Like fashion, décor, and Pantone colours,  wine has trends too.  Whether you choose to follow trends or blaze your own trail, it’s fun to glimpse at them just the same.

Here are some 2019 Wine Trends we’re following:

1. Chardonnay  - Big & Bold too!   We’ve seen this in the store with the likes of Butter Bomb and Bread & Butter Chardonnays.  They offer the white wine drinker a wine of substance and unctuous mouth-feel that pair well with delicate shellfish, like crab and prawns, or grilled fish,  creamy vegetable soups,  pasta dishes, risotto etc.  My favouite?  French bread, roasted garlic and Cambozola Cheese piled on!
2. Prosecco  -  Bubbles!  The little black dress of the wine world!  Goes with everything and not going away!
3. Rose -  #roseallday was trending all last year, and with the incredible variety now available on the market, Rose all day, is Rose all month and all year!   So many good ones, from sippers to food friendly pairing wines, we blush trying to keep up with them all!
4. Sake – is featured on many upscale restaurant menus and a featured ingredient in modern cocktails.
5. Cremant -  another sparkling wine trend!  From France but cannot be called Champagne, these country cousins deliver the same great effect and are way more affordable for your next Shi Shi Soiree!
6. Vegan Wines -  yes, these are now “a thing”.  No egg white finings here, as pure to it’s roots as possible but not necessarily classified as “Natural Wine”.  Watch for Vegan symbols, more disclosure about additives and production.
7. More gadgets, because who doesn’t need another new fangled wine opener, cork stopper, aerator etc.
8. Wine Apps – offering more wine and food pairing advice plus how to correctly pronounce grape varieties correctly.  Can you say Reezling?
9. On Demand Wine Delivery  -   like pizza, people now want their favourite wines delivered to their door.
10. Wine tourism -  food and wine tours are a growing sector of the tourism industry and is set to expand globally as people seek experiences in not just where they go, but in gastronomy and agri-tours.  Watch for some great programmes we’re planning  - they’ll be featured on our website.

Trends courtesy of Decanter Magazine,  The Drinks Business  - January 2019