The wine world can change faster than you’d think. Upended by turbulent politics, 2018 was beset with trade wars, ongoing Brexit instability, and more climate-change-driven chaotic weather events. All this made some wine regions winners, others losers, while investors scored big time: Fine vino outperformed stocks and bonds, according to Liv-Ex.
This year promises similar contrasts, surprises, and the continuation of some of last year’s trends. If you think everything pink to drink has already happened, for example, you would be wrong. Rosé sour beer is about to be a thing, while rosé love is even hitting sports figures such as basketball All-Star guard Dwyane Wade. His wine project with Napa winemaker Jayson Pahlmeyer released its first rosé at a very pricey $75.
Expect the link between technology and wine to expand, with new fine wine trading apps, AI, robots in vineyards, and more. Ditto more good bubbly, from just about every wine region in the world.
Here’s what else I see in my crystal glass for 2019:
What’s Old Is New
The rediscovery of old, abandoned vineyards and embrace of forgotten varieties will continue to feed our voracious thirst for tastes beyond the classics—and may reveal useful ways to adapt to climate change.
Chile, for example, is working to rescue ancient vineyards planted by Spanish explorers centuries ago, as well as resurrect old winemaking techniques. Agricultural engineer Max Morales, at the forefront of efforts, is also helping to create wines from them.
Unfamiliar native and hybrid grapes, such as pais, Marquette, petite arvine, and zibibbo are in your future.
Don’t understand the appeal? Dip into one of 2018’s most entertaining wine books, Godforsaken Grapes.
Cannabis Infusions Are on Their Way
The first time I tasted marijuana-laced wine was a decade ago in Mendocino, where a handful of winemakers (my lips are sealed) surreptitiously infused pot cuvées for themselves and their friends.
With the legalization of pot in California, Canada, and elsewhere last year, wine and weed mixes are coming. Canadian investment bank Canaccord Genuity LLC suggested to Business Insider that marijuana-infused beverages could become a $600 million market in the U.S. in the next four years. Constellation Brands Inc. has already invested in cannabis companies.