Wine Trends - The Good and the Bad

It's a new year, so we should talk about trends. Rather than just reviewing what happened in 2021 or making a wild ass guess at what might happen in '22 we'll look at the good and bad trends without any specific timeline. 

Alcohol Level on a Bottle's Label

You've no doubt noticed the ABV (alcohol by volume) number on a wine label. Some of us use this number to help select a wine to purchase. Unfortunately, that number can be misleading. There has to be flexibility in the ABV as labels are often printed before the actual percentage of alcohol is known. That allowable range is quite wide. Luckily, most winemakers are honest and usually the number on the label is very close to the actual number.

Statements About Wine That Aren't Necessarily True

 There are misconceptions  about wine. Here are a few statements that are wrong, at least sometimes.

What Kind of Wine Club Should You Join?

Wine clubs are popular because (a) you get recurring shipments showing up at your door and (b) the people running the club get a revenue stream. Let's look at what kinds of clubs are available to you.

The Battle of the Cults, Napa Style

Or When Rich Guys Get Mad.

The word cult and expensive Napa Cabernets have gone together at least since the 1980s when Napa Valley got trendy. In fact, I recall being in a St. Helena (Napa Vly) wine shop back then when a couple asked the proprietor about pre-cult wines. I guess he wanted to get in on The Next Big Thing before anyone else. 

Salvestrin Winery and the Appellation Trading Company are going to court to battle it out over the use of the word cult on their wine labels. Who used it first, who trade-marked it, blah, blah. Cult is like Reserve on a wine label. It's just marketing. It's kind of funny, but mostly dumb. But it sure is Napa!  

Article on the lawsuit from Food & Wine.

Buy some Cult wine!

The Upward Trend in Alcohol Levels in Wine

Premium wines have seen an increase in alcohol levels in the past couple decades compared to previous years. The biggest jump seems to be in California where the average for red wines in the 1990s was about 13.7% and the 2000s 14.6% alcohol. The 2010s actually dropped a bit.

Wine Styles

Where do different wines fall in their styles? The picture below is an easy visualization of this. It's helpful when there are certain styles you like, and can help you pick out a dinner wine. 

Basic Wine Info

Several statements about wine that may help with your enjoyment. Or, at least, make you look smarter.  :)

A Brief Guide to the Three-Tier System

In the U.S. we have what's called a three-tier system of alcohol distribution. It's turned into a process where the middle-men exert far too much control over what you find on your store shelves. Following is an interesting article from Australia letting local wineries there know the battle they are in for if they want to export to the U.S. It ain't pretty.

A Brief Guide to the Three-Tier System from Wine Australia.