5 Bold Predictions About the Wine World in 2026

With consumption declining, the wine world will continue to struggle for sales and relevance. While older consumers are drinking less or not at all for health or other reasons, younger generations are not embracing wine the way baby boomers and Gen X have, causing steep drops in demand. Vineyards were ripped out in record numbers in California, France, and elsewhere, and in some regions, grapes went unharvested and rotted on the vine. We’ve explored the uncertainty around tariffs, and while the 15 percent tariffs levied on European wine were considered a best case scenario by many, the associated price hikes on a product undergoing an identity crisis is not going to sway consumers in the direction of drinking more wine. However, it’s been reported that younger wine drinkers are eschewing inexpensive, entry bottles in favor of more premium pours and that they value authenticity and sustainability, so higher-end brands that focus on the younger demographic will win out. In various industry pockets, a small subset of leaders is emerging, offering bold ideas to attract a new generation of wine lovers.  

Despite the initial blitz of low- and no-alcohol wines from established and new brands that were barely drinkable plonk, the entire category is getting a glow-up thanks to innovators who recognize the staying power of both categories. Rachel Martin, proprietor of Oceano Wines, is a pioneer in the field of single-vineyard expressions in both categories; she added Oceano Zero Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to her offerings from the San Luis Obispo Coast Spanish Springs Vineyard in 2023, joined this year by Oceano Ultra-Low-Alcohol Syrah, which weighs in at 3.5 percent ABV. Bordeaux native Julien Fayard, who has made a name for himself as one of Napa Valley’s premier winemakers, founded Les Vins Julien (LVJ) in 2021 to explore the trend of low-alcohol wines while focusing on sustainability and natural farming. Eschewing de-alcoholization processes, Fayard collaborates with local growers to source grapes that offer full flavor while keeping sugar levels low, resulting in reduced alcohol content. His first bottlings are Le Chardonnay Light from Sonoma Coast with 10.5 percent ABV and Le Blanc Light, a Rhône-style California blend that offers 11 percent ABV. Even market leader French Bloom—the high-end alcohol-free sparkling wine brand owned by LVMH—is getting in on the act with the purchase of its own vineyard in Limoux. This is just a small sampling of the movement toward much higher quality in both the low- and no-alcohol sector.

Several notable sales in the third quarter point to a robust auction market that will continue into next year. Domestically, this is partially due to tariffs making wine already onshore a better option than bottles just arriving in shops, while in all markets the demand for mature but ready-to-drink icon Bordeaux has maintained its strength. This year’s Hospices de Beaune auction in Burgundy saw record global participation and a 4.6 percent increase on per-barrel price over 2024. A Christie’s sale in September titled “The Glorious Cellar of a European Connoisseur” brought in nearly $3.5 million and showed a strong demand for Champagne, with several lots tripling the low estimate. At Zachys, a September sale featuring the private collection of Jacqueline de Rothschild Piatigorsky realized over $11 million in sales, far surpassing the $2.7 million estimate. Good news in the financial and tech sectors mean that end-of-year bonuses are expected to be high, an indicator that bodes well for the secondary wine market. “We have seen in 2025 that correctly priced, mature fine wines are attracting a great deal of interest, with us seeing a return to pre-pandemic metrics of engagement, like the bids per lot,” Nick Pegna, global dead of wine and spirits, Sotheby’s, tells Robb Report. Pegna also says many sellers are now actively considering sales which they had been putting off, “promising an exciting flow of rare wine coming to market.”

Partially in response to climate change, winemakers are working with many more indigenous and hybrid grapes that are resistant to extreme weather and pests. While we all know that Champagne is made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, none among us has yet tasted a cuvée made with Voltis, a fungus-resistant hybrid that is currently permitted for experimental purposes in the region and was harvested this season for the first time. Bordeaux added several hybrids to allowable grape varieties in 2023, including Sauvignac, Souvignier Gris, Floréal, Vidoc, and the aforementioned Voltis, all for their ability to ward off disease in seasons that are increasingly hot and wet. While none of these has yet hit the big time, we are seeing many examples from a multitude of wine regions of high-quality Marselan, a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache that is somewhat impervious to extreme heat and pests. In southern Italy, the almost-forgotten grape Perricone is on the rebound thanks to its ability to thrive in hot, dry, conditions, while on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, almost-extinct varieties like Forcada and Pirene are making a comeback thanks to the intervention of the Torres family.

The millennial focus on authenticity and experience is making its way into wine country, where new tourism offerings will be geared toward this increasingly affluent and travel-savvy demographic. Having surpassed baby boomers as the largest wine-drinking generation in America, millennials’ spending power will be seen in wine country as tasting and culinary options are tailored to this group. Add to that the fact that, according to Deloitte, spending on experiences is projected to rise 16 percent from last year, and we can expect to see more high-end culinary-related offerings as opposed to just tastings, whether they be winery collabs with renowned chefs or more relaxed options like Clif Family Winery’s Bruschetteria, the first winery-based food truck in Napa Valley. Sustainability-focused tours like those at Frog’s Leap or Domaine Carneros are also on their way to “next big thing” status, as are a new influx of social-media worthy photo spots at wineries large and small.

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