Hop Kiln winemaker Chuck Mansfield was featured in Wine Enthusiast’s May 2011 issue in their article on “Wines Changing Face: How does an increasingly diverse U.S. population impact the wine industry?”

As a leader in the Millennial segment, which the magazine calls, “Perhaps the most influential emerging demographic in wine culture,” next to the growing Hispanic, African-American and Asian populations, the 26-year old Chuck finds that what sets his generation apart is “their universe of information.”

“While my parents may reach out to a couple of trusted friends for recommendations, people my age are more likely to get this ‘word’ from Internet review sources like yelp.com,” he continues.

The Millennial Generation, also called Generation Y, describes the current under-30 demographic born between the late 1970’s and early 2000’s, 80 million of whom will be reaching wine drinking age in the next 10 years, according to the magazine.

Millennials are marked, as Chuck notes, by their high comfort level with digital technology, communications and the media. To wit, the magazine points out that “67% of Millennials get wine information online, compared to 48% of Boomers.

A sense of experimentation in seeking out new varietals and a desire to connect with producers who embody their ideals is also what Chuck’s generation is known for, rather than just seeking out a good value. “When growers and winemakers are truly dedicated to sustainable, organic and biodynamic principals, embracing them as a philosophy as opposed to a marketing campaign, it creates a powerful bond with like-minded Millennials,” he says.

Click here to read the entire article.

In case you didn’t know…

Also, for all those wine lovers out there – they have Leonetti right now.

Sonoma’s Hop Kiln Winery submitted both their premium estate-grown HKG Estate varietals and proprietary blends for judging at the San Francisco Chronicle’s prestigious wine competition and won 3 silver medals, including one in the Pinot Noir category for their HKG 2009 Estate Grown Russian River Valley Pinot Noir.

Silver medals were also awarded to their HKG Russian River Valley Estate Rose of Pinot Noir in the Dry Rose category and to the 2009 Thousand Flowers Proprietary Blend in the Other White Varietals and Blends category.

Hop Kiln Winery is located on the esteemed Westside Road in Sonoma’s venerable Russian River Valley. The winery is an old hops plantation, with a tasting room inhabiting the original, 105 year-old hops processing building included on the California Historic Registry. Hop Kiln’s abundantly rich acreage is planted with top-quality fruit, producing HKG Estate varietals: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Rose, and Pinot Grigio. The winery is in the process of converting all their property to estate plantings.