Sam Wylie-harris reveals the wines and spirits set to tickle our taste buds in 2019

THE ABC (Anything But chardonnay) era is drawing to an end, as shown by the landslide success chardonnay enjoyed at the international Wine challenge (iwc), with nearly 30 per cent of all Gold medals going to chardonnay wines, including the two highest scoring wines in the competition.

indeed, winemakers Down Under have been working particularly hard to demonstrate the elegance and precision of the grape and romped home with eight gold medals, while France, typically the standard bearer of vinous excellence (especially for its white Burgundy) brought in six.

Try this: One of the highest scoring wines (97 points), Mcguigan shortlist chardonnay, Australia, currently reduced to £13 from £15, sainsbury’s. SOUTH African winemakers are producing an abundance of worldclass wines, despite grappling with a three-year long drought. in contrast with the resulting reduction in harvest size, the quality of south African wine has anything but declined.

“south Africa has been upping quality in a steady curve for the last decade and is now at the stage where its entry-level wines are effortlessly winning high medals and happy converts,” says Adam Lechmere, general manager, international Wine & spirit competition (iwsc).

Try this: Huguenot chenin Blanc 2018, Western cape, south Africa, £9.99, Laithwaites.co.uk english sparkling wines are in, prosecco is out. could the prosecco bubble have finally burst? We’re starting to look elsewhere to satisfy our unquenchable thirst for fizz, and while champagne dominated the sparkling wine category at the iwc, england was the only other country whose wines were deemed goldworthy.

Both Ridgeview from sussex and Raimes from Hampshire were awarded top prizes, with 95 points for their Blanc de Blancs 2014 (100 per cent chardonnay) and classic Brut 2014 respectively. A triumph, as no other sparkling wine from any other region scored gold.

Try this: Raimes classic Brut 2014, england, £30, Raimes.co.uk. WITH the importance of health and wellbeing continuing to grow as a general trend, mindful drinkers are more open than ever to low and no-alcohol serves, low-abv cocktails and beers in the 1-2.5 per cent abv bracket.

“There’s a sense of satisfaction about opening a beer after a long day,” says Beth pearce, buyer at Majestic. “And while we know about the health risks of doing just that, we still want something which tastes the part.

“We did a lot of blind tasting before dipping our toe in the low-alcohol beer world, and finally settled on small Beer, a craft set-up in Bermondsey, south London.”

Try this: Original small Beer lager, £12.96 for six 33cl bottles, Majestic