The rise of white wine’s popularity—as well as the decline of red wine—is no longer anecdotal. The news, in December, that white and rosé now surpass red in worldwide consumption may have surprised a lot of people, but the data is real. The OIV reported that white wine alone now accounts for 43 percent of global wine consumption, up 10 percent over the past two decades.
In the U.S., the world’s biggest consumer of white wine, consumption rose 65 percent from 2000 to 2021. Meanwhile, worldwide red wine consumption is down more than 15 percent since 2007, according to the OIV report. How the industry, sommeliers, and collectors react to this new consumer reality will be fascinating, and we’re already seeing interesting moves in established wine regions.
Look at what’s happening in Bourgueil, for instance…
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Now if we could just get them to drink Riesling, I’d be on easy street! 
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Anecdotally, I see this a lot in group events as lots of women seem to prefer white or rosé and the men drink liquor instead.
Maybe changing food tastes are contributing too. As well as better appreciation of food worthiness of many white wines.
Anecdote: I was struck by how often Stanley Oh-My-God Tucci was drinking white with food on his Italian food porn show.
I find white and rosé the ideal pairing for cooking anything in the kitchen!
Also, al fresco dining (which is increasing in popularity) lends more to those wines than heavier reds.
It’s intriguing to see how producers are adapting regions like Bourgueil, formerly known for reds. Chenin Blanc seems poised to take off even more. I agree with @Andrew_K—many social drinking situations these days seem tailored to lighter whites and rosés. I will be curious to see how the industry continues evolving to meet changing consumer preferences.
“These days, it’s hard to find a good wine list or wine bar menu that doesn’t have one or more Montlouis wines.”
ummm, maybe I don’t live hipster enough, but I have no difficulty whatsoever in finding good wine lists that don’t sell no Montlouis!
The massive decline in red wine sales ties into both food (fewer quadrupeds on the menus) and climate change. Red wine is good when it’s cold outside and it’s not as cold outside as it used to be.
I see Riesling having a long hard slog. To many consumers, the flute bottle is like a cross to a vampire.
Who is going to start bottling Riesling in a Burgundy or Bordeaux bottle, ideally blended with a drop of Something Else and marketed as a dry white blend?
The road for Chenin should be a little easier.