Many of America’s 21- to 29-year-old drinkers are choosing wine over other alcoholic beverages, according to a survey conducted by the Wine Market Council, a non-profit association of grape growers, wine producers, importers, wholesalers and other affiliated businesses and organizations.

This is the first time since the baby boom generation that an increase of wine consumption has taken place among younger drinkers, according to the council.

In DeKalb, however, beer and hard liquor continue to be the drinks of choice for college students.

“Beer is king,” said Louis Schoenburg, owner of American Liquors, 159 W. Lincoln Highway. “Mixable rums and that sort of thing are a close second.”

Schoenburg has not seen an increase in wine purchases and said older drinkers continue to be the majority who purchase wine.

Brian Jackson, assistant manager of Husky’s Grill and Dawg Pound, 1205 W. Lincoln Highway, also has not seen a lot of wine drinking among college students at his establishment.

“I don’t think I know of any college students that drink wine,” Jackson said. “They tend to mostly drink beer. Wine is a little too expensive.”

Jackson said the lack of wine consumption among DeKalb’s younger drinkers might be because DeKalb is a college town. He said college students typically want to get drunk the cheapest way possible, which can be done with 50-cent drafts and other special promotions.

Tony Poulos, general manager of Otto’s Niteclub, 118 E. Lincoln Highway, said students usually do not choose wine over other types of alcohol.

“Absolutely not. Not in this town,” Poulos said. “They’re drinking the cheapest stuff they can get, the discount drinks.”

Still, some individuals have noticed an increase in wine drinking among NIU students.

Sheri Prutton, owner of Mojo Brewing, 120 S. Fourth St., said she is selling more wine-making kits than she anticipated.

“There are a lot of college guys buying them. It has surprised me a lot,” Prutton said. “I think being in a college town may have some effect on the number of young people buying them.”

However, the number of beer-making kits is about equal to the number of wine-making kits sold to younger individuals, Prutton said.

Some liquor stores also have noticed a slight increase in wine sales to the younger crowd.

“I would say they are venturing into the wine aisle a little more, especially for a date night,” said Julie Lundeen, of Lundeen’s Discount Liquors, 1030 Arcadia Drive. “A lot of the wines have come down to a reasonable price.”

Sophomore marketing major Jeff Sauer said he began drinking wine this past summer.

“I started working at Olive Garden and they wanted us to know a little about the wines,” Sauer said. “I buy wine maybe three times a month now. I like to sit back with a nice bottle of chardonnay.”

Sean Shesgreen, distinguished research professor of English at NIU and former wine columnist for the Rockford Register Star, had an economical recommendation for students interested in wine.

“Today, I’d recommend to students Two Buck Chuck, recently praised by the wine columnist of The New York Times as ‘not bad,’” Shesgreen said. “Two Buck Chuck now runs about $4, I believe, at the discount stores that carry it.”

Shesgreen also said wine prices currently are very affordable, which may account for the Wine Market Council’s survey results.