Gallup alcohol survey 2023

We’re drinking less, and wine remains something for women and the wealthy, neither of whom are young

The good news for the wine business in Gallup’s 2023 alcohol survey is that things aren’t much worse than they have been – so no horrible new results, just the same old bad news. American are drinking less and wine remains something only women and the wealthy like. And, of course, wine drinkers aren’t young.

Which, given the continuing bad news for wine, is actually, sort of, almost, kind of, a shot in the arm. It is worth noting that wine dropped to third behind beer and spirits in preferred alcoholic beverage; wine and spirits have been about equal in preference since 2019.

John Gillespie, who oversees the Wine Opinions consultancy, says the survey does offer “more of the same.” The growth of spirits, with the caveat that he hasn’t looked at all of the data yet, “spirits is the interesting factor – and has been for a few years.”

Among the survey highlights:

• Abstention increased from 33 percent to 38 percent, while “overindulging” remained at near historic lows. Don’t make too much of the rise in abstention; it has stayed in the same narrow band, between 35 and 40 percent, since 1982.

• Women are about three times as likely as men to say wine is their preferred beverage. Men choose beer over wine by about the same margin. However, more women than men prefer spirits. That number was about equal last year, and may indicate women are trending away from wine to spirits.

• Beer is the most preferred among all age groups, but spirits — again — are gaining on it among those 18 to 34. And wine is second to beer even among those 55 and older.

• And, if you want something to really worry about: Even among the wealthiest Americans, those with household incomes of more than $100,000, wine holds only a one-point advantage over beer. That difference was six points in 2021.