By Rodrigo Gutierrez
SAN JAVIER DE LONCOMILLA, Chile April 28 (Reuters) - In Chile's picturesque Maule Valley winemaking region, idyllic scenes of the year's harvest mask a stark reality, as winemakers confront plummeting global consumption.
To uncork interest, Chilean wine producers are turning to experiential tourism, sustainable farming and social media campaigns to court a younger generation.
"We are probably living through the worst crisis in the wine world in 100 years," said 25-year-old sommelier
Felipe Rivera.
"I honestly feel that the main reason is that there is no generational replacement among wine consumers. My generation, generally speaking, does not drink wine, and that is a major challenge."
The wine slump is a global phenomenon, with a "sustained decline" in key markets including China, the UK, and the U.S., said Julio Alonso of the promotional group "Wines of Chile."
Some of that decline stems from younger generations pulling back. In the U.S., a 2025 Gallup poll showed that only 50% of young adults drink alcohol, down from 59% in 2023 and below the 54% share for the general population, as many young people now view moderate drinking as harmful.
To attract new wine lovers, growers in the Maule Valley are swapping tasting rooms for hands-on harvest experiences. Winegrower Jose Luis Gomez Bastias invites visitors to prune vines and crush grapes, encouraging a connection to the land and emphasizing his winery's ecological practices.
"Young people are very interested in wineries that farm this way," Bastias said. "That is the future."
For sommelier Ricardo Grellet, creator of the "Yo Tomo Vino" (I Drink Wine) campaign, the future is in quality, not quantity. He sees consumers prioritizing wellness and certified products, predicting that wines "without soul or sophistication are destined to be lost."
His campaign encourages people to simply enjoy a glass, "switch off their phone and be people again."
The approach appears to be resonating. "This is a world that, as a generation, we really do not know much about," said social media creator Silvia Lobos, 24. "I'm realizing it is part of our identity as Chileans."
(Reporting by Rodrigo Gutierrez in San Javier de Loncomilla; Additional reporting by Hugo Monnet; Writing by Daina Beth Solomon and Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
