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- 🎲 Redefining Wine, Taste & Choices
🎲 Redefining Wine, Taste & Choices
In this week’s DECORKED digest, explore trusting the mouth over the nose in wine tasting, eco-conscious wine choices, Dry January’s impact on the industry, top wine substitutes for cooking, Australia’s trade challenges with China, the role of sulfites, and France’s shift from wine to beer. Keep reading!
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Happy Monday and Happy New Year! We hope you have a wonderful week ahead. In this week’s DECORKED digest, explore trusting the mouth over the nose in wine tasting, eco-conscious wine choices, Dry January’s impact on the industry, top wine substitutes for cooking, Australia’s trade challenges with China, the role of sulfites, and France’s shift from wine to beer. Keep reading!
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Read the most important and interesting news this week.
📝 The Wine Market Journal announces the top appreciating wines of 2024 READ HERE
🔍 Curious about Dry January? What to expect — and how it works READ HERE
📈 Croatia ranks first in Europe for wine price increases READ HERE
🍇 An innovative project to improve Muscadine grapes READ HERE
🌟 Top wine and health stories of 2024 READ HERE
🍷 Wine lover’s guide to Alsace READ HERE
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TRUSTING THE MOUTH OVER THE NOSE
Pascaline Lepeltier explores the shift in wine tasting from 19th-century methods emphasizing visual and tactile sensations to the 20th-century focus on aroma. She highlights Jacky Rigaux's geosensory tasting approach, which critiques reliance on the nose and champions the mouth as a more trustworthy guide to a wine’s origin and quality. Lepeltier advocates for reconnecting with tasting practices that emphasize mouthfeel and authenticity in experiencing terroir.
THE RISE OF ECO-CONSCIOUS AND HEALTH-FOCUSED WINE CHOICES AMONG YOUNGER CONSUMERS
Younger generations are reshaping the wine industry by prioritizing sustainability, mindful drinking, and health-conscious choices. In response, winemakers are adopting regenerative farming, crafting organic and biodynamic wines, offering low-alcohol options, and exploring eco-friendly packaging. Initiatives like digital storytelling, casual wine experiences, and enhanced education aim to balance tradition with innovation while appealing to diverse, environmentally conscious consumers.
HOW DOES DRY JANUARY AFFECT THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY?
Dry January, part of the broader sober-curious movement, has grown significantly, driven by younger, health-conscious generations seeking lower-alcohol or alcohol-free options. This trend has disrupted the alcohol industry, particularly during a typically slow sales season, prompting companies to diversify with non-alcoholic alternatives such as mocktails and alcohol-free beers. Major brands like Heineken and Guinness have invested in technology to improve the quality of these offerings, while businesses without non-alcoholic options risk significant sales declines. Experts believe the movement represents a lasting cultural shift, normalizing sobriety and reshaping social drinking habits.
WHAT’S THE BEST SUBSTITUTE FOR WINE IN A RECIPE?
When you’re out of wine for a recipe, Chef Ron Yan suggests considering the role wine plays in the dish. For recipes where wine is essential, like a red wine sauce, it’s best to switch recipes or grab a bottle. For minor uses, such as deglazing or poaching, substitutes like stock, seasoned water, or soy sauce mixed with water can maintain flavor. For marinades, alternatives like citrus juice, beer, or non-alcoholic wine can provide the necessary acidity. Yan advises choosing ingredients with flavors you’d enjoy on their own to preserve the dish’s intended profile.
IT WAS ONCE WORTH $1.2B – WILL AUSTRALIA’S CHINESE WINE TRADE RECOVER?
Australia’s wine trade with China, once worth $1.2 billion, was devastated by a 2020 trade dispute that led to tariffs as high as 218.4%. This halted Australian wine exports overnight, severely impacting winemakers like Nikki Palun, who lost her business. Although exports resumed in March 2024, the market’s future remains uncertain due to a slower Chinese economy and shifting wine culture in the region. Despite this, there are hopes for recovery, but challenges persist for Australian wine’s position in China.
WHY DO WINES HAVE SULFITES, AND HOW DO THEY AFFECT YOUR BODY?
Sulfites in wine, often misunderstood, are naturally occurring compounds and essential preservatives that prevent spoilage, oxidation, and undesirable flavors. While some people may experience rare sensitivities, sulfites are necessary for maintaining wine quality, especially during aging and transportation. Although trends in natural and low-sulfite wines have gained traction, experts emphasize that no wine is truly sulfite-free. Modern winemaking has reduced sulfite use thanks to advancements in cleanliness and technology, but these compounds remain crucial for protecting and preserving wine's integrity.
PEOPLE DRINKING MORE BEER AND LESS WINE AT HOME IN FRANCE
Wine consumption in France continues to decline, with at-home wine sales falling 6% during the 2024 holiday season and overall per capita wine consumption dropping 66% since 1963. Red wine, in particular, has lost popularity to white and rosé wines. Meanwhile, beer consumption is rising, especially among younger generations, with beer sales increasing by 26% from 2007 to 2023. This shift reflects changing eating habits, increased health awareness, and a preference for lower-alcohol options, making France home to the EU's largest number of independent craft brewers.
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Copyright @ Bangkok Beyond
WINE REGION OF THE WEEK: KHAO YAI, THAILAND
Thailand's Khao Yai region, situated near Khao Yai National Park, has emerged as a notable wine-producing area in Asia. Vineyards such as GranMonte and PB Valley have gained international recognition for their wines, including Chenin Blanc and Shiraz, cultivated in the region's unique tropical climate. These wineries have adapted viticulture techniques to thrive in the local environment, contributing to Thailand's growing reputation in the global wine industry.
Copyright @ Good Eggs
GRAPE OF THE WEEK: MUSCAT HAMBURG
Primarily cultivated as a table grape, it is also used in winemaking, producing light, aromatic wines and, when harvested late, richer dessert-style wines. While its flavor profile is considered less intense compared to other Muscat varieties, Muscat Hamburg is grown in regions including California, Eastern Europe, China, and Thailand.
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