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.
That’s not the case with newer drinks and wine styles, however, because they’re starting from a much lower base. Orange wine, say, is apparently up 85% in Waitrose, but the store appears to sell only two examples, so it’s a bit tendentious to call that a trend. (More significant, perhaps, is the fact that orange wine has now appeared in bag-in-box, thanks to Bobo, whose red I enthused about a few weeks ago and which I prefer to the orange.) Bag-in-box, though, that is a bit of a trend.
What I do see in a lot of in cool London wine bars is pet nat, aka pétillant naturel, a traditional way of making sparkling wine that results in a drink that isn’t as fizzy as champagne or crémant, and is generally fresher and fruitier, too. I haven’t seen any in supermarkets yet, and even big industry suppliers such as Bibendum don’t flag them up, but I reckon pet nat still one to watch.
And why is no one talking about English wine, which has been on a roll for a while already? After all, you scarcely come across a wine list these days that doesn’t include at least a couple of bottles. That said, Marks & Sparks, which is proud to claim a 37% share of the English wine market, doesn’t even mention it.
The thing to remember about all these trend reports is that they’re designed to grab the attention of the media (duly grabbed) and to sell more booze. Telling people about things they already buy won’t result in them spending more. Giving them FOMO, on the other hand, just might.
Five bottles that (arguably) represent a trend
Botivo £24.95 (50cl) The Whisky Exchange, 0%. Sophisticated, bittersweet, vermouth-style aperitivo designed to be diluted with soda. One of the best alcohol-free drinks out there.
Everflyht Brut £28 Grape Britannia, £31.50 Butlers Wine Cellar, Brighton, 12%. English fizz has almost got to the stage where it’s as likely to be drunk for celebrations as champagne. This is a new one on me, and impressive.
M&S Etna Rosso 2020 £12 Marks & Spencer and Ocado, 13%. Deliciously light, fragrant Italian red that you could easily drink (slightly chilled) with seafood pasta.
Gros Manseng Vin Orange 2022 £8.25 Asda, 12%. A good wine to start with if you haven’t had an orange wine before. Attractively peachy. Would be great with Middle Eastern food.
Gramiller Gramillette 2022 £19 (on offer; or £18.05 by the case of six) Cambridge Wine Merchants, 10.5%. This charming, semi-sparkling wine ticks several boxes: it’s pink, it’s a pet nat and it’s moderate in alcohol; it’s reasonably priced, too, for a natural wine. Plus it tastes, rather deliciously, of rhubarb and makes you think of spring.
For more by Fiona Beckett, go to fionabeckett.substack.com
