For the past few years, the wine world dealt with the global pandemic. Consumers demanded sparkling wine for everyday consumption in the face of adversity, and producers and buyers grappled with the supply chain problems of a worldwide shutdown. But now, the industry is turning to other concerns. The craze in bubbles hasn’t abated, but the planet and the wine-drinking public are changing, and the industry is responding. Winemakers are overhauling practices to take better care of the environment and protect vines from climate extremes, and buyers and consumers are embracing the evolution.
Though baby boomers still dominate the higher end of the market, mainstream wine drinkers have sensibilities different from their parents. “The millennial drive to seek out more value and off-the-beaten-path varieties continues,” says Sarah Trubnick, the wine director and cofounder of The Barrel Room in San Francisco, “while Gen Z is infusing a strong support for sustainability, which applies not only to viticultural and vinification procedures, but also ethical workplace philosophy.”
These forces, abetted by technology, are propelling the wine world forward, shaking up its approach to production, marketing, and sales. Here is what 2023 has in store, according to pros in the field.
1. Values-based winemaking and purchasing come to the fore
There was a time when consumers were unconcerned with monocropping and chemicals, and cares dissolved with the uncorking of a heavy glass bottle. Not anymore. Wine drinkers are asking questions about how grapes are grown, workers are treated, and wine is packaged. They want wines that align with their values, and their values are focused on a sustainable future.
“Due to climate change, undoubtedly trends will highlight wineries that uphold practices that preserve the environment, use fewer pesticides, recycle water, and provide fair treatment to the producers and workers of the vineyard,” explains Nicolás Andrés Martianhes, the sommelier at Manhattan’s Balvanera. “Likewise, wines with low intervention, organic, and biodynamic [attributes] will take center stage due to the growing interest of new consumers whose pillars are based on the betterment of ecology and health.”
On-premise professionals share consumers’ concerns. “For restaurants trying to source farm-to-table fare, sustainable wine is part of the equation, so for a much wider swath of buyers now it is something of importance,” says Alexander Michas, the president and COO of New York-based importer Vintus.
There’s also the story of the person behind the wine. As social justice movements compel the industry to address equity and inclusion, they also inspire consumers to support diverse producers. “It’s been a long, hard road” to recognition for Black and female winemakers, but the interest is increasing, says Bruno Almeida, a wine educator and Portuguese wine advocate. “It’s baby steps, but it’s happening.”
Trubnick sees that recognition as a function of the changing face of wine drinkers. “As Gen Z, the most racially and ethnically diverse generation to date, takes the stage, consumers are keen to support groups that have experienced discrimination historically—read: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and female producers,” she says...
2. Emerging regions take center stage
Marquee locations like Burgundy and Napa have seen fires, frost, and drought. With prices high and supplies limited in those areas, younger winemakers are turning elsewhere to purchase grapes or vineyard land. Buyers seeking bargains for shelves and lists will find them in unsung regions, and consumers will follow pros to new parts of the wine world.
“It’s a difficult, fascinating time, providing a once-in-a-lifetime shift,” notes Lisa Komara, the beverage director at Blackfoot Hospitality in New York City. “As regions become warmer, Sancerres and Burgundies, among others, are drinking differently. This is forcing us to focus on new regions..."
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The trend will be similar in Europe, as classic regions that “have remained stagnant for so long,” get shaken up by “innovative producers making incredible wines” in sleeper subregions, says Courtney Wieland, the director of private clients for Thatcher’s Wine. Indeed, Mark Bright, the wine director and co-owner of California-based Saison Hospitality, calls out “the migration to Beaujolais, Mâcon, and Côte Chalonnaise” from Burgundy’s pricier Côte d’Or, while Monte Rio Cellars winemaker and sommelier Patrick Cappiello looks to the Jura and Savoie for “super-lean white wines that aren’t Chablis, which is getting expensive and difficult to get.”
Others mention Lirac for its Clairette, Chinon for Cabernet Franc, Tuscany’s undersung Maremma region, Greece for its crisp whites, and Italy’s Franciacorta for traditional-method sparkling at a fraction of Champagne’s cost. Further east, Hungary, Armenia, Slovenia, and Georgia will emerge, as American consumers rediscover their ancient wine cultures
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