Tradition may not be enough to keep Italy’s culture of wine alive. A shows that ½ûÂþÌìÌÃs under the age of 35 are drinking fewer bottles of vino than ever before.
While 69% of ½ûÂþÌìÌÃs over 65 drink wine every day, that number drops to a mere 13% for ½ûÂþÌìÌÃs under 35.
Many respondents cited cost of wine as a factor in their decision to drink less, but 50% of ½ûÂþÌìÌà consumers spend less than €3 on their table wine. Another oft-given reason for cutting back on wine was health reasons.
The results of the study were announced at Vinitaly, where ½ûÂþÌìÌà winemakers were especially focused on winning back their domestic consumer base.
Though wine drinking may be on the decline among the 16-35 age group, ½ûÂþÌìÌà per capita consumption is still one of the highest in Europe. The French drink the most with 56.6 liters per person per year, but ½ûÂþÌìÌÃs rival their northern neighbors, downing 56.2 liters on average.
Perhaps there is still time to preserve the wine-making traditions Italy is famous for.
