European winemakers are adapting to changing consumer habits: what is involved
Kyiv • UNN
Wine producers in the EU are adapting to falling demand due to changing consumer habits, especially among young people. Experts recommend developing the market for non-alcoholic wines, which will grow to 14 billion euros by 2031.
European winemakers are adapting to the growing demand for low-alcohol and non-alcoholic wines to cope with falling consumption and economic challenges, Euronews reports, UNN writes.
Details
Wine consumption is part of the cultural history of Europe, but today, as noted, it is fashionable to drink less alcohol, especially among young people.
Therefore, the group of experts calls on the European wine industry to tap into the growing market for low-alcohol and non-alcoholic wines. This could be the key to stopping the negative trend in the economy.
Almost half of the world's wine consumption is accounted for by EU residents, where 107 million hectoliters were consumed in 2023. But wine consumption has been declining for many years.
Between 2010 and 2020, wine consumption in the EU decreased by almost a quarter. It is expected to continue to decline, albeit at a slower pace.
According to experts, the reasons for this are health problems and changes in alcohol consumption habits. That's how the idea of low-alcohol and soft drinks came about.
Last year, the European Commission set up an analytical group to assess the situation in the wine industry.
The reason was "to address the current challenges facing the wine sector: extreme weather conditions, ways to adapt to climate and environmental change, and changing consumer tastes," as Gerardo Fortuna, a Euronews journalist covering the industry, explained.
According to Fortuna, given the difficult situation in international trade, wine exports have declined and domestic consumption has also fallen.
Therefore, the analytical group recommended that industry representatives study the segment of low-alcohol or non-alcoholic wines, which are gaining popularity.
The market potential of European producers is said to be growing, as the size of the global non-alcoholic wine market will increase from almost EUR 8 billion to EUR 14 billion by the end of 2031.
This means an annual growth rate of more than 10%. The largest sales markets are in the United States, 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, Deputy Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture, said that the balance between the traditional interests of winemakers and new opportunities is a challenge for European wine producers. According to him, the industry has every opportunity to succeed.
If European winemakers fully join the project, it is noted that this "will be a great business opportunity in the coming years.
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