What will be the next darling of the wine world? Here are four varieties to watch

Thursday, 20 January, 2022
Vinepair, Jamie Goode
Wine is similar to fashion. Some styles seem to have their moment in the sun, when everyone wants them. And then, inexplicably, they are out of favor. But there’s also the rotation of interest that comes from necessity: Something gets discovered, it’s a great value, more people hear about it, the demand goes up, limited supply forces prices to rise, and suddenly it disappears from circulation.

As a result, those at the coal face of the wine world are always looking for the next discovery: wines that excite, but are affordable enough for all to enjoy. And now that cru Beaujolais is more popular than ever — and more expensive as a result — what will be the next darling of the wine world?

Before we get to what’s next, though, let’s explore briefly how we got here. The rise of cru Beaujolais has been remarkable. Beaujolais, a scenic region of rolling hills sandwiched between Burgundy and Lyon, had for a while been in a bit of a crisis. Back in the 1970s it achieved some level of fame for Beaujolais Nouveau. At a time when most wine was from the Northern hemisphere, there was a real buzz about tasting the first offering from the most recent harvest, and Beaujolais fit that bill, rushed to bottle and then to market on Nouveau Day in November, two months after the grapes were picked. But these wines had little to offer aside from their novelty, and the region came to be seen merely as a source of cheap, light, inconsequential reds. Prices were low and growers struggled. With the emergence onto the market of other fruit-forward, inexpensive wines from the Southern Hemisphere, the raison d’être of Beaujolais’ most famous export — and by extension all Beaujolais — was called into question.

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What will be the next darling of the wine world? Here are four varieties to watch.
What will be the next darling of the wine world? Here are four varieties to watch.

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