Top 5 Wine Trends to Watch Out For in 2020

Happy New Year and wow what a year do we have in store for you here at Pull The Cork!

We have a vast selection of sustainably produced, natural, vegan-friendly, organic wines and biodynamic wines that we can’t wait to share with you. 

As we reported in our New Year’s newsletter (sign up for our newsletter if you haven’t already), the majority of wine consumers are now reportedly millennials. And as a result, this awe-inspiring generation is shaping the future of the wine industry. So much so, we have officially decided that 2020 will be the year of the millennial. 

But what else does the wine trade and Pull The Cork have in store regarding the hottest trends of 2020?

Well, you already know what floats our boat here at Pull The Cork (just check out the latest additions to our collection: Staffelter Hof Kiss Kiss Maddie’s Lips 2018, Herdade Do Mouchao, Dom Rafael White 2018 and Quinta Do Portal Portal LBV Port 2013, to whet your appetite). 

So instead, let’s turn our attention to the wider world of wine and what wine trends you should be watching out for in 2020. 

• Prosecco rosé. 

For those that love rosé and love Prosecco, you only need to wait a little longer until the ultimate fusion is released. Prosecco (until now) can only be called Prosecco if it’s made from the juice of the Glera grape, and it can only be white. 

But following a lengthy approval process by the powers that be in Italy, a blend of up to 15% Pinot Noir grapes combined with Glera grapes would make up this new pink fizz and allow it to keep the Prosecco DOC name. And… we could see it hitting UK shelves by the year’s end. Let us also suggest you trying out Col Fondo,  a sparkling wine that has been aged on its lees (essentially dead yeast cells). It is a type of drink that is more natural and pure, but much less sweet than Prosecco. Dare yourself to try something new. Col Fondo definitely deserves that. 

Counting calories is also a trend, so we have you covered there as well. Take a look at our guide and find out all about calories in a bottle of wine.

• More vegan stickers. 

We are thrilled that vegan wines are not just becoming more mainstream and therefore widely available, but that the inclusion of vegan labels proudly stating what the contents are, is on the up. Let it be known that Pull The Cork were in the vanguard of the vegan wine trend. 

• A rise in the availability of natural wine. 

Another wine trend we are incredibly proud to be an early adopter of. We love natural wine here at Pull The Cork (you may have guessed that already), but the proliferation of this wonderful wine trend is on the rise. Even budget supermarket Aldi is in on the action, listing a skin-contact ‘orange wine’ in their wine section. 

Yes, natural wine remains a divisive topic in the world of wine, but hear these naysayers: natural wine is the oldest form of wine, it’s wine as it was originally meant to be – minimal intervention, no additives, no fining, no filtering and it’s mind-blowing. 

To support this growing trend – every time you go out for dinner or when you’re choosing your next bottle of wine from Pull The Cork, opt for the bottle with ‘natural’ or ‘low intervention’ on the label and revel in the greatest decision you made that day. Also, check out our selection of low sugar wine as well as pet nat wine. 

Browse also our best low alcohol wines and discover all the benefits that come in a bottle of low alcohol wine.

• The increasing impact of climate change on wine production. 

This one isn’t so much a trend as an eventuality if the world of commercial wine production continues down the path it’s on. Reports from the last year have increasingly highlighted the effects of climate change on wine production (both positive and negative), one of the most sensitive agricultural products already:

1. • Prolonged high temperatures will reduce the quality of grapes, affecting the colour of the wine, the aroma, the flavour, the tannins, acidity and sugar levels. 
   • Wines being produced in regions once considered too cold to produce fine wines, such as England, Belgium, Denmark, even Norway and Sweden. 
   • To combat increasing temperatures, winemakers were forced to find higher grounds to grow their grapes. But higher elevations mean poorer soils, less access to water and more unexpected weather such as frost. 
   • Vintners struggling not with how to get grapes to ripen quicker, but how to prevent grapes from over-ripening. 
   • Producers being forced to abandon grape varieties they have grown for generations in order to embrace a new variety of grape, one that is more suited to the changing climate. It might be hard to imagine Bordeaux without cabernet sauvignon grapes or Champagne without chardonnay, but if the big wine regions want to maintain their superiority, they’ll have to adapt, just like everyone else. Wine in cans. 

• Wine In Cans

We called it early and have been supplying wine in cans on Pull The Cork for a while now. 

The surge in wine in cans is down to many factors, not least a reduced carbon footprint and a more efficient waste recycling process. Wine in cans and wine in boxes have historically not had the best reputation in comparison to wine in bottles, but canned beverages, not just in the wine world, are having a resurgence. 

Canned drinks chill quicker, they’re handy for grab and go at picnics or festivals, or supping by the pool (where glass is prohibited). Of course, there are downsides to wine in cans, such as wine doesn’t age well in cans and needs drinking soon after purchasing (aw shucks), but the demand for alternative packaging by the younger generations is having repercussions the world over. And wine is no exception. 

So there you have it, our top 5 wine trends to watch out for in 2020 – it’s going to be an exciting year!