Trends and non-trends | New Brief #256

New trends don’t appear just because the calendar says it’s a new year. But at the end of December, many people have a go at predicting everything new that will happen in the wine world.

On the other hand, in the world of wine, trends rarely change drastically from year to year. Once a trend takes off, it usually lasts for a while. And then it fades. Or not. The environment, primarily organic wine growing, has been on everyone’s trend list in recent years. Organic production has increased enormously in the past 15 years. The pace has now slowed, and consumer interest has temporarily cooled down a bit. The trend is at a low ebb. At the same time, most producers and authorities agree that environmental issues are one of today’s major challenges. As we consumers do too.

No one can escape sustainability today. So, it is not exactly a trend. You cannot choose to jump on it or not. You are more or less forced to.

This can also apply to market adaptation. A winegrower may be forced to jump on a trend he dislikes because customers demand it. In these times of reduced consumption, this is becoming more and more important. A trend for the coming years may well be market adaptation. How the wine turns out depends, above all, on the winemaker’s choices and goals. A wine does not have an obvious “natural” unadulterated taste (that is one of the big misconceptions about “natural wines” – the natural taste of a wine does not exist), so making a wine that suits a particular market is a condition of life.

Speaking of sustainability. If it gets too quiet around the table at one of the upcoming dinners, you can play the game “Guess the weight of the wine bottle” (this assumes, of course, that the bottle is on the table and that the hosts haven’t poured it into a beautiful carafe). How much does it weigh empty? Then put it on the household scale. We like glass bottles and corks for wine but are happy to advocate for lighter bottles. It’s been a long time since we were impressed by a heavy bottle. The Swedish standard for a lightweight bottle is 420 grams. The Swedish monopoly stores, Systembolaget, has thus decided and several players in the industry in other countries have adopted this weight. But you probably will not find many such light bottles during the Christmas and New Year holidays. Fine wines still tend to be bottled in heavy bottles. But the trend is clear: bottle weight is decreasing.

Another clear trend is that the production and sale of non-alcoholic wines are increasing in many countries. According to some market studies, they are predicted to grow explosively over the next ten years. They will probably take market share from wine. I am curious to see if the producers can do something about the grotesquely high sugar levels. Non-alcoholic wine is a real wine that has been de-alcoholised. But without alcohol, it becomes unbalanced and, not least, uncomfortably acidic. Added sugar saves the day. At Systembolaget, one non-alcoholic wine has 16 grams of sugar; all others have between 35 and 70 grams. You can also keep in mind that non-alcoholic wines are perhaps the most technically processed wine there is, especially if you like wines with few additives and little technology in the cellar.

Trends often go in different or even opposite directions. One trend is to use more and more technology in the vineyard – drones, robots, etc. At the same time, there is another trend that is moving towards utilising the technology that is available to an ever-decreasing extent. The natural wine movement and other closely related things fall under this, as do the rules for Burgundy’s latest premier cru vineyards prohibiting machine harvesting. One wonders why, today, when machines are better than ever, and people who want to harvest are hard to find, and almost all experts agree that machine harvesting can give at least as good results as hand harvesting. Perhaps it reflects the old-fashioned traditionalism in the wine world?

The smart ones realise that technology and a back-to-nature vision can be combined for the best results. It is also true that the better your technology, the smaller doses you need to use.

Another definitely not straightforward trend has been on trend lists in recent years, namely that people are increasingly looking for light, juicy and refreshing wines. I think it is a niche trend. Many people don’t like these wines – too light, too bright, too acidic, they say. Ever since the New World, and southern Italy for that matter, began to provide us with its warm-climate wines, people have liked powerful and full-bodied wines. And they still do. Nothing is wrong with that; the best wine is the one you like — light and juicy or rich and intense, fresh and fruity or spicy and oak-aged, etc. — not the one that fits the latest trend.

And in 2025?

What do you think? What will be the big trends next year?

Join us virtually to South America, South Africa and New Zealand

As soon as the holiday season is over, the winter season will kick off for us with our three fantastic winter wine tours. If you are curious about these three wine countries, you can join us virtually by joining our Facebook groups for these tours. We will post lots of pictures, videos and comments from these tours. Join us on a wonderfully spectacular winter wine tour virtually:

Chile and Argentina wine tour on Facebook.

South Africa wine tour on Facebook.

New Zealand wine tour Facebook.

But, of course, it is summer in these countries! Click Join and then choose how many notifications you want – everything, the most important, nothing.

Winter wine tours

A tour that is really special is our South America wine tour that takes you to Chile and Argentina in January. It is really last minute but we can, as it looks, take a few more guests on this tour.

We have two other very special tours this winter. First, The Great South Africa Tour, which takes you to almost every wine region in South Africa. No more bookings on this.

The third winter tour is to New Zealand. I should probably also call it “The Great” New Zealand tour. Very few seats left on this. Book now.

More info on our wine tours here. “World’s Top Wine Tours“. Tours with the people who know wine and who have an unrivalled experience of wine and tours.

Travel in wine regions with someone you trust.

Enjoy the Brief!

Britt & Per

Wine editors to the national encyclopedia, Forbes.com contributors, award-winning wine book authors, wine tour advisors to the UN and national wine organisations, wine judges … and, above all, passionate wine travellers.

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