Monday, 31 August, 2026
Wine Enthusiast, Emily Saladino
It should come as no surprise that a group nicknamed “the forgotten generation” is routinely ignored
Born between 1965 and 1980, Generation Xers are used to shrugging in the shadows. Members of the wine industry spend countless hours debating how best to attract and retain Millennials and Gen Z, and love comparing them to their Boomer predecessors. Meanwhile, Gen Xers are rarely mentioned. Their spending habits and side parts don’t inspire think pieces or TikTok memes, either.
It all raises questions about who wine professionals pay attention to and why. As wine sales dip amid social and economic headwinds, it benefits anyone who cares about wine to reevaluate how we talk to and about each other – and who gets left out of the conversation.
Some of it comes down to numbers. There are approximately 65 million Gen Xers in America, versus 74 million Millennials and 76 million Boomers at their peak.
While Xers are surrounded by more influential behemoths, they’re hardly lightweights. Members of Generation X are expected to drive consumer spending to $23 trillion by 2035, according to NielsenIQ.
Click HERE to read the full article.