Young adults are drinking less. What can the wine industry do?

In Australia, leading drinks market analyst IWSR has identified a significant drop in wine consumption in younger generations, with the proportion of 18- to 24-year-olds who consumed wine on a monthly basis halving between 2010 and 2023.

It’s a concern that many operators will be all too familiar with. Being exposed to a broader range of alcoholic beverages than previous generations, these consumers are spoilt for choice. But they’re also showing a growing interest in moderation, and less familiarity with wine terminology and wine-specific regions and varietals.

Cyndal Petty, chef-turned-sommelier and accomplished wine consultant and judge, describes the generational drinking divide as worrying. But she believes it’s more than apathy — it’s a rebellion, and she encourages the industry to listen, respect, and adapt.

“The data talks of a health-conscious generation, but the fascination for sucking on strawberry-kiwi-burn-your-lungs vapes tells me otherwise,” says Petty.

“What they are is anti-corporate, anti-conglomerate, and hyper-aware. They’ve watched price-gouging in real time, they’ve got a global feed of corruption at their fingertips, and they’re not buying the marketing fairytales on the morning show. They want to know who made their drink, where it came from, and whether the producer is part of the problem or the solution.”

For many younger drinkers, wine still carries a weight of formality — steeped in tradition, wrapped in jargon, and often seen as more intimidating than inviting. One of wine’s biggest hurdles can be its language and rituals, which feel more like barriers to consumption than entry points for younger consumers.

“[Younger consumers are] still curious,” says Petty. “We just need to tell the story in a dialect they understand. That means evolving our delivery, not our truths. We can keep the integrity, history, and beauty, but ditch the dusty monologue. It’s okay for wine communication to be fun, self-aware, and a little messy.”

While wine can feel like a category that’s harder to access than others, it’s encouraging to see venues like Dark Red Wine Bar, a boutique Brisbane bar focused on Italian imports and Australian-grown Italian varietals, have found a way to buck the trend. Dark Red, and its new sister venue Dark Blue, attract plenty of younger patrons, and owner Hannah Wagner attributes a lot of that to the wines she chooses to stock.

“We tend to go for a lot of experimental fun skin contacts and bubbles. We also make sure to give people tasters of wines,” says Wagner. “I suppose a friendly, no-rules, and non-alienating approach is exactly what I loved and that got me into wine, and we try to do that at Dark Red and Dark Blue.”

Generally, Petty finds that the younger generation are looking for something to challenge them, and they’re eager to learn. They often lean into wines that are lighter, fresher, and more expressive — wines that taste of place. “Show a 25-year-old that Chablis tastes like wet rocks because of fossilised marine life and watch their eyes light up,” she explains. “Hand them a sauvignon from a roundup-drenched, conglomerate-owned block and wait for the sass. It’s brilliant — they care, and they’re not shy about saying so. Gateway options are light, salty whites, something unusual, and something that has a story. Stay away from big, heavy wines — that’s so 1995.”

Another factor to consider is that younger generations aren’t just drinking less wine, they’re drinking less alcohol altogether. “I think it’s great suppliers are introducing and making more non-alcoholic substitutes to facilitate this,” says Wagner. “NON wine particularly sells a lot and has been a great option for people who still want to socialise in a bar environment.”

Cronulla’s newest Greek eatery, Homer Rogue Taverna, blends traditional food and wines with the easy-going buzz of a classic Athenian taverna. Founding brothers Harry and Mario Kapoulas and Sommelier Mikaela Poole have stocked their walk-up custom wine fridge with some of the world’s oldest grape varietals, but the selection is designed to feel as approachable as it is authentic — prices start at $54 a bottle, and few are over $100.

While older generations might be confident navigating a wine list, Poole says the younger generations are simply quieter about it. She sees a willingness among younger generations to experiment more, and the venue offers 500ml carafes and 16 by-the-glass options to encourage this.

“[Younger consumers] often skip the ‘big’ bottles in favour of interesting, good-value options — usually by the glass — and they’re more open to trying something new.

“With Homer’s Greek-focused list, younger guests have been excited to dive in. They’re not chasing a big Barossa shiraz — they’re looking for fresh, playful wines that spark curiosity. The lighter Greek styles, especially assyrtiko and xinomavro, rarely stay in our hands for long.

“Smaller pours let people explore the list at their own pace, mix and match, and have fun discovering new favourites,” Poole explains.

Wagner’s menu at Dark Red clearly states that patrons can ask for recommendations or help choosing their wines — she feels this approach has helped to engage consumers who might otherwise feel out of place or have limited knowledge.

“We really try to find what our guests like, and make sure we can talk them through the menu. On weekends we tend to go off-menu sometimes if there’s a bottle we feel would really resonate with someone and we are confident we can sell it. The staff all have their favourites, we all have varied tastes and that helps a lot with preferences and recommendations,” Wagner explains.

Each of the wines on Dark Red’s list have simple tasting notes written out beneath them — for example, notes for Sensale Bio Chardonnay describe “weighty yet fresh, apricots, complex, super pleasant”, while 168 Sangiovese states “super smooth, red fruits, savoury finish, our OG”.

Wagner has found that these notes make the menu easier for new-to-wine drinkers to interpret, simplifying their decision process and giving them more confidence in their choices. “Explaining wines as ‘juicy’ or ‘dark cherry’ helps and I’ve found that to be self-explanatory. It also takes Googling out of the picture. The last thing you want when you sit down for a date or a friend catch-up is to be stuck on your phones straight away.”

As the industry seeks to recruit younger consumers, Petty agrees that wine lists need to be approachable, understandable, and fun. But more than that, younger generations want to drink with purpose — and honest, intentional communication is vital.

“Younger drinkers have different priorities — and I back them. They want transparency: who made it, what the sustainability plan is, and whether it’s interesting. They want an emotional and intellectual connection, not just a glass of booze to skull (that was my generation’s sport).

“The barrier isn’t them – it’s us. We still talk at them instead of with them. Make your list ethical. Know your producers. And remember; self-awareness cuts both ways — they’ve got it in spades; we barely had a teaspoon.”

By Molly Nicholas