities," said Ms. Joseph. "Understanding the significant differences in the demographics and lifestyle of wine consumers are all key factors in helping wine marketers more precisely target younger and ethnic consumers.

Younger consumers are especially noteworthy for the industry because they offer an opportunity for growth - this demographic is developing tastes now that are likely to last as they age." No kidding, haven't we been saying this for decades.