Everyone loves a good fortune teller and there’s no better predictor of what’s to come than two excellent researchers who have sifted through the data. We wanted to know: how are our behaviors as wine drinkers shaping the future of wine? To answer this question, we asked two individuals whose data-driven insights suggest that 2017 is going to introduce some exciting new trends to the world of wine.
Wine Trend Predictions for 2017
Cannonau will boom.
“Health-miracle” Cannonau di Sardegna [aka Grenache] will renew its growth in demand and availability (Wine-Searcher data shows consistent, stable 50% growth over the past couple of years). Health fashion isn’t going away anytime soon, and wine sure as hell isn’t going to get any less interesting. Cannonau hits the sweet spot at the intersection between the two. It’s like guilt-free wine. Perfect!
Riesling will tank.
Like a surfer in the doldrums, the darling grape has missed its wave. W-S data shows that Riesling has had its chances; several waves of interest between 2011 – 2015. But this has now plateaued, and you only get so many chances. It’s not you Riesling, it’s us.
Donald drives diversity.
Trump politics will stimulate diversification in U.S. wine production. Wine-loving Americans will remain keen to learn and taste new styles in 2017… Savvy U.S. wine producers won’t miss the opportunity to step in and satisfy this thirst with their own homegrown versions.
Box wine done right.
Someone will really nail box wine in 2017, and not before. The box has proven its worth as a wine container, and innovation is healthy(ish) in the wine trade. We’ll be drinking boxed Cannonau before we know it.
Jonathan Reeve, Wine-Searcher.com
Special thanks to Jonathan who surfed hard data on wine-searcher to find some delightful trends to look forward too in 2017. If you follow specific producers, wine-searcher.com is a great tool to find the best prices.
A strong dollar makes imported wine cheaper.
In the past the biggest impact was felt in bulk wine imports, but with the premiumization trend continuing, more and more foreign wine producers are taking aim at the $10-$15 and $15-$25 wine segments and the dollar’s strength will give them an advantage at these price points and create unwanted competition for U.S. producers.
More French wine!
Sales of French wines have been rising in the U.S. in recent months and the strong dollar will help this trend persist by offsetting somewhat the effects of the poor 2016 harvest in many regions. Portugal and Italy [wine imports] are also well positioned to take advantage of the dollar’s strength.
More Chile, South Africa and NZ wines in the US (aka Brexit fallout!).
The year 2017 is when Britain will formally begin its exit (a.k.a. Brexit) from the European Union, a process that is likely to reduce U.K. wine sales and encourage international producers to shift their export emphasis toward the growing U.S. market. Look for Chile, South Africa, and New Zealand to give U.S. sales increased attention as the year progresses.
The year 2017 will be a good year to be a wine consumer in the U.S.
Imports will provide even more diversity while competition keeps a cap on price increases. What does that mean? Drink up!
Mike Veseth, WineEconomist.com
Special thanks to Mike Veseth, world-renown wine economist extraordinaire, for donating his predictions! If you love the business behind wine, you’ll enjoy his site WineEconomist.com and his book Wine Wars.