7 wine trends to look out for in 2020

What will be in your wine glass in 2020? According to Joe Armstrong, Head of Wine at Cellarmasters, you will be sipping more pink, field blends, Grenache and full-bodied Chardonnays – likely all made in a mindful manner.

“Some wine trends, like the rise of sustainable wine categories such as biodynamic and organic wines, already started in 2019, but we will see them amplified in 2020,” he explained.

Here, he predicts seven wine trends to look out for.   

Field blends

You might have seen more field blends on wine lists lately, and although they are starting to have a bit of a moment, making field blends is actually a long-standing tradition of winemaking. A field blend is a wine made from a mix of grapes grown in the same vineyard, and picked on the same day – often there is at least a mix of three or more different grapes. Creating a field blend is a great way for a winemaker to express their creativity and make a wine that really speaks of the vineyard without trying to ‘be’ any type of wine.

Full-bodied Chardonnay

Just like fashion trends from the past tend to make comebacks, so too do wine trends. Full-bodied Chardonnay was the toast of the 1980s, but many of the styles made were too oaky and buttery – and soon fell out of flavour. As a reaction, winemakers started creating lean Chardonnay wines with little or no oak maturation. But now, many consumers are asking for more full-flavoured Chardonnays and winemakers are increasingly starting to use oak maturation and malolactic fermentation to create wines that pack more punch. It’s important to note, though, that these bolder Chardonnays of today are much more balanced than the wines of the 1980s – so give them a go!

The growth of Grenache

More Australians than ever are falling in love with Grenache with a 135% increase in sales of the red variety in the last 12 months, according to Cellarmasters’ sales data. Grenache was long considered the poor cousin to Shiraz and was mainly used in wine blends or to make fortified wines. However, in recent years, winemakers have started to play and experiment with the variety. Their new and exciting takes on the variety has helped Grenache to shine on its own. The rise of Grenache goes hand-in-hand with the growing trend of Aussies drinking lighter style reds.