For those of you who observed ‘Dry January,’ welcome back! Given that you’re reading this column, my might be thinking that I would never abstain, and you’re right. Ironically, however, I didn’t intentionally intend to participate this year, given that it’s my job to taste wines practically daily, but a triple-whammy of illnesses—a horrible head cold that turned into a painful chest cold, finally morphed into a massive sinus infection—all of which rendered me with little sense of smell, and, frankly, little desire—or ability—to taste much of anything for the entire month of January. While I didn’t expect or enjoy the pause, I’m not gonna lie: I didn’t mind losing a few pounds. 

While I wasn’t drinking, however, I was reading lots of articles about the recent onslaught of warnings by various sources about the risks and/or dangers of alcohol consumption, in general, as well as wine, specifically. If you haven’t been following along, a simple google news search of “wine + health” or “spirits + health” will yield headlines like, “Just one drink a day may put your health at risk, federal report finds” (NBC News); “Alcohol poses these 8 risks to older adults, experts warn” (Fox News); “How Red Wine Lost Its Health Halo” (The New York Times); and this gem from OregonLive.com, “Readers respond: Wine writer shouldn’t weigh in on alcohol’s health risk.” 

With all due respect to the disgruntled reader of OregonLive, I’m weighing in. How could I not? And thankfully, so, too, are other publications asking for clarification between the broad use of the terms ‘alcohol’ and ‘wine’ interchangeably. As my colleague and New York Times Wine Critic Eric Asimov reacted in his column, seemingly for all of us who write about wine for a living, “When the surgeon general described alcohol as a preventable cause of cancer and recommended that alcoholic beverages carry warning labels, I felt conflicted.” That’s an understatement. I’ve been writing about wine (as well as spirits, beer and cocktails) for nearly 35 years. I enjoy a couple of glasses of wine most nights with dinner. I understand caloric intake. I understand the health risks of too much of anything alcoholic. And I understand the idea of moderation, and consider my consumption consciously and responsibly, one glass at a time. 

That said, I have been asked several times over the past year or two to write about the trend toward low- and no-alcohol beverages. Again, if you’re not up to speed, this trend is huge. Between 2019 and 2023, the market saw a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25%, according to Statista. And according to a report in the IWSR (International Wine & Spirits Record), this upward trend is expected to continue, “with projections indicating an 18% volume CAGR from 2024 to 2028, bringing the market’s value close to $5 billion by 2028.”

Surprisingly (at least to me!) is that non-alcoholic beer—beer!— remains a primary driver of this growth, accounting for 84% of sales in the non-alcoholic beverage sector. In 2024, non-alcoholic beer sales in the U.S. surged by 26%, surpassing $800 million, says The New York Post. During this year’s Super Bowl LIX, Michelob Ultra Zero shared the spotlight alongside Michelob Ultra during a commercial featuring Willem Dafoe, his “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” castmate Catherine O’Hara, WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu, Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss and Olympic shot put gold medalist Ryan Crouser. 

On top of this, the market for low-alcohol beverages has expanded, with product launches increasing by 11% over the past five years, outpacing the overall alcoholic beverage market, according to Innova Market Insights. This growth is driven by rising health consciousness, changing social habits, and increased awareness of the negative effects of alcohol consumption. Younger generations, in particular, are leading this shift, opting for non-alcoholic alternatives and contributing to the decline in traditional alcohol sales, says a report in El Pais.

While writing about this trend, I discovered along the way is that while some people are quitting alcohol altogether for health reasons, others are integrating low and no-alcohol drinks into their socializing, alternating between drinks with and without alcohol. I’m finding, in general, among my own social circles that more and more people are open to explore the possibilities, along the lines of, ‘if it tastes good and doesn’t get me tipsy or tired on a Monday, why not?’.

For myself, I’m in favor of exploring both sides of the argument as a journalist, seeking out research and case studies for balance, as well as my own edification. What we don’t need, in general, as well as with this topic, is hysterical click-bait designed to sensationalize, rather than educate.

Anthony Giglio is the Wine Director for the American Express Centurion Global Lounge Collection and a longtime Contributing Editor at Food & Wine Magazine. You can read more of his writing at http://www.anthonygiglio.com and @anthonygiglio

---