HADY KAHALE
Head of wine buying Naked Wines US
us.nakedwines.com
Sustainability
One of the top trends is sustainability through the whole production chain. Also, the online sale of wine, which grew exponentially because of Covid-19.
Champagne in fashion
Although it depends greatly on the market, sparkling wine is faring better in general compared to regular wine. Champagne producers can’t keep up with the demand, as markets are reopening and overdue celebrations and events are being scheduled. Prosecco Rose was added to the Prosecco DOC, which created new demand for an already successful category. Furthermore, the world is discovering traditional sparkling wines, like Cava, Cremant de Bourgogne and Cremant de Limoux, and loving them!
Judging wine
Some competitions have strict guidelines, but the majority ask judges to give each wine a bronze, silver, gold or double-gold rating with a score and few tasting notes without specifying criteria. Judges will rely on their experience and will ask themselves many questions, including: Is the wine faulty? How does the wine compare to the rest of the flight? Is it expressive? Is it balanced? Is it typical of the variety or the region? How much would I pay to buy this wine?
Experimenting with new categories
People are experimenting with orange, low-alcohol, natural, organic and many other wine categories. Nevertheless, the classics still remain on top, accounting for more than 85 percent of sales.
The biodynamic movement
Biodynamic wine production uses organic farming methods while also following the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner's (the inventor of the concept), treating the earth as "a living and receptive organism” and also employing soil supplements and mixtures prepared according to biodynamic formulas. Natural wine is not a crystalclear concept, as there is no legislation defining what this category exactly means. In general, natural wines have low or minimal intervention, with no additives like sulfites.
Restaurateurs take note
When selecting the best wine for a restaurant, the following should be taken into consideration: Does the wine fit my cuisine? Does the wine fit my clientele? Is the price right? Is the margin right? Will it leave a smile on my clients’ faces?