As in any other industry, the wine business has been having its fair share of massive changes and consumer preferences over the past few years.
A few key trends that I see are incredibly interesting.
James Pietersen, chief executive of Wine Cellar fine wine merchants, shares his forecast for the new year.
Popular varietals
There’s an increasing number of great old-vine Palomino and Colombard wines on the market, following in the footsteps of the old-vine Chenin Blancs which have seen great success.
Palomino is a white wine grape from Andalucia, southwestern Spain, while Colombard is a French white wine grape variety from Charentes, the home of Cognac.
Rosé my way
Rosé continues its rise.
This year, look out for rosé wines made in Provençal style – with a light, summery bouquet and dry, refreshing palate. Just perfect for summer sipping by the pool.
Proudly South African
South Africa’s fine wine image is still on the up, with international commentators continuously commending the great value of our wines on offer.
Swirling and sipping
Due to the Covid-19 era, home consumption of wine has experienced an increase in quality. T
his year, I expect the movement towards “drinking the very best at home” to be further established.
Food and wine
Gourmet experiences at home have certainly taken centre stage.
Forced to stay in during the pandemic, many more wine drinkers have taken to cooking and experimenting with pairings at home, and this trend is set to continue.
In-person wine experiences
For those allowed to mingle again, wine events will be crucial this year.
We have already seen a great increase in demand for in-person, shared wine experiences in South Africa.
Local is lekker
With a growing focus on supporting the local industry, consumers will look to purchase local fine wines.
Try the monthly Wine Cellar Insiders case for curation of the finest local and international wines.
Sparkling wine in high demand
The growth in sparkling wine sales was stellar in 2021, as demand outstripped supply and many top cuvées were continuously sold out. It’s likely that we will see more of that this year.
Wine and investment
The growing interest in investment-grade South African wines and the avid interest in wine auctions – such as Strauss & Co wine auctions – will continue to create scarcity of our country’s very finest wines.
Sustainable wine production
We anticipate that this will continue to demand attention as fine wine consumers are now increasingly demanding social, environmental, and economic focus from wine producers.