A chat about how wine matters to younger (and older) drinkers
Virginie le Brun's first memory of selling was as a young child, boarding a bus of visiting tourists and asking if they would be interested in buying bags of pine cones. It was her own idea to package up several bags of green pinecones, much to her mother's surprise, and (also to her mother's surprise) several people bought a bag.
It was a confidence building experience and it came naturally to Virginie. So, it's no surprise that led her as a young person into a part time role as a sales person for her family winery, No 1 Family Estate.
Virginie is now sales director for No 1. She and I had a virtual chat one Friday this month, after a couple of attempts to make it face to face, which will happen again some time in the not too distant. Our conversation focussed around the elephant in the wine room - sales challenges and how to appeal to younger generations who are the future of wine.
"Wine has always been there, for me, so I have never imagined it not being part of my thinking and my life, so in some ways it's hard to put myself in the shoes of those who don't think about wine," she says, candidly. "I'm as surprised as anyone who loves wine to find that younger generations may not but I think young people do like wine," she says.
"I wonder if the wine industry often misreads younger people because so many other new drinks products are so accessible in how they are presented, the size of packaging and even the colours used."
Instead of assuming younger generations are intimidated by wine, she suggests that they possibly simply overwhelmed by information.
Her instinct for engagement has become central to her philosophy on reaching younger consumers and while she's aware of flashy gimmicks and trends to simplify wine, Virginie sees a valid opportunity to appeal with relevance, in terms of communication as well as possible new packaging options.
As Sales Director of No 1 Family Estate, she is watching the landscape shift dramatically and sees today’s challenge as being about more than simply selling wine - "It’s making wine relevant to a generation that has endless beverage options."
Her career path from working at the family winery in Marlborough to selling it in Auckland, then working as a television presenter, prior to selling the family brand in London has taught her that younger audiences respond to brands that feel human rather than hierarchical.
“I went from being the pushy kid selling pinecones to persuading a UK company to become our distributor,” she says. “Everything I've learned has been about connection with people and my focus in work is on building relationships rather than pushing volume.
"That approach has become even more important as global wine sales tighten and younger generations explore alternatives like cocktails, RTDs, and alcohol‑free options."
For younger drinkers, she says that quality and story matter more than ever. They want to know who made the wine, why it exists, and what makes it worth choosing over a canned cocktail.
For No 1 Family Estate, that means leaning into what makes the brand stand out from others. It's the country's oldest sparkling wine-devoted producers and one of New Zealand's longest lived wine brands.
"There's always been a patience mirrored in our wines because all of them age for longer than most wines, prior to release. That long‑term approach in our production needs to be reflected in our approach to build trust with younger drinkers."
Perhaps the industry could also take a leaf or two out of that thinking to build trust in younger (and older) wine drinkers.
