This segment of U.S. consumers drinks nearly half of the wine

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If you guessed ‘millennials’, you guessed correct! 

Though millennials comprise just 26% of the population, according to USA today, they consume 42% of the nation’s wine.

Read more: The health benefits of coffee and wine

The Wine Market Council, a non-profit association of grape growers, wine producers, importers, wholesalers, and other affiliated businesses and organizations found that millennials drank 159.6 million cases of wine in 2015, about two cases per person. For the heaviest wine drinking category, millennials drank 3.1 glasses of wine per sitting, more than heavy wine drinkers in other age categories. In addition, millennials make up 30% of those who drink wine several times per week, with Baby Boomers at 38% and Gen Xers at 20%. 

Of those avid wine drinkers under 30, 67% were women, while older millennials were split 50/50 among men and women. 

‘Wine is winning with women,’ said the council. 

Wine connoisseurs

As far as price is concerned, millennial consumers aren’t just drinking cheap wine. Nielsen found that the average price of a bottle of wine was $7.81 in 2015, and 17% of millennials has spent over $20 for a bottle of wine in the past month. For all other age groups, 10% of people has spent over $20 on a bottle of wine in the last month. 

Preferences for wine sourcing ranged from Oregon to Chile and Greece for millennials, while most other wine drinkers preferred wine from California. 

Millennials are also, perhaps not surprisingly, the most likely to talk about wine on Facebook! 

Watch: Millennials: How to overcome the financial hurdles of your generation

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Strategies to save on wine

If you want to savor your favorite blend but not spend as much, here are some strategies to save! 

  1. Buy in bulk. If you know you’ll be enjoying wine often, buying in bulk can be a great strategy. Brad’s Deals actually has a deal going on right now for 15 bottles of wine for $80! Get this deal. 
  2. Look for sales. Sometimes grocery stores have good deals during a sale. Check the weekly ad to see if any of your favorites show up. Aldi also has $5 wines! 
  3. Buy at a warehouse store. Costco only marks up their wine about 10-13%. 

Read more: 16 awesome ways to use leftover wine

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