Wine trends 2026: what really lands in your glass

The biggest trend of 2026 has the fewest per mille. Alcohol-free and low-alcohol wines are growing by over seven per cent according to industry data in 2026 — and you can finally taste it. Instead of dull grape juice, serious alternatives are emerging that keep acidity, fruit and freshness. Alongside them come \"proxy wines\": complex drinks from tea, herbs and verjus as a category of their own next to wine. \"Sober curious\" is no longer abstinence but a conscious choice.

In our glass: Kiefer by Schmidt alcohol-free Blanc de Blanc (Kaiserstuhl) — proof that 0.0% doesn't mean zero flavour. Plus NOU Alcohol-Free from PIWI Kollektiv.

What was an insider thing a few years ago is now on the most exciting wine lists in the city: natural wine, spontaneously fermented, unfined, with little to no added sulphur. And in the middle, orange wine — white wine fermented on the skins like red wine, gaining colour, structure and tannin. Both stand for what the new generation wants: real stories instead of polished industry.

In our glass: Natural wines from Sven Enderle, Ökonomierat Rebholz and other small estates — much of it by the glass, so you can explore at your own pace.

In 2026, especially younger drinkers look more closely: sustainability has to mean more than a green label. In the vineyard that means PIWI — fungus-resistant grape varieties that need hardly any spray, drastically cutting environmental impact and tractor runs. Plus organic and biodynamic farming, biodiversity and fair work. The more confidently these wines are communicated, the faster they leave the niche.

In our glass: PIWI Kollektiv NOU Secco and wines from Kiefer by Schmidt — values you can taste.

Heavy, oaky, tannin-driven? Not so much in 2026. The trend is towards light reds with gentle extraction, served slightly chilled — pure fruit, fluid texture, instant pleasure. Varieties like Garnacha or light German reds lower the entry barrier and make the perfect summer wine that works all year round.

In our glass: Light, chilled reds from our list — best on the courtyard terrace in summer. Ask us what's open right now.

Between 0.0% and classic 13% opens an exciting field in 2026: wines with only 7 to 9 per cent alcohol that still keep their terroir identity. Through selective picking and modern techniques, bottles emerge that combine freshness and drinkability without the weight of alcohol — especially among whites. Ideal for long evenings when the second and third glass shouldn't be too much.

In our glass: Matthias Gaul Gris de Gris from the Pfalz — light, fresh and full of character. Just ask us for more low-alcohol recommendations.

Sparkling stays in demand. In 2026 the sparkling boom continues — from fine grower sekt via pet nat (pétillant naturel, the ancestral method) to Champagne from small houses. You hardly need an occasion any more; a good glass of fizz is the most relaxed way to start an evening in 2026.

In our glass: Champagne Salmon from Chaumuzy — or a pet nat to clink glasses. More on our tasting page.

The beauty of wine trends 2026: you don't have to study them, you can drink them. At our wine bar on Rosenthaler Platz you'll find almost all of them by the glass — curated, changing and without finger-wagging. Come by, tell us which trend intrigues you, and we'll pour the right one.

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At 100 GRAMM Vino, ground floor of The Circus Hotel, Rosenthaler Straße 1, 10119 Berlin-Mitte — directly on Rosenthaler Platz. Open daily from 5 pm, lounge and winter garden all year, courtyard terrace in summer.