European winemakers are adapting to changing consumer habits: what this means for the industry.
European winemakers are adapting to the rising demand for low-alcohol and non-alcoholic wines to cope with declining consumption and economic challenges, reports Euronews, as stated by UNN.
Details
Wine consumption is a part of Europe's cultural history, but today it is noted that drinking less alcohol is becoming fashionable, especially among the youth.
As a result, a group of experts is urging the European wine industry to tap into the growing market for low-alcohol and non-alcoholic wines. This could be the key to reversing the negative economic trend.
Almost half of the world's wine consumption comes from EU residents, where 107 million hectoliters were consumed in 2023. However, wine consumption has been declining for many years.
From 2010 to 2020, wine consumption in the EU decreased by nearly a quarter. It is expected that this trend will continue, albeit at a slow pace.
Experts believe that health issues and changing drinking habits are the reasons behind this decline. This led to the idea of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages.
Last year, the European Commission established an analytical group to assess the situation in the wine industry.
The reason was to address the "current issues facing the wine sector: extreme weather conditions, methods of adapting to climate and environmental changes, as well as shifts in consumer tastes," as explained by Gerardo Fortuna, a journalist from Euronews covering this sector.
According to Fortuna, the challenging situation in international trade has resulted in reduced wine exports and decreased domestic consumption.
Therefore, the analytical group recommended that industry representatives explore the segment of low-alcohol or non-alcoholic wines, which are gaining popularity.
The market potential for European producers is expected to grow, as the size of the global non-alcoholic wine market is projected to increase from nearly 8 billion euros to 14 billion euros by the end of 2031.
This indicates that the annual growth rate will exceed 10%. The largest markets are in the USA, Canada, Australia, and India.
It is noted that European winemakers "seem to have finally come to terms with the idea of producing non-alcoholic wine."
At the same time, Eric Sargiacomo, Vice Chairman of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee, stated that balancing the traditional interests of winemakers with new opportunities is a complex challenge for European wine producers. He mentioned that the industry has all the potential to succeed.
If European winemakers fully engage in this project, it is noted that it "will become a significant business opportunity in the coming years."
Ukrainian wines and their role in shaping global culinary traditions26.12.24, 19:43 • 65023 views