Cheers! Youth develops taste for wine

Mark Beringer discusses the merits of his family’s winery

While wine may still be a drink that’s associated with age, a 140-year-old winery is discovering that more from the so-called millennial generation are ditching cocktails for a glass of red or white.

In an interview during his first visit to the Philippines, Mark Beringer, chief winemaker of Beringer, said the United States is “seeing a major shift to wine among the young drinkers.” Their tastes, however, differ from, say their parents’ generation of wine drinkers.

“People are not as concerned about where the wine comes from. [They want] wines that are more about the flavor, wines that are more about the food [they can be paired with], wines that are ready to drink,” said Beringer, who is only the winery’s eighth winemaker since it was put up by his great-great-grandfather. Known today as one of the most iconic American wine brands, Beringer is also California’s longest operating winery.

Beringer was in the country recently for a master class at M Cafe in Makati and talked about his family’s history and products. He also led a wine-and-food pairing session, which featured local fare alongside the wines.

The same trend holds true for the Philippine market, said Marcus Ingleby, global wine company Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) portfolio senior brand manager for Southeast Asia, Middle East and Africa. Beringer is part of TWE’s roster of brands. It is distributed here by Happy Living Fine Wine.

“We traverse a lot of demographics. We’ve got connoisseurs who like the really old wines, but then we’ve also got this massive growth category wherein all our customers are millennials,” said Ingleby, classifying such market as aged 20-35. “They’re relatively impatient, wanting wine to drink now. Their palates are looking for more rounder flavors.”

Ingleby believes this is because the younger generation has become more “worldly.”

“People have studied overseas, lived overseas, or traveled, and wine is something they drink to express that level of sophistication in their lives,” he said.

And since their customers are also more digital, Beringer is keeping up with the times by creating a stronger presence on social media.

For their latest campaign, “Better Beckons,” the brand worked with Instagram-famous couple Murad and Nataly Osmann, who are known for their #FollowMeTo series. The couple was photographed in different spots in the US in their signature pose—only this time, Nataly is holding a glass of Beringer wine.

“The younger wine drinkers also like wines with a good story, and Beringer definitely has that,” Ingleby said.