For the past few weeks, I’ve been bombarded with press releases about drinks trends. But here’s the thing: you’d think, if there was a real trend, that everyone would be picking up on it, but, apart from the rise and rise of nolo alcohol drinks (about which more next week), there seems to be little or no consensus. Marks & Spencer and the Whisky Exchange, for example, are both saying that brandy is big, whereas Waitrose is championing Japanese whisky and rosé vermouth. (M&S is also currently pushing tequila, though that seems more suited to the summer.)
Another trend I’m not totally convinced by is lighter reds. I like them myself, but most of my friends prefer fuller-bodied styles. I don’t see any let-up in the popularity of malbec, for example, nor indeed of those perennial favourites prosecco, Provence rosé and New Zealand sauvignon blanc, which has now been a bestseller for the best part of 20 years. Just a small percentage increase in any one of those would equate to thousands of extra bottles being sold.
