Italian wine sustainability: new trends in consumer behaviors for the millennial generation

PurposeThe role of sustainability is predominant in many aspects of consumer purchasing decisions. Millennials and young people are, in this field, potential players who buy and consume wine with ecosustainable decisions but, in the literature, these aspects are analyzed with nonuniform findings. This paper aims to investigate the wine consumption among young people belonging to the millennial generation, Y generation and Z generation considering also the gender.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a questionnaire with 2000 respondents. The data are analyzed to understand consumption decisions in the wine sector. This information is analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics (hypothesis test and multiple regression).FindingsThe results of the paper show a clear propensity to be sustainable of the young generation compared with the elderly, highlighting the role of Millennials. Moreover, considering gender, there is a greater sustainable wine tendency (considering both the environmental and the economic/decisional component) in female compared with male.Research limitations/implicationsThis work reflects the Italian reality of the pre-COVID-19 period. Obviously, the pandemic situation and the geographic scenario analyzed could change the results of a second wave of the survey.Social implicationsThis study contributes to improve the knowledge concerning the wine consumption habits of Italian young generations.Originality/valueThe paper manages to underline the different aspects of sustainability in the wine purchasing decisions by young consumers by focusing on the considered generations.