Aussies drinking less wine but more often

Australian adults are drinking less wine but more often according to a new report published by Wine Intelligence this week.

The report found that an estimated 11.2 million Australian adults drink wine at least once a month, down from 11.5 million in 2014.

Wine Intelligence reports that Australian consumers’ tastes are diversifying, both within the wine world and outside of it to other categories like cider, which is proving so popular it’s contributing to the overall decline in wine consumption.

The report found an increased thirst for both Chianti and Rioja in Australia and while consumers are drinking wine in less high quantities, in a positive shift they are placing greater importance on quality and are prepared to pay for it.

In a recent survey of 1,000 regular wine drinkers in Australia, 77% said that they look for the “best quality” wines they can get within their budget.

“More Australians are looking to discover new things to drink and the industry should take note that wine drinkers are more than happy to try products in other categories.

“The shrinking pool of Australian wine consumers is being targeted by a broader range of products,” said Natasha Rastegar, Wine Intelligence’s country manager for Australia.

“There is an increasing emphasis on quality and discovery, which connects with trends we are seeing in other markets. The ‘next big thing’ for wine here is not obvious as Australia has matured to what we classify as an ‘Established’ market,” she added.