Maia Gosselin of Sip Wine Education teamed up with Adam Carmer, the original owner and creator of The Freakin’ Frog, founder and curator of The Whiskey Attic, author of The Method and inventor of CSTEM (Carmer Spirits Tasting Enhancement Method. He was also Steve Wynn’s first hotel Sommelier and is a professor for UNLV’s Harrah’s Hotel College to discuss how Millennials have changed the way we drink wine (hey, our own David Klemt has addressed this topic as well, here). Millennials, simply put, do not like to be told, they liked to be taught. “I believe everyone wants to be informed but nobody wants to be educated,” said Adam.
Millennials, being all about the story and much less about established, well known labels, are interested in wines that are unique. However, it’s important to avoid bringing in nothing but unique wines. Similarly, if you’re serving up craft beer, don’t bring in only craft beer. Maia and Adam have discovered that Millennials don’t seem to be sensitive to price points. Rather, they’re sensitive to whether or not all of your wines are available by the glass; they want access to everything you have without needing to purchase bottles. Bearing that in mind, Millennials don’t appear to be intimidated by $15 glasses or $40 bottles but they do seem to be unwilling to pay for bottles near the $100 price point.
When it comes to what wines you should have on offer, sparkling wine is a must if you have fried bar food on the menu. Millennials, unlike the previous generation that embraced New World wines but seemed to shun or be intimidated by Old World wines, are interested in exploring and experiencing all types of wines from all wine regions so capitalize on their desire to try everything. Should you find yourself considering the adoption of new trends in wine, such as canned offerings or box wines, bring in a few items but then seek out guest feedback before bringing in more. Finally, don’t be afraid of boxed wines as many European producers have been attracted to bag-in-box wines for the lower production and shipping costs. While boxed wine was once an item to be ridiculed, it is slowly becoming more upscale.