Headlines from Wine Enthusiast to The Economist all say the same thing: Americans are drinking less. Young adults, in particular, have seen their numbers drop most significantly in the last few years, according to a Gallup poll, with just 50% reporting drinking regularly.
In reality, articles equating wine to cigarettes aren’t telling the entire story. Silicon Valley Bank’s 2025 State of the US Wine Industry Report blames changes in consumer attitudes for the downward trajectory, and suggests “aggressive category marketing and promotions” to help reverse the downturn in demand. Given the 21-29 age band mentioned in the report, however, Gen Z doesn’t seem to be part of that marketing strategy. “The wine industry complains about young people not drinking, but they’re terrible to them,” says Cokie Ponikvar, a wine influencer.
The generation born between 1997 and 2012 grew up online, seeking validation from peers and strangers on everything from hairstyles to higher education. But the wine industry isn’t listening. Rob McMilan, EVP founder of SVB Wine Division, writes in the report’s introduction that “there is hard work ahead, but I do not doubt that creativity, something we have in abundance, will provide solutions.” That creativity he’s seeking? It comes from thinking outside the norm, leaning into new mechanisms for telling ancient stories, and listening to diverse voices.
Yet, there is a small subset of Gen Z sommeliers who are carving out their own paths in a world that doesn’t always seem to want them. “[Sommeliers] are paying for the sins of previous generations; people who talk down to their guests,” says Tia Polite, a Chicago-based sommelier. “I’ve always tried to take the edge off right away and say, ‘Let’s have fun with this.’”
These sommeliers are bucking the perception that Gen Z isn’t interested in drinking wine by dedicating their livelihoods to the stuff. They are betting big on Master Sommelier accreditations, building inventive lists that celebrate small-batch producers, and traveling internationally on their own dime for a career in the wine business. Each of them has developed robust wine programs at some of the country’s most prestigious hospitality groups, leaning into their youth by developing original approaches to antiquated systems. “Because wine is so noble, [the industry] can be very traditional. I see it as my role to bring this art in a very passionate and very non-traditional sense,” says sommelier Tess Housholder.
Here, meet five Gen Z sommeliers working across the country, from Sonoma to Manhattan.
Tess Housholder, Appellation Healdsburg
27-year-old Tess Housholder bonded with Chef Charlie Palmer over the differences between California and French Chardonnay when he interviewed her for the sommelier role at his newest food-centric hotel, Appellation Healdsburg. The Colorado native came to appreciate the way wine could elevate the food experience when she was creating menus as a banquet chef. Tasked with putting together a 300 list, she tapped mentors like Alex Sarovich, along with contacts from her days working as tasting room manager at Francis Ford Coppola and Merriam Vineyards’ tasting room ambassador.
Despite her luck, she’s aware of the challenge ahead, recalling that during her studies for Level 2 Wine Spirit Education Trust, she was not only the only female but also the youngest person by three decades. Her goal is to break the stereotype that wine is pretentious: She approaches discussing wine like talking to an old friend, and gravitates toward small producers with great stories. “I love sharing wine in a very casual conversation,” Housholder says, “helping people understand so that they can enjoy the bottle anywhere, at any time.”
Cokie Ponikvar, Cokie’s World of Wine
While in high school, Cokie Ponikvar came across the documentary Somm—a film about the Master Sommelier examination—and the world was immediately fascinating to her. Wine for Ponikvar, who isn’t a big drinker, is academic. “The most intriguing part is the opportunity [for it] to be relevant to the world,” says the 25-year-old, who is currently studying for both her Master of Wine and Master Sommelier designation.
Today, the former Four Seasons sommelier-turned-wine influencer regales her half a million followers weekly about the differences between cork and screw top bottles, wine regions in New Zealand, the origins of names (Merlot is just a grape!), and more. Seven years later, her influence on the industry has helped destigmatize who belongs at the tasting table, and who are the experts. “Wine is something that’s so misunderstood, but so relevant. Everybody cares a little bit about wine,” she says.
Tia Polite, Eat Well Hospitality
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For Tia Polite, sommelier at Eat Well Hospitality (Asador Bastian and upcoming Mama Chen’s), the bridge to wine was through food. As a freshman bartending events with the University of Denver’s campus catering, she impressed the instructor of a wine class for seniors. And when COVID cut her college years in half, she returned home to Chicago and swapped school books for wine ones.
She was able to experience the industry from all sides as a buyer while working in Denver alongside Zac Byers at his 18-seat restaurant Beckon, before returning home to Chicago again to begin her career in earnest. Most recently, she helped to open the progressive Indian fine dining spot Indienne, building the wine program from scratch. “Spice and wine is really fun,” she says, even if it’s not something considered traditional.
Samuel Neely, Eleven Madison Park
The world of coffee initially captured Samuel Neely’s attention, until COVID prompted him to study wine more seriously. A hospitality veteran, Samuel worked his way up to sommelier at Emmer Rye Hospitality Group’s Hestia in Austin, Texas. His passion for wine helped bring attention to the small wine program under wine director Alicia Schmidt. “Austin is a fairly young wine market,” he says. “There’s not historically been a presence of fine restaurants there. So it was cool to not only feel like I was growing the wine program [at Hestia], but the wine culture in the city.”
His experience in central Texas helped earn him a spot at the world’s best restaurant, New York’s Eleven Madison Park. Now, Samuel is part of a team of 10. The program is well-established, but Neely is keen to challenge stereotypes by bringing his personality and style to the role. “There’s a benefit to being young in my profession,” he says. “People are more disarmed rather than thinking I m a stuck-up pretentious person who’s going to upsell them. If anything, it’s the opposite.”
Matias Marroquin, Verse LA
Family trips to Italy and the Rhone Valley encouraged a 12-year-old Matias to begin tasting with dinner, fostering an early passion for wine. So when COVID interrupted his first year of undergrad, he quickly felt a responsibility to help out at his family’s restaurant, Verse in Los Angeles, when staffing for restaurants was notoriously tough. “I fell down the rabbit hole of wine and never looked back,” says the 24-year-old, who recently passed the Advanced Sommelier Course.
His approach to Verse’s program is to blur the old and the new. When Matias inherited the unfinished wine program, he blended his appreciation for “high-level, classic wines that are clean” with an unpretentious team who sell wine based on taste, not price. At the end of the day, his refreshingly laid-back approach to the ever-expanding list has allowed him to stay grounded while still exposing guests to an abundance of international selections. “We’re supposed to be the cork poppers that keep people having fun,” he says. “It’s a very simple job at the end of the day.”