If keeping up with the latest wine trends seems intriguing yet a tad intimidating, never fear! We’ve pulled together a list of all the rising stars in the wine world from our senior beverage coordinator, Doug Bell — a man who buys 3.5 million cases of wine a year — and our Master Sommelier Devon Broglie — a man who has spent more than 10,000 hours studying and tasting wine.
Wine in Cans
How’s this for demystifying wine’s snobby image? People want convenient and portable wine for their picnics, pool parties, camping, boating, and other outdoor adventures, all without sacrificing quality. Cans are great because they don’t shatter and chill quickly, plus they're light and recyclable.
Try: Infinite Monkey Theorem White Wine and Presto Prosecco Sparkling Cuvee (find them at Whole Foods Market stores this spring)
Wines in the $15-$25 Price Range
“People are swapping up,” says Doug. The new generation of wine consumers wants authentic wines and are willing to pay a little more for them. Bottles in the $15-$25 range offer nice expressions of terroir and winemaking without breaking the bank.
Try: Criterion® wines, which offer a benchmark example of popular wine regions
Premium Sparkling Wines
Bubbles aren’t just for special occasions any more. Sparkling wines such as Prosecco and Cava are our fastest growing areas for wine. Doug reports that Prosecco, in particular, is on fire and falls right in the sparkling wine sweet spot of $12–$25.
Try: Presto Prosecco Brut
Rosé All Year Long
While it was once confined to summer sipping, rosé’s popularity continues to grow year-round. Look for elegant rosés made with bold, big grapes such as grenache, cabernet sauvignon, syrah and malbec.
Try: Innovación Malbec-Syrah Rosé
Wines Produced with Respect for the Environment
These days, a lot of people want to know where their food comes from and how it was grown or produced. In the wine world, that means customers are seeking out wines that are produced more consciously, including organic wines or wines made from organically grown grapes. When you love the environment and good wine as much as these winemakers do, it shows in the soil, the vines and in the organically grown fruit. Check your loal Whole Foods Market store for their offerings.
Local Wines
Looking ahead: Emerging U.S. wine regions — including Washington, Oregon, Virginia, Texas and New York — will continue to rise in relevance. “We're making good wine now everywhere that we can grow grapes,” Doug says, “and people are going to realize that.”
Which wine trends are you excited about?
