Letter to the editor: how wine gains new drinkers

Responding to Alfonso Cevola’s recent analysis of wine’s future, Matthew Deller MW sets out an evidence-based view of how younger adults are now entering the category.

Dear editor,

Alfonso raised an important question about the pathway for younger legal-age adults entering wine. I agree that this is the central issue, and the most useful way to close the discussion is to give a clear, evidence-based view of how recruitment occurs in current conditions.

Across IWSR, NielsenIQ, CGA and Gallup, the data shows a consistent pattern. Younger adults begin drinking later, drink less frequently and move between categories according to the occasion. Their choices form in short, informal settings rather than in the structures that introduced earlier generations to wine. Family dining, workplace hospitality and formal restaurant interactions no longer carry the same influence. Wine is simply less present in the moments when early preferences form.

In the past year I have visited several markets where recruitment is still occurring. These settings share common features. At Tap Shop Bar in Seoul, groups in their twenties taste small pours from enomatics, share simple food and move easily between wines. The interaction is straightforward. Wine is visible and easy to approach. Happy Wine in Miami follows a different model, but with a similar effect. It is a shop with tables and shared plates, where live music draws people in. Guests choose a bottle, sit down and enjoy the evening without formality. In both places people try a broad range of wines and return because the experience fits their social habits. These examples illustrate a mechanism that the data also reflects.

Younger and occasional wine drinkers tend to start with sparkling, rosé, sweeter wines and chilled reds. This pattern aligns with their food choices and the pace of their gatherings. It also mirrors entry into many other drinks categories. When the first experience is accessible, people continue. When the setting creates hesitation, they choose another drink. The evidence points to the environment shaping the outcome. Wine grows when it is part of settings people already favour.

Digital behaviour reinforces this. Early interest often begins with short videos, simple flavour descriptions and peer recommendations. Retail formats that include chilled fridges, smaller formats and flavour-based navigation give shoppers a straightforward way to select a wine without uncertainty. These features reduce the friction around the first purchase. They also raise visibility in the places where choices are made quickly.

Markets in Southeast Asia, Latin America and parts of Africa show further examples of new wine cultures forming around local conditions. The progression differs from Western markets, but the underlying pattern is the same. When wine appears in settings that match local food, climate and social rhythm, people engage with it.

The older pathway into wine has a smaller role today, but new pathways are functioning in venues and markets that have adapted to contemporary behaviour. The evidence is consistent. When the environment is suitable, trial increases, and repeat engagement follows. This is observable in both data and practice.

For this reason I do not see value in prolonging the cyclical versus structural debate. Both dynamics are present, and neither gives the trade a practical route forward. What will make a difference is creating more settings where wine is visible, approachable and part of the way younger adults gather.

I hope this helps to close the discussion in a constructive way so attention can shift to the practical work of building these environments.

Sincerely,
Matthew Deller MW

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