Rethinking Wine for a New Generation: A Global Conversation with Master of Wine Tim Hanni
The global wine industry is at a crossroads. Declining consumption, shifting demographics, oversupply, and changing social habits are forcing growers, wineries, and marketers to confront a difficult truth: the old rules no longer work. On Ag Meter, host Nick Papagni sat down with Tim Hanni, Master of Wine, to explore what’s gone wrong—and what must change for wine to remain relevant in the modern world.
Hanni, a globally respected consultant, educator, and thought leader with more than 60 years in the industry, offers a bold, research-driven perspective that challenges long-held assumptions about wine, consumers, and marketing.
A Master of Wine with Deep Central Valley Roots
Tim Hanni is not just a world authority on wine—he has longstanding ties to California’s Central Valley. Over the decades, he has worked closely with Allied Grape Growers, Fresno State University, and influential growers and winemakers throughout the region. His connections span generations, including close relationships with Nat Dibuduo, the Quady family, and the late Angelo Papagni, whose Alicante Bouschet wine Hanni describes as an early career epiphany.
Hanni has lectured in Fresno, and his work has been used in sensory science courses at Fresno State. While his reach is global, his understanding of California agriculture is deeply personal.
From Neurodivergence to a Lifetime in Wine
Hanni’s journey into wine began in 1966 at the age of 14. Dyslexic and living with ADD—long before neurodivergence was recognized—he struggled in traditional academic settings. Wine became both his passion and his profession.
Rather than seeing limitations, Hanni embraced a different way of thinking, one that would later shape his groundbreaking work in perceptual science—the study of how individuals experience taste, smell, and flavor differently.
That foundation now underpins his critique of the wine industry’s biggest failure: its inability to understand consumers.
A Global Wine Crisis, Not Just a California Problem
While much attention is focused on California’s grape glut and winery closures, Hanni stresses that the crisis is global.
- Wine consumption in France, Italy, and Spain is down more than 85% since his lifetime
- China’s wine consumption has dropped roughly 70%
- Australia faces severe oversupply and export challenges
- Tens of thousands of vineyard acres have been removed worldwide
This imbalance between supply and demand creates brutal market conditions—and traditional forecasting methods are failing.
Why Wine Forecasting Keeps Getting It Wrong
Wine operates on long production cycles, yet forecasting is based largely on backward-looking scan data that may already be six to twelve months old by the time it’s analyzed. According to Hanni, this approach ignores the most important factor of all: human perception and behavior.
He points to historic missteps, like the over-planting of Zinfandel following a major industry study. Ironically, it was White Zinfandel—and sweet wine drinkers often dismissed by the industry—that saved the category.
This pattern repeats because the industry doesn’t truly understand why people like what they like.
The Tyranny of the Experts and the Wine Aisle Problem
For new consumers, especially young couples just beginning to explore wine, the experience can be overwhelming. Walk into a grocery store or wine shop and face hundreds or thousands of bottles—often with little helpful guidance.
Hanni describes this as the “tyranny of the experts.” Retail staff and sommeliers are frequently trained to guide customers toward what experts deem “better,” rather than helping them find what they personally enjoy. The result? Intimidation, confusion, and lost customers.
Many consumers simply walk away from wine altogether and choose spirits, cocktails, or beer—categories that feel more accessible and judgment-free.
Why Canned Wine and Alternative Formats Matter
Canned wine has grown rapidly, not because consumers are lazy, but because it lowers the risk. Spending $40 on a bottle you don’t like can turn someone off wine entirely. A can offers affordability, convenience, and freedom from embarrassment.
Hanni cautions against generational stereotypes. Many younger consumers cook at home, buy organic ingredients, and care deeply about quality. They simply want wine to fit into their lives without intimidation.
Even Hanni’s own millennial son avoids ordering wine in restaurants—not because he dislikes it, but because he fears being judged.
Sweet Wine, Moscato, and the Myth of “Correct” Taste
One of Hanni’s most controversial—and data-backed—positions is his defense of sweet wine drinkers. He argues that sweet wine preference is often genetic, tied to a higher density of taste receptors.
Historically, sweet wines were widely loved in France, Spain, and Italy. Sangria—not Tempranillo—is Spain’s national drink. Yet modern wine culture has shamed these preferences, driving many sweet wine drinkers to claim they “don’t drink wine at all.”
Hanni himself helped spark the Moscato boom between 2007 and 2014 and sees it as a clear example of what happens when the industry listens instead of lectures.
Perceptual Science: Why No Two People Taste Wine the Same
At the heart of Hanni’s work is perceptual science. Genetics play a massive role in how we experience flavor, aroma, bitterness, and sweetness.
He uses cilantro as an example: a specific gene cluster (OR6A2) makes cilantro taste revolting to some people. Similar genetic differences affect wine perception, yet the industry continues to promote universal tasting notes, scores, and “correct” pairings.
Understanding genetics, neural pathways, brain plasticity, and psychology allows for more inclusive, accurate market segmentation—and a healthier industry overall.
Why Production Innovation Doesn’t Matter Without Consumers
Automation, AI, sustainable viticulture, organic practices, natural wine, orange wine—Hanni supports all of it. But he delivers a blunt truth: none of it matters if people aren’t buying wine.
He regularly advises growers and wineries on surviving downturns, but technology alone cannot solve a consumer disconnect.
Lessons from Yellow Tail and Global Oversupply
The rise of Yellow Tail offers a powerful lesson. Born during a period of massive global oversupply, it succeeded by finding the right style, label, price point, and message. What was projected to sell 250,000 cases peaked at 12.5 million cases in the U.S., representing 10% of Australia’s total production.
The formula worked because it started with consumers—not critics.
A Radical Vision for the Future of Wine
If Hanni were “President of Wine,” his first mandate would be simple: end consumer shaming.
He would:
- Redesign wine lists
- Downplay rigid food-pairing rules
- Encourage exploration and play
- Validate all preferences, including sweet wines
Instead of prescribing rules, Hanni advocates putting multiple wine styles on the table and letting people experiment. Watch which bottles empty first. Learn from it. Celebrate it.
He compares this shift to the invention of the graphical user interface in computing—a breakthrough that made technology accessible to everyone.
A Message to the Industry: Stop Fertilizing Too Much
Hanni closes with a powerful agricultural metaphor. A little fertilizer can help crops grow—but too much kills them. In his view, the wine industry has over-fertilized consumers with jargon, rules, and misinformation.
The result? A crop we are actively harming.
Learn More from Tim Hanni
- 📘 Book: Why Do You Like The Wines You Like (available on Amazon)
- 🌐 Website & Contact: tim@timhanni.com
- 📞 Phone: 707-337-0327 (text first)
Tim Hanni remains optimistic. Opportunity still exists—for California wine, for global producers, and for a new generation of drinkers—if the industry is willing to listen, adapt, and finally meet consumers where they are.