A twenty-something at an Amsterdam cocktail bar orders a glass of Riesling. Not ironically. Not as a joke. Just because an Old Fashioned is too much, too sweet, too much sugar, too much alcohol. Welcome to the Gen Z wine trend 2026.
According to CBS figures (via Grandcruwijnen, 2026), over a third of Dutch 18-25 year olds stuck to the guideline of one alcoholic drink per day or less in 2024. Within that group, something interesting is shifting: cocktails make way for wine. Not to drink more, but to drink more consciously. What does that say about the wine that ends up on the shelf two years from now?
What CBS says about Gen Z and alcohol
Over a third of Dutch 18-25 year olds meet the max-one-drink guideline (CBS via Grandcruwijnen, 2026). At the same time, the CBS Consumer Price Index shows wine prices in March 2026 fell 1.1% year on year. Not a price war, but a softening in favour of quality over volume.
Rabobank sees the same pattern globally: in traditional wine markets like the Netherlands, younger consumers drink less by volume but higher by quality. Wine consumption keeps growing worldwide, but the growth sits in other markets and other consumer profiles than before.
The Netherlands, incidentally, imports 15% of French EU wine exports (CBS, 2026). That keeps Dutch retail supply French-dominated, with Italian and Spanish close behind.
Why does Gen Z pick wine over a cocktail?
Robert Verhoeven of Pitch PR summed it up in an interview with Grandcruwijnen:
“Younger consumers are increasingly turning away from cocktails and sweet mixed drinks and choosing wine with quality and meaning. Not to drink more, but to enjoy more consciously.” Robert Verhoeven, Pitch PR, January 2026
Behind that shift sit a few concrete drivers:
- Balance and lower ABV: younger consumers want drinks that fit a wellness-leaning lifestyle
- Lighter styles: less oak, less extraction, less hammer
- Authentic stories: the winemaker and her choices weigh heavier than the shelf price
- Social-shareable: a natural-wine bottle with an odd label outperforms an industrial cocktail on Instagram
- Transparency via labels: organic, regenerative, biodynamic certification is no longer a plus, it is a baseline
Sustainability is not a marketing line, it is a baseline
For Gen Z, sustainability is not a marketing filter, it is a gate. Without certification, you drop out of consideration. Regenerative viticulture, lighter bottles, transparent supply chain, fair pay for harvest workers: young drinkers want it shown, not promised.
Telmont became the first Champagne house to receive Regenerative Organic Certified status in January 2026. A deliberate move, backed by investor Leonardo DiCaprio. The marketing positions it as proof that luxury and sustainability can co-exist. For Gen Z, that is no luxury pitch, it is the price of entry.
EU Regulation 2026/471 reinforces the shift. Since 18 March 2026, ingredients and additives must appear on every bottle via a mandatory QR code. Transparency is no longer optional.
Which wine styles fit this shift?
A walk through supermarket and specialist shelves gives a fairly consistent picture of what works for this group:
- Lower-ABV white wines (Mosel Riesling, Vinho Verde, Txakoli, Müller-Thurgau)
- Pet-nat: low ABV, gentle bubble, unfussy
- Orange wines from Friuli, Slovenia and Georgia
- Chilled reds: Beaujolais, lighter Pinot Noir, Frappato from Sicily
- Premium alcohol-free: French Bloom, Leitz Eins-Zwei-Zero, Eins-Zwei-Zero
- 375ml formats for “one glass on a weekday evening”
Note the pattern: almost everything sits below 12% ABV. Nobody asks for a 14.5% Zinfandel with a brand-name halo any more. Gen Z buys for the moment, not the ego.
Does Gen Z actually drink more wine?
Time for honesty: in absolute terms, no. This group drinks less alcohol overall. The fact that over a third stick to the one-drink guideline is a hard CBS figure.
So “wine over cocktail” does not mean “more wine”. It means: of what they still drink, the share of wine rises at the expense of sweet mixed drinks and cocktails. A mix shift, not a volume rise.
No-alcohol in this age bracket still belongs mostly to beer and mocktails. Wine climbs slowly in that alcohol-free segment, but trails the category leader, beer.
Concrete buying tips: what goes in your cellar?
For anyone wanting to follow this trend, or simply look for it: six wines that fit the style and price zone.
- Mosel Kabinett Riesling (€10-€16): 8-9% ABV, clean, mineral, citrus
- Vinho Verde (€6-€10): 9-11% ABV, lightly tingling, a spring drink
- Beaujolais Villages (€11-€15): 12% ABV, cool-climate Gamay, sappy and fresh red
- Frappato Vittoria (€14-€18): 12.5% ABV, Sicilian red served chilled
- Tariquet Ugni Blanc (€8-€11): 10.5% ABV, citrus, dry, perfect with oysters
- French Bloom Le Blanc 0.0% (€22-€28): premium alcohol-free, sparkling, neutral bottle
A price band of €8-€22 covers around 80% of Gen Z purchases by horeca data. Not the absolute top, not the bottom.
What are Albert Heijn and Gall & Gall doing?
NielsenIQ data on the Dutch on- and off-trade shows a shift from hospitality to supermarket. Wine fits Gen Z mainly through the supermarket channel: affordable, fast, around the corner. Specialist shops like De Wijnkist and Henri Bloem win on the story and the curation, which matters to this group too.
Both channels expand their no-low sections. How big that segment is in the Netherlands precisely remains hard to pin down. What is clear: the space is growing, and it is becoming visible on the shelf.
Sources
- Grandcruwijnen.nl (12 January 2026): Gen Z is changing drinking habits and increasingly choosing wine in 2026
- CBS Consumer Price Index: alcoholic beverages: CBS 86142ENG
- CBS (April 2026): France is the EU’s largest wine exporter
- NielsenIQ: From bars to supermarkets: Dutch on-off-trade dynamics
- NielsenIQ: Winning over Gen Z drinkers in European on-premise
- Rabobank Wine Report via Winenews.it: Wine consumption is growing, Rabobank report
- Perfectewijn.nl (23 February 2026): Drinking less wine, but much better, 2026 trend
- Winenews.it (1 March 2026): ProWein Business Report 2026