The classic drink Generation Z refuses to touch - as producers take drastic action and call in the BULLDOZERS
Wine industry officials believe social trends - such as being 'sober curious' and 'mindful drinking' - are leading to gluts in the market of once-popular varieties, such as shiraz.
Big-name wineries have stripped red wine from their vineyards altogether - with De Bortoli Wines in the Riverina region pulling healthy shiraz vines due to an oversupply.
Darren De Bortoli told Daily Mail Australia that his growers face the tough decision of selecting new grapes to better suit the changing market.
Mr De Bortoli said his business faced 'quite a severe problem... but it's got to be remembered all our competition are facing the same problems as us.'
He said Murphy's law - that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong - had taken hold after he and other growers 'had such a large, massive crop' in recent seasons.
Entire wine regions (above, the Hunter Valley) are considering ways to reinvent themselves for a younger market that's less interested in red wine
'It's really just getting to that realisation that you have to do something,' he said. 'The funny part is everyone expects their next-door neighbour to do it, before they go 'well, we'll do it too".'
He said there's only one replacement he is seriously considering – prosecco.
However, the company faces the challenge of naming rights after a free-trade agreement barred Australian growers from using region-specific names from Europe.
Anthony Albanese said earlier this year he was determined not to bend to pressure and change the names of products such as prosecco and feta if the country strikes a trade deal with Europe.
Meanwhile, Wine Australia has expressed concern that Gen Z may never take up drinking thanks to social movements including Dry July, 'mindful drinking', and 'sober curiosity'.
At the beginning of July, Wine Australia listed the youth market as a strategic development priority.
The government body will research new products to meet the change in demands.
Some wineries have dipped their toes into the production and marketing of wine cocktails, liquor-wine blends, and lower-alcohol offerings to cater to youths.
Others are ripping up existing crops entirely.
Globally, the five years leading to 2023 saw global wine consumption fall by 3.1 billion litres.
In Australia - which boasts 60 wine regions - wine-makers are losing space to 'functional beverages', those which offer benefits in boosting energy, immune system support and improving digestion and health and wellness movements.
Wine ranks last of all desired beverages amongst younger consumers.
Beer is the most commonly chosen single beverage, followed by ready-to-drink offerings, including seltzers and pre-mixes, and spirits.
'The opportunity for Australian wine is to make our wines more relevant and appealing to Millennials and Gen Zs as part of their experiences and lifestyles,' the peak body said.
'We need to give these drinkers a reason to choose wine over other alcohol options, particularly as preferences continue to evolve.'
The organisation identified a growing affection amongst young people for white, sparkling, and rosé varieties, with rosé particularly attractive due to its pleasant, pink hue.
Alternative packaging formats were also identified as a way for wine brands to better address the younger demographic.
However, Wine Australia did note that there are still some 380million people who drink wine regularly worldwide.
Of those, just 68 million drink Australian wine, suggesting 'there is an untapped pool of over 300 million people that currently drink wine' who 'have yet to discover Australian wine'.
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