New national study identifies the messages, media channels, and emotional connections that resonate with Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers.
August 6, 2026 (Napa Valley, CA) — Wine Market Council (WMC), in collaboration with research partner Material, has completed the final phase of a groundbreaking national study designed to help the wine industry communicate more effectively with today’s diverse generations of adult consumers.
The two-phase research project will analyze how wine is discussed across digital media, how perceptions differ by generation, and which communication strategies are most effective for engaging different consumer groups. Findings provide wineries, marketers, and industry organizations with research-based guidance on the messages, emotions, imagery, and communication channels most likely to connect with today’s wine consumers.
Research Designed for Today’s Communication Landscape
The primary objectives of the study are to understand how wine is encountered across media by Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X in terms of content and imagery, how their perceptions of wine are shaped by media and communications, and to identify tailored communication strategies for different demographic or consumer segments.
Phase One: Analyzing More Than 7 Million Consumer Conversations
The first phase focused on measuring the channels and type of content that these consumers were exposed to, using techniques of social listening and online anthropology. Material’s researchers analyzed more than seven million online conversations about wine across major digital platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, and other online channels.
Analysis of these conversations revealed 13 major themes that illustrate how consumers discuss, experience, and relate to wine. The findings highlighted important generational differences, including how Gen Z incorporates wine into different occasions and experiences compared with Millennials and Gen X consumers. These findings were shared in a webinar with WMC members on July 7, 2026.
Phase Two: Testing What Actually Works
Building on the first phase, researchers translated the 13 themes into specific communication strategies and marketing approaches. These concepts were then tested through a national online survey of 900 qualified participants using a 3 × 3 research design that examined three generations of consumers across three wine consumer segments: Core Wine Consumers, Marginal Wine Consumers, and Non-Adopters.
The study evaluated which combinations of communication channels, messaging, imagery, emotions, and other marketing cues are most successful in connecting with consumers, and identifying any significant differences by age, gender or level of wine engagement.
Actionable Insights for the Wine Industry
Preliminary findings reveal that while some communication approaches resonate broadly across generations, other strategies are highly generation-specific. The phase 2 webinar and final report will provide practical recommendations on which media channels, messages, graphics, emotional appeals, and communication tactics are most likely to engage different groups of wine consumers.
“Our previous research has identified both strengths and weaknesses of wine’s appeal, and differing attitudes among various consumers towards wine usage by occasion. But up until now, we haven’t known how these relate to the way wine appears in this river of media we all swim in. I’m optimistic this study will clarify that relationship,” said Christian Miller, Research Director at Wine Market Council.
“What stood out most in this research is how differently wine shows up in people’s lives depending on generation, the occasions, the language, even the emotions attached to it,” said Machias Turner, director at Material. “We combined social listening with quantitative research to understand how younger consumers talk about and discover wine, and where the industry’s current messaging misses them. For wineries and marketers, that’s the real value: concrete, research-backed guidance on which messages and channels actually resonate rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.”
Webinar on Survey Results Scheduled for August 20
The complete findings will be presented during an exclusive Wine Market Council member webinar on August 20, 2026.
For information on the webinar or Wine Market Council membership, visit http://www.winemarketcouncil.com or contact admin@winemarketcouncil.com.
About Wine Market Council
Wine Market Council is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 and supported by members committed to advancing the U.S. wine market through research and education. Its mission is “to conduct forward-looking market research on U.S. wine consumer buying habits, attitudes, and trends.”
Membership provides access to cutting-edge research on U.S. wine consumers, exclusive webinars, newsletters, data resources, industry statistics, and complimentary registration to the annual Wine Market Council Research Conference.
Memberships begin at $400 annually, depending on organization size. Members include wineries, growers, distributors, importers, regional, national, and international trade associations, and affiliated businesses throughout the wine value chain.
For membership information, visit: https://winemarketcouncil.com/join/
About Material
Material is an intelligent growth company with a 50-year history of helping clients build customer intelligence into brands, experiences and digital platforms that compete and win. Material works with world-class companies to drive demand-centric growth through integrated capabilities including insights-driven strategy, product design and innovation, customer engagement and digital platform engineering. In addition to serving the corporate market, through its subsidiary, Aruliden, Material has helped some of the world’s most celebrated cultural icons extend their personal brands into new product lines. Learn more at http://www.materialgrowth.com
