SPRING SPIRITS

INDUSTRY VETERAN BILL TERLATO REVEALS HIS THREE BUZZY BEVERAGE TRENDS FOR 2017.

Industry veteran Bill Terlato reveals three buzzy beverage trends for 2017.

Forecasting wine and spirits trends comes as second nature to industry scion Bill Terlato, the president and CEO of Lake Bluff-based Terlato Wine Group (twg.com). As spring blooms in Chicago, he gives us his insider’s perspective on what trends will reign this season.

A white that wows. “Our new Terlato Pinot Grigio from Friuli is all estate-grown and bottled, so it only comes from our own vineyards—everything is hand-harvested and handsorted in the winery, and the difference is in the flavor: Great complexity, nice minerality, and a persistent finish.”

Amaro is in. “Amaro Nonino is made with more than 80 natural herbs and spices and produces very distinctive signature cocktails. We’re just starting to discover amaros here, but in Europe they sell millions of cases every year. I think it has the potential to be huge.”

The Federalist rules. “Our brand The Federalist is hot; it’s the fastest-growing [wine] brand in the US. [We’ve just launched] a bourbon barrel-aged Zinfandel. The line has captured people’s imagination—it’s exploding all over the country.”