Wine Trends in 2023
While wine is often associated with age-old traditions and savoir-faire, it is susceptible to trends. Many forces have been at play in the past few years in the world of wine, and this month we will explore how some have impacted winemaking and wine tasting.
The ever-present worries about climate change and the need to care for the environment influence how winemakers grow their vines and produce their wines. It also affects consumers as they increasingly look for ethically made wines that align with their values. While sustainably made wine is now basically the norm (whatever “sustainable” may mean), the number of organic and biodynamic wine labels is steadily increasing. Furthermore “natural wine” is now creating quite a buzz in inner circles. This is the purest style of wine utilizing only organic grapes, wild yeast (as opposed to cultured yeast) and minimal filtration. Oh! And let’s not forget about “regenerative viticulture,” an approach that, while organic, goes further and aims at bringing back the soil’s natural health from past abuses. All in all, this is good news; these methods focus on the true nature of the grapes and the sense of terroir of the wine regions.
While wine growers and winemakers are greening their craft in response to market pressures, the young consumers – Millennials and GenZ – are not immune to fads, and their influence on the industry is evident. Packaging for convenience takes different forms; smaller bottles, tin cans, and tetra boxes. There are also fewer pretenses, and they look for fun and creative ways to enjoy their wines.
Case in point, wine is often experienced in ways not imaginable before. Pairing wine with music or wine with paintings is a thing. The idea is to create a multi-sensory experience to help us understand what is in our glass and what we are listening to or looking at. By making associations with, say, colours (pale yellow of a spring scenery with bright, fresh bubbly) or music (dramatic low notes with full body red), we are experiencing art and wines in new ways. I did a few of those over the past couple of years; they are a lot of fun with endless possibilities. My last one was definitely different …. I did a FIFA Wine Tasting. Yup! And it worked! Should I start as a sidebar in this column and correlate wines with zodiac signs? Or wine with cars? There are so many possibilities. Please, send me suggestions.
Another trend that is becoming clear is the desire to reduce alcohol consumption. This trend is driven by health concerns and is likely influenced by stringent laws. As a result, dealcoholized wine is increasingly appreciated. Those wines are definitely improving with the introduction of new technology and processes. Whimsical Wine cocktails in which alcohol is diluted with countless juice and flavours bring a whiff of whimsy. This trend goes hand in hand with the myriad of flavoured drinks, from sparkling flavoured water to kombucha, all of which compete for their fair share of the marketplace.
Other notable trends are the continued interest in Rosé, the selection of sparkling wine as an everyday wine (count me in) and the increased interest in little-known wine regions such as Spain and Portugal. Meanwhile, wines that are very “fruit forward” (think big jammy red from California or Australia) are losing some appeal amongst consumers in favour of more earthy styles from the “old world” (think Europe).
And so it goes. The new becomes old, and the old becomes new. My interest for this new year is a continued pursuit of new labels, little-known wines and a greater understanding of what and where are the good values. It’s all about the journey, they say. Drink less; drink better. And savour every minute of it.
Happy New Year!
Renée Delorme
Renée Delorme, Sommelier
www.tastingpleasures.ca
403.200.9961
mail@tastingpleasures.ca
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