Every year, you can read gads of wine trends lists that mostly share the same predictions. At Case-by-Case Wines, we have our own take on what the trends will be this year.
Celebration/Fun
Everyone’s ready to break out of isolation and celebrate a return to public spaces with actual human beings. So many of us have postponed important events or had low-key gatherings. Once we reach the point where we can go out into the world, we’re going to celebrate! We’ll get together with our friends to drink the special bottles we’ve been saving. We’ll toast to fresh air and human contact with bottles of sparkling Rose, Piquette, and Pet-Nat. We’ll plan weddings, birthday parties, and more. Put the light reds on ice, chill down the wine seltzers, and let the parties begin!
Travel
Our desire to travel remains behind bars. But 2021 will bring some steps towards travel freedom as the vaccine spreads more widely. We’ll start by driving to local tasting rooms or to a favorite local wine bar to enjoy in-person outdoor wine tastings. Later in the year, we may drive to a neighboring state to sample what they’re pouring. Or take a short flight to Texas, Missouri, Arizona, or New York State to learn what the buzz is about. If travel doesn’t materialize as we hope, we’ll see virtual wine tours (see below.) Cheers!
Digital Wine Events
During 2020, the wine world went digital in a big way by necessity. Everyone knows Zoom now. Online wine events will continue in 2021, especially if travel doesn’t materialize. In that case, online events will get more creative and engaging. We don’t want the same events we had last year. Look for virtual wine tours and tastings, personalized private tastings for wine club members, or interactive tasting events that add in games, music, or art. Vino-tainment will take-off this year!
Diversity
2021 will be the year we put our dollars where our voices are. We’re going to support Women-, African-American-, Asian-, and Latin-owned wine companies. From wineries to small retail shops, we’ll seek out minority-owned businesses. Search out a local tasting room or an online sommelier who lost their job in 2020. Ask for minority-owned wines at your local restaurants. Donate money to minority-owned distributors or importers. Don’t just talk about it. Take action!
Online Wine Shopping
Our online wine shopping habits created in 2020 will continue and even grow, no matter what happens this year. Instead of buying mediocre wine at the grocery store, we learned we could buy much better wine online for a bit more money. Shopping online allowed us to find wines we couldn’t find locally. We could compare prices. We saved money buying by the case. And we didn’t have to lug heavy bottles home from the store. Keep on clicking!
Food
While 2020 destroyed our ability to eat out at our favorite restaurants, it did force us to improve our cooking at home. When we realized we could order fabulous wine delivered to our door, we started recreating restaurant experiences at home. We expect this trend to continue. But, some days, we want to take a break from cooking, so we’ll still order out for delivery and pickup. We should see more restaurants adding canned wine, half-bottles, and low- or no-alcohol options.
Specific Wines
Portugal and Rose Prosecco seem to be on most 2021 wine trends lists. But, we see more interesting options, such as Jura and South West France, plus Austria. These wines offer surprising quality and value. Vermouth’s versatility will make it the ideal wine in 2021. Given the difficult conditions the Australian wine industry faces, expansion in the U.S. will be a priority. We should see more of these incredible wines at more affordable prices. Ditto South Africa if the government sets them free.
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