What will be in your wine glass in 2020? According to Joe Armstrong, Head of Wine at Cellarmasters, you will be sipping more pink, field blends, Grenache and full-bodied Chardonnays – likely all made in a mindful manner.
“Some wine trends, like the rise of sustainable wine categories such as biodynamic and organic wines, already started in 2019, but we will see them amplified in 2020,” he explained.
Here, he predicts seven wine trends to look out for.
Field blends
You might have seen more field blends on wine lists lately, and although they are starting to have a bit of a moment, making field blends is actually a long-standing tradition of winemaking. A field blend is a wine made from a mix of grapes grown in the same vineyard, and picked on the same day – often there is at least a mix of three or more different grapes. Creating a field blend is a great way for a winemaker to express their creativity and make a wine that really speaks of the vineyard without trying to ‘be’ any type of wine.
Full-bodied Chardonnay
Just like fashion trends from the past tend to make comebacks, so too do wine trends. Full-bodied Chardonnay was the toast of the 1980s, but many of the styles made were too oaky and buttery – and soon fell out of flavour. As a reaction, winemakers started creating lean Chardonnay wines with little or no oak maturation. But now, many consumers are asking for more full-flavoured Chardonnays and winemakers are increasingly starting to use oak maturation and malolactic fermentation to create wines that pack more punch. It’s important to note, though, that these bolder Chardonnays of today are much more balanced than the wines of the 1980s – so give them a go!
The growth of Grenache
More Australians than ever are falling in love with Grenache with a 135% increase in sales of the red variety in the last 12 months, according to Cellarmasters’ sales data. Grenache was long considered the poor cousin to Shiraz and was mainly used in wine blends or to make fortified wines. However, in recent years, winemakers have started to play and experiment with the variety. Their new and exciting takes on the variety has helped Grenache to shine on its own. The rise of Grenache goes hand-in-hand with the growing trend of Aussies drinking lighter style reds.
Vegan-friendly wines
With more Australians than ever going green with their diets, there has been an increase in demand for vegan-friendly wines. Many wine lovers are surprised when they find out that wines are not necessarily vegan-friendly due to winemaking techniques. However, winemakers have been quick at reacting to this rise in demand by using vegan-friendly fining agents when making their wines.
Preservative-free, biodynamic & organic wines
Consumers are moving towards living a more sustainable life, and want to consume products with minimal intervention in all areas of their life – including what they drink. Because of this, we are seeing a greater demand for preservative-free, biodynamic and organic wines.
Accessible imports
Although Australian consumers love the great Aussie wines, they are becoming more and more curious about imported wines. Expect to see more great value imports available on the market, with wines from Sicily (Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese and Grillo) and Puglia (Negroamaro, and Primitivo) becoming more popular. With many consumers shifting to lighter style reds, Australian consumers will see more examples of varietals like Gamay and Grenache on wine lists in 2020.
All things pink
Rosé wine keeps increasing in popularity, with a 16% increase of sales in the last 12 months alone. However, expect to see more things pink in 2020 – we’ve already seen Pink Gin, there’s more demand for pink Champagne, sparkling Rosé and even pink beer. This trend is expected to continue.
