I used to live right next to a natural wine store called “Wine Therapy.” It’s famous in the New York wine scene. On Elizabeth between Spring and Kenmare, the shop is dimly lit, piled high with natural wines from all over the world, each with a price etched on the bottle with white marker. I would visit the store at least twice a week. I had a good job, it was on my way home from work, I had always had a long day and deserved wine.
They knew me there. The bell attached to the door would sound as I walked in, six o’clock usually. I was unwavering in my choice of wine. It was a red wine from Austria that ran about $27 with tax, and tasted especially good after some time in the fridge. Depending on the day, different types of people would populate the store. On a random winter Tuesday, i would be the shop’s only patron; me and whoever was working there would talk about how shitty our weeks were going. On a sunny Friday, the store would be packed full of people (freelancers) who seemed to care about wine.
It has been said that our generation drinks less — that Gen Z is more concerned with the negative effects of alcohol. But as the alcohol industry declines, the natural wine industry is thriving.
Global wine production is estimated to have declined by about 2% in 2023, reaching its lowest level since 1961, according to the International Organization of Vine and Wine’s 2024 World Wine Production Outlook. Despite this overall downturn, the organic wine market is experiencing strong growth. A study by market research firm Horizon projects that the global organic wine market will grow at a rate of 10.3% between 2024 and 2030. The market was valued at $10.80 billion in 2023 and grew to $11.87 billion in 2024.
Conventional wine often involves industrial techniques, such as the use of added sugars, acids, commercial yeasts, sulfites, and other additives to control flavor, color, and shelf life. In contrast, natural wine is made with minimal intervention. Grapes are usually grown organically or biodynamically, fermented with native yeasts, and bottled without added chemicals or filtration.
Natural wine has become popular among young people due to its emphasis on authenticity, sustainability and individuality. Made with minimal intervention and no additives, it appeals to a generation that values transparency in how their food and drink are produced. Its association with health-conscious and eco-friendly lifestyles aligns with broader trends in organic and sustainable consumption. Unlike traditional wine culture, which can feel elitist or inaccessible, natural wine embraces a casual, DIY ethos that resonates with younger consumers.
Wine is a conversation on dates. A sultry wine bar with lively jazz and dead conversation.
“I love this wine. It’s of the Gamay variety and the producers are a couple, and they have a cute dog,” a friendly banker told me as the sommelier walked away. His classic puffer vest left in the office, he was wearing selvedge denim and Lemaire loafers. He loved living in Greenpoint and “Slouching Towards Bethlehem.”
“All wine tastes the same to me,” I said, trying to get under his skin, knowing that he’s about to drop $80 on the bottle.
“Yeah, this is natural. I actually find that it gives me less of a hangover,” he responded.
The conversation was stilted. Awkward. Creaky.
“My dad is actually an oenologist,” I yell over a meticulously curated playlist.
“A what?”
“An oenologist — a wine engineer,” I say with an all-knowing, shit-eating grin. To me, there is nothing better than being smarter. I got him. He’s only pretending to know about wine.
Wine has always been a symbol of status. The European aristocrat pulling a rare vintage from the cellar. The executive ordering a $500 bottle to celebrate an anniversary. The heiress swirling her glass and commenting on the mouthfeel.
Fine wine is business, tradition, performance. People collect wines that they like, that have special significance or buy wine as investments to sell when the price appreciates. The narrative that used to surround wine was that it was snobbish. That meandering conversations about the notes in a particular bottle or discussing the need to ‘air out the bottle’ were uppity. Now, the discussion around wine has changed.
Wine, especially natural wine, has become a way to differentiate. It is more than a beverage. People with the ability to spend money in superfluous ways have taken wine on as an identity– a hobby for those trying to offset the perceived mundanity of their jobs. Everyday people tout their wine knowledge to seem cooler or more cultured. The wine signals intelligence, cultural awareness and superiority.
Walking around lower manhattan, you’ll see a wine bar on every corner offering dim lighting and a chilled red. It’s about atmosphere. It’s about vibes. But are those vibes all that different from the archaic wine world that we left behind? Or is it just revamped for a different generation?
Alex Delany, a well-known food and wine writer turned influencer, is now selling access to a curated list of good wine stores for $20. Not recommendations for rare bottles or insider tasting notes– just a list of places to shop. Meanwhile, wine influencers like The Super Vino Bros have built massive followings online, with nearly 200,000 Instagram followers eager to consume their not-so-knowledgeable takes on what to drink and where to find it. The language may be looser, the labels more playful, but make no mistake: the natural wine industry is still an industry. It’s monetized, branded, and algorithmically optimized. The natural wine world positions itself as anti-establishment, but it’s increasingly entangled in the same influencer economy, status games, and profit motives as any other trend-driven market. It’s not DIY. It’s not alternative. It’s commerce, just in cooler packaging.
Wine is still a marker of class. Wine is still a marker of wealth. But to me, it all tastes the same and it’s certainly giving me a headache in the morning.