There has never been a more exciting time for wine. Three of the industry鈥檚 leading experts uncork the latest trends they鈥檙e seeing 鈥� from the vine to the glass.
Ros茅聽is not going away 鈥斅燼nd it’s not just for summer Michael Warner, co-founder and chief operating officer at , expected to see ros茅’s popularity peak, but the opposite has happened.聽“More and more consumers are getting into ros茅, and it鈥檚 not really going away,” he said.聽Diane Gross, owner and wine director at is seeing a similar progression.聽鈥淧eople are just devouring it at record speeds,” she said.聽
One reason for its following? Gross says ros茅聽resonates with the masses. It’s fuller than a white, but lighter than a red, making it easy聽to drink.
And there’s good news for fans:聽Ros茅 is no longer considered just a summer wine.
鈥淚鈥檇 say if there is a trend, it鈥檚 that the growth is shifting away from just the summer months, and ros茅 will take on more of a year-round appeal,” Warner said.聽鈥淚t kind of works with everything.鈥�
(AP/Matthew Mead)
AP/Matthew Mead
Lighter reds are in
Gross says it’s rare to have a customer come in and ask for a California cabernet these days. Modern drinkers are all about lighter-body reds, such as beaujolais, barbera and mencia.聽鈥淭hings that have a lot of cherry and cranberry and earthy notes, and have a lot of distinction, but not fruit-forward,” Gross said. 聽
(ASSOCIATED PRESS/Dave Kolpack)
ASSOCIATED PRESS/Dave Kolpack
High praise for low-alcohol wines聽
In addition to seeking out light-body wines, consumers are also interested in wines with lower levels of alcohol.
鈥淭he days of those big, powerful fruit bombs with alcohol levels that match are numbered, as younger drinkers seek out more balanced wine,” Warner said.聽
Winemakers in cooler climates, particularly in Europe, are driving this trend, as are “young, hip” winemakers in California, who are part of the movement , Warner explains.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 going for more nuanced wines that are a little higher in acidity, a little lower in alcohol and a little more complex with their flavor profile.鈥�
(Getty Images/Carlos Barrios)
Getty Images/Carlos Barrios
Small production is big聽The big brands have their place in the industry, but today’s wine consumers are on the hunt for smaller makers. 聽鈥淧eople are seeking out more boutique, smaller production,” said Cork’s Gross.聽鈥淢ore people are talking about how wine is made; they want something more traditional, more reflective of the varietal.”聽
In Italy, smaller wineries in Sicily聽are gaining momentum. In Spain, winemakers in聽Montsant,聽Monterey and聽Conca de Barber脿 are making a name for themselves. 聽
(AP/LISA BILLINGS)
AP/LISA BILLINGS
Beyond Bordeaux: Emerging wine regions聽
Bordeaux and Napa Valley are no longer the dominant wine regions. These days, reputable wines are being made all over the U.S. 鈥斅燼nd the world.
Warner says New York is one state that has been making wine for a while and is now seeing the benefits.
鈥淭heir cabernet francs and their rieslings are really coming into their own, and they’re gaining a lot of acceptance,” he said.聽
Virginia is another state to watch. He says some of the wineries that are reaching 10- and 15-year anniversaries in the Commonwealth have figured out their聽terroir and what works on their properties. 聽
(AP/Michael Felberbaum)
AP/Michael Felberbaum
Warmer whites, cooler reds聽
Chances are, you’re drinking your whites too cold and your reds too warm.
Jason Dodge, director of winemaking at says if you’re drinking white, take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving it.
And if you’re pouring red, put it in the fridge 30 minutes ahead of time to reach what the experts call “cellar temperature.”
(Getty Images/Alan Crowhurst)
Getty Images/Alan Crowhurst
New ways to age聽
This summer,聽Robert Mondavi celebrated its 50th anniversary, and Dodge says he’s looking forward and thinking of ways to take its wines to the next level. One way he’s doing this is by aging the famed Napa Valley winery’s cabernet in bourbon barrels.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really just about the flavor and the aromatic nuances that come from the barrel,” Dodge said.聽鈥淚f you think about bourbon, it鈥檚 kind of dark and it鈥檚 kind of spicy and it has a hint of smoke, and lots of caramels and vanillas. Well it鈥檚 doing the same thing in the wine,鈥� he said. 聽
(AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)
AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy
Natural wines聽
The phrase “natural” is big right now in the wine world, but Warner and Gross say that buzzword means different things to different people.
鈥淲hat that means for me is that people are making wine traditionally. They鈥檙e not adding things, they鈥檙e not manipulating the wine; they鈥檙e sort of letting the grape make the wine,” Gross said.聽
Warner explains there’s no legal definition of “natural” wine,聽鈥淏ut we are definitely seeing a lot of consumers asking questions about where the wines are made, how they鈥檙e made, looking for wines that come from vineyards that have been organically or biodynamically farmed.鈥澛�
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Get more for less聽
There’s no need to drop a lot of money. These days, $10, $15 and $20 is all it takes to get a great bottle. Warner credits this to the advances in wine education.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just seeing the benefits of really great university systems investing in wine technology and wine knowledge,” he said.聽鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of understanding of how grapes grow and how wine is made, blending techniques, so I think there are a lot more winemakers who are equipped with the knowledge and the tools to make some really great wine at affordable prices.” 聽
(AP/Mal Fairclough)
AP/Mal Fairclough
Personalizing the palate
Warner says the millennial generation is not satisfied with walking into a store and making a selection from hundreds of bottles. Instead, customers want store聽owners who can personalize selections to their palates. In recent years, wine clubs and boutique shops have catered to this demand. 聽
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON 鈥� Whether it鈥檚 poured from a can, box or a bottle, one thing is for sure: Americans are consuming more wine than ever before.聽
In 1960, the U.S. drank a total of of wine. By 2015, that number jumped to .
Most are enjoying their pinot alongside a plate of cheese or a slice of pizza, but wine is succeeding in sectors beyond the food and beverage industry. With more than 8,300 wineries scattered throughout the U.S., it’s making significant contributions to tourism and agriculture.
The world of wine is constantly evolving and innovating 鈥� after all, it has been around for thousands of years 鈥� and there has never been a more exciting time than now. Three of the industry鈥檚 leading experts uncork the latest trends they鈥檙e seeing 鈥� from the vine to the glass.
