In this article, we are going to discuss the top 20 wine brands popular among young consumers. You can skip our detailed analysis of the wine market in America, the current state of the American wine industry, and the sustainable wineries in the United States, and go directly to Top 5 Wine Brands Popular Among Young Consumers.
Wine is one of the oldest and most popular drinks in the world. Over the centuries, its consumption has evolved based on various factors such as demographic changes, consumer preferences, technological advances, climate change, and economic fluctuations. Trends emerge, then disappear. What is popular for one generation, is vino non grata to the next. As the younger generations are getting older and continue to have more purchasing power, keeping their needs and preferences in consideration will be paramount to the future growth of the global wine industry.
Wine Market in America:
As we mentioned in our article – 15 U.S. States that Produce the Most Wine – The United States was the world leader in the wine market last year in terms of revenue, with $52.7 billion. Although wine is produced in every state of the country, the majority of production takes place in the sun-soaked state of California, responsible for around 85% of the total U.S. wine production volume. In total, there are over 11,000 wineries spread across the nation, each crafting its own unique flavors in limited quantities. With total wine production of 22.4 million hectoliters in 2022, the U.S. ranks among the Top Wine Producing Countries in the World.
Organic/sustainable wine is a trend particularly popular among the Gen Z, and to a somewhat lesser extent the millennials. While in Europe this trend is well-established, with a third of French and Spanish consumers purchasing organic wine, in the U.S. it is just beginning to take hold. Organic/sustainable wine is currently an $8.6 billion market in the U.S., but is projected to grow to $21 billion by 2030.
State of the American Wine Industry:
The American wine industry has always assumed that younger generations would naturally increase their consumption of wine as they grew older, but the truth is that it’s not happening. A report by the Silicon Valley Bank shows how wine hasn’t gained the same traction among those under 60 as it has for baby boomers. Of survey respondents aged 35 to 44, 29% said they were more likely to bring beer to a party, while 28% said they would bring wine. Even younger drinkers, aged 21 to 34, were more likely to bring beer, spirits, a flavored malt beverage or hard seltzer over wine. But ask a 65 year-old what he or she plans to bring to a party and 49% are likely to grab a bottle of wine.
Winemakers and advertisers are missing out on younger consumers by failing to produce wines that fit their budgets and neglecting to reach out to them with targeted marketing campaigns. The notions of health, sustainability, and responsibility are essential to buying decisions for the Gen Z and millennials, and although many wineries are already addressing this, their messaging is only sometimes connecting to these young drinkers. In order to appeal to these whole new demographics of consumers, the wine industry as a whole has to take steps to inspire curiosity and intrigue about wine, and to highlight the aspects that would appeal to them.
Sustainable Wineries in the United States:
When we talk about sustainable wine-making, it is usually about the entire process and not just the additives at the end. There has been a concerted effort across the entire wine industry to transition towards biodiversity and organic farming. This means no pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers, and an all-around effort to promote a variety of plant life in the vineyard. In short – growing grapes in a way that is harmonious with nature. This is an approach that a massive amount of wine producers have embraced.
Based in California, The Duckhorn Portfolio, Inc. (NYSE:NAPA) makes wines and calls itself a manufacturing company, agricultural company, and marketing company all rolled into one. As one of North America’s premier producers, The Duckhorn Portfolio, Inc. (NYSE:NAPA) is dedicated to implementing responsible, sustainable practice in its vineyards.
The portfolio releases an annual report that summarizes its continued efforts to improve its environmentally focused practices at its vineyards and wineries. The company has earned several key certifications, including LEED Gold certification at Goldeneye Winery, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) certification for the estate vineyards on Mt. Harlan, and Fish Friendly Farming (FFF) certification at all of its North Coast Estate vineyards.
Stocks of NAPA were held by 20 out of 910 hedge funds in the Insider Monkey database at the end of Q2 2023, with Select Equity Group holding the largest stake of over 6.4 million shares, valued at $83.12 million. The Duckhorn Portfolio, Inc. (NYSE:NAPA) ranks among the 12 Best Alcohol Stocks to Own According to Hedge Funds.
Similarly, the Nevada-based Vintage Wine Estates, Inc. (NASDAQ:VWE) is a family of wineries whose singular focus is producing the finest quality wines and incredible customer experiences. The company has certified all its California Estate wineries and vineyards through the California Certified Winegrowers Alliance, with one vineyard (Laetitia Estate Vineyards) certified through Sustainability in Practice (SIP). Vintage Wine Estates, Inc. (NASDAQ:VWE)’s certified sustainable vineyards and wineries produce high quality grapes and wine, adhering to sustainable winegrowing and winemaking practices that are environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically viable.
Stocks of Vintage Wine Estates, Inc. (NASDAQ:VWE) were held by 5 out of 910 hedge funds in the Insider Monkey database at the end of Q2 2023, with Paradice Investment Management holding the largest stake of over 3.89 million shares, valued at $3.33 million.
With that said, here are the Favorite Wine Brands Among Young Adults.
Nejron Photo/Shutterstock.com
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to the Wine Handbook 2022 by the Beverage Information Group, looking for the Most Popular Wine Brands Among Young Consumers. The following brands have been ranked according to their market share among young American consumers aged 21 to 24 years old in 2021/22.
If you’re still at the dawn of your journey into the alluring world of vino, here are the Best Red Wines for Beginners and Casual Drinking.
20. FishEye
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 4.5%
FishEye wines are born in South Eastern Australia, where the beaches are bigger, the sun shines brighter, where the land is larger than life, and the fish are measured in feet, not inches.
Although FishEye wines may not be a top choice for wine connoisseurs, they’re always quite affordable, easy to find, and of consistent quality.
19. Corbett Canyon
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 4.6%
Corbett Canyon sources premium grapes grown from the top wine regions around the world which produces a greater concentration of flavors. To maintain the highest quality at the best value, Corbett Canyon is also available in a 3L Premium Box. The box locks in the flavors and aromas, keeping the wines fresh for up to six weeks after the first pour.
18. Ravenswood
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 4.7%
Founded in 1976, Ravenswood Winery is a Californian wine producer located in Sonoma County in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains. Ravenswood was acquired by the E. & J. Gallo Winery from Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) in 2021, in a landmark deal worth $810 million, which included more than 30 wine brands.
Stocks of STZ were held by 48 out of 910 hedge funds in the Insider Monkey database at the end of the company’s Q2, with Holocene Advisors holding the largest stake of 796,935 shares, valued at $196.15 million. Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) sits among the 11 Best Stocks to Buy in Falling Markets According to Hedge Funds.
17. Ménage à Trois
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 4.7%
Ménage à Trois is a value-priced California wine brand owned by Trinchero Family Estates. The unmistakable graphic interpretation of Ménage à Trois – twin dancers inspired by Rorschach inkblots – communicates the alluring, playful personality blended into every seductive sip.
16. Skinnygirl
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 5.3%
Initially built around selling pre-packaged, low-calorie margaritas, Skinnygirl was acquired by Jim Beam-owner Beam Suntory, Inc. in 2011. The very next year, the brand decided to launch a lineup of low-calorie California wines priced at $15 each. The wines, which are usually 20% lighter in calories than standard, are part of a growing trend to market low-calorie wines to a mostly female, millennial crowd.
15. Santa Rita
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 5.4%
Founded in 1880, the Santa Rita winery is set amongst 40 hectares of Renaissance-style gardens offering a colorful sanctuary, near the Chilean capital of Santiago. With innovation and sustainability at the forefront, Santa Rita is setting an example of renewal for wineries across the world.
With total wine exports of $1.91 billion in 2022, Chile ranks among the Top Wine Exporting Countries in the World.
14. Mezzacorona
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 5.7%
From the Italian region of Trentino, Mezzacorona is owned by and sources grapes from 1,600 families in the autonomous Italian region, some of whom farm organically, and all of whom comply with the EU sustainable standard. The winery is the largest Italian producer of Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.
Mezzacorona closed out 2022 with a record $224.5 million in sales, an increase of 8.6% from the previous year.
13. Dark Horse
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 5.7%
Dark Horse is a California wine brand owned by the beverage giant and wine exporter, E. & J. Gallo. Founded with the mission of delivering the distinction & opulence of a high-end wine at a price that its customers could actually afford, Dark Horse is usually mistaken for a $20 wine, even though it costs less than half the price and lives up to its namesake.
Dark Horse sits among the Most Popular Wine Brands for Young Drinkers.
12. Cupcake Vineyards
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 5.8%
Established in 2008, Cupcake Vineyards is a wine brand based out of California’s Central Coast. It specializes in value-priced wines, marketed for the American palate and sourced from established wine regions around the world.
Cupcake is among the Most Popular Sparkling Wine Brands in America.
11. Carlo Rossi
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 6.1%
Famous for its jug wines, which are larger than a standard bottle and have become iconic to the brand, Carlo Rossi is a California-based value wine brand established and owned by the beverage giant E. & J. Gallo.
10. Barefoot
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 6.1%
Barefoot Wines is a California winery founded in 1965 by Davis Bynum. The name, Barefoot, as casual and unconventional as it may seem, refers to a free spirit of practice, which includes crushing bare grapes. The wine brand was purchased by E. & J. Gallo Winery in 2005. Barefoot is one of the more affordable wines available on the American market. The E. & J. Gallo Winery ranks among the Largest Alcohol Companies in the World in 2023.
The Barefoot Spritzer is among the Top Wine Brands for Millennials.
9. Arbor Mist
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 7%
Produced by the Arbor Mist Winery in Canandaigua, New York, and packaged by Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ), Arbor Mist is an alcoholic beverage which blends wines such as Merlot, Zinfandel, and Chardonnay with fruit flavorings. Delightfully light and crisp, Arbor Mist has a lower alcohol content than most wines, and is usually cheaper than other similar alcoholic beverages.
8. Beaulieu Vineyard
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 7.3%
One of the longest continually operating wineries in Napa Valley, BV is big enough to wow your tastebuds but fresh and approachable enough to enjoy in the backyard with a juicy grilled steak. For more than 119 years, Beaulieu Vineyard has set the standard for crafting California wines that stand among the world’s finest.
BV is counted among the Top 10 Wines for Young Consumers in America.
7. Stella Rosa
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 7.5%
The idea for Stella Rosa’s half-sparkling, half-sweet wines was born in the San Antonio Winery tasting room in Los Angeles, but the wines themselves are produced in the northern Piedmont region of Italy. Stella Rosa is known and respected for making affordable but high-quality, low-calorie, low-sugar, low-alcohol, deliciously drinkable, and flavorful Italian wines.
6. Fetzer
Market Share Among Young Consumers: 7.8%
Fetzer Vineyards is a Californian winery and label with a wide catalog of wines and a reputation for pursuing sustainable practices. Fetzer was acquired by the Chilean wine company Viña Concha y Toro S.A. in 2011, in a deal worth $238 million.
Fetzer ranks 6th in our list of Top Wines for Young Drinkers.
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Disclosure: None. Top 20 Wine Brands Popular Among Young Consumers is originally published on Insider Monkey.