Drinking less wine, but much better: The trend of 2026

Have you noticed this at your local wine shop in Eindhoven, Antwerpen, or online? Where we used to effortlessly scarf down a few bottles of basic supermarket soup at a birthday party, now there's more often a single truly good bottle on the table. Often with a story to tell, too. We're seeing this trend very clearly in the Netherlands and Belgium: we're all drinking less wine, but when we do pour, it needs to be a hit more often.

In this article, I'll briefly delve into the figures behind this shift, explain what "premiumization" means for you, and provide practical tips to keep those beautiful bottles fresh for weeks.

Premiumization is about elevating a product's value through superior quality, unique features and enhanced consumer experiences . It's not just about a higher price; it's about high-performance formulations, sensorial excellence, trusted efficacy and aspirational branding.

Source: Unilever.com

Why do we drink less but better wine?

The shift to quality wine (also known as "premiumization") isn't a fluke. It's a structural change in our drinking habits, supported by market data from recent years.

The figures: Wine consumption in the Netherlands (2024-2026)

• Decline in volume: Total wine consumption in the Netherlands fell by 8% last year.
  (Source: Winecastr.com - https://winecastr.com/wijnconsumptie-nederland-opnieuw-gedaald-in-2024/)

• Focus on quality: We spend an average of 30% more per bottle than we did five years ago. Consumers are choosing experience over volume.
  (Source: AD.nl - https://www.ad.nl/economie/wereldwijde-wijnconsumptie-en-productie-op-laagste-peil-in-meer-dan-zestig-jaar~abee7f85/)

• Health: According to the RIVM Health Monitor, 45% of Dutch people now consciously drink less alcohol, which creates space for one really good glass at the weekend.
  (Source: RIVM - https://www.rivm.nl/nieuws/steeds-meer-volwassenen-drinken-weinig-of-geen-alcohol)

Consumers want to know more about wine

This trend dovetails seamlessly with the desire to better understand the specific characteristics of wine and winemaking (such as the meaning of terroir in wine ). Those who want to improve their winemaking skills seek authenticity, quality, a specific grape variety, a specific approach, and so on. This is perfectly possible, because a wine reveals a lot about that chalky soil in Burgundy or the sunny exposure of the vineyard in Piedmont. And that, of course, is far more exciting and interesting than a mass-produced wine from an anonymous factory. For centuries, people have been searching for a story, an experience, not necessarily a rush.

Mass vs. Quality: What's the Difference?

But okay, where do you draw the line? And what exactly constitutes "good wine" ? Well, unfortunately, I can't give you a clear answer to that. That's partly relative, but also largely a confusion of concepts. Because:

Read carefully. Good wine is not the same as good wine. That doesn't mean good wine isn't good, and good wine isn't good. They simply don't have to be mutually exclusive.

So let's roughly stick to this separation.

• Good wine is about how it's made . The quality of the juice, whether it was harvested at the best time, whether it wasn't aged too long in oak, what kind of oak, etc.
• Good wine is about what you think of it . Is it good, do you enjoy it, would you drink it again, does it bring a smile to your face (and not because it's the 26th glass)?

Unless you're a reviewer, that second thing is of course the most important: Is it good?

Whether you like it alone is, of course, impossible for a winery to indicate on the bottle. However, you can look at the information about how it's made. If, over time, you gain more insight and develop a better understanding of what you like now, you can more easily connect the dots.

So, two extremes of the winemaking spectrum. Let's put the average bottle in the supermarket on one end. On the other end, let's consider the approach for premium wines.

So what does this tell you? A lot of wine in the supermarket is more likely to be a mishmash of things, so that together they create a relatively accessible and undistinguished flavor profile. It's like painting a wall in every color. Yes, there's something in it for everyone to appreciate, but that's about it.

Moreover, the average bottle in the supermarket is made for scale and consistency, which requires (artificial) interventions in the production process. Many bottles are stored upright (for long periods) under lights, in a fairly warm store (which cools down again in the evening), which is absolutely detrimental to wine. And I could go on and on. Not to say everything is rubbish, but the conditions are suboptimal.

Okay, back to finding a good wine that you actually like.

From 'nice' to 'good': How do you determine your new direction?

Making the transition to drinking less, but better, actually starts with understanding the value of your glass. The difference between a €5 bottle from the supermarket and a €12 to €18 bottle from a specialist like Perfectewijn.nl is exponential.

With a cheap bottle, the majority of the price is taken up by fixed costs: glass, cork, capsule, label, transport, and, of course, the taxman in the form of excise duty. With a €15 bottle, you're investing proportionally much more in the winemaker (who might harvest by hand), getting less yield from their vineyard (which ensures greater concentration), and giving the wine time to mature. You're not buying "juice," but craftsmanship.

How do you discover what suits you? To determine your direction, you need to go beyond just drinking and start tasting . You can follow these three practical steps for your next purchase:

• Define your profile: Do you prefer "tight and fresh" (think a mineral Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire) or "sultry and powerful" (like a wood-aged Primitivo from Puglia)? At Perfectewijn.nl, don't just look at the grape variety, but also at the descriptions we provide for wines. And we're going to make that even more accessible, by the way.

• The 10-Euro Rule: Want to really taste the difference? Try moving up from 5-7 euros to the price range above 10 euros. This is where the wine truly begins to reveal its terroir.

• Buy a tasting box: Instead of a box of one varietal, create a set with different regions. This way, you'll quickly discover whether you prefer the refined acidity of the north or the ripe, powerful flavors of the south. We can help you with that too, as we've already compiled a selection for you.

• Develop your palate with our tasting circle: Learning to better describe what you like will help you find your next bottle. That's why we've created a tasting circle and included it in our shop. With a simple step-by-step plan on one side and flavors on the other, you'll be making your choice easier in no time.

Once you've found that perfect bottle that perfectly matches your flavor profile, you naturally want every glass to taste like it was just opened (or a few hours ago, but not days). And that brings us to the practical side of storage...

How do you keep a bottle of wine fresh longer after opening?

The biggest barrier to drinking "less, but better" is the fear that that beautiful Barolo or Grand Cru will go to waste after two glasses. Because you might not finish that bottle in one evening. Oxygen is wine's biggest enemy (oxidation), but there are clever solutions:

1. The Coravin: This Changes the Game

If you're truly serious about quality wines, a Coravin is your best investment. This device shoots a thin needle through the cork and replaces the poured wine with argon gas. Because no oxygen is exposed to the wine, the rest of the bottle stays in peak condition for months (or even years!). This way, you can enjoy one glass of your best bottle on Tuesday and save the rest for later.

2. Temperature control

Always refrigerate an opened bottle, even red wine. The cold slows the oxidation process. Don't forget to remove the red wine from the refrigerator half an hour before serving, otherwise you'll taste very little.

3. Vacuum pumps

If you don't have a Coravin, that's understandable, as it's not a particularly cheap purchase. But there's a workaround. Use a vacuum pump (like a Vacu Vin). It's certainly not as effective as argon gas, but it does help the wine survive those extra 24 hours.

So...

Drinking less doesn't have to be a challenge you only undertake in January; you can also see it as enrichment. It helps you be more discerning and savor every sip. With the right knowledge about terroir, winemaking, grapes, and tools like the Coravin, our tasting circle , there's no excuse to leave that beautiful bottle unopened.

Would you like me to help you select a wine truly worth enjoying by the glass? Let me know in the comments which region you love!