New York’s Drinking Scene Is Evolving — And Wine Palates Are Shifting
CCO Emily Cappiello explores New York's latest sipping trends.
The wine market in the U.S. overall has been volatile, to say the least, in the last few years. Younger drinkers have slipped away from the category as hard seltzers and craft beers have penetrated the drinks business, while a growing health-conscious movement has brought low and no-ABV styles, as well as cannabis, hemp and CBD-infused drinks, into the forefront. According to the Silicon Valley Bank State of the Wine Industry Report, this is the second year in a row that wine consumption has dropped.
This has been echoed in New York City and the surrounding areas as well. But, there is good news here. The wine scene is still vibrant. And even with an influx of new types of drinks and the shifting habit of drinkers, one thing is for certain — patrons are looking for unique, exciting wines and are willing to pay a bit more for them than they used to. Lower priced wine is being overlooked in favor of higher-quality wine with a higher price point. This has led to a bright spot — while consumption has seemed to stagnate a bit, dollar sales of the classic drink have shown a slight increase overall (even though volume consumed has dropped to some degree) as more expensive wines with interesting stories behind them are piquing consumer interest.
“People are curious about the people behind the bottle. They want to know if it’s women-owned, sustainable, biodynamic, backgrounds, doing a significant amount of charity work,” says Amy Racine, beverage director at New York, NY-based JF Restaurants. While sommelier, beverage director and server education is key to growing wine programs, there are a few drinking trends in New York that are also helping wine to regain its premium position.