Wine Enthusiast Podcast Episode 193: Will Gen Z Ever Drink Wine?
The young people, it seems, are usually to blame.
In 1998, The New York Times said, “Young people, the 21- to 29-year-olds, are turning away from wine…For the $13-billion-a-year wine industry, the loss of so many potential consumers couldn't come at a worse time.”
In 2016, The New York Post ran a headline, “Millennials are ruining the American wine industry.”
Fast-forward to the current generational panic in the wine industry—this time, regarding the 13- to 29-year-olds that make up Generation Z.
The wine industry is currently facing a mountain of struggles, including shifting consumer preferences, oversupply in many regions, rising costs and tariffs along with a growing—and loud—anti-alcohol movement. Meanwhile, older generations, Baby Boomers specifically, are pulling back from their previous levels of wine consumption.
So, why are the kids—half of whom are underage—getting all the blame yet again?
We invited Wine Enthusiast Contributor Kate Dingwall, who has been covering all the latest Gen Z research, along with Jess Druery, the Gen Z founder of playful wine brand Whiny Baby, onto the podcast to discuss what's actually going on with young people and wine.
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