Editorial: Why wine is struggling and how it can fight back

Let’s start with the big picture: global wine consumption is tanking. According to alcoholic beverage research company IWSR, it’s at its lowest level since 1961. Over the five years to 2024, we’ve dropped 3.5 billion litres. Another 1.5 billion is expected by 2029. Fewer people are drinking, and those who do are pouring smaller measures. Sure, cost-of-living pressures have a role, but a much more significant factor is the growing focus on wellness.

Wellness culture has surged since the pandemic. Global Wellness Institute data shows worldwine spending hit a record $6.3 trillion in 2023, larger than the green economy, IT, or sports. Fitness, nutrition, mental health, and workplace programs are booming. The sector is forecast to reach nearly $9 trillion by 2028, almost double its 2020 size.

The point is nobody can still pretend wellness is just a niche. It’s a lifestyle. Millennials and Gen Z integrate it into daily life; older drinkers chase longevity and healthy ageing. People are rethinking how, when, and why they drink. Traditional wine occasions – dinner parties, after-work drinks, even nightly home glasses – are on the decline. Yoga, hikes, and other wellness-oriented activities are replacing them. Functional beverages (offering health or performance benefits) are booming. No- and low-alcohol (NOLO) wines are one of the few categories showing growth, with low-alcohol options forecast to rise 14% per year through 2028. Wine hasn’t disappeared but it’s being forced to play a different game.

Wine’s is also under pressure in the world’s bars, pubs, and restaurants. Cocktails, RTDs, craft beers – they all offer instant gratification: visual appeal, personalisation, a sense of fun. Wine often struggles to keep up because it’s still seen as expensive, complex, and intimidating. Younger consumers in casual venues gravitate to faster, more flexible options. Older consumers gravitate towards fine dining and curated experiences. And the biggest problem isn’t interest, it’s execution. Overwhelming wine lists, unsure staff, and limited by-the-glass options turn what should be a pleasure into a gamble.

The easy fix? Simplify, can it, tap it, dumb it down. Trouble is, that misses the point. Wine isn’t a convenience drink. Its value isn’t speed or sameness. Rather, it’s curiosity, discovery, experience. Its charm is in the nuance, the variety, the heritage – the very things the industry is being told to flatten.

My contention, however, is that wine doesn’t need dumbing down. Sure, it can feel obscure, arcane, or impenetrable – but often that’s because gatekeepers deliberately make it so to protect their authority. The real challenge is to preserve the mystique while stripping away the mystery

Mystique is allure: the craft behind a carefully made wine, the thought put into each bottle, the joy of discovering a new favourite. Mystery is the barrier: opaque tasting notes, endless lists, insider codes. Consumers respond to invitation, not intimidation. The trick is translation, not simplification.

How do you do that? Start with the front-of-house staff. They don’t need encyclopaedic knowledge or rarefied sommelier credentials; they need confidence. They should be able to point, nod, and say: ‘If you like crisp, lively whites, try this Sauvignon Blanc. If you want something bold with your steak, here’s a Cab I love.’ That’s translation, that’s hospitality, and that’s all, I suspect, wine service needs to be.

Lists also need to be curated, not punitive. A thoughtful 10 – 15 bottle selection tells a story. It signals personality, intention, and expertise without alienating. Alternative formats – small bottles, cans, wine-on-tap – have a place. They improve accessibility, speed service, and suit social occasions. But they are tools, not miracle solutions. Wine’s draw is still its ability to turn an ordinary drink into an experience.

The term “storytelling” is hackneyed but the idea is critical. Modern consumers, especially younger ones, want meaning and connection. Spirits brands have figured this out – they tell stories, engage visually, and embed themselves in pop-culture. Wine can do the same without losing depth. Talk about the vineyard, the winemaker, heritage, sustainability. Make it human, relatable, and contemporary. Social media, visuals, immersive experiences – whatever it takes.

Wine isn’t dead in contemporary society, but it must evolve. If consumers care as much about health, experience, and meaning as they do about spend, wine is uniquely positioned to meet those needs. The question isn’t whether it can survive, but how it chooses to show up. Success lies in balance: embracing wellness trends and casual occasions without abandoning complexity or the sense of occasion that sets wine apart. Wine thrives when it invites curiosity, not when it intimidates with elitism; when it pays you back for noticing, not necessarily for being steeped in knowledge.

Do not sacrifice wine’s inherent depth. Let it remain something that rewards exploration, sparks conversation, that offers pause in an increasingly fast-moving transactional world. If the industry can do that – if it can respect its own identity while adapting thoughtfully – it won’t just survive declining volumes or shifting habits. It will remain, as it has always been, a signifier of culture, craft, and life less ordinary.