Scientists at the University of Toulouse in France have found that adding the sugar substitute xylitol to red wine makes it far more appealing to Generation Z, whose members have increasingly turned away from the drink's dry, bitter taste.
For the study, researchers gave 119 young adults, with an average age of 22, samples of red wine containing different amounts of xylitol, as well as an unaltered version of the same wine, and asked them to rate each one. The wine used in the trial was a 2024 vintage made from Fer Servadou, a red grape variety native to southwest France that typically produces dry, rustic wines.
The findings, published in the Journal of Sensory Studies, showed that the samples containing higher doses of xylitol were significantly more popular than the unsweetened wine. Tasters described the sweeter versions as softer and fruitier, while the standard red wine was more likely to be judged acidic, bitter and bland. The Journal of Sensory Studies is a peer-reviewed publication that focuses on how people perceive taste, smell, texture and other sensory properties of food and drink.
Industry facing a 'global crisis'
"The wine industry is facing a global crisis with a significant decline in wine consumption," the research team wrote in the journal. "This decline is particularly marked for red wine and the industry is seeking innovations to increase the attractiveness of such wine."
Young people have complained about the taste of red wine online, with one person describing it as "very, very bad."
The researchers suggested that young adults with limited experience of wine may prefer sweeter, fruitier flavours than those typically found in the dry reds that currently dominate the market.
Their data showed that higher levels of sweetener produced a higher overall score for the wine among the Gen Z tasters, with the unsweetened control version rated the lowest of all the samples.
"The results should encourage industry research and development units to test sugar substitutes for improving market access of dry red wines," the team added.
What is xylitol?
Xylitol is already widely used in the food industry and appears in sugar-free gum, sweets, chocolates, toothpastes and mouthwashes. However, the researchers cautioned that the use of sweeteners in wine could face regulatory restrictions in some countries.
Previous data has shown that while older generations tend to prefer traditional, prestigious wines such as those from Bordeaux, younger drinkers favour sweet or sparkling styles as well as lower-alcohol alternatives. Separately, a recent survey found that many Gen Z drinkers are shunning alcohol altogether in favour of tea, particularly when preparing for important events.
Climate threat to Pinot Noir
The study comes weeks after separate research suggested that some of the world's finest Pinot Noir could be at risk as climate change brings more frequent droughts. Researchers pinpointed a potential tipping point at which the grape begins to struggle under severe water stress.
Pinot Noir, one of the most widely planted red grape varieties in the world, is closely associated with France's Burgundy region and is known for its prominent notes of cherries and red berries. It is notoriously sensitive to its growing conditions, which help give the wine its distinctive character, and the researchers warned that further water stress could spell bad news for growers in some of the world's most famous wine regions, including France, Spain and Italy.
The research comes as an intense drought grips large parts of the world, with prolonged periods of heat and scarce rainfall putting increasing pressure on water supplies and agriculture.
