Wine needs to learn the language of Millennials

Targeting Millennials and speaking their language is an essential, long overdue strategy for the wine industry, according to a senior drinks analyst at Wine Vision 2015.

Wine is increasingly being left behind most other major segments of the alcohol inudstry in terms of dynamism and must catch up, Euromonitor International’s Spiros Malandrakis told an audience of wine professionals in Bilbao yesterday.

“Wine cannot rest on its laurels and needs to catch up both in terms of innovation and positioning as well as communicating its message to the ever illusive millennial generation,” he said.

“Beer is now firing on all cylinders on the back of the craft segment’s momentum and innovation pushing segments like flavoured lagers. Spirits are also witnessing a relative resurgence as a shift from white spirits and vodka towards brown spirits and micro offerings are providing dynamism there too.”

Malandrakis said of the latest orange wine trend in UK: “Do you think it’s because people like the taste more? No, it is because people are trying to find the next big thing and experiment.”

He said wine must work on its transition from the stories about grapes to a great story in a way that is not mystifying and speaks to the consumers.