What to expect in 2017...

From spittoon monitors to the affects of El Nino... it's all go!

Whilst many of you are in the midst of dry January, or at least thinking about whether you should be doing it, we are working hard in the office on what 2017 is going to look like…

Firstly, something which has made me chuckle from the wine world… Did you know that from March 31st 2017 all wine merchants having tastings will be required to use a designated spittoon monitor? These supervisors are to ascertain that, the amount of discarded wines add up to 95% of the volume of the wines poured.

This is supposed to stop people enjoying themselves, causing utter revelry upon leaving the tasting, and mostly leading to liberal purchasing decisions. Will it catch on, we don't think so! Most of you who have been to our tastings will know we don't have much of a need for a spittoon let alone a spittoon monitor!

Ok the serious stuff…

It has been a busy time this past week with most of the wine shippers out there releasing their new 2017 prices. We ship many of our wines directly, so even looking at our own imports has been a head scratch in terms of prices.

As many of you have been aware the exchange rate with both the Euro and the Americas has been somewhat shaken over the past 6 months, this coupled with a few bad harvests including El Niño (a weather cycle in Argentina, which saw the worst pre-harvest grape losses since 1957) means that yes unfortunately some prices have gone up!

However, if you are willing to try something new, the future is bright!

There will be people out there who aren't open to change and therefore may feel the pinch from movements in the wine world, however those who are willing to try alternatives are in for a treat.

What do I mean by this?

Prosecco has again gone up. We have all read the reports of a prosecco shortage due to increased demand and bad harvest. Well now that shortage is here! The American's have jumped on the Prosecco train and the aged old supply and demand means that for a second year the price has gone up. This marks the way for Durello, a fantastic sparkling which you will find in the bars in Verona, more mineral and less sharp that Prosecco and a better price too! Also this could be a great time to revisit Cava. Previously Cava has received a bad reputation due to one or two producers making mass volumes of the sweeter style but find the right producer and the fizz is elegant, apple fresh and crisp.

Burgundy has been hit badly in the north and you may see some rather sharp price increases from the region, however look a little further afield to Chardonnay from New Zealand, Western Australia and Californian with wines made in the same way and of a similar barrel age and you may be pleasantly surprised. Or why not head south and try some of the delights of the Macon region which offers exquisite wines and great value for money.

Loire in France, again not great for the Sancerre lovers, (I stress these wines are still available and not lesser in quality, it is just the price has risen a little) but there are some great Touraine Sauvignon out there to try!

In a nutshell…

There is nothing to be worried about in terms of post BREXIT wine for 2017, there are more wines than ever to go at with budding wine makers constantly experimenting and producing new wines to wow the palate. Our advice to you… be open in your approach, try more, explore more and you may just surprise yourself!