Predictions
“In wine, the ongoing conversations about climate change and eco-sustainability will see increasing growth for locally grown warmer-climate Mediterranean varietals. We’re seeing more and more local winemakers turn particularly to Italian and Spanish varietals that are not only well suited to growing sustainably in Australia’s hot, dry conditions but that are also lighter and fresher than our more traditional varietals, and incredibly food-friendly – playing into the growing popularity of social occasion-based drinking and ‘drink-now’ buying habits.” – Andrew McKay, Red Bottle
“Casual social occasions are becoming more important to “Premiumisation, provenance
consumers and as such they will look towards sessionable
and sustainability are the key
alcohol options, like light and refreshing styles of wine
drivers that New Zealand wine
such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Rose and Pinot Noir,
will be delivering on in the year
as well as formats that appeal to casual consumption
ahead. Exploration of style and
settings such as small formats (e.g. canned wine). We
sub-regionality of Sauvignon
also know that consumers are wanting to make easier
Blanc, along with more
decisions around food occasions at home, so there is the
awareness of the lesser planted
opportunity for greater collaboration between retailers
varieties in New Zealand.’ – Catherine Wansink, New Zealand Winegrowers
and brands when it comes to suggesting wine pairings.” – Kevin Mapson, Pernod Ricard Pacific
“Beer is already putting it’s hand up to lead
“In 2024, we expect sparkling wines to maintain their popularity. As consumers increasingly seek unique and distinctive experiences, we are expecting their interest in wine cocktails to rise. It’s also essential to consider economic factors, particularly its potential impact on the spending behaviour among younger demographics. Notably, sustainability will remain a pivotal criterion in consumers’ decision-making processes. This sets the stage for a year characterised by diversity, innovation, and adaptability in the wine market.” – Darren De Bortoli, De Bortoli Wines “Consumers are leaning towards quality over quantity, with demand for variety and higher quality increasing. The premium and craft beer segments are forecast to continue outperforming other types of beer due to rising consumer demand for quality and variety.” – David Smith, Lion
liquor growth in 2024. Plausible growth among brands (including Great Northern, Hahn Super Dry and James Squire) playing off the trends seen in RTD prompt beer to be in the perfect place to further cement itself as the leading liquor category. The growing presence of midstrength, low calorie and new flavour options in a mature category is truly encouraging.” – Will Granter, Circana
“De-alcoholised ciders, as opposed to lightly fermented, are beginning to appear in Australia and it will be interesting to see how these perform against their beer and wine contemporaries. Australian producers are entering this space carefully and seeking out advice from technical experts on how to retain the flavour and texture that customers expect.” – Warwick Billings, Cider Australia February 2024 | 27