Wine is losing its grip on younger drinkers

A recent Wine Opinions study (via The Drinks Business) shows just 19% of US consumers aged 21–39 choose wine as their go-to – far behind beer (43%) and spirits (24%). The category saw a 6% sales dip in 2024 alone.

But this isn’t just about taste or price. It's about relevance.

Today’s younger consumers are rethinking drinking occasions, values, and aesthetics. Wine, in its traditional form, isn’t keeping up.

Yet brands like La Vieille Ferme (aka “Chicken Wine”) and Whispering Angel show there’s room for a modern wine playbook:

🐔 Chicken Wine nailed affordability + memeable branding = organic buzz. Everyone wanted “the one with the chicken on the front”

👼 Whispering Angel went premium: social-first strategy, influencer partners, and celebrity cachet made rosé a lifestyle badge

Different strategies, same result: resonance.

The lesson? Know your audience and market with intent. And when possible, engineer for shareability.