It’s time to face the facts: Wine is in a bit of a pickle.
While the older generations still enjoy their nightly glass (or bottle), it seems that younger folks—Gen Z and Millennials—are increasingly swiping left on wine. In the era of hard seltzers, craft beers and ready-to-drink cocktails, wine is starting to feel like your dad’s favorite playlist: Boomer Tunes, Vol. 1, a nostalgic mix of ABBA, Elton John and, of course, “YMCA.” Classics, sure, but they’re not exactly revving the engines of anyone under 50.
So what’s going wrong? I wanted to take a good, hard look into why wine sales have been on the decline for the last five years. This is a concept that’s pretty hard for me to understand, because not only is wine my business; it’s also the only alcohol I drink. I’m a hard pass on spirits, and beer just doesn’t do it for me. Wine is an all-occasion drink in my world, so in order to find out why anyone would turn their back on the nectar of the Gods required some research. Here’s what I discovered.
For starters, wine’s image problem is as clear as a glass of sauvignon blanc. It’s no secret that wine has long been associated with stuffy dinner parties, fancy tasting rooms and people who say things like “notes of elderflower” and “aromas of scorched earth” without cracking a smile. Add in pretentious sommeliers and wine being your parents’ beverage of choice while they’re discussing HOA fees and golf, and it seems obvious that this is not exactly the vibe most 20-somethings are going for when they’re looking to unwind or get “lit.”
And then there’s the price: Many younger consumers think of wine as an expensive indulgence, something reserved for special occasions or when they’re trying to impress someone. In a world where avocado toast is already eating up half their paycheck, shelling out $20 or more for a bottle of wine just doesn’t make sense. After all, wine is fine, but liquor is quicker, right?
To make matters worse, there’s the sheer intimidation factor. Walk into any wine shop, and you’re hit with a wall of bottles, each with a label more confusing than the last. Is this bottle from Napa or Tuscany? Is it dry, sweet or somewhere in between? And what is it going to taste like? For a generation used to having all the answers at their fingertips, the wine world can feel totally overwhelming. They want easy; they want fun; and most of all, they want something they can pronounce.
Other ideas I found, speculating on why the younger generations are having a “no wine no way” moment, are a little harder for me to swallow—like the notion that Millennials and Gen Zers are far too health-conscious to drink wine and are instead opting for low-calorie, low-sugar and gluten-free hard seltzers. Perhaps it needs to be mentioned that wine is gluten-free, and a glass of prosecco has fewer calories than a banana?
“Gen Z is consuming less alcohol than previous age groups overall. They’re the generation of legal cannabis. More weed equals less booze.”
What is true is that Gen Z is consuming less alcohol than previous age groups overall. Then again, they’re the generation of legal cannabis. More weed equals less booze. As a result, this has prompted a huge increase in non-alcoholic and de-alcoholized beverages. Trinchero Family Estates in Napa created a dealcoholized collection of wines called Luminara; Josef Leitz has his Eins Zwei Zero riesling and sparkling wines that are as close to the real deal as I have ever tasted; and Athletic Brewing Company has a stellar lineup of n/a beers (or as I called them as a kid: “near beer”). Thompson & Scott produces de-alcoholized wines called Noughty from South Africa that are delicious, and Juan Gil wines in Spain (producer of the iconic Clio red blend) has an alcohol-removed wine called Shania that I really enjoyed. St. Agrestis, the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based distillery, has reached internet fame with their “Phony Negroni.” Dubbed the ultimate cocktail dupe, these ready-to-drink mocktails are organic, vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO. What more could the hyper-conscientious generation want? I’ve tried the entire lineup, and they are 100% on point and taste just like the real deal.
What about the idea that the 20-somethings are not drinking wine because it’s what their parents are drinking—sort of a rebellion or continuance of the “my parents are so embarrassing” teenager phase? This concept seems like a stretch to me, but having kids of my own, I’m constantly reminded how un-cool and utterly mortifying I am, so I suppose it’s possible.
As a result of this data hitting the desks of winery CEOs and major thinktank organizations, there’s been a desperate attempt to reinvent the wine wheel, with a boom in ready-to-drink, pre-bottled offerings like sangria, Aperol-like spritzes, the French 75 and even a wine-based take on the margarita. (At the recommendation of one of my customers, I tried the “wine margarita” and actually really liked it!)
No matter what the cause of this wine consumption downturn is, one thing is clear: The wine industry failed to see the writing on the wall and is working in recovery mode, hoping to reboot its connection with the current market. Until then, I guess there’s just more for me.
