They don't want to get hammered': how gen Z found a taste for wine

"The focus is on less strength, and more flavor, according to Lily Taggart, 21, a New York City chef. It's hard to forge connections if you're drinking high [alcohol by volume] ABV and can't remember conversations the next day. Gen Z is taking the pretentiousness of wine away and it's all about intentionality over status, she said. There is this European shift of sipping a drink, bonding with friends and wanting more authentic connections."

"According to research by IWSR, a drinks industry data provider, Gen Z is gravitating toward sustainable, natural wines and embracing innovative styles like chilled reds and orange wines. They want bottles that are fun, more sessionable and easier to enjoy in social settings. This young consumer doesn't want to get hammered, said Steve Riboli, president and CEO of the Stella Rosa wine label. They want to be able to socialize for five hours."

"Much of the traditional wine industry seems out-of-reach and too elitist for this generation, Taggart said. The whole white tablecloth [culture] of wine is really expensive, and the language feels really inaccessible, she said. If you can describe flavors you're interested in food, I think you can describe flavors you're interested in wine. But I still think people are scared to."

Gen Z is pursuing sober-curious drinking habits, often avoiding heavy intoxication while still engaging with wine in new ways. Preferences emphasize lower alcohol by volume, pronounced flavors, sustainability and natural production methods. Young consumers favor sessionable, approachable bottles—chilled reds, orange wines, and inventive flavor profiles—that support prolonged socializing and authentic connections without pretension. Brands respond with flavored varieties, ready-made aperitifs, and casual wine bars offering natural and nonalcoholic options. Traditional white-tablecloth wine culture and inaccessible wine language deter many younger buyers, who prefer straightforward flavor descriptions tied to food preferences.

Read at www.theguardian.com