5 Wine Trends To Watch In 2021

This past year has certainly changed the way we live: more time at home than ever before, virtual events, various digital platforms for us to work, get educated, or entertained. Alcohol - wine particularly - consumption has risen sharply during the pandemic, sure, a drink or two to take the edge off sounds like a harmless idea! As more and more people show interests in learning as well as drinking wine, here are the 5 biggest wine trends to watch out for in 2021:

Grape Of The Year: Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is the parent grape of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. For the longest time, it is living in their shadows. It’s one of the grapes behind the finest Bordeaux wine but not acclaimed as often as the other two. However, Cab Franc is not really “humble”, it has proven to be robust, being able to produce outstanding quality wines in various regions. It flourishes in Loire Valley - specifically in Chinon and Saumur, making elegant, fruit-driven, sophisticated, and age-worthy wines. Outside of France, you can also find fantastic Cab Franc wines from Tuscany, California, Colchagua (Chile), and New York. Perhaps I’m biased, but I am the biggest fan of Cab Franc! The Old World has already showcased its capability, now watch an imminent boom in the popularity of Cab Franc from the New World.

Buzziest Wine Word: Biodynamic

Biodynamic - the buzziest word in Wine these days, essentially means building an ecosystem in the vineyard to seek sustainability, as each part of the land contributes to the rest as well as the final product - the wine. Natural materials and composts are used to sustain the vineyard, no chemicals or pesticides are allowed. It isn’t a new concept, but consumers are increasingly interested in learning about what’s behind the bottle, especially in a time of drastic climate change, global warming and pandemic. We tend to be more conscious about the food we eat, the clothes we wear, now the beverage we drink. We prefer to support the producers who care about the land, the environment, and who incorporate social responsibility into their business.

Wine Due For A Comeback: Bordeaux

Yes, you heard it right. Bordeaux has become an unfashionable region with the stories outdated from the last century. Consumers don’t find them trendy anymore, they’d rather explore lesser-known varieties or regions. Price and pretentiousness were the biggest concerns. But Bordeaux has been listening. They’re catching up on social media platforms to be more “friendly”, less intimidating for people who are not so familiar with this region. Small artisanal wineries are also able to gain global exposure where they’d otherwise hardly afford advertisement in the mainstream magazines. A new wave of young winemakers and vintners are in the driving seats now. These 30-something-year-old talented people have studied, trained, traveled outside Bordeaux and are embracing new techniques as well as innovations at home, some are passionate about sustainability, others are dedicated to making wines that can be enjoyed at youth. They respect the traditions but are not tethered to them - they are determined to breathe new life into an old soul.

Wine Lifestyle: Wine Cocktails & Virtual Platforms

The pandemic has changed the way we socialize, Zoom happy hour is the new norm to connect with family and friends. While we cannot wait to see each other in person and raise a glass together, this era of staying home has sparked at-home bars as well as E-learning that are only going to grow this year. Traditionally most people enjoy cocktails with spirits, 2021 might look a bit different. As more consumers are getting into wine - either learning about wine or combining wine with different things, wine cocktails and wine virtual platforms are going under the spotlight this year. We are all trained to be tech-dependent these days, social media - specifically Instagram - live tastings and virtual events have soared significantly in 2020, they will not slow down in 2021. Other digital formats, such as streaming live experiences, are also going to thrive.

“IT” Regions: Jura and Abruzzo

2021 will be a renaissance year for some of the less high-profile wine regions. Consumers, especially the younger generations, are looking for great value, distinctive styles, atypical, less-streamlined wines. Jura and Abruzzo are on the rise.

Jura

Jura is a tiny, secluded region located in Eastern France, sandwiched between Burgundy and the Swiss Alps. It’s one of the most delightful yet undiscovered wine regions in the world, known for making cool climate wines with complexity and purity. People used to think the wines are “weird”, sure, the wines are unlike those made anywhere else in the world and unique in their own way. Other than Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Jura also has indigenous grape varieties - Poulsard makes vivacious, rose-scented Reds. Trousseau’s rather deeper Reds intriguingly combine pepper and violet scents. Savagnin is capable of making extremely intense, long-lived, full-bodied dry whites, as well as versions that are deliberately oxidized, more or less, to make ‘yellow wines’ (Vin Jaune).

Abruzzo

Historically, the world has celebrated the legendary Italian wine regions such as Piedmont, Barolo, and Veneto. True oenophiles, however, know that there’s a hidden gem in central Italy, stretching from the heart of the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea, on a mostly mountainous and wild terrain - Abruzzo. One of the oldest wine-growing regions in the world, Abruzzo is home to one DOCG – Montepulciano d'Abruzzo; and three DOC wine designations, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. Winemaking traditions in Abruzzo date back to the sixth century BC, nowadays it’s also taking advantage of modern technologies. Thanks to the unique terroir, the abundance of sunshine, the generous rainfall, and high altitudes, it’s making some of the best wines in the world. As wine lovers are increasingly searching for under-discovered regional destinations -- Abruzzo will be on the rise, or perhaps it already is.

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