Is Wine Cringy Now?

Back in my day, when Instagram had a chronological timeline and Reels were known as IGTV, we circumvented this by knowing every happy hour within a half-mile radius of work. Liver be damned! The bar was our third place; a hangout away from home. And Starbucks was where we sipped our Unicorn Frappuccinos. Now, neither of those places seems as popular (though the siren-logoed coffee chain is making moves to recapture its status as the ultimate hangout).

Where do you go instead? “On walks,” my colleague shared, a sentiment echoed by other Gen Zers I polled. It’s free, it’s healthy—and it gets you steps closer to another third place that’s rising in popularity. One that’s ironically very millennial and pricey, yet somehow has been so coated in nostalgia that its fans are willing to overlook both factors. I’m talking about froyo.

If New York is any indication, frozen yogurt shops are staging a comeback. Searches for “frozen yogurt nyc” are up 120 percent over the past 90 days, Google Trends reported, and lines have been snaking around the block at the city’s hotspots. Indeed, my coworker shared her walks often lead to the froyo shop, admitting that while it may cost $10 a cup, she and her friends feel it’s more worthwhile than half a cocktail.

Consider it an extension of “little treat” culture, where people are combatting the 3 o’clock slump with a jolt of sugar. A 2,000-person survey from Talker Research (on behalf of Hi-Chew, so take it with a spoonful of…you know) found that Gen Z tends to have the biggest sweet tooth—72 percent said they had about one to six sweets a day, compared to 57 percent of baby boomers. Why the surge in sweets? According to the survey, it’s a source of comfort and nostalgia. It’s a way to indulge that feels a bit more filling, clocks in at a slightly lower price point, and in the case of froyo, is perhaps a bit healthier, so it’s easier to justify.

That said, will Gen Z change its attitude toward wine? Perhaps—winemakers at a recent panel on “Designing Next Gen Wine Experiences” noted that Gen Z’s current age range is 14 to 29, and typically, people between the ages of 21 and 29 aren’t dropping $50 a bottle. For a generation that’s craving affordable ways to connect, it also comes down to creating an experience that feels fulfilling.

“We can afford a tasting fee; we can’t always afford the bottles, and that can feel alienating,” a student told panelists during the discussion. Another shared, “Don’t do a community event and charge $60 if you want to get in the pockets of the younger generation. We don’t really have $60 to just — whoop! — throw around.”

In other words, save that $60 event for us elder millennials. And if you set it to a Dashboard Confessional playlist and offer a Dunkaroos pairing menu, we’ll bring all of our friends. Or at least our Top Eight.