With wine sales as slow as they have been in two decades, most of the industry news recently has been about the hardships wineries are facing as new wine consumers seek alternative products.

Although much research has been done in the area of making better quality, lower-alcohol or zero-alcohol wines that seem to be in demand from younger consumers, not much in a practical sense has resulted in breakthroughs in this area.

Although consumers are poised to buy such products, very few of those that have been produced thus far have enough flavor or personality to satisfy people who really want traditional wine but want to ingest less alcohol. And while the sort of homegrown solution of adding water to a glass of wine sounds like a good idea, in most cases, it simply dilutes the quality and flavor. Even the aroma is negatively affected.

But one thing is happening that should please regular wine consumers. Good wine is getting better. And this has nothing to do with improving the grapes or the techniques that wineries use.

It comes down to the simple fact that every winery in the world that produces fine wine doesn't need as much of it as when demand was high. If a winery normally produces 30,000 cases of a particular cabernet, and its computer model tells the winery owner that only 20,000 cases are needed, the amount produced is usually of better quality.

Assume the winery has 100 barrels filled with wine. The winemaker knows which of those barrels contains the best wines — and which barrels contain lesser-quality wine. If less wine is required, the wine that is bottled comes from the best barrels.

The mediocre stuff will end up being sold off in the bulk market, almost always at a substantially discounted price. Some that wine will end up selling for a fraction of the price of the higher quality liquid, usually under a brand name no one ever heard of.

This also benefits large-volume brands that normally put out decent value wines. The quality of such wines typically improves during slow sales periods.

Thus, the result of slow wine sales worldwide usually means a slight improvement in the quality of moderately priced wines and a greater increase in the quality of branded products.

An additional factor that may also boost the quality of wines coming from West Coast wineries: an improvement in recent vintages.

Increasing temperatures along the West Coast have created much richer, slightly more alcoholic wines in the last decade. These products are not as popular with newer consumers, who are seeking better balance and structure in their wines.

However, the growing seasons of 2023 and 2025 on the West Coast were cooler than most average years, which led to lower alcohols and better structure for most wines. Although most other vintages still produced excellent quality, 2023 and 2025 wines tended to be slightly more balanced, which today's younger buyers should appreciate.

Wine of the Week: 2023 Burgans Albari?o, Rias Baixas ($18) — This delicate, spicy white wine from Spain's East Coast has only 11.5% alcohol, and an aroma that's more tropical fruit and citrus. It is delightful to sip on a patio or pair with light finger foods. Rias Baixas is known to be a terrific region for growing this grape and offering wines of excellent balance.

Dan Berger lives in Sonoma County, Calif., where he publishes "Vintage Experiences," a weekly wine newsletter. Write to him at winenut@gmail.com.

Photo credit: Eugenia Clara @fleetingstill at Unsplash