The Gallup Poll reported in November 2005 that the Americans are abandoning their old love, beer, for a new passion, wine. Now, the Wine Market Council has found that between 2000 and 2005, the American wine drinking population went up by 31% among adults in households that earned more than US$35,000 a year. At the same time, the number of adults drinking beer and/or spirits but not wine had dipped by 25%.

These findings were reported by Adam Lechmere in Decanter  magazine's online edition. Wine is increasingly the first choice as an accompaniment to meals in 'casual chain' restaurants, and at home, on occasions when the entire family dines in together. Wine is bringing families together on the American table.

Lechmere quotes Wine Market Council's Chair, Michaela Rodeno, as saying: "The tremendous surge in popularity for wine is coming from several sources. Young adults of the millennial generation are embracing wine in a manner not seen since the Baby Boomers took to wine in the 1970s." Beer and spirits drinkers, she added, are also increasingly finding they like wine as well.
The new-generation drinkers was also interested in learning more about wine and are open to experimenting with wine from all over the world.

The findings of the survey, based on interviews with 1,398 wine consumers by Merrill Research, were presented earlier this week at the Culinary Institute of America in St Helena, Napa.