Wine Trends are a result regular and subtle changes in our perceptions about wine, where and when we consume wine as well as changing wine styles. Successful wineries listen to the customers and are aware of changes taking place in the market. We as consumers are becoming better informed and more selective when it comes to wine. Here are a selection of wine trends to look out for, how many can you relate to?
High quality Rosé wines will continue to grow in popularity. Well made rosé is actually more expensive to make than a red or white wine because the volume of juice you get per kilo of grape is much less than for reds. So it is misguided to think that Rosé is less of a wine.
Serving better quality wines by the glass in restaurants in bars. There are many ways wines can be preserved for longer once opened making it possible to enjoy a glass of your favourite wine without having to buy the bottle.
Wines lower in alcohol, particularly reds. Lighter alcohol means lighter bodied wines, introducing consumers to grape varieties and cooler growing regions. Consumers are becoming more aware of the level of alcohol in wine and wineries are responding by offering wines that are lower in alcohol, that is not to say low alcohol wines which is something completely different.
Serving temperatures – white wines a little warmer and red wines cooler. There is a clear trend in restaurants here in Spain to serve reds directly from coolers, particularly during the warmer months. Take a white wine out of the fridge or cooler 20 mins before serving will result in the flavours becoming more noticeable.
Natural wines, including biodynamic, organic or wines with minimum intervention. These styles of wines have improved greatly in recent years. Natural wine tastings events are growing in popularity, such as the ‘Vins Singulars i de poble de La Marina Alta’ taking place in June. Nowadays it is difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish between a well made bio wine alongside another good quality wine giving consumers more choices.
Wines from New Regions Spain is full of wine regions, not well known if you are not from the region, with wonderful wines to enjoy. Also wine is global and trends show consumers are becoming more curious to try new from other countries.
Less use of oak is a trend towards more subtle styles of wine whether they be aromatic or ripe fruit flavoured wines. Over use of oak followed the success of Australian Chardonnay’s with consumers around the world. Even in Australia winemakers are changing their wines to meet this trend.
Learning about wine. Consumers want to know more about how wine is made, the different wine regions and styles. There are many wine courses available. For example the WSET, for professionals and amateurs, is the most widely recognised international course. Based in London, these courses are now available in 70 countries and 19 different languages. Spain, in fact is one of the fastest growing markets for these courses.
