According to the Wine Market Council’s sixth annual U.S. Wine Consumer Trends presentation, the new year marks 17 years of consecutive growth of wine consumption in the United States.
John Gillespie, president of the Wine Market Council, revealed that through two recessions, wine consumption continued to grow at reduced rates. In 2010, U.S. consumers drank 276 million cases of table wine. Wine drinkers who consume wine daily, several times a week or about once a week, is about 20 percent of the population, and account for 91 percent of all wine consumption. Marginal drinkers who drink wine less often than weekly represent 31 million United States adults.
In the millennial group, ages 17 to 34, wine drinking is on the rise, with six percent drinking wine daily, 26 percent drinking wine several times a week, and 19 percent drinking wine once a week on average. Drinkers ages 35-46 and 47-65, Generation X and the Baby Boomers respectively, are also consuming more wine on a regular basis.
The results of the presentation also reveal that Baby Boomers are drinking Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot rather than Dry Rose and White Zinfandel, as well as drinking less Champagne and sparkling wines. Drinkers are still watching how much they spend on wine, but there is slow growth at the mid and high ranges.
Two-thirds of wine drinkers and 40 percent of marginals use the Internet to get information on wine, said Gillespie. More than half of all wine drinkers use Facebook or a smart phone application.
