Five Ways Wine Will Change in 2023

Wine news in 2022 was both concerning and upbeat. Once again, scorching heat, record-breaking drought, spring frosts, hail storms and wildfires reminded vintners of the dire threat and cost of climate change, which will cause more eco-anxiety in 2023. On the positive side, vintners and drinkers are taking sustainability ever more seriously, and more innovations and adaptations are coming.

The first Future Drinks Expo in San Francisco in May was a look at the technology for wine’s future. Robots? They’re in the vineyard already, picking grapes, weeding and pruning, and will soon be working to ferment tiny batches of grapes in the cellar.

Yet there’s financial anxiety on the part of producers. Supply chain problems and an increase in transportation costs took a toll last year. And inflation means we’ll be hunting for values and bargains. Even as prices rise, remember: Ultra premium wines can be a relatively affordable indulgence, compared with other luxury goods.

Here’s what else I see in my crystal glass for 2023.

MINDFUL DRINKING WILL EXPAND

One of the fastest-growing segments of the wine industry is the new wellness category, and “mindful drinking” is its mantra. Brands with a “better for you, your community and the Earth” mentality are booming. Younger drinkers especially want to imbibe less, and when they do, they look for “healthier” organic wines with less alcohol. A recent 10-country study by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis found that sales of no- and low- alcohol beverages in 2022 surpassed $11 billion, up from $8 billion in 2018. That’s still niche, but IWSR predicts no- and low-alcohol consumption will increase by a third by 2026. Among the new brands on US shelves in 2023 will be no-alcohol sparkling wines from Danish mindful-drinking company Ish Spirits.

In a win for consumers, mandatory nutritional labeling on all wines sold in the European Union goes into effect in December 2023, and the US Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau announced it’s considering a similar move.