When drinkers in the United States are asked whether they most often consume wine, beer or liquor, wine now ties beer as the top choice, according to a recent Gallup poll. More good news for wine producers who are looking for new markets is that wine consumption among Latinos has grown even more dramatically than for non-Hispanics over the past five years.
A study conducted by Experian Simmons, a consumer research firm, indicates that the number of glasses of wine consumed by Latinos increased by nearly 50 percent between 2005 and 2010 (the increase for non-Hispanics was a relatively modest 16 percent). Part of the explanation for this uptick in Latino wine consumption is merely demographic, as half of the U.S. population increase over the past decade has been Hispanic, but a shift in socioeconomic and cultural development among longer-established Latinos in the U.S. is also a significant part of the equation.
Savvy wine producers are, of course, taking note of this burgeoning market. Among the wineries targeting Latinos in advertising campaigns is Beringer Vineyards, which has produced Spanish-language commercials and educational programs for Latino TV networks in Southern California. Many wineries are placing Spanish-language ads in supermarkets with a strong Hispanic customer base, and some are advertising wine on Spanish language billboards in South Texas, targeting the strong Latino population there.
Another factor in successfully luring Hispanic drinkers away from beer and towards wine has been the efforts of Latino vintners themselves. Their number is small but growing, and efforts to pitch their product to the Hispanic market are proving successful.
An article in Bloomberg Businessweek quotes Amelia Ceja, of Carneros’s Ceja Vineyards, who says that half of Ceja’s wine club is Hispanic, and that one way her wines are promoted is through dinners where she pairs traditional Mexican cuisine with Ceja Vineyards wines. Ceja’s website also includes a selection of recipes along with wine pairing suggestions, including mussels in a spicy broth accompanied by Pinot Noir, seared salmon on a tomato-sweet pepper puree with Chardonnay, and a chocolate-sauced bread pudding with Cabernet Sauvignon.
With such tempting dishes, by all means hold the beer, bring on the wine!
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