Gen Z is an easy target. Born between 1997 and 2012, they’ve been blamed for everything from the downfall of skinny jeans to the end of basic phone etiquette. And now, if headlines are to be believed, they’re destroying the wine industry too. Health-conscious, sober-curious and strapped for cash, they say, Gen Z barely drinks. And if they, do, they’re skipping wine in favor of hard seltzers, cocktails or cannabis infusions.
But is Gen Z truly to blame for wine’s decline? Or are they simply the most visible face of a broader cultural shift?
Statistics about Gen Z, wine and alcohol are murkier than headlines suggest. Much attention has been paid to reports that young adults drink less alcohol than older generations. However, recent data from drinks industry research group IWSR suggests Gen Z is catching up.
What’s clear is that alcohol consumption overall is trending downward, especially when it comes to wine. In 2024, global wine consumption fell to its lowest level in more than 60 years. Moderation in alcohol has become a cross-generational trend and Gen Z (currently aged 13-28) is coming of age in an increasingly different drinking culture than their parents or grandparents.
“It may not be that Gen Z is drinking less,” says Ting Ting Shi, 25, a sommelier at Miru, the Japanese restaurant at the St. Regis Chicago. “But they’re probably drinking less often,” she says.
For a lot of younger people, drinking tends to be more intentional than habitual, she describes. It’s more likely to be focused on specific occasions, she explains, a Friday night out, for instance, rather than a routine glass of wine with dinner or beer after work each night. And for many Gen Z drinkers, wine isn’t an obvious choice yet.
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Photo: Ting Ting Shi, center, the sommelier at Miru, talks to diners on the restaurant’s terrace on July 23, 2025.
? Anna Lee Iijima / for the Chicago Tribune
?️ Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune
Gen Z is an easy target. Born between 1997 and 2012, they’ve been blamed for everything from the downfall of skinny jeans to the end of basic phone etiquette. And now, if headlines are to be believed, they’re destroying the wine industry too. Health-conscious, sober-curious and strapped for cash, they say, Gen Z barely drinks. And if they, do, they’re skipping wine in favor of hard seltzers, cocktails or cannabis infusions.
But is Gen Z truly to blame for wine’s decline? Or are they simply the most visible face of a broader cultural shift?
Statistics about Gen Z, wine and alcohol are murkier than headlines suggest. Much attention has been paid to reports that young adults drink less alcohol than older generations. However, recent data from drinks industry research group IWSR suggests Gen Z is catching up.
What’s clear is that alcohol consumption overall is trending downward, especially when it comes to wine. In 2024, global wine consumption fell to its lowest level in more than 60 years. Moderation in alcohol has become a cross-generational trend and Gen Z (currently aged 13-28) is coming of age in an increasingly different drinking culture than their parents or grandparents.
“It may not be that Gen Z is drinking less,” says Ting Ting Shi, 25, a sommelier at Miru, the Japanese restaurant at the St. Regis Chicago. “But they’re probably drinking less often,” she says.
For a lot of younger people, drinking tends to be more intentional than habitual, she describes. It’s more likely to be focused on specific occasions, she explains, a Friday night out, for instance, rather than a routine glass of wine with dinner or beer after work each night. And for many Gen Z drinkers, wine isn’t an obvious choice yet.
Tap on our bio link to read more.
-----
Photo: Ting Ting Shi, center, the sommelier at Miru, talks to diners on the restaurant’s terrace on July 23, 2025.
? Anna Lee Iijima / for the Chicago Tribune
?️ Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune
