The Nosh Wine Lounge in Omaha, Nebraska, is across the street from one of the biggest concert venues in the state. So the acts that perform there usually dictate the clientele that shows up for a drink.

But new research indicating that millennials are consuming more wine than any other generation doesn’t surprise lead server Jessica Hill.

“Twenty-one is the age where you go to the dive bar and take as many shots as you can,” Hill told LifeZette. “As you get older, your tastes mature and you want a nicer environment where you can sit and enjoy the atmosphere as much as what you’re drinking.”

Hill said that regardless of concerts, the Wine Lounge is seeing a steady stream of younger wine drinkers. She and her friends enjoy a nice glass of wine routinely as well. She said the rise in wine drinkers ages 21 to 38 speaks to what people her age are seeking: more of an experience.

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“It’s a social thing. You can go and learn about it (wine). We have a lot of wine tastings and young people will come in groups, with bachelorette parties, or for a girls night out. They get to try different wines and learn about them while they’re drinking. That could be part of it too,” said Hill.

Whatever is driving the trend, the numbers are telling: Millennials drank 42 percent of all wine in the U.S. last year, more than any other generation, according to new research from the Wine Market Council.

The WMC said 159.6 million cases of wine were consumed by those ages 21 to 38 in 2015. That averages out to two cases per person. For perspective, baby boomers consumed 34 percent of the wine market in the U.S. in 2015, and Generation X – the group aged 39 to 50 – came in third place at 18 percent, the Wine Spectator reported.

The numbers don’t surprise Dr. Ken Felz, an internist with UnityPoint Health – Meriter Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. He said the number of millennials coming in and being up front about how much they’re drinking lead him to believe the numbers are probably spot on.

He doesn’t see drinking as a problem, however, for most patients.

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“What I talk with patients about — and it divides between men and women — is that men can safely have two drinks a day, while women can have one a day. I have no problem with that, but that’s for non-pregnant women and for men and women without other health problems,” said Dr. Felz.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests those are safe consumption amounts; any more than that is not advised. If someone is pregnant, is under age 21 or has certain medical conditions, they should not drink, period.

For those consuming more than they should, “A yellow light goes on,” Dr. Felz says.

“I’ll usually say, ‘Here are the facts. There’s no judgment, but from a medical standpoint, especially for women, more than one a day can get you into trouble. It can irritate the liver, the stomach; there can be heart issues associated with it.’ I try to counsel them and say, ‘Enjoy your glass of wine, but appreciate that more than one on a regular basis can be an issue.'”

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that approximately 88,000 deaths in 2013 were caused by alcohol consumption. In the same year, 10,076 driving fatalities were connected to drinking, and 904,000 men and 444,000 women sought treatment for an alcohol use disorder.

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The unhealthy effects of excessive alcohol consumption are troubling. The body takes a beating: The risks of stroke and liver disease go up, and there is a greater chance of developing cancer of the liver, colon, esophagus, mouth and breast. People may also be more depressed and fatigued.

Mix in the risks of drunk driving, hurting someone else, ruining one’s family life, dying from alcohol poisoning or participating in promiscuous sex — the risks are many.

But if used in moderation, alcohol can be wonderful to enjoy. Apparently millennials in particular are trying to do just that: Enjoy both a nice vintage and do so in good company.