For 2021 and beyond, our sense of exploring the new will be refreshed to see a rise in popularity of lesser-known wine regions and grape varieties as well as more exotic spirits and unusual flavour combinations.
Georgia
Georgian wine may present the perfect blend of storied past and exciting future. “It’s an ancient tradition, at least 8,000 years old,” says John Wurdeman, an American wunderkind impresario of Georgian grapes. American hipster wine bars are serving orange wines from there, made in clay pots, to rebel against the status quo Bordeaux and Napa wines. The bottles are popping up at places like wine bar Ten Bells on New York’s Lower East Side as well as at the Michelin-starred Washington, D.C., restaurant Maydān. Since the country has some 500 varieties of grapes, you can give up now on getting a handle on the full range of Georgian offerings, but among white, you’ll see Mtsvane, Kisi and Rkatsiteli grapes; among reds, Saperavi, which Granik calls the “Syrah of Georgia.”
Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico
In the past five years, the idea of wine from Mexico went from crazy-sounding to very enticing. A mere 70-mile drive south of the US-Mexico border on the Baja Peninsula is the Valle de Guadalupe, where some 150 wineries, mostly small operations, have sprouted up to take advantage of wine-friendly conditions. The region produces 90 percent of the country’s wines.
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
The emerging Canadian region making the biggest impression on global palates is the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, the southern portion of which lies just across the border from Washington State. And the valley will be only more influential in the coming years. It’s a long, skinny area oriented on a north-south axis: In the north, it’s cooler, and Pinot Noir and Riesling grapes thrive; in the south, much hotter and a home to Bordeaux red grapes such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
England
Over the past 30 years the bubblies have popped up in various parts of southern England, where climate change has created perfect conditions for making sparkling wine. The vintners explicitly model their businesses after Champagne, planting that region’s three grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
India
India has an ancient tradition of wine, but these days its production is a drop in the bucket: It’s a beer-and-spirits kind of country and has been for centuries. So the production of premium wine is in its infancy. But thanks to some wealthy entrepreneurs, things are starting to happen. Local winemakers are partnering with wineries from Tuscany and Napa Valley to produce wines which are sold already in the US.
Winter rosé
Storming sales in autumn 2020 (up 57% versus last year according to Waitrose UK) prove that pink is officially for all seasons.
Versatile, food friendly and with the ability to take us straight to Provence in a sip, rosé wine had its biggest year ever last year, and this will only continue to grow in 2021.
All that glitters
The glitter wine has white and pink wines with infused edible glitter. This edible glitter can be added and is designed to be stirred in order to add colour and sparkle to your favourite wine. The wine glitter is known to not contain any preservatives.
Formats
Consumer awareness of the ethical credentials and sheer convenience of alternative formats has never been more prevalent. Lockdown saw people reduce the number of visits they made to shops, so larger formats like bag in box were in demand and customers haven’t looked back. Wine in cans, cocktails in post-friendly sachets and bag in box wine have all pushed the boundaries of how people expect to buy good-quality drinks. This trend will only continue as we see more innovation in the industry and more customers embracing different types of packaging than ever before.
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