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- 🌓 The Bold New Vintage
🌓 The Bold New Vintage
In this week’s DECORKED digest, discover Europe’s first families protecting wine legacies, deserts where grapes defy the odds, bold forecasts for 2026, why India isn’t sipping, how vintages are remixing themselves for the climate, and much more.
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Happy Monday and a Happy New Year! This week’s DECORKED digest takes you from Europe’s first families protecting wine legacies to deserts where grapes defy the odds, bold forecasts for 2026, why India isn’t sipping, and how vintages are remixing themselves for the climate. Keep reading!
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Read the most important and interesting news this week.
đź’Ą EU pesticide overhaul sparks clash between health advocates and industry READ HERE
🔍 De-alcoholization of wine is now legally regulated in Italy READ HERE
🍾 The most exciting pop culture wine moments of 2025 READ HERE
🍇 How the wine world is set to change in 2026 READ HERE
đź’° Napa contemplates price cuts READ HERE
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THE FIRST FAMILIES OF WINE
Primum Familiae Vini (PFV) is an invitation-only alliance of 12 multigenerational, family-owned European wine estates, including Antinori, Rothschild, Torres, and Vega Sicilia, founded in 1993 to protect independence and long-term thinking. Operating as a non-commercial think tank, PFV focuses on knowledge exchange, succession, climate challenges, and sustainable business models, with membership dependent on continued family control. Through technical collaboration, next-generation education and an annual €100,000 prize celebrating family entrepreneurship beyond wine, PFV stands as a counterpoint to consolidation, emphasizing patience, heritage and decisions measured in generations rather than quarters.
WINE IN EXTREME PLACES
On the edge of the Namib Desert, viticulture is being pushed to its limits. In one of the world’s harshest climates, extreme heat, water scarcity, and wildlife pressure make grape growing a daily risk rather than a given. Yet careful site selection, adaptability and persistence have turned an unlikely landscape into a source of internationally recognised wines and spirits. This underscores a broader shift in global wine: as climate pressures intensify, resilience, experimentation, and a willingness to rethink where wine can exist are becoming essential to the future of the industry.
BOLD WINE-WORLD PREDICTIONS FOR 2026
As wine heads into 2026, the outlook is mixed but telling. Global consumption continues to decline, forcing vineyard removals and unharvested fruit, while younger consumers drink less but spend more selectively, favoring authenticity, sustainability, and premium experiences. Low- and no-alcohol wines are finally improving in quality, driven by better viticulture rather than heavy processing. Fine-wine auctions remain resilient, supported by tariffs, strong demand for mature classics, and renewed seller confidence. Climate pressure is accelerating the rise of lesser-known and hybrid grape varieties, while wine tourism is evolving toward experience-led, food-driven, and sustainability-focused offerings aimed at millennials. The common thread is adaptation: wine’s future depends less on volume and tradition, and more on relevance, quality, and meaningful engagement.
INDIA STILL ISN’T DRINKING WINE
Despite steady growth in the overall wine market, India’s domestic wine industry continues to struggle to turn potential into regular consumption. Revenues at leading producers remain flat or volatile, while market growth has largely been driven by imported brands rather than local wineries. Wine’s complexity at the point of sale, relatively high prices, poor retail guidance, and inconsistent storage all deter new drinkers, while entrenched drinking habits favour beer and spirits over wine as an everyday choice. For many consumers, wine still remains an occasional, food-linked indulgence rather than a default option.
WINE AT 35,000 FEET
Airlines pay widely varying amounts for wine, depending on the cabin and level of exclusivity. Economy wines often cost just a few dollars per bottle, business class slightly more, while first-class “trophy” wines can cost hundreds, though still below retail due to bulk buying, trade pricing, and marketing partnerships. Airline procurement is complex, involving logistics, altitude taste adjustments, and consistent quality across flights. Some carriers, like Emirates and Singapore, curate prestigious selections as part of their brand strategy, while others offer inconsistent, poorly served options.
CHAMPAGNE GOES BIODYNAMIC
Biodynamic viticulture remains rare in Champagne, practiced on less than 10% of vineyards, but leading producers argue it enhances both vineyard health and wine precision. Pioneers like Leclerc Briant, Fleury, and Franck Pascal report that biodynamic methods improve grape balance, acidity, and structure, yielding Champagnes with greater elegance, energy, and length, even in hot vintages. These practices, including natural preparations and minimal chemical use, also increase resilience to climate pressures and enable more expressive, pure wines. While still a minority approach, advocates do see biodynamics as essential for Champagne’s future.
VINTAGES ARE GETTING A REMIX
As climate volatility challenges vineyards worldwide, winemakers are increasingly embracing multivintage blends to enhance both consistency and expression. Long practiced in Champagne, Sherry, and Madeira, blending across harvests allows producers to emphasize terroir while adding depth, texture, and complexity. Modern examples show how multiyear assemblages balance acidity, structure, and flavor, offering flexibility in response to climate pressures and creative precision. While single-vintage wines remain prized, multivintage bottles provide a nuanced, dynamic narrative of place, season, and winemaking vision.
Learn something new every week.
Copyright @ Wine Searcher
WINE REGION OF THE WEEK: HESSISCHE BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY
Hessische Bergstrasse is Germany’s smallest wine region, covering just over 460 hectares and producing less than 0.5% of the country’s wine, most of which stays local. Positioned along the Rhine in Hesse, it grows primarily white varieties - Riesling dominates, followed by Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc. The region’s historic vineyards, mild climate, and granite- and sandstone-based soils support high-quality wines.
Copyright @ Wein Strasse
GRAPE OF THE WEEK: SILVANER
Silvaner is a subtle, versatile white grape primarily grown in Germany and Alsace, with smaller plantings in northern Italy, Switzerland, and beyond. Often overshadowed by Riesling, it thrives in a range of vineyard sites, ripens early, and offers structured, mineral-driven wines with delicate herbal and citrus notes. Franken stands out as the region where Silvaner truly excels, while Alsace produces fuller, earthier styles and Alto Adige and Swiss examples are lighter and crisper
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