Generation Difference or Simply Age-Related?

One of the biggest challenges of Millennial watching is discerning what differences between younger and older age cohorts are likely to be truly generational differences and which are simply due to age? Only time will tell of course. But it doesn't stop us from speculating which of the categories and decisions they are making now will carry over later in life. Case in point: Wine drinking. WineSpiritDaily.com reported earlier this week that young adults (21-31) in France are drinking less wine than ever before, but drinking more beer and spirits.

Is this truly a generational difference or a choice that younger drinkers will reconsider as they grow older? It's hard to say. In the US, younger drinkers (21-25) have traditionally favored beer and spirits over wine. According to Mintel, penetration of beer and spirits is more than twice that of wine (55% vs. 25%).

The only way to really know is to look at the underlying values and motivations of this group. Is there truly a shift in the way that they perceive alchohol? What they consider the 'good life'? The importance of wine to the national character?

A qualitative research project jointly organized by Sonoma State University and Montpellier attempted to find out why French millennials aren’t drinking wine. Among the top reasons why young French adults are choosing not to drink wine, most appear to be age-related, not generational:

• Many French millennials consider wine to be a drink for older people.
• Some French millennials simply do not like the taste of wine. In fact, when they did drink it, most said they preferred sweet white wines such as muscat, moelleux, or Sauternes.
• Also, good wine tends to be too expensive while beer is cheaper.
• (Surprisingly), many of the young French adults said wine is confusing.

Only one of the top five reasons appears to be potentially generational: a strong anti-alcohol movement in effect in France since 1991 has impacted wine consumption disproportionately and led some young consumers to steer clear of wine altogether. The study's recommendations to help boost France’s domestic wine industry (enhancing wine education and culture in schools and universities offering smaller bottles on-premise and making labels more colorful) are unlikely to impact this trend. As you look at consumption or usage differences among younger people, it is a good idea to ask whether any observable changes are truly generational, or something they may 'grow out of'.