You've probably seen the headlines: Gen Z doesn't drink. The real story is more interesting. Gen Z is drinking again; they're just not drinking much wine.
The wine industry has been sounding the alarm for a few years now. Silicon Valley Bank, whose annual State of the U.S. Wine Industry report is the closest thing the business has to a report card, warned in 2024 that younger consumers have a "mindshare of wine half that of their elders," adding bluntly: "Time is not on our side." The 2026 report put it this way: "The older, wine-focused cohort is aging out, and younger adults aren't replacing them at the same rate." U.S. wine case volume fell again in 2025, and SVB doesn't expect the bottom until 2027 or 2028.
Meanwhile, the same generation is drinking again, just not wine. According to drinks research firm IWSR, 70% of legal-drinking-age Gen Z Americans said they'd had alcohol in the past six months in 2025, up from 46% two years earlier. When they drink, they reach for canned cocktails, spirits, beer and non-alcoholic options far more often than a bottle of Cabernet. In 2023, spirits outsold wine by volume in the U.S. for the first time in 45 years.
So what happened? After thousands of tastings, Michael has a pretty clear idea.
1. Wine got a reputation for being a test
Vintages, regions, tasting notes that "read like a poetry slam," as Michael puts it. For a lot of younger drinkers, ordering wine feels like a pop quiz you can fail in front of your friends. Nobody wants that on a night out.
Young drinkers say it themselves. At a 2026 Washington wine industry panel, one student said a "pretentious vibe" can sour the whole experience, and another, who works in a tasting room, warned wineries not to charge $60 for a community event if they want younger customers.
2. The price feels risky
A $20 bottle you might not like is a bigger gamble than a $4 seltzer you know you will. Without someone to point you in the right direction, the wine aisle is a wall of guesses.
3. The first wine they tried was bitter
A lot of people's first wine was a heavy, oaky red at a family dinner. If that's your only reference point, "I don't like wine" is a fair conclusion. It's also usually wrong.
4. Health and moderation
Gen Z is more likely than older generations to take breaks from drinking, and many care about what's in their glass. That's a good thing. Wine actually fits this well: you can choose lighter, lower-alcohol styles, and sip slowly with food instead of drinking to get drunk.
Why Gen Z should give wine another shot
Here's the thing: almost everything Gen Z values lines up with what good wine is actually about.
It's social. Wine is built for sharing a bottle over a long dinner, not slamming drinks.
It's authentic. Many wines are made by small, family producers with a real story and a real place behind them.
It's affordable. Some of Michael's favorite bottles cost under $15.
There's a style for everyone. If you like sweet, fizzy or fruity drinks, you'd probably love Prosecco rosé, Moscato d'Asti or a chilled light red. You've just never been handed one.
The fix: take the snobbery out of it
This is exactly how Michael runs every Bottles Nation tasting. No pop quiz, no swirling-and-sniffing performance, no wrong answers. His rule: "Drink what tastes good. That's the only rule."
And it works. Some of our most fun events are with groups who walked in saying they "don't really drink wine."
Start here
We built Sommelier on Demand for exactly this. Type what you'd actually say, like "I don't really like wine, what's something easy for a party under $20?", and get two or three of Michael's event-tested picks with a plain-English note on each. No jargon required.
Want to try it with your friends? A private in-home tasting is a great birthday, Friendsgiving or bachelorette activity, and Michael brings the fun, not the lecture.
Sources: Silicon Valley Bank 2026 State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report via VinePair; Northwest Public Broadcasting / OPB, May 2026; Fortune on SVB's 2024 report; IWSR via Decanter, June 2025.