International | A vintage slump Falling wine sales reflect a lonelier and more atomised world It’s not just health-conscious youngsters who are saying no to Bordeaux Share Photograph: Getty Images Jan 15th 2026 | Maipo Valley | 8 min read T HE POET T. April is not the cruellest month. In northern latitudes the first day of the new year is marred by a sharp increase in suicides (though these trail off as the month continues). The long, dark days can lower people’s moods, particularly those susceptible to seasonal affective disorder ( SAD ), a sort of depression. And older people tend to say they are lonelier in the winter months. Adding to this general misery are the exhortations of do-gooders to forgo a warming glass of red wine and instead to observe a “dry January” by abstaining from all forms of alcohol. This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “A vintage slump” From the January 17th 2026 edition Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents ⇒ Explore the edition Share Reuse this content More from International The Telegram A stay-calm plan to save the world Alas, almost no foreign leader is as reasonable as Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb The War Room newsletter: What is Donald Trump’s aim for Iran? Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, analyses the president’s options The Telegram Donald Trump’s envoys failed to reassure Europe A gathering of world leaders in Munich shows how trust has collapsed The Robin Hood state is coming for the rich Tax systems are more progressive than you think Inside Jeffrey Epstein’s network What 1. 4m emails reveal about America’s most notorious sex offender The Telegram Are liberal values a luxury the West cannot afford? Yes, China has impressive high-speed trains. That is no reason for the West to adopt iron-fisted rule

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