FAST FORWARD
Get your pen and paper out – Mike Bennie is sharing his predictions of the top drops for the new decade.
ASIDE FROM “WHAT'S your favourite wine?” or “why do you always wear that hat?”, the question I'm asked most is “what will we be drinking this year?”. The soothsaying of booze is one of my great pleasures – I like to pour all my tasting nous and investigating into a crystal ball of what will be cool and interesting. I ask producers how they approach pushing boundaries with drinks, what innovations are they working toward, what they have seen among their colleagues. I want to know what they think will happen culturally around beverages in our near future. Then there are the troops in the trenches of our bars, restaurants and bottle shops. Drinks guru Emma Farrelly, from State Buildings in Perth, is one of my best resources who really understands the broad palate of Australian drinks. She cites interesting sake and spritzes as some of her forecasts, though she’s strong on the idea that the world of skin-fermented white wines will be a focus in 2020, with more texture, complexity and depth. “I’m keen to see how local producers are improving their interpretations of the style," she says. James Hird is the landmark wine and drinks director of Sydney’s Icebergs group and a visionary for beverage culture. He’s adamant 2020 is the year of The Highball. “It’s so refreshing, and lighter as a cocktail. There are plenty of different ways to come at it, but high refreshment factor and summer vibes are the motif – we’re going to see Highballs all over the place." The surge in sour beers is on my watch list. With bristling acidity and a frisky feel, there’s fun at hand with the tangy, summery nature of such beer styles, with brewers increasingly incorporating fruit for interest and complexity. I’m also calling out chillable red wines – more of that for our outdoor lifestyle, thanks! The dark horse will be Australian amaro, we are producing excellent local versions, destined for chilled shots or interesting cocktails.