3 thoughts on “Wine Trends as Predicted by Top Sommeliers”

1. Some of the trends that the sommeliers identify I experience for myself as a wine drinker and bartender in New York City. Rachel Speckan points out that Riesling is becoming increasingly popular. The fact that it can be very dry or succulent and sweet ads to its versatility in meeting the needs of the variety of U.S. pallets. She believes that female wine sommeliers is on the rise and just this year I know two students who aspire to that profession. Dan Pilkey mentions that consumers are not pleased with the 3 times markup restaurants put on expensive bottles of wine, he says these consumers will gravitate towards restaurants which offer great wine at great prices. Maybe consumers will also drink expensive wines at home and dinner parties to avoid the high markups. Shebnem Ince announces the movement of consumers towards Non dose Champagne and I feel he is on to something because consumers today are moving away from added sugar and towards healthier trends. Also with American vineyards releasing new wines maybe wine imports will be less for 2015 and more wine will be consumed locally.

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2. I was immediately drawn to read the article titled “Top Somms Predict The Hot Wine Trends Of 2015” from chicagoist.com because Chicago holds a special place in my heart. It is always fascinating to learn about different trends in our industry and it seems that 2015 is going to be the year that places a whole new spotlight on wine and winemaking. As I read the article, I noticed that many sommeliers placed emphasis on the fact that people want to educate themselves more on the wines they love and enjoy. People are becoming more and more knowledgeable about wine and are genuinely interested in all that goes into making their favorite beverage such as the types of grape varieties there are and even the type of soil that is used to grow grape vines. Steve Morgan who is a manager and wine director said, “I see 2015 being another step forward in guests asking questions and seeking more education to go with the good time of wine,” (chicagoist.com). We are all very fortunate to be in this program that offers a class in Wine & Beverage Management, especially in this day and age because it is such a popular market that is endlessly growing and there is no doubt in my mind that it will be forever!

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3. 2. When someone asks me to name my favorite wines, it doesn’t take long for me to mention Riesling.
   “I don’t like sweet wines,” my friend will say.

   I love Riesling, because Riesling typically offers flavors of tree fruits (apricots and peaches, especially) and citrus, yet its expression can differ depending on where it is grown.
   Now concentrating on the sweetness issue, a stumbling block for so many people. Not all Riesling is sweet, that I have learnt.
   If you tell somebody the wine is sweet, they may not buy it. But if you pour them a taste, they will often love it and be surprised. While our brains think dry, our palates often prefer sweet.
   A friend of mine is working in a wine store and he told me that Rieslings from Austria, Australia and New Zealand are almost always dry. He insisted me on trying dry wine, Riesling from those countries.
   And he continues, Germany, the grape’s homeland, produces Rieslings across the spectrum and with notoriously confusing language on the labels. It helps to know the classic progression of
   • Kabinett, (Off-dry, with a bit of sweetness)
   • Spätlese,
   • Auslese, (Desert wine)
   • Beerenauslese
   • Trockenbeerenauslese, (In the United States, these might say “Dry” on the front label and “Trocken” on the back.)

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