Young drinkers want variety over varietals

Sonoma has been synonymous with viticulture for more than a century, but the industry has not made as many inroads with younger generations who are not as enamored with the traditional tastes of wine country as past generations, industry experts said.

Even before alcohol consumption spiked in the pandemic, there were indications that the space wine held in the alcohol industry was shrinking with the advent of the extremely popular hard-seltzer brand White Claw, said Cynthia Gomez, vice president of marketing for Don Sebastiani and Sons International Wine Negociants. Gomez analyzes consumer trends and aids alcohol makers targeting specific consumer groups.

“The same marketing, the same tried and true wine approach that we've seen in the past — I don't think that works necessarily going forward. That's why you're seeing a lot of wine consumption going down,” she said.

Alcohol is evolving

Gomez said alcohol suppliers are “frantic” to keep up with the demand for more variety from young consumers, whether it’s hard kombucha or tea, or do-it-yourself- cocktails. According to a webinar on the future of alcohol among younger generations hosted by the online alcohol retailer Drizly, nearly three in five of its users are Millennials or Gen Z (people under 40).

Mariah Velasquez, 25, is the events and venue coordinator for the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals. She said the amount of variety offered today has expanded her palate to match her drink to the occasion.

“Maybe on weekends, we'll drink some wine, dinner with friends,” Velasquez said. “During the week, if I feel like I want a little something, I'll gravitate more towards like a hard kombucha or a seltzer.”

Beyond just a variety in flavors, younger customers want a range of alcohol levels, too. Sonoma native Sean Boisson recently launched his low-alcohol beer company Bella Snow. He said their customer base is split between men above 50, and people under 35.

“Half of our returning customers have been Baby Boomer men and the other half have been health conscious people under 35,” Boisson said. “We've been listening and watching when things happen... But the brand is evolving, and I don't think it'll ever stop evolving.”

Velasquez added, “I love how there's more of a variety now. There's more than just drinking wine or beer. It's a little overwhelming too...but it's it's also kind of fun.”

Even larger brewing companies in Sonoma County, such as Lagunitas, are focused on innovating the product line to appeal to a group of consumers who can never have too many options, said Paige Guzman, chief marketing officer for Lagunitas.

“We are focusing more on innovation and just launched a third flavor of our hard tea, Disorderly TeaHouse, in Peach Slice, which will be available in the Disorderly TeaHouse’s new VarieTEA 12-pack starting mid May,” Guzman said.

Marketing to this younger demographic is also reflected in the packaging of products. Boisson originally marketed Bella Snow to women as a low-alcohol alternative to traditional beers. But upon observing the data of who was buying Bella Snow, he made changes to the packaging that was more gender neutral with a simple black and silver aesthetic.

“I think they need to be creative about how they not only develop products that are authentic, but also in how they reach out to these consumers,” Gomez said. “Diversity is a huge component of this demographic, and this age group wants to see themselves reflected in what they purchase.”

Youth appeal

But variety only goes so far, industry experts said, and other ways to gain resonance with younger generations is curating “experiences” and committing one’s brand to social justice initiatives like environmentalism and human rights.

Viansa Winery is one of the innovators in attracting a younger consumer base through appeals to social issues. In Viansa’s case, their environmental initiatives have earned the business a sustainability certificate from Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, said general manager Christopher Sebastiani.

“One of the biggest unique attributes for us is our waterfowl preserve. It’s reclaimed farmland that used to be naturally occurring mud plane, which acts as a migratory habitat for ducks and geese,” Sebastiani said.

Viansa is a fourth-generation winery, and the winemaking heritage appealed to older consumers. Yet for an emerging consumer base with contrasting values, championing four generations of winemakers “doesn’t always resonate with a younger generation as well as it does with older generations.”

Likewise, the experience of Wine Country isn’t as sought after as it once was, Gomez said. Wine tasting is still a magnet, but it remains to be seen whether a younger generation will have the same enthusiasm for tasting room visits as previous iterations of tourists.

“You have your traditional wineries that are brick and mortar, and they sell an experience and they sell wines,” Gomez said. “And I think what they need to do is learn how to sell the experience to this cohort.”

Generational changes to the wine industry made vintners more intelligent, both in winemaking and hospitality, he said. Millennials have eclipsed the size of the Baby Boomer generation in the United States, and with it, wineries have seen a change in demand. Or rather, a demand for changes.

“I still really love wine... I'll buy a nice bottle here and there,” Velasquez said. “But also, I'm 25. I'm just starting out and I like nicer wines. If I'm gonna buy something I'd rather buy something I like — and it's kind of expensive out in this area.”

No one could have predicted the seismic shifts the alcohol industry has seen in recent years, Sebastiani said. And even if someone had predicted the popularity of hard kombucha and beer manufacturers making hard iced tea, no one would have believed them.

“The innovators succeeded and survived during a time of great change during the pandemic,” Sebastiani said. “And some of those who weren’t able to innovate and weren’t able to get smart about appealing to a different crowd, unfortunately didn’t make it. Which is sad, but it’s also something that ensures the industry’s survival in the long run.”

Contact Chase Hunter at chase.hunter@sonomanews.com and follow @Chase_HunterB on Twitter.