Beringer ‘appeals to millennials’

Napa winemaker Mark Beringer has said his Quantum and Luminus labels are aimed directly at millennials, with their “uncomplicated” branding.

Travel instagrammers, Mourad Osmann and his wife, Natalia Zakharova at the Beringer vineyards as part of its ‘#BetterBeckons’ campaign

Speaking to the drinks business HK during a whistlestop tour of Asia which has taken in Mainland China, Taipei and Japan, Mark Beringer who returned to his family’s historic Napa winery last year, explained that the company had purposefully created the two brands, Luminus and Quantum to tap into America’s Millennial generation which is currently driving the country’s wine consumption.

“My great-great-grandfather started this winery in 1876,” he said. “That’s a lot of history and tradition for America and we keep this tradition through the branding of our premium label, the Private Reserve, but for the younger generation, we have marketed Luminus and Quantum specifically for them.”

The 2014 Luminus, the third vintage of Beringer’s Chardonnay is “fruit driven, with a good use of oak but fresh and uncomplicated, which is what my daughters’ generation are looking for,” said Mark.

“It’s the same for our Quantum. It’s our Meritage blend of 75% Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Syrah and Petit Verdot, but we’ve just called it ‘red wine’ on the label, and made the ‘Q’ of Quantum the main focus rather than the Beringer name which due to its history, younger drinkers may associate with their parents’ generation.”

The Instagram duo at Beringer’s Rhine House.

It’s this approach which has seen Beringer’s success in China, specifically with its sparkling Zinfandel which appeals to the sweeter palates of China’s wine drinkers, it has fallen out of favour with America’s younger market who are now plumping for “sweeter red wine with cool branding” such as neighbouring Napa winery, The Prisoner Wine Company.

Last year, Beringer also partnered up with famed travel Instagrammer, Mourad Osmann for its ‘#BetterBeckons’ campaign.

Osmann has racked up nearly 4 million followers on his ‘Follow Me To’ Instagram account with his now wife, Natalia who leads him by the hand to various exotic locales and the couple shot the Better Beckons images in Beringer’s vineyards and at the Rhine House where Beringer hosts its wine tastings.

Mark heralds this move as Beringer’s new focus to be considered a “wine-travel-lifestyle brand.”

“It’s by generating the interest in our vineyards through marketing campaigns like this that means we can introduce our potential consumers to our other higher end brands such as Private Reserve which they’ll then hopefully grow into as they get older,” he said.