Care for a “corta” bottle of Rosso di Napa?
If there are two words for wine in 2017, they’re experimentation and exploration. An unquenchable thirst for the new means wines made from less well-known grapes, such as Verdejo, and unfamiliar regions in Portugal, South Africa, and Arizona will gain buzz. (Hey, a wine from the Azores made my top 10 list for 2016.) The days when wine drinkers stuck with familiar brands, easy-to-pronounce grape names, and the standard bottle are gone forever.
That doesn’t mean, however, that we’ll give up what we’ve already embraced—for example, prosecco and rosé, which have moved from fads to wine-world fixtures, with a few stumbles. More luxury versions of all, especially pink vino, are coming, which will, hopefully, put a quick end to the frosé (rosé slushie) eruption.
Climate change remains high on my vinous radar. Scientists say 2016 was the hottest year on record, and while global warming may doom polar bears, a modest side benefit is the expanded boundaries for growing such grapes as finicky pinot noir. Think Germany, where spatburgunder (pinot noir) is better than ever, Canada, and Oregon, where the past few vintages produced top quality.
Despite competition from craft beer (up 14.1 percent, according to Beverage Information group), cider (up 10 percent), and now flavored whiskey (ugh), wine will still be going strong in 2017.
But I have a host of questions. With Brexit and other political turmoils, how much will exchange rates influence what we buy? Will wine sales from President-elect Donald Trump’s Virginia winery soar or slump? Will Bordeaux finally lower prices for the promising 2016 vintage, which I’ll be reporting on this spring? And will the love affair with smoky foods cooked over a wood-fired grill bring zinfandel back big time?
Here’s what I see in my crystal glass for 2017.
A Wider World of Great Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wine is positively effervescent in the U.S., the U.K., and even China, partly thanks to prosecco, but also because bubbly is rapidly becoming a drink for everyday celebration (and consolation). Champagne sales in the U.S., for example, were up 10 percent for the 52 weeks ended Sept. 10.
The quest for more affordable fizz will lead restless drinkers to new choices beyond prosecco and pét-nat. Regions from Italy’s Franciacorta to Tasmania have begun to crack the Champagne code with new spins on the classic recipe. (Last year I predicted English fizz would go global, and nine brands were launched in the U.S. this fall, or will be by early next year.)
In 2017, I expect two sparkling categories to increase big time. Spanish cava, made by the same method as Champagne, is going upscale. A new designation to identify higher-quality bottles, Cava de Paraje Calificado (single-estate Cava), has just gone into effect. Watch for my report on the best, coming soon. Also poised to grab attention is dry lambrusco from Italy. Like pét-nats, these are fun, crisp, and refreshing workday stress relievers—and white and red versions are beginning to show up on restaurant wine lists.