{"id":189722,"date":"2025-06-19T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sunset.com\/?p=189722"},"modified":"2025-06-24T11:23:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T18:23:23","slug":"wine-industry-gen-z-millennials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sunset.com\/food-wine\/wine-pairings\/wine-industry-gen-z-millennials","title":{"rendered":"Wine Sales Are in Decline\u2014Here’s How Western Wineries Are Reaching Younger Generations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For many younger wine drinkers, ordering wine off a wine list can feel like decoding a foreign language\u2014no one wants to feel pressure at their restaurant table trying to order the \u201cright\u201d wine for their meal.<\/a> And that\u2019s exactly what the industry hopes to change. Wine sales have been on a slow but steady decline in recent years, leaving wineries with the pressing question: How do you capture the attention\u2014and the palates\u2014of the younger generations of taster? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The State of Wine Sales <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The landscape of wine consumption is shifting between generations\u2014younger consumers face an endless array of beverage options. New craft beers, spirits, hard seltzers, and non-alcoholic<\/a> alternatives seem to pop out every other week. Coupled with cultural shifts and changing habits, wine faces stiff competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem lies in the fact that the Gen-Z and Millennial generations are not yet replacing the wine drinking rates of the Baby Boomers. According to Silicon Valley Bank\u2019s<\/a> 2024 State of the US Wine Industry report, only about 20% of wine consumption in 2024 came from people under 40. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite decreasing wine consumption, winemakers across the West are not worried\u2014they are confident the unparalleled experience of wine will speak for itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Younger Drinkers Actually Want <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lindsey Reed, a wine expert local to Santa Barbara, California, is all for spreading wine education. Growing up around the food and drink industry, Reed fell in love with wine and never looked back. Combining her restaurant experience with her geology degree, Reed is passionate about the intricacies of wine\u2019s production\u2014and the beauties of its experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reed runs the wine bar at Aperitivo<\/a>, a must-try cozy Italian restaurant in the heart of Santa Barbara, and also teaches a wine appreciation and tasting course offered through UC Santa Barbara that is offered for anyone. Her goal? Demystify wine. <\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a> <\/span>\"Aperativo<\/div>
Aperitivo Wine Bar<\/figcaption>

Courtesy of Lindsey Reed<\/p><\/figure>\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to slowly make the wine industry an inclusive and educational place\u2014and start it young,\u201d said Reed. \u201cI just want people to be able to say, \u2018This is what I like.\u2019 And order it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To Reed, one of the bigger issues in the wine world is its prestige and elitist culture among many high-end wine buyers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWine shouldn’t just be this high-end experience. It should be sitting at a table with friends and family, enjoying what\u2019s in front of you,\u201d said Reed. \u201cThat\u2019s the heart of it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patterns among her students and across the wine industry show younger drinkers are leaning towards lighter bodied, lower-alcoholic wines. Reed noticed a clear shift\u2014from 15-16% ABV bottles to those between 12-13%\u2014with a rise in interest in white wines or wines with a fun, unexpected flavor profile. Most notably, she says, they prefer wines that are ready to drink now, rather than waiting years for them to age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for Reed, making wine more approachable isn\u2019t about dumbing it down\u2014it\u2019s about inviting people in. The simple shift\u2014towards confidence, clarity, and narrative\u2014is exactly what many wineries across the West are starting to embrace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharing the Story Behind Wines<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/a> <\/span>\"Lange<\/div>

Courtesy of Lange Estate<\/p><\/figure>\n\n\n

At Lange Estate Winery<\/a>, sitting in the terroir-rich Dundee Hills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, storytelling is just as essential as crafting their estate-grown wines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Known for their iconic Pinot Noir<\/a>, the family-run winery also specializes in Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Second generation winegrower and winemaker Jesse Lange believes the future of wine heavily lies in reconnecting people to the personal and emotional core of the beverage\u2014from its history to the delicate farming process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our trademark phrase around here is ‘It’s your palate\u2014it’s your party,'” said Lange. The mantra reflects the winery’s ethos: Wine is your own unique experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To Lange, just one sip captures a moment, a place, a process, and an experience that cannot be replicated in trending canned beverages today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery craft-bottle of wine is a singularity,\u201d said Lange. “It\u2019s a liquid time-capsule that captures a sense of place and specific conditions that will never be replicated again.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And he’s not alone in that view. Expert Lindsey Reed sees younger drinkers-especially her students\u2014light up when they realize there’s a story in their glass. “When you give something a story you give it life, and a taster will love it that much more,” said Reed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Lange, wine’s allure and unique complexity is unmatched. The viticulture behind winemaking is a prime example of the sustainable and organic farming that resonates with the younger generation, and according to Lange, is what needs to be exemplified more in the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Wine is the most ancient, complex, and delicious beverage on the planet and therefore the most compelling,” he said. “It’s not even close.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Lange Estate’s 800-foot elevation winery and tasting room overlooking the snow-capped Cascades, Lange hopes visitors will see wine not as something exclusive or intimidating\u2014but as a shared experience in beautiful places grounded in inclusivity and community among your friends and family.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a> <\/span>\"Lange<\/div>

Courtesy of Lange Estate<\/p><\/figure>\n\n\n