Young adult interaction with wine in the UK Caroline Ritchie Welsh Department for Hospitality, Tourism and Events Management, Cardiff School of Management, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), Cardiff, UK Abstract Purpose – This paper aims to investigate how the 18- to 30-age group currently interacts with wine in a variety of settings. It seeks to establish how young adults in the UK currently perceive, use, purchase and consume wine. This is the next generation of UK wine consumers. Design/methodology/approach – A total of seven focus groups were held throughout England and Wales. Participants were between the ages of 18-30 and consumed wine. A gender balance reflecting UK wine consumption patterns was maintained. One focus group was run to incorporate atypical young wine consumers. Findings – Wine is for sharing but a bottle is too big for one person. This key result influences behaviours; younger adults may not buy wine, especially in the on-trade, but with age this inclusivity increased consumption with partners and friends. Paradoxically, whilst the public image of wine remains as a civilised cultured beverage, it is often consumed during heavy drinking sessions in private situations. In addition, young adult consumers may not actually know how much they spend on wine, but use media to suggest suitable prices in public forums. Research limitations/implications – The sample population used was small and may not be representative quantitatively. However, the use of focus groups enabled the gathering of significant qualitative data. Practical implications – The 18- to 30-age cohort is smaller than the 45 to 64s, who currently consume the most wine. Understanding how this population interacts with wine, identifying potential new markets, may enable the wine and hospitality industries to react effectively to their needs. Originality/value – Understanding how young adults interact with wine rather than their parents will increase understanding of changing behaviours in relation to the social usage of wine. Keywords Wines, Young adults, Culture (sociology), Consumer behaviour, United Kingdom Paper type Research paper Introduction As a trading nation the UK has a long history of interaction with wine for commercial as well as consumption purposes. Historically, a lack of production meant that wine was traditionally perceived a drink for the socially elite (Barr, 1995). Wine purchase and consumption started to become democratised in the UK during the 1970s (Jenster and Jenster, 1993). In 2008 the UK light[1] wine market was valued at £11.25 billion (Key Note, 2009a) and it is estimated to rise to approximately £13.33 billion by 2013. Indeed, the Vinexpo Studies (2009) show that the UK is the world’s largest consumer of imported wines and is likely to continue to be so. Current adult per capita consumption is over 26 litres, having doubled over the last 20 years (NTC Publications, 2000; The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0959-6119.htm The author would like to thank the Reims Management School for funding this project as part of an international study into young adults’ drinking behaviours. Young adult interaction with wine 99 Received 25 November 2009 Revised 23 February 2010 Accepted 18 April 2010 International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management Vol. 23 No. 1, 2011 pp. 99-114 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0959-6119 DOI 10.1108/09596111111101698