Happy New Year! Even if you are abstaining during Dry January, please take a look at my top trends in the wine industry for 2025…some may surprise you!
1. White wine will continue to become more popular than red wine.
Consumption of white and rosé now surpass red worldwide, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV). The OIV reported that white wine now accounts for 43 percent of global wine consumption, up 10 percent over the past two decades. In the U.S., the world’s biggest consumer of white wine, consumption rose 65 percent from 2000 to 2021. Meanwhile, worldwide red wine consumption is down more than 15 percent since 2007, according to the OIV report.
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2. Neo-prohibitionism is happening
Worldwide there is a movement to curb alcohol consumption in the same way as tobacco use and today’s headlines reinforce that for the US. Today the New York Times posted that the US Surgeon General announced that alcohol beverages should carry cancer warnings. Both president-elect Trump and the new health czar RFK Jr, abstain from alcohol, so look for this trend after the inauguration. While Congress would need to pass this, the political environment is ripe…
Dietary guidelines published every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS)—are in the process of review. Right now the concept that moderate drinking as part of a healthy lifestyle is being challenged by anti-alcohol groups who would advocate a return to Prohibition.
3. Expect to pay more for “entry level” wines
As cheap bulk wine, once considered “starter wine” becomes less appealing, especially to younger drinkers, wines over $30 are notching robust sales. There are a few reasons for this. Cheap bulk wine has no transparency as to additives and ethical production, and younger drinkers are looking for more sustainable, “healthier” choices. The price of so-called “entry-level” wine has stagnated at around $12 for more than a decade. Two years ago, the annual “State of the Wine Industry” report from Silicon Valley Bank made it clear: “The wine industry has allowed the lower-priced entry-level wines to be produced without transparency as to ingredients and in a homogenous and uninteresting way that’s unlikely to appeal to those young consumers who want to drink better and drink less today.”
4. Going “Green” – Sustainability in the wine industry
My mentor who helped me with my WSET Diploma research paper, Sandra E. Taylor, is an expert on sustainability. Due to the interest in this by consumers, she’s currently finalizing a book that will explain sustainability as well as be a guide for consumers to make choices on the wines they purchase. This trend follows along the move towards quality and transparency in wine purchases, also enhanced by the growing number of wine producers that are certified sustainable, organic or biodynamic.
In 2025, sustainability will shift to become an even more fundamental part of the winemaking process. Winemakers continue to lead the charge with innovative techniques designed to reduce their environmental footprint. From organic and biodynamic vineyards to low-intervention wine production and low or zero-waste facilities, more winemakers to lean into and promote these practices, including carbon-neutral productions, water usage reductions, and closed-loop systems.
Non-alcoholic wines
As more people focus on healthy lifestyles, nonalcoholic beverages, especially wine, are rapidly growing category. In 2025, expect more consumers to turn to alcohol-free wines, drawn nit just by the health benefits and the complexity these options can now offer. Major companies are joining this movement; LVMH recently purchased a 30% stake in French Bloom, a premium alcohol-free sparkling wine from France. More producers are creating high quality wines that deliver a similar experience taste wise to traditional wines. This demand has been recognized by some of the world’s leading wine producers, including famous producers in key regions such as Bordeaux in France.
5. Up-and-coming regions producing quality wines
Some of my favorite emerging regions are:
- Mediterranean Islands – Corsica, France and Sardinia and Sicily, Italy
- Slovenia
- Croatia
- Greece
- Alentejo, Portugal
- Finger Lakes, NY
- Texas Hill Country
- Virginia
- Verde Valley, AZ
