Never mind if you know your Claret from your Beaujolais, it it’s got a cork in it then Gen Z are stumped.
A poll of young adults aged 18 to 24 reveals that little over a quarter (27 per cent) own a corkscrew.
It has led winemakers to announce the ‘death of the corkscrew’ which, for years, has been under threat from the screw top and soaring levels of teetotalism among young adults.
Today a third (28 per cent) of 16 to 24 years old have not had a drink in the past 12 months, compared to 18 per cent in 2011, according to NHS data.
There is also evidence that Gen Z and millennials are less interested in wine than previous generations.
Showing the age divide, some 81 per cent of over-65s have a corkscrew, according to the annual trends report by the household goods retailer Lakeland.
The prevalence of screw-top bottles and even canned wine in supermarkets also goes some way to explain the trend, the report says.
It states: ‘More and more young people just do not know how to use one … and if you don’t know how to use it, why own one?’
While the corkscrew is out, Lakeland – known for Gen Z must-haves including the avocado slicer – listed some new kids on the kitchen block.
These include ‘Scrubbies’, which are small ceramic sponges designed to clean refillable water bottles, and ‘ergonomic garlic rockers’.
The retailer also announced that breadmakers ‘are back’ – mainly due to hobbies taken up during the pandemic and concerns about ultra-processed foods as people look to ‘cook and bake their food from scratch so they can control exactly what goes into it’.