Austrian Wine goes after Gen Z with ‘rot weiss rosé’ rebrand

Austria is on a mission to keep wine relevant for Gen Z. Its new rot weiss rosé brand swaps “jargon for joy”, aiming to show young drinkers that wine can be anything but boring.

The Austrian Wine Marketing Board has launched a new brand, rot weiss rosé (RWR), designed to make wine more approachable for Millennials and Gen Z. The move follows fresh research showing that young adults want wine to feel easier, more social and more fun — and are put off by barriers to entry.

The organisation surveyed more than 700 people aged 20–35 in autumn 2024. Of those, 84% said they drink alcohol and 67% drink wine at least occasionally. Wine beat beer (56%) and cocktails (53%) as the category they choose most often, despite drinking overall being less frequent than in previous generations.

Taste, conviviality and relaxing vibes topped the appeal list. But respondents said they lacked accessible opportunities to enjoy wine and wanted a bit more knowledge — without the complexity.

RWR steps in to close that gap.

‘Anything but boring’

RWR is built around the tagline “Alles außer fad” (“anything but boring”) and takes its name from both the Austrian flag colours — red, white, red — and the three primary wine colours. The idea is to present wine “at the consumer’s level”: approachable, engaging and stripped of highbrow formality.

“We don’t want to reinvent wine but to enable people to experience it differently,” said Chris Yorke, CEO of Austrian Wine. “Without specialist jargon, without making people afraid to set foot in the door, but with a real joy about discovering things.”

The brand positions wine as part of everyday culture rather than a status symbol. RWR emphasises lifestyle, enjoyment and regional identity, encouraging discovery whether on a rooftop, at a park picnic or during a relaxed evening with friends.

Tradition meets zeitgeist

According to Austrian Wine, RWR blends “rooted in the past” heritage with a fast-moving, creative, contemporary edge. The aim is to build a “culture of discovery” that showcases wine as a source of ideas, creativity and shared experiences. Events, collaborations, tastings and digital content will all form part of the rollout.

The RWR website lists upcoming experiences and events where Austrian wine will be presented “in a new, fresh way”, focusing on flavour, feelings and the moments that bring people together.

“With the RWR brand, we are aiming to make this balance tangible,” Yorke added. “We are showing that learning about wine doesn’t need to be heavy-going, and that experiencing wine for the first time is often enough to spark enthusiasm.”

Launch experience in Vienna

The brand debuted with “RWR: THE LAUNCH EXPERIENCE” in Vienna. Guests were assigned one of eight themed areas — from #Festival to #Winter magic — and served a five-course “reverse dinner” beginning with dessert and ending with the starter.

Dishes, created by catering company Tschak, offered traditional Austrian flavours with a twist and were paired with red, white and rosé wines poured by Austrian wine queens in attendance.

Interludes between courses reinforced the message: wine should feel lively, creative and inclusive. The event avoided technical language and left “no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’”, focusing instead on shared enjoyment.

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