TEHA survey finds young Italians increasingly reserve wine for special occasions

From daily meals to special moments

TEHA Group presented the survey on November 5 at the first Forum Visione Vino in Voghera, as part of its strategic report “Visione Vino 2026 – Radici profonde, sguardo lontano.” The findings indicate that younger Italian consumers are moving wine away from routine meals and toward celebrations and other defined occasions.¹

Only 14% of Italians under 35 said they drink wine with daily meals, compared with 38% of consumers over 65. For celebrations and other special moments, the pattern was reversed: wine was chosen by 50% of respondents under 35 and 34% of those over 65.¹

Benedetta Brioschi, partner and head of food and retail at TEHA Group, described the results as a wider change in younger consumers’ relationship with wine, rather than solely a decline in traditional consumption occasions. She said territory, experiences and digital channels are becoming more influential as young people bring wine to everyday meals less often and select it more frequently for special moments.¹

Brioschi said recognizing these signals is important for a supply chain that generates €40.7 billion in added value. In her assessment, the industry can safeguard and create value by communicating quality and identity more effectively, simplifying product discovery and developing experiences capable of engaging new generations and consumers.¹

What drives wine purchases

Across age groups, product fundamentals remained the leading purchase criteria. Quality was cited by 66.2% of respondents, taste by 64.2% and price by 51.6%. Geographic origin followed at 46.9%, ahead of alcohol content at 30.1%, production method at 17.5% and traceability at 16.3%. Packaging was among the least important considerations.¹

When respondents were asked what could justify paying more for a bottle, the most common answer was origin in a distinctive territory with a strong winemaking tradition, cited by 15.4%. Production by a small winery followed at 15.1%, then official recognition at 12.6%, sustainability at 11.9% and organic production at 9.8%.¹

Recommendations from friends and relatives were the principal source of purchasing guidance, cited by 54.7% of respondents. Food and wine guides influenced 27%, while in-store promotions accounted for 25.5%.¹

Digital sources surpassed some traditional advertising channels: specialized websites influenced 22.7% of respondents, and social media together with online reviews reached 16.2%, compared with 13.3% for television and magazine advertising.¹

TEHA Group also reported that 53% of respondents had participated in wine-tourism activities during the previous year. Visits, tastings and other direct experiences therefore form part of consumers’ engagement with wine alongside recommendations, retail promotions and digital discovery.¹