Chile’s Wine Exports Fall as Drinkers Turn Away

Chile’s wine industry is trying to adjust to a global market that is drinking less wine and showing more interest in lower-alcohol beverages, as producers in the country report weaker exports and slower sales.

Worldwide wine consumption has fallen steadily in recent years, according to the International Organization of Vine and Wine, which said global consumption dropped from 229 million hectoliters in 2020 to 214 million hectoliters in 2024. Early signs for 2025 point to another decline. For Chile, the shift has come at a difficult time. The country is the world’s fourth-largest wine exporter, but its shipments have also softened.

Wine of Chile, the industry association, said the country exported 46.7 million cases of bottled wine in 2024, worth $1.299 billion. In 2025, exports fell 2.9% to 46.1 million cases, with a value of $1.262 billion. Eduardo Guilisasti, chief executive of Viña Concha y Toro, Latin America’s largest wine producer and exporter and one of the world’s 10 biggest wine companies, said the situation worsened last year. “Many thought 2025 would bring relief. It did not,” he said during the company’s shareholders meeting. “The crisis worsened, and proof of that is that several companies recorded declining sales.”

Industry analysts say the slowdown reflects both weaker demand and changing drinking habits, especially among younger consumers who are choosing drinks with less alcohol or no alcohol at all. Nicolás Román, an analyst and academic at the University of the Andes’ Faculty of Economic Sciences, said millennials and Gen Z are drinking less than older generations and are more willing to pay for quality when they do drink. He said they also place more emphasis on sports, leisure and physical well-being.

Ana María Barahona, editorial director of La CAV magazine and president of the Mesa de Cata wine quality panel, said the trend is not limited to Chile. She pointed to a broader public debate about alcohol and health risks, including links to cancer. Barahona said spirits companies have invested heavily in reaching younger consumers, while wine producers have been slower to respond. She also said cultural habits have changed, leaving wine less central to daily life than it once was.

In response, Chilean wineries have begun expanding into lighter wines and alcohol-free products while trying to keep their traditional customers. Viña Concha y Toro introduced Casillero del Diablo Zero, a nonalcoholic sparkling wine, and BeLight, a line with 8.5% alcohol content. The company said those products accounted for nearly 6% of its total sales volume in the United States within months of launch.

Miguel Torres Chile developed Serena, which it describes as the country’s first dealcoholized wine made entirely from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Santa Rita launched 120 Zero, an alcohol-free line, along with 120 Delight, a low-alcohol range that has grown 68% since its debut in 2025.

Gonzalo de Tezanos Pinto, brand owner at Santa Rita, told Emol that the winery began working in the category in 2021 because it expected deeper changes in consumer behavior. Román said Chilean wineries are moving away from a focus on traditional reserve wines and toward more premium offerings that may include nonalcoholic cocktails. He said current technology now makes it possible to reduce alcohol without losing much aroma or flavor.

Barahona said wineries are also promoting new white grape varieties as part of the effort to reach new drinkers. She added that low-alcohol wines are gaining ground slowly, even as many consumers continue to seek premium bottles through wine clubs, specialty stores, restaurants and wineries themselves.