DAN'S WINE BLOG-

2024-11-08

WHITE WASHING?

Nothing ever stays constant in wine world. Usually the shifts are small -like new wine growing regions or countries, and or slow such as the gradual shift from fortified wines to table wines that Australia experienced in the 1960’ & 1970’s. However change is currently gathering momentum in many ways.

Recently we found out that for this first time ever France consumed more Rose wine than reds. Whilst this does not sound momentous, it was a shock to the system as for over two thousand years France has been drinking more red wine than anything else. As a follow on it has just been revealed that around the world a number of venerable wine growing regions are shifting their focus from red grapes to white grapes. For example in Piedmont a number of wineries including the renowned Gaja are gradually shifting their focus toward white varieties. In the Languedoc/Roussillon region of France (almost the same vine acreage as all Australia) they have observed that in the last 8 years red wine volumes have dropped by 13% to 40% of total production whilst Rose has grown 8% to 33% and white wine has grown 5% from 22% to 27%. Whilst red wine is still the largest segment of production, these figure belie the fact that the style of the red wines has been changing as well with a increasing number of lighter style reds with alcohol levels at or even below 12%

Why is this shift happening? Mainly it is due to global warming. Global warming is having two effects: firstly as the weather warms up people are less included to drink big reds as they no longer fit in with the lifestyle and eating habits.- This is the main driver in the French shift toward fresher and lighter wines – light bodied reds, including chillable reds, Rose and white wines. The French are seeing that drinkers are increasingly turning towards less complex, easier to drink wines with lower alcohol content. This trend is also extending to LowNo/Alcohol wines, whose popularity has been skyrocketing in recent times- again light fresh vibrant and uncomplicated.The other reason is that as red grapes generally hang on the vine for longer than whites they become more susceptible to mid- late summer heat waves and possibly ending up with much higher alcohol levels than in the past. There has been a trend of gradually rising alcohol levels in a considerable proportion of the worlds red wines.

In Australia vignerons are approaching the issue of global warming in either of two ways. Some winemakers have/ are investing in cooler climate vineyards, with mainland winemakers buying properties in Tasmania, others are re-planting parts of their vineyards with more heat and drought resistant grape varieties- usually Mediterranean varieties. This is happening quite a lot in the #riverland of South Australia, which is rapidly becoming to go-to region for Italian & Iberian red varieties.

Have a great week, always #ChooseAustralianWine and when possible enjoy #emergingvarieties.

Cheers Dan T