Changing trends in the wine world

Wine continues to be a staple alcoholic beverage for many Americans and trends towards natural wine, urban wineries, and more convenient packaging will likely dominate 2018, according to The Washington Post.

While some areas are known for specific varieties, such as Argentina’s malbecs and Oregon’s pinot noirs, many are branching out into new realms of flavor and even new production methods such as natural and pétillant-naturel (pet-nat) wines. When winemakers use the pet-nat style, the fermentation of the grapes is finished inside the bottle rather than outside which leads to naturally occurring champagne-esque bubbles.

While traditional wineries are typically located on sprawling rural landscapes that can require a long trek to visit, urban wineries have begun to open within larger cities such as Washington D.C., and they exist as more private dining or event venues rather than a farm setting. They bring in grapes from outside growers and then use their unique process to create the wine and offer it in-house. City Winery and District Winery, both located in our nation’s capital, also provide a full restaurant and a 300-seat music venue, respectively, to further separate themselves from tradition.

Packaging options and preferences have begun to change, and one of the hottest new trends is canned wine. Although it is a tiny percentage of the total market, the canned wine has been growing quickly, and many brands have offerings all across the varietal spectrum that can be conveniently enjoyed on beaches and other outings in which a traditional wine bottle is cumbersome or prohibited. Boxed wine continues to bring value and convenience to consumers by allowing them to purchase wine in bulk, but recently more premium options have been arriving that are hoping to remove the negative stigma of the box. Meanwhile, many bars and even wineries themselves have turned to kegs for serving their wines as they keep them fresh and ready to serve on demand.