Fried chicken and raves: How Gen Z is getting the wine bug

A collective ‘oooh’ rippled as the plates were brought out: gleaming nuggets of gold batter with precisely piped globules of sauce (ketchup, sweet chilli and an oniony mayonnaise flavoured like Monster Munch crisps).

Next came wine glasses wafting floral and mandarin notes. The collective silence that followed was applause enough.

Chicken nuggets had met their soulmate, and it wasn’t a syrupy pop, or soda, from a machine, but an elegant Slovenian orange wine.

More unorthodox pairings ensued (including a McDonald’s burger with a spicy Bulgarian red blend, and gloriously crispy fish and chips with Danbury Ridge’s English fizz from Essex) but none could top this.

From bubblegum-pink jumpsuits to Y2K denim waistcoats, the clientele looked more like they were heading to a Dua Lipa concert than a wine tasting.

But this was no ordinary wine tasting: it was Crystal Palace Wine Club’s sell-out junk food and wine pairing night, which, since it was founded in 2022, has become a major hit with London’s cool young epicures.

‘We have tote bags saying, “Wine without the bullsh*t”,’ says Tom Grater, the bar’s owner. ‘People often feel intimidated going to a wine bar. We want to democratise that experience. That dovetailed really nicely with the junk food pairings. After all, it’s just a bit silly, isn’t it?’

Industry reports seem to take perverse delight in proclaiming that young people aren’t drinking, heralding the death of wine as we know it.

However, the booming popularity of new, more irreverent event formats – from wine raves to Taylor Swift-themed tastings – would suggest otherwise.

Wine to a new beat

One example is Bêvèrãgęš (@nybeverages). Launched by DJ and creative director Jake O’Donnell and his friends five years ago, it’s described as Brooklyn’s rowdiest natural wine party.

The wine rave pops up at different venues across New York throughout the summer and regularly attracts more than 1,000 people with its combination of ‘natty’ wines and dance music.

‘There were too many stuffy, sit-down, quiet, boring wine bars. We knew the city needed something different,’ O’Donnell explains. ‘Our parties start at around 3-4pm. By 8 or 9pm, it’s ripping. Then we finish about midnight. It’s usually a nice mix of wine nerds and party people.’

London is in on the trend, too. Jake Norman and Joshua Bratt, general managers at two of London’s trendiest restaurants (Trullo and Carousel, respectively) started their own wine rave, Close Ties, as a roving party for their hospitality trade mates on rare days off. However, it has evolved into one of the hottest tickets around for young gourmands.

‘We try to curate , taking over spaces and bringing together best-in-class food, drink and DJs,’ Bratt says.

‘We tend to stick to lesser-known regions to try to offer quality wines we’re excited about and that people are on board with price-wise. This has led to a big focus on Central and Eastern Europe throughout the years. It’s a great thing to see people who aren’t into wine getting excited about a glass of Blaufränkisch or Furmint.’

Norman adds: ‘It’s definitely a young crowd with people who are into wine to some degree, but who might not know about the producers that people in the trade are excited about. Close Ties events are a space for anyone who likes tasty things and a good time to get together and let loose.’

Creative approach

If one evening of raving isn’t enough, whole festivals are emerging dedicated to pairing good wine with modern music. Electronic Wine in Koblenz, Germany, is for die-hard club music fans (especially those who also enjoy a good Riesling – the city sits at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine rivers).

It attracts around 14,000 people, most under the age of 40. Meanwhile, in northern Spain, MUWI La Rioja Music Fest blends performances by indie, pop and electronic artists with guided tastings and visits to local wineries in Rioja’s main city of Logroño.

Unconventional food and wine pairings are going viral on social media and translating to real-life footfall – whether that’s hot dog and wine matching nights at Le Vignoble, a wine bar in central Bristol, in England’s southwest; or the queues of TikTokers lining up for the hit ice cream and wine bar experience at Folderol in Paris and The Dreamery in north London.

Even more traditional wine companies are getting in on the action. In the UK, members’ club retailer The Wine Society has been piloting fresh event formats aimed at attracting a younger crowd.

‘Themed evenings such as our Fried Chicken & Champagne night proved that wine exploration can be fun, social and joyful,’ says Tim Schwilk, the Society’s head of tastings and events.

The Wine Society has also experimented with DJs and self-pour ‘discovery stations’, which some drinkers might find less intimidating than the traditional pouring station with a staff member standing behind it.

‘People say Gen Z doesn’t drink, but I haven’t seen those people. Everyone I know drinks just as much as older generations,’ says Thomas Wright, a 26-year-old wine lover from London. ‘It was the cost-of-living crisis that meant we’ve maybe been drinking a bit less.’

Even so, he believes it would help if wine was promoted as something to enjoy while watching sport or during live music.

‘Get wine associated with things young people actually do: beer companies have been so successful with that. Doing events that are more fun and funky makes a difference, too. You realise you don’t just have to have wine with cheese.’

Thirst for knowledge

Yet anything that veers into ‘patronising gimmick’ territory risks having the opposite effect and it’s impossible to paint a whole generation with the same brush.

‘I personally am only interested in super-serious wine events,’ says Cokie Ponikvar, a 25-year-old sommelier and wine influencer based in Canada. Young people want to be taken seriously, and when there’s a wine event that does that, they really appreciate it.’

Ponikvar’s Instagram account (@cokiesworldofwine) has about 500,000 followers. Her videos, where she documents her journey studying for both the Master Sommelier and Master of Wine exams simultaneously, regularly get 10 million views or more – with around 90% of those from people under the age of 35.

‘What people get wrong is thinking that young people are different from anyone else,’ she adds. ‘If you just make something that’s easy to understand, everyone will like it. It just so happens that more young people are on social media.’

Unfortunately, Ponikvar has faced poor behaviour from others in the wine world because of her age.

‘People just don’t take you seriously as a young person. I’ve left crying from wine experiences three times because the people were so inhospitable. One incident happened at an incredibly well-regarded winery, another at a top restaurant. Someone once yelled at me – even though my behaviour was completely appropriate and polite. It makes wine uncomfortable, it’s rude and it’s mean.’

Luckily such examples are also notable for their rarity and most wine companies are acutely aware of the need to welcome in the next generation.

For someone in their 20s who’s interested in but a bit intimidated by wine, Ponikvar suggests getting a copy of Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine by Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack (Avery, 2015: £23 winefolly.com), a book aimed at beginners with funky infographics and colourful explainers.

‘Also get certified and take some exams: knowledge is power in wine,’ she adds.

Overall, then, the picture is positive. Wine isn’t losing a generation, it’s being reimagined by one, in louder rooms, with odder pairings and fewer rules.

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