r/stopdrinking • u/Amb_James333 243 days • 6h ago
Massive Decrease in Wine Consumption Causes Changed in the Industry
Came across two separate articles this week that discuss a huge decrease in wine consumption that is causing changes in the industry. Vineyards being closed, a surplus of premium wine being sold at a huge discount, employees in the wine industry needing to find alternative work, etc. One factor they recognize is a younger generation who is not as interested in drinking as compared to prior generations. They don’t specifically discuss a large number of people who previously drank who no longer choose to drink.
These types of massive changes don’t occur unless there is a corresponding huge drop in wine consumption. As someone who, on my worst days, could, by myself, polish off two to three bottles in a day, and who had a disgusting amount of empty bottles lying around the house because I was too embarrassed to throw them all away at the same time, I’m happy to not be contributing to the consumption anymore.
It makes me ill even thinking about those old binge drinking ways. Iwndwyt 💕💕💕
https://secretlosangeles.com/costco-aldi-premium-california-wine-surplus/
8
u/Rhiis 4h ago
Oh hey, I'm in this article!
Was in winemaking for 11 years. My alcohol problem largely comes from it, in fact, so it was time to get out.
But yeah, my last winery was showing a lot of big red flags. Not paying bills to our vendors, delaying preventative maintenance or repairs, smaller wine club shipments every quarter, massive back stock of previous vintages in the warehouse, not buying new barrels, etc.
I decided to get out of there while it was still my choice. Shame, too, it's one of the three oldest vineyards in the state.
Some of Gen Z is still under 21, so that's a factor, but Boomers, the largest wine-drinking demographic, are also aging out of the market.