Why are young people drinking less wine?
A new survey from research company Wine Opinions surveyed 1,215 Americans to shed insight into shifting alcohol consumption habits among younger consumers.
Value perception, RTDs, rising prices and beer’s supremacy are all reasons the younger generation is drinking less wine, according to new research from Wine Opinions.
This comes after US wine sales plummeted by 6% in 2024, with a recent Gallup poll revealing only 59% of 21-35 year olds drink alcohol, versus 72% in 2001.
The study, which surveyed 1,215 Americans aged 21 to 39, offers a revealing look into changing alcohol consumption habits among younger consumers.
Beer emerged as the most popular alcoholic beverage among younger US consumers, with 43% of respondents selecting it as their drink of choice, far outpacing spirits (24%) and wine (19%), according to the study titled Trends Among Beverage Alcohol Consumers in Ages 21-39.
Nearly half (49%) of those who reported drinking less wine over the past two years said they simply preferred beer or spirits. Others cited the rising cost of wine or a general reduction in alcohol consumption.
Gender variations
Price concerns were especially prominent among regular wine drinkers who have cut back, with nearly half (47%) blaming rising costs.
Men were more likely than women to cite price and taste preferences for other alcohol types as reasons for drinking less wine, while women more frequently attributed their decline in wine consumption to reducing their overall alcohol intake.
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The report also highlights a growing trend in alternative beverages. More than a third of participants, predominantly women, said that occasionally choosing canned alcoholic drinks contributed to drinking wine less often.
Meanwhile, younger respondents (aged 21 to 29) were more likely than those aged 30 to 39 to say they had lost their taste for wine or were turning to THC or CBD-infused beverages instead.
As with beer and spirits, frequent wine consumption skews to those aged 30-39. However, wine stands apart from beer or spirits in that there are significantly more respondents in the 21-29 age segment who drink wine either infrequently or not at all (38%, compared to 17% for beer and 28% for spirits).
Value perception
Perceived value also appears to be an issue for wine. When asked about value for money, respondents rated beer highest, followed by spirits, with wine ranking last.
Among those who said they never drink wine, two-thirds pointed to its bitter flavour as the primary deterrent. Others said the wines they had tried were overpriced, not refreshing enough, or lacked the sweet, fruity qualities they prefer.
Half of former wine drinkers said they had “just lost their taste” for it altogether.
When asked about drinking preferences at social events, nearly four in ten infrequent wine drinkers said they would choose beer or spirits over wine if given the option.
Wine was also the least likely choice for drinks after work, with many saying they only drank wine when others around them were also doing so.
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I think there is another possible reason for less wine consumption. Unless there is a group drinking the same wine, there is a problem with the size of the bottle and it is hard to either get smaller bottles or reseal successfully.
This is not true of spirits of course, and not true of beer. Wine of better quality is hard to get by the glass without paying a huge premium.
Graham Carter
The whole culture of wine drinking is dated now, beer is more trendy and cheaper!