2017 has been an impactful year on the wine industry. With new wine trends and predictions taking shape, we have put together the most important so you can prep your restaurant, bar, or wine shop to achieve true grapeness.
Where is the wine coming from?
According to the Wine Market Council and Nielsen, domestic wines will continue to dominate the market. And when looking at imports, France and Italy will lead the pack, along with New Zealand, which has shown increasing influence and innovation within the wine industry.
Pricing
In 2017, the grape harvest hit an all time low since 1982, with Europe’s wine production expected to drop 14 percent from the year before. This, coupled with the California fires in wine country, has left analysts worrying about wine shortages and higher prices. Stephen Rannekleiv, a global beverages strategist at Rabobank, goes into specifics, saying "We expect the decline [in consumption] to be felt most tangibly in the lower-priced tiers."
Also, national data shows that consumers are increasingly seeking more premium offerings, and the most significant growth in the first two quarters of this year is occurring above $10 a bottle.
All About Branding
Branding used to take a back seat in the wine world. Labels tout the region where the grape is from but offers little in terms of design, making it difficult for shoppers to differentiate bottles. Expect to see increased storytelling through wine labels, interesting typography, and compelling imagery – because face it, we all judge a book by its cover.
Trending wines
Rosé – The popularity of Rosé is not expected to slow down. In fact, for the second consecutive year, Rosés accounted for 1.5 percent of all table wine sold. As the market for cheaper Rosés has proven its success, experts expect to see more premium Rosé hit the shelves.
Carménère - Carménère is a distant relative to Merlot and Malbec. Harvested in Chili, this South American wine is making a splash with prominent, full-bodied red fruit flavors. According to Uncorkd, this spicy and rich wine is becoming more popular on restaurant wine lists and in wine retailers.
Red Blends - The red blend craze has largely been driven by the younger shoppers. According to Nielsen, in 2015 red blends made up 13% of the $13 billion that shoppers spent on table wine that year, up from 11% in 2011. The blend craze is often equated to the craft beer craze – trendy, hip, and resonates with the Millennial wine drinker.
Crémant - French Crémant is a sparkling wine, which differentiates itself from Champagne and Prosecco. Given the less stringent requirements of making Crémant as opposed to Champagne, bars, restaurants, and wine shops can sell this sparkling wine as an excellent alternative to Champagne. Want to feel extra fancy? Crémant is French for “creamy,” and is considered to have a creamy mouthfeel rather than a fizzy due to their lower atmospheric pressures.
Albariño - Your 2018 summer wine, hails from the Rias Baixas region of Spain. With its acidic and ripe citrus tones, this wine perfectly pairs with your seafood dishes. For the Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris drinkers looking for a change, point them to the Albariño.
The Accessibility Factor
The market continues to look for innovative ways to package wine in order to appeal to the broadest base. This includes canned and bagged wine.
Bag-in-box
This isn’t your mom’s Franzia boxed wine, the bag-in-box is cool again and has taken off with the younger shoppers. While previously associated with poor quality wines, wine distributors and suppliers are now seeing that quality doesn’t need to be sacrificed when you can spend less on packaging and offer shoppers a convenient and cheaper way to enjoy their wine.
Canned wine
Like bag-in-box, canned wine is providing a more accessible and user-friendly way for consumers to enjoy wine. It’s also a much cheaper solution for wineries, and can be a huge component in transitioning these wine brands to be direct to consumer. Trader Joe’s is championing this concept by coming out with their own four-pack of canned wines called Simpler Wine.
Online Ordering
The wine direct to consumer market is growing fast, leaping from 49% in 2012 to 59% in 2016. And in order to keep up with the evolving retail landscape, it is necessary for wineries and wine retailers to develop an online strategy. By offering online ordering, you can open up a new stream of revenue, make your customers happy, and improve on operational efficiency.
Now that you are armed with all the 2018 wine trends, it's time to equip your business with the Revel and Restaurant POS system. With a full bar tab management suite and mobile ordering, customers can expect to get their drinks fast with our POS Software. Start accessing ingredient-level inventory controls that allow you to track the exact amount of alcohol poured, a feature proven to save managers 4 hours per week on restocking.
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