What Wine Marketers Can Learn from the Rise in Flavored Wine
Marketing

May 15, 2026

What Wine Marketers Can Learn from the Rise in Flavored Wine

By Monica Rolbiecki-Severson

By Alexis Dowling

There’s been a lot of doom and gloom in the wine industry lately. But one surprising bright spot has emerged, and it’s not organic wines, canned wines or Rosé. Surprisingly (or not surprising if you keep reading), it’s flavored wine. That is, wine infused with natural flavoring made from non-grape materials, as opposed to traditional wine, which gets its flavors from grapes and winemaking techniques.

In a beverage category that is so closely tied with tradition, history and terroir, the very thought of flavored wine will make many wine enthusiasts and critics stick their nose up. With the wine industry’s overall decline, however, we can’t ignore what’s working. According to The Drinks Business and Nielsen IQ data, flavored RTD wine cocktails grew 15% year over year, along with wines with higher alcohol by volume (around 16%), which grew 8.9%. Comparatively, still wines declined -5.8% overall.

What is interesting about flavored wine is what it says about today’s consumer. Its rise reflects a broader shift in consumer behavior towards prioritizing clarity, familiarity, convenience, and immediate gratification when purchasing beverages. Below we explore what’s behind the growing popularity in flavored wine and why it’s important to consider when marketing to today’s consumer.

15%

growth of flavored RTD wine cocktails

8.9%

growth for wines with a higher alcohol by volume

-5.8%

]decline for wines overall

Flavor is Trending Across the Beverage Category

Late last year, in our 2026 Food & Drink Trend Forecast blog post, we predicted that 2026 would take flavor trends to new levels, and that prediction has certainly proven true across the beverage space. It’s not just flavored wine that’s trending. According to CSP Daily News and Nielsen IQ data, “flavored alcohol beverages—including flavored malt beverages (FMBs), hard seltzers, prepared cocktails and wine-based cocktails—accounted for roughly 21% of total beer, wine and spirits sales in U.S. convenience stores in the year through April 18.”

As we look to bring new consumers into wine, producers must consider that flavor is key to influencing younger legal drinking age (LDA) consumers’ purchasing decisions. Beyond traditional wine and beer, younger consumers have many more beverage options than ever before. Fruity or easy-to-understand flavor profiles dominate alternative beverage categories, so it’s not surprising to see Gen Z and Millennial consumers looking for similar flavor profiles when it comes to wine. Considering the myriad of choices, flavored wine could very well serve as a gateway to bring more members of this younger demographic into the category.

Flavor is Straightforward

Wine can be confusing. Wine labels can quickly become overwhelming to anyone walking the wine aisle. According to research from Wine Market Council (WMC) and Quini, “24% of wine drinkers say label information rarely helps them choose a wine,” as reported by Wine Business Monthly. Similarly, 34% of these wine drinkers “report buying a bottle they expected to match a flavor or style they liked—only to be disappointed.”

Because flavors are often familiar and easy to understand, flavored wines simplify the wine shopping experience by stating more directly what consumers can expect when they take their first sip. This kind of clear communication and marketing may be especially important for younger consumers who are newer to wine and approach it in a different way than previous generations. Rather than relying on centuries of tradition and prestige to appeal to wine consumers, it is important for marketers and brands to meet consumers where they are and understand their needs and wants. In an industry facing declining consumption and headwinds, innovation will be essential to wine’s future.

24%

say label information rarely helps them choose a wine

34%

report buying a bottle they expected to match a flavor or style they liked—only to be disappointed.

Value Matters More Than Ever

In today’s unpredictable economy, value matters. Consumers want confidence that what they are purchasing will deliver the value and flavor they expect. As consumers become more selective about where they spend their money, some want products that pack a bigger punch, as alcohol also factors into a perception of value for their purchase. The Wine Group is innovating to reach this higher alcohol wine consumer. In a recent interview, CMO Helen Kurtz told The Drinks Business “People looking for a serious kick with their wine tend to also want ‘high fruit and flavor cues, so we introduced several new lines, like MAD DOG by MD 20/20, FUEL by Franzia, and the new Dulce Sol Spiked Aguas Frescas line.’”. This is just one example of the many ways wine companies are providing innovative products for flavor-conscious consumers.

Whether flavored wine becomes a lasting segment or not, its growth reflects a broader shift in how consumers approach beverage purchasing. Today’s drinkers increasingly value clarity, familiarity, and accessibility over tradition alone. As presented in a recent blog post on agility in food & beverage marketing, emerging trends are highly important for marketers to understand in order to appeal to current consumer preferences. For wine marketers, understanding this shift in consumer behavior will be critical to attracting the next generation of wine drinkers.

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