Generation Y's perception of wine and consumption situations in a traditional wine-producing region

Purpose – This paper offers an in-depth analysis of Generation Y’s choices concerning the consumption of wine and other alcoholic drinks by examining the consumption situations in a traditional wine-producing country. Design/methodology/approach – The study applied the Multinomial Logit Model (MNL) involving a sample of Generation Y alcohol consumers in a city in northern Italy. Choice sets were constructed using the Bayesian efficient design, and each choice set included four consumption situations: at bars or pubs, at discos, at home, and at restaurants or pizzerias. Findings – Generation Y is aware of the different functions of alcoholic beverages in different consumption situations. Further, the type of company they keep influences their choice of beverage. Wine is the preferred drink in situations or occasions of conviviality or hospitality. However, this result only partly follows the traditional model of wine consumption. Segmentation elements are highlighted by considering gender and age. Practical implications – The research identifies some advantages of wine over other types of alcoholic beverages and some weaknesses in the strategies of wine companies. Consequently, six marketing topics emerge in order to develop a constructive relationship with Generation Y in Italy. Originality/value – This paper applies discrete choice models to consumption situations in order to analyse the variety of contexts, components and products compared with Generation Y’s preferences. It analyses the role of consumption situations in driving behaviour choices towards alcoholic beverages.