How Millennial Taste Makers Are Changing The Game

The way consumers purchase their goods is changing more dramatically than ever. Tech innovation is changing the way people engage with their tastes. With daily grocery delivery available from Amazon.com, and with apps of every stripe to help you order the most delicious food to your door, millennials now able to curate and cultivate their tastes so specifically.

Even high-quality wine has become increasingly more affordable in recent years and millennials have been taking advantage, consuming up to 25% of what is being produced around the world. However, their spending habits where alcohol is concerned differ significantly from those of their parents. Choices considered to be traditionally popular or exclusive are of less interest; instead, a good quality, local selection from a small winery that has a story will be the first thing that grabs their attention.

Millennials Are Adventurous In Their Choices

Millennials are more inclined to take a risk and be pleasantly surprised than stick to what they know or play it safe. This generation thrives on newness – caring for authenticity, craft and design. They are more likely to choose the aesthetically pleasing bottle over a familiar brand, giving lesser known selections from smaller regions a shot.

A popular choice among young people is the Sibling Rivalry red and white by Henry of Pelham located in the Niagara region. The red is a mix of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon offering dark, juicy and lush berry flavours. There’s also a wood presence that comes through thanks to oak ageing. The white is a bright blend of Riesling, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer providing the freshness of lime and apple with a spritz of lychee fruit. The idea behind the wine’s name stems from the three sibling grapes competing for the drinker’s attention and it is this ingenuity that gets millennials on the bandwagon with a brand.

They Care For Wine Quality Over Wine Type

More than any other generation, millennials care about what goes into their bodies. It matters that their selections are organic, and farmed sustainably. There is also a movement towards buying locally. How long the wine has aged, or whether it comes corked, or even the type of grape that is used is less important – so long as they can taste the wine’s value. With a focus on living well and staying healthy, organic wine is on the rise among people within this age group more than any other. The Cabernet-Merlot VQA by Peninsula Ridge, vintage 2015, is among these. It is also a rich, full-bodied wine harnessing blackberry and blueberry flavours with soft, silky tannins.

Sustainable consumption is also important as millennials care for the future of the environment, therefore farming methods that allow winemakers to conserve energy and reduce waste are highly respected. The Canada White Riesling VQA by Konzelmann Estate Winery not only touches on millennials’ love of all things kitchy with the picture of a moose on the label, it meets their desire to support businesses that are supporting the planet. This sustainably farmed selection is crisp with a refreshing acidity. It has citrus fruit on the nose and on the palate, and offers a balanced sweetness. This bottle can be ordered through retailers like WineOnline.ca and delivered right to your door.

They Are More Inclined To Buy Online

Millennials have grown up in a culture where they’re used to buying items on demand, and their purchasing of wine is no exception. Because they’re the most tech savvy generation that is happy to experiment and explore selections that fly under the radar, online retailers will enjoy fostering a relationship with these folks for years to come.