Market research by wine producer Vincor Canada shows the country’s twentysomethings to be less knowledgeable than older demographics about VQA wines.
The company, a division of New York-based wine firm Constellation Brands, ran its research ahead of the launch of a new line of VQAs marketed to what it calls the “millennial generation.” It described millennials as consumers from about ages 20 to 35.
The company’s recently-released “Open” line of VQA Niagara Peninsula wines is to be marketed to what it described as “a cohort with the upbringing and shared values that make them very receptive to the idea of being adventurous and trying new things.”
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“Our research shows us that while they know much about many topics, 20- to 30-year-old Canadian wine drinkers don’t know a lot about VQA wines,” said brand team leader Casey Howe in a release Monday, “so it’s exciting to introduce this savvy demographic to our exceptional home-grown Canadian wines.”
VQA is the government-sanctioned, industry-regulated Vintners Quality Alliance symbol, which currently applies only to wines produced in Ontario and B.C. that meet regulations on production, content, varietal percentage, appellation and vintage.
The VQA standard is regulated in Ontario by VQA Ontario and in British Columbia by the British Columbia Wine Institute.
“VQA represents the essence of Ontario wines, and the typical wine consumer of VQA wines is a baby boomer,” Vincor said in its release.
“If millennial wine lovers are drawn to Open wines, we really should take the opportunity to educate,” Howe said.
Vincor’s Open line, currently available only at LCBO outlets in Ontario, includes a Riesling-Gewurztraminer, Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot (Cab2-Merlot) blend, “targeted to appeal to the millennial crowd, drawing them into a VQA wine purchase, while the quality will satisfy the discerning taste of wine aficionados.”
The company said the wines’ flavours, combined with “alluring” packaging and an $11.95-per-bottle price tag, “makes an attractive choice for this younger generation for the next social gathering.”
