“No generation is a monolith,” says Stoumen. “If we aren't treating people as individuals, how can we truly make a connection?” Online or in-person, it’s important to listen to and engage with younger audiences to learn what they want and be able to sell it to them. Not your mother’s tasting room If millennials and Gen X agree on one thing, it's the old credo: "variety is the spice of life." Both groups are drawn to unique experiences and diverse options when it comes to wine. For wineries with under-visited tasting rooms, DeMatei has ideas on how to attract younger crowds. She points to museums as an example of adaptive offerings. "Museums now provide interactive online experiences, multimedia exhibits and activities for children. They've made themselves accessible to new generations." Wineries with tasting rooms are similarly tasked with getting creative and evolving to fit changing needs. DeMatei suggests out-of- the-box experiences she’s seen succeed first- hand around wine country: escape rooms, ATV rides, picnics in the vineyard, ecology tours and farming or gardening workshops. She emphasizes that there is still an agrarian
the findings. “Millennial and Gen Z wine customers are attracted to [our wines] and the natural wine movement as a whole because it's a surefire way to find wines of authenticity and sustainability,” says Sporer, of Magnolia Wine Services in Sonoma. “These wines, and the spaces where they can be found, are laid- back, accessible and, above all, F-U-N.” How does Gen X stack up? This generation similarly enjoys wine and values both convenience and quality, the survey shows. According to the WineGlass Marketing Report, Gen X tends to favor wine as its alcoholic beverage of choice, drinking it two to three times a week on average. They are also a bit more price-sensitive than millennials, with a majority preferring wines under $25. Gen X consumers are less likely to be wine club members, with 80% not belonging to any clubs. Less inclined to shop online than the younger groups, Gen X prefers to purchase wine from retail outlets, particularly specialty shops and wine stores. Gen X consumers appreciate the relaxed atmosphere of wineries but, like millennials, are less interested in educational aspects of wine tasting. Above all, they value authenticity and remain somewhat skeptical of health and sustainability claims in wine marketing. Be online, foster community Online shopping is the way of the world for millennials. Instead of solely relying on brick- and-mortar retail shops and tasting rooms to stock cellars, they buy wine through myriad channels: delivery apps, online shops, winery websites and social media. It follows that this generation wants support and ease when purchasing wines digitally. They value well- written, easily accessible tasting notes and well-functioning websites. Moreover, they appreciate personalized recommendations and the option to customize wine selections, making the online shopping experience more engaging and tailored to individual tastes. How can wineries improve their online engagement to capture younger audiences? Martha Stoumen, winemaker of her eponymous label, Martha Stoumen Wines, based in Sebastopol, offers insights. Launching her business a decade ago when many brands in the wine sector and adjacent lifestyle categories were establishing online- only presences, she says, "It felt very natural to offer my wines for sale online from the get-go." From the start, Stoumen focused on the power of community to build her brand, both in-person—by fostering relationships with local retailers and restaurants—and online. One way she fosters an online community
is by collaborating with other small, artisan brands. "We love partnering with other makers and artists—hosting giveaways is a fun way to cross-pollinate customer bases. When done well, we've had customers thank us for introducing them to other great small businesses," Stoumen says. Stoumen also recognizes the importance of a well-designed website: "Creating a beautiful website with a smooth checkout process was an investment we prioritized as soon as we had the funds. But none of that matters without relationships—and those take time to
build, whether online or in person." Stoumen believes to market wine
successfully, engagement must be treated as a two-way street. She notes that, all too often, “the questions are about how the industry can engage younger drinkers, but not about how people in the industry should engage themselves in younger people's worlds." The answer? “Get curious, ask younger people questions about what they care about, hang out where younger people hang out—in person or online—hire people of all ages including some younger people and ask them their opinions.” Stoumen’s approach has paid off in spades, securing her a loyal following of Gen X and millennial customers.
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