I set out after class to find a few interesting branding /
stories of various wines. Instead I stumbled upon an article outlining its
predictions for the “wine stories that will shape 2018”. I was tickled to read
through them and have many of the “stories” be topics we’ve discussed (or heard
from in the wine regions presentations) in class. Here is my favorite story mentioned
in the article:
“France! France!! France!!!
I could tap the surging
interest in the Anjou and its wines, or Saumur or
nearly anywhere in the Loire. I could talk about the sea changes in the
Roussillon and the signs of hope in Bordeaux and the southern Rhône (and we
will, in coming months). I could easily point to the pivot of
Champagne from bling to real wine, and what has become a drumbeat of
calls to drink it all the time. Or the new life in Burgundy and Beaujolais, or
how, despite some
existential issues, Provence rosé—French rosé generally—has become
the new must-drink of our time….
So amid the revival of French
cuisine on these shores—perhaps a reasoned response to the red-meat New Nostalgia of
the Trump years—French wines will continue to rally”
I enjoyed this story because I am a supporter and lover of
French wine. Honestly, it makes me a little sad when I hear the less than favorable
trends around consumption of EU wine in comparison to new world wines. So,
reading this story brought a smile to my face and hope in my heart.
Other stories included the rise in English Sparking Wine (which
made me think of Alex’s and Lannie’s presentation on Thursday evening) and the
prevalence of natural wines on more traditional wine lists. I am interested to
see how these stories come to life this year!
Link to article: https://punchdrink.com/articles/wine-trends-2017-and-wine-stories-that-will-shape-2018/
It's interesting that the article used the "France! France!! France!!!" title - it's a witty tribute to an Italian wine appellation "Est! Est!! Est!!!" in Montefiascone, Lazio (yes, the exclamation marks are included in the formal name of the appellation).
ReplyDeleteLegend has it that a wine scout was sent to the region in the 12th century to find inns that serve the best wines, and write "Est" on the door of such inns. Upon arriving at an inn in Montefiascone, the guy was so impressed with the wine served that he passionately wrote "Est! Est!! Est!!!" on the door, and hence the appellation that remains one of the most unique and interesting in Europe.