Whether you prefer drinking craft beer or wine and spirits, you probably have a favorite local liquor store where you purchase these beverages. If you’re an oenophile, or wine connoisseur, however, chances are that you may only shop at special wine stores. In addition to purchasing your favorite bottle at local wine stores to serve at home, you may also enjoy going out for cocktails, appetizers, and meals with family and friends.

Since you’d like to learn more about the wine industry, you’ll probably be interested in a 2013 report from Impact Databank. They found that the United States consumed over 329 million cases of wine during that year alone. As a result, the United States was considered to be the largest wine-consuming nation during that time period.

In 2014, Nielsen scan data showed that Americans tend to prefer red over white wine. When considering the dollar volume sold, red wine came in at 51%, while white wine came in at 46% with an increase of 6%.

Millennial-aged wine lovers alone consumed 159.6 million cases of wine in 2015. This comprised 42% of the wine sold in the United States that year. On average, Millennials will enjoy drinking 3.1 glasses of wine at a time, while Gen Xers will have 2.4 glasses. Baby Boomers will usually just have 1.9 glasses. While the younger crowd may appear to be thirstier than their older oenophile counterparts, chances are that they just really enjoy exploring and tasting different types of wine.

Millennials also appear to be purchasing more expensive wine than other generations, including Baby Boomers. Within the past month, for example, 17% of Millennials purchased a bottle that cost over $20.00. This is compared with only 5% of Baby Boomers and 10% of other generations.

The good news for oenophiles is that the United States is the home to over 7,700 wineries. Whether you prefer white or red, you may be interested to know the most popular varietals:

• Chardonnay
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Pinot Grigio
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir

Whether you have 1 or more glasses of your favorite wine at a time, you may want to expand your discerning palate with a new varietal. The next time you stop by your favorite wine store, be sure to inquire about their new wines. Even though you may decide to be loyal to your usual Cabernet Sauvignon, wine always makes a wonderful gift for family and friends.