Wine trends to look out for in 2025

The world of wine is evolving at a frantic pace and understanding changing consumer habits and the latest trends is crucial to crafting an engaging wine list that will excite your customers.

 

More than ever, consumers are eager to learn and discover something new. It is a time to be bold and adventurous and to embrace the changing landscape with some upgrades to your wine offering in 2025.

 

Here are some key wine trends to consider.

 

Organic and biodynamic wines

Consumers will continue to become increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their purchases. Organic, biodynamic and wines from sustainable vineyards are becoming the first choice for many wine drinkers.

 

The EU is leading the way in sustainable food and drink production and wine is no exception. The EU cultivates 90% of the grapes used in organic wine worldwide, with France, Italy and Spain at the forefront of organic winemaking. Offer your customers a choice of organic wines and educate yourself on how they are produced. Producers of Alto Adige/dell’Alto Adige/Südtirol/Südtiroler PDO wines from Italy and Alentejo PDO wines from Portugal are leading the way in innovative sustainable production.  

 

Lower abv wines

Moderation is increasingly a key factor for many consumers and there is a greater tendency to socialise without alcohol or opt for no- and low-alcohol drinks alternatives. These changing habits are driving a surge of new wine-related drinks with a leap in the quality and flavour profile available, particularly regarding sparkling wines. Alcohol-free sparkling wines made in France, Italy and Spain are all improving in quality.

 

Interestingly, this demand has been recognised by some of the world’s leading wine producers and the prospect of famous producers in key regions such as Bordeaux in France applying their expertise to this emerging category is particularly exciting.

 

Quality counts

There is an increasing section of consumers looking for quality above quantity, driven partly by the moderation trend, but also the effects of the squeeze on disposable income. This leads to a willingness to upgrade to premium or hard-to-find wines when in a restaurant setting. Consumers are particularly seeking out strong, aspirational brand credentials, including Côtes de Provence PDO rosé wines, premium sparkling, as well as ‘cult’ wines.

 

Excite with emerging wine regions

There is a growing willingness from the increasingly well-travelled UK consumer to be more adventurous, and younger drinkers in particular are actively seeking out new and different wines. The future of wines from emerging countries such as Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania is bright, as these countries continue to rediscover and refine their unique varietals, blending tradition with modern winemaking techniques to deliver wines of increasingly impressive quality.

 

Seek out innovation in winemaking

While overall wine consumption continues to fall, particularly at the entry level, there are some notable winners in terms of positive growth, not least Portugal. The combination of heritage, the variety of styles, modern winemaking and above all value for money makes this vinous paradise a growing success story in the UK.

 

Classic wine regions such as Rioja in Spain are also benefiting from new wave producers challenging the traditional approach and crafting modern, fruit-forward styles. Italy and the premium regions of Piedmont and Tuscany in particular will continue to attract new followers, as will the unique Etna wines of Sicily.

 

Last but not least, Burgundy in France, arguably the greatest wine region in the world, has, after a run of small vintages, benefited from a generous 2022 and 2023 vintage crop, which will enable these exceptional wines to once again become more widely available in the market.

 

Neil McAndrew is a wine industry consultant and advisor to the EU’s ‘More Than Only Food and Drink’ campaign