Every night at dinnertime, Latino families have made the switch from grape picker to wine drinker. The new love for wine has evolved because of how its taste brings out or calms the flavors of Mexican food.
Wine was never on the menu a generation ago for those who grew up in California's Central Valley where many Mexican-born parents picked crops, including grapes. Today in homes of Latinos, wine bottles line up next to plates of quesadillas and carne asada.
Research shows wine consumption among Latinos has increased dramatically over the past five years, much faster than for non-Latinos. The number of glasses of wine consumed by Hispanics per month climbed by nearly 50% between 2005 and 2010, while for non-Hispanics the increase was a more modest 16.
As Latino consumers are uncorking reds and whites, the wine industry is trying to attract more of America's largest ethnic group. Several winemakers are running media campaigns aimed at Latinos. And the wine trade association in California's agricultural heartland is focusing its upcoming wine tasting and competition on them.
Part of what's pushing the increase in consumption is sheer demographics. Hispanics accounted for more than half of the U.S. population increase over the last decade. The other factor: a socioeconomic and cultural shift among the more established Latino generations.
As the tastes of the Latino consumers get to be a little more acculturated, as their palates change, as they become more affluent and educated, they are turning to wine.
Latinos, who make up 50 percent of Fresno County’s population, are enjoying wine at dinner parties, networking events, wine tastings and family barbeques.
Placencia, who was born in the small farm town of Cutler and picked grapes as a child, wasn't exposed to wine until he moved to San Francisco to attend college. There he met people who introduced him to the Napa and Sonoma valleys. Placencia attended vineyard and cellar tours, talked with winemakers and fell in love with wine. He even convinced his parents to try it.
The switch was easier, he said, because wine matches perfectly with Hispanic cuisine. Family favorites include enchiladas suizas with green sauce paired with a Viognier; crispy tostadas with ground beef and salsa with a Chardonnay; or carne asada ranchera style with a Serat or a Zinfandel.
Despite the growth, industry experts say the Hispanic market is largely untapped. They really have not done a good job of translating their product to that demographic. Given the growth of the Hispanic segment of the market, it seems apropos that they find out what people in this group want to drink.
A group which represents over half of California's wine industry, has teamed up with the Hispanic Chamber to put together a panel of Latino judges to help select California's best wines. The results will help the industry group better promote wine to that ethnic group.
Some wine makers are already working on that.
Napa Valley-based Beringer Vineyards launched a campaign that includes Spanish-language TV spots and educational programs on Latino television networks in Southern California, sampling events and Spanish-language displays in Latino supermarkets and national chains with a large Hispanic customer base. Hispanics are one of the fastest growing segments of wine drinkers, so they wanted to introduce their big iconic wine to them.
The company didn't just translate its materials into Spanish, instead, it tailored its message to revolve around family traditions, an integral part of Latino culture.
After a successful pilot this winter, sales in some stores outperformed the general market. Beringer plans to launch the same campaign this spring in California and, later this year, in Texas and New York.
Banfi Vintners, an Italian winemaker that exports wine to the U.S., has put up Spanish-language billboards and in-store displays in southern Texas. The campaign was spurred by growth in the largely Hispanic market around Dallas and Fort Worth metro area. It resulted in a double digit percentage increase in sales and will be expanded to additional markets.
The biggest outreach to Latino wine consumers has come from Latino vintners. Latino winemakers are tapping their neighbors and families, connecting with Latino organizations and educating Latinos about wine.
Latino wine consumers are taking pride in seeking out Latino wine makers. They feel they know their story because it's like their own family history, the immigrant story they can relate to.
So many Latinos have relatives from just a generation or two before them that were grape pickers. They have a family history that was largely impacted by the wine industry. If mainstream wine companies want to win over the Latino community they need to also address labor standard concerns such as pesticides and wages for farm workers. Wine companies need to realize that without the Latino population’s contributions the wine market may not be what it is today.
