At Forest Wines, we’re less interested in what’s being hyped and far more focused on what people are actually buying, opening, and coming back for. As we move into 2026, a few deep shifts are reshaping the wine world in ways that feel lasting rather than fashionable.
Rising prices, climate change, lifestyle changes and a growing confidence among drinkers are all playing a role. People are questioning old hierarchies, drinking more thoughtfully, and exploring beyond familiar regions and styles. The result? Wine is becoming more diverse, more drinkable and, frankly, more interesting.
Here’s how we see wine evolving in 2026: broken down into how people buy wine, the styles they’re gravitating towards, and the regions shaping the future.
Buying trends: How people are choosing wine in 2026
1. Drinking less, buying better
Wine consumption is changing, but not because people care less about wine. Instead, drinkers are becoming more intentional. Rising costs, busier lives and a greater focus on wellbeing mean fewer bottles are being opened but with more thought behind each one. When people do buy wine, they want it to feel worth it.
This shift has brought renewed importance to independent wine shops. When you’re drinking less, advice matters more, stories matter more, and so does trust. Convenience takes a back seat to quality and character.
Who this benefits most
- Small growers making expressive, place-driven wines
- Regions offering real value rather than prestige pricing
- Producers prioritising balance, freshness and drinkability
What we’re drinking
- South African Chenin Blanc with texture and energy: Try Tesalonga Baby Bandito Keep on Punching, Chenin
- Southwest French reds offering depth without heaviness: Try Domaine Albert de Conti La Vigne D'Albert
- Greek whites and reds combining freshness, history and value: Try Alkemi Rose Xinomavro Markovitis Winery
2. The smart swap mentality
One of the most noticeable changes in how people buy wine is a growing willingness to move beyond “default” choices. Familiar regions still have their place, but they’re no longer treated as the only measure of quality. As prices continue to rise in regions like Champagne, Sancerre and Burgundy, drinkers are increasingly looking sideways, and discovering wines they often prefer.
These swaps aren’t compromises. In many cases, they offer more personality, better balance and a clearer sense of place. Once people make these discoveries, they rarely feel the need to go back.
How people are thinking differently
- Flavour and structure over brand recognition
- Regional identity over international sameness
- Value and drinkability over collectability
What we’re drinking
- Txakoli instead of Vinho Verde: saltier, more structured and built for food. Try Txakoli de Getaria, Bodegas Ameztoi
- Gamay or Andre instead of Pinot Noir: lighter reds with freshness, spice and energy. Try Syfany, Andre
- Assyrtiko instead of Chablis: mineral, textural and age-worthy, without the Burgundy price tag. Try Artisans Vignerons de Naoussa, 'Skyphos' Assyrtiko
3. Low & No: A permanent category
Low- and no-alcohol wine is no longer a trend: it’s part of the modern wine landscape. Better technology and better base wines have transformed the category, making it about choice rather than restriction. People want flexibility: a glass at lunch, midweek drinking, or a break from alcohol without sacrificing flavour or experience.
This category has also expanded beyond wine itself. Carefully made alternatives now offer complexity, acidity and texture in their own right, sitting naturally alongside wine rather than imitating it.
What’s driving quality forward
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Producers starting with real, well-made wine
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A focus on mouthfeel, balance and acidity
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Alternatives that respect wine culture without copying it
What we’re drinking
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Wednesday Domaine alcohol-free wines
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Lautus de-alcoholised wines
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L.A. Brewery and REAL sparkling teas
👉 Try our alcohol free wine and sparkling tea selection
Style trends: What we’re drinking in 2026
4. Sparkling wine beyond Champagne
Sparkling wine has become one of the clearest expressions of changing attitudes in wine. Champagne still matters, but it no longer defines the category on its own. Rising prices, shifting ideas of luxury and a desire for everyday drinkability have opened the door to an extraordinary range of sparkling wines with real identity.
What’s exciting isn’t just the quality, but the confidence. Regions that once lived in Champagne’s shadow are now proudly expressing their own styles and in many cases, offering better value and just as much pleasure.
Where quality is shining
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Crémant from Loire, Burgundy and Alsace
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English sparkling wines, now firmly world-class
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Terroir-driven Cava from serious producers
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Pet Nat for texture, freshness and energy
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Sparkling reds bringing fun without novelty
What we’re drinking
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Traditional-method English sparkling from Chardonnay and Pinot varieties. Try Court Garden Ditchling Solo
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Languedoc Crémant with finesse and depth. Try Josephine Cremant de Limoux, Les Hautes Terres
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Dry Lambrusco and red Pet Nats that genuinely work at the table. Try La Vignereuse Gaia Quoi Pet Nat
- Catalonian Cava made from old vines. Try Gran Funambul Cava, Entre Vinyes
5. Lighter reds, fresher drinking
The move away from heavy, extracted reds isn’t a rejection of tradition, it’s a response to how we actually live and eat now. As climates warm and food becomes lighter, more vegetable-led and more global, wines that prioritise freshness, acidity and moderate alcohol feel far more relevant.
These reds are easy to drink, versatile with food and satisfying without being tiring, making them a natural fit for modern wine drinking.
Who’s shaping this shift
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Cool-climate producers
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Regions rediscovering indigenous grape varieties
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Winemakers favouring restraint over power
What we’re drinking
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Gamay with depth and precision. Try Bulliat Beaujolais-Villages ‘Bibine'
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Loire Cabernet Franc with lift and savoury complexity. Try L'Hurluberlu, Sebastien David
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Elegant Pinot Noir from cooler sites. Try Andreas Bender Pinot Noir
6. Chilled reds, all year round
Once considered a summer trick, chilling red wine has become a year-round habit. Serving reds slightly cooler sharpens aromatics, brings freshness and softens tannins, making wines more immediate and enjoyable. For many drinkers, this now feels like the most natural way to enjoy red wine.
Winemakers are responding by crafting reds designed with this in mind: lighter extraction, brighter fruit and less oak.
Where it works best
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Naturally lighter grape varieties
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Wines with minimal oak influence
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Styles built around drinkability rather than power
What we’re drinking
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Nerello Mascalese from Sicily, with a touch of white grapes. Try 'Sfuso di Anna', Vino di Anna
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Carignan from South Africa. Try Bosbrand Carignan
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Gamay and lighter Pinot Noir styles. Try Lapierre Raisins Gaulois Gamay
👉 Explore more chilled red wine
7. Orange wine finds its season
Orange wine has moved beyond curiosity and found its natural rhythm. Increasingly, it’s being embraced as an autumn and winter staple, offering tannin without weight, complexity without oak, and remarkable versatility at the table.
For many red wine drinkers, orange wine has become a revelation: structured, savoury and deeply food-friendly, without the heaviness they’re trying to avoid.
Why it works so well
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Tannins give grip without density
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Aromatics evolve beautifully with food
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One bottle can carry an entire meal
What we’re drinking
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Balanced skin-contact whites from Italy and Slovenia. Try Matic Postopoma Orange
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Savoury, textured orange wines from France. Try Y'a Plus Qu'a, Domaine Kumpf et Meyer
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Food-first styles rather than extreme expressions. Try Maremosso Catarratto
8. Seasonal drinking: Choosing wine by month and mood
One of the most practical trends for consumers is matching wine to the season and occasion. People are increasingly selecting wines not just by style or region, but by time of year, temperature and food. It’s a small shift that makes drinking wine more intuitive and enjoyable.
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Autumn & Winter: Orange wines, textured reds, richer whites, serious sparklings
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Spring & Summer: Chilled reds, crisp whites, rosé, fun sparkling like pet-nat for casual gatherings
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All Year: Sparkling alternatives, versatile indigenous reds, blouge wines
Seasonal drinking helps people discover wines they might otherwise overlook and makes wine feel more connected to everyday life, rather than a formal ritual.
Regional trends: Where wine is heading
9. Indigenous grapes take centre stage
As drinkers become more confident, curiosity has shifted away from international varieties and towards grapes that truly belong to their place. Indigenous varieties offer flavours you can’t replicate, along with better resilience to local climates, something that matters more every year.
These grapes don’t just taste different; they tell stories of culture, history and landscape that international varieties often can’t.
Where this is most exciting
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Portugal, still leading the way
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Southwest France
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Greece and parts of Eastern Europe
What we’re drinking
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Portuguese wines built around local varieties. Try Niepoort, Drink Me Nat Cool, Bairrada
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Négrette, Duras and Fer Servadou from France. Try Roc'Ambulle Pet Nat, Negrette, Domaine Le Roc
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Greek whites from Assyrtiko, Roditis and beyond. Try Viditis in Anthesis, Charalaboglou Wines
10. Emerging regions
The most exciting wine regions in 2026 aren’t trying to imitate Bordeaux or Burgundy. Instead, they’re embracing what makes them different, whether that’s climate, indigenous grapes or ancient traditions interpreted through a modern lens.
These regions often offer exceptional value, originality and a sense of discovery that’s becoming increasingly rare in more established areas.
Regions shaping the future
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England, particularly for sparkling wine
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Greece
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Croatia, Czech Republic and Slovenia
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The Basque Country
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Portugal beyond the classics
What we’re drinking
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English sparkling with real celebratory potential. Try Figgie Daniel, Sandridge Barton
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Txakoli and emerging Basque reds. Try Zudugarai Antxiola Getariako Txakolina
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Coastal Croatian wines with freshness and salinity. Try Piquentum Refosk Crno Vino
What this means at Forest Wines
These shifts aren’t abstract, they directly shape what we buy and what you’ll find on our shelves. In 2026, our focus is on wines that reflect how people actually drink now.
That means:
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Championing lighter, fresher reds
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Expanding our sparkling range beyond Champagne
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Prioritising indigenous grapes and thoughtful farming
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Treating low & no as a serious, curated category
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Helping customers discover smarter, more exciting swaps
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Encouraging seasonal, occasion-led wine drinking
Wine is becoming more democratic, more diverse and more drinkable, and that’s exactly where we want to be.
If you want to taste where wine is actually heading, you’ll find it at Forest Wines.
Visit us at 149 Forest Road or shop online, and let us help you drink better in 2026.
