As pressures converge, wine is learning to move differently

There was a time when wine, particularly at the premium end, moved with certainty, built on habit, occasion and the gradual development of taste. That certainty is harder to find now. Globally, consumption fell again in 2024, down around 3 per cent according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine, continuing a longer decline that has seen billions of litres fall out of the system. In Australia, the pattern is parallel, with per capita alcohol consumption falling to 9.8 litres in 2023–24, although the impact is not evenly felt across the category.