In 2002, more than 20 percent of African-American wine consumers drank champagne and sparkling wine, up from 16.2 percent in 1994, according to a survey by Adams Beverage Group, a trade publication based in Connecticut. In that same period, white-wine consumers drinking sparkling wines steadily hovered at 18 percent.
Another survey by Scarborough Research confirmed that more blacks are drinking champagne and sparkling wine, and found they tend to be between ages 21 and 34. Scarborough also found that wine consumers who have been to an R&B/hip-hop concert in the past year are more than twice as likely to have bought sparkling wine in the past three months.
The changing demographic of champagne drinkers from older white male baby boomers to young African Americans has gone largely unnoticed by the wine industry. The reason for this is that the industry focuses its marketing on people who already drink wine. Younger, hipper champagne drinkers aren't necessarily wine consumers.
"They're not reaching out to emerging markets," said Alisa Joseph, vice president of advertiser marketing services for Scarborough, based in New York. The industry also ignores women and Hispanics, said wine consultant John Stallcup of Napa, Calif.
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