Future of Wine

It wasn't that long ago we were wondering what the wine industry would look like in 2025. Suppose we go out 20 or 30 years from now and look at potential external changes and see what their effect might be on the wine in your glass (or container made from recycled materials).

Climate Change

Southern Oregon, a future "hot spot"
for Cabernet Sauvignon?

I don't know why this topic ever became political, but whatever your beliefs this is THE topic among grape growers and winemakers. What if it gets warmer? What if long drought cycles are the new norm? Premium wine grapes are quite sensitive to the climate zone they are grown in and a small change will cause major upheaval. Countries like France and Italy could be hit very hard. Part of this is because of their wine laws stating what grapes can be grown where.

Marijuana

Wine folks have been worried about the craft beer movement. Then the trend towards craft cocktails. Now they are worried about recreational marijuana use. It appears that states that have legalized cannabis saw a drop in wine sales. California, population, 40 million, legalized marijuana at the beginning of 2018.

Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable, Natural Wines

There's certainly a market for organic produce, grass fed beef, etc. In the wine world you hear about organically grown grapes, organic wine, biodynamic wines, sustainable wineries, and natural wines. You would need to do a lot of reading to understand each and the differences between them. The one thing they have in common is they are marketing a "feel good" product. We will see more of this. Sonoma County is in the process of becoming the world's first 100% sustainable wine region.

Lower Alcohol Wines

This will happen for a combination of health reasons and the social stigma of driving while intoxicated. Sure there are a few low alcohol wines available now, but it's tough getting them to taste like wine rather than grape juice. There are tricks winemakers use now to drop a high alcohol wine to a more reasonable level, maybe from 15% to 14%, but say you want something in the single digits like 5%. If there's enough of a demand there may be new ideas in the vineyards and in the cellar to make this possible without damage to the wine's flavor.

Driverless Cars

The opposite of a push to lower alcohol wines for social reasons is what if driverless cars make DUIs a thing of the past? As long as you can say, "Take me home" it won't matter if you just killed off a bottle of Malbec by yourself.

Packaging

750 ml glass bottles with a cork have been around for a long time and aren't going to disappear anytime soon. The thing is there's nothing about glass and cork that make it the best way to transport and store wine based on today's technology, but tradition is strong in the wine industry.

Online Sales

Amazon has other retailers worried. What's holding them back from taking over much of the interstate wine business is the confusing array of state alcohol distribution laws. In many places it's easier to buy a gun from out of state than it is a bottle of wine. Eventually this may get figured out. It's not because it's hard, but because there are powerful people who are making money off the way it's done now.

Varieties Come and Go

It's been Merlot, Syrah, and now it's Pinot Gris, Malbec and Pinot Noir. Wine is a trendy business. What's next? Who knows? Maybe sparkling wine with the current interest in Italian Prosecco. Two things that have been constant are Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The most planted grapes in Sonoma County are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. A few decades ago French Colombard and Orange Muscat were quite popular.