Why Americans are drinking less wine for the first time in 25 years
Consumption dropped almost 1% while spending increased
A bottle of white, a bottle of red or perhaps a bottle of... something else instead?
Wine consumption among Americans is on the decline, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing a study by alcoholic beverage analytics database IWSR, which found that Americans consumed less wine in 2019, ending the consistent rise in consumption since 1994.
Consumption in the U.S. dropped 0.9 percent last year, according to the study. The reason? Millennials are choosing alcoholic beverage alternatives such as hard seltzers while Baby Boomers are laying off the hard stuff, according to the study.
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“Millennials are just not embracing wine with open arms compared to previous generations,” IWSR Americas COO Brandy Rand told the Journal. “With the rise in low and no-alcohol products and general consumer trends toward health and wellness, wine is in a tough place.”
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According to IWSR, baby boomers are drinking less due to lower disposable income and health concerns. And where baby boomers would stick to broad wine or beer drinking, IWSR concluded, millennials choose to drink across varieties.
Despite the decline in consumption, spending on wine in 2019 increased by 1.1 percent to $38.3 billion. The Journal reported that consumers are now paying more for their wine, avoiding $10 bottle bargains.