Decanter February 2021

Predicting the top wine trends for 2021 From the rise of virtual tastings to unconventional packaging formats, we examine the trends that took 2020 by storm and are set to continue in 2021. Winemakers in your living room Nothing replaces vineyard visits or sharing wine face-to-face. Yet Zoom masterclasses and home tasting kits have allowed wine lovers to support restaurants, wineries and more while expanding their own knowledge. Richard Halstead, chief operating officer at research group Wine Intelligence, said there was a sense of ‘online finally coming of age’, both in terms of wine sales and education. Stephanie Barnett at London private members’ club 67 Pall Mall noted that online events meant ‘many members have found new regions that they wouldn’t necessarily gravitate to on a wine list’. Michael Osborn, founder and executive vice president at…

The art of wine Let there be light Weingut Richard Richter, Mosel, Germany For three days in May 2008, German winery Richard Richter became the site of a dazzling exhibition by artist Ingo Bracke (pictured). His medium of choice? Light. As part of the first-ever Kunsttage Winningen festival, Bracke transformed Richter’s atmospheric wine cellar into a visual display of brightness and shadow, creating dynamic, luminescent designs on the racks and barrels. The arts festival will next take place in early May 2022. Photograph: imageBROKER/Alamy Stock Photo/Thomas Frey…

• A rapid approach to detecting wine fraud using ‘fluorescence spectroscopy’ has great potential, according to a study in Food Chemistry. ‘This method provides a “fingerprint” of the samples according to the presence of fluorophoric or light-emitting compounds,’ said Ruchira Ranaweera, PhD student at the University of Adelaide’s Waite Research Institute, who conducted the research. • Looking for a steady supply of Port? Churchill’s Port has launched a ‘digital-first’ club, with members receiving bottle packs and ‘access to unique travel and Port education experiences both in Portugal and online’. Zoe Graham, co-founder of Port.Club, said: ‘Different Ports will be delivered direct to your door each [calendar] quarter.’ Annual membership is £240; quarterly membership is £70. • Piedmont has gained a new DOCG zone, Terre Alfieri, said the Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini…

News A month in wine All the important issues affecting you across the globe, compiled by Chris Mercer Predicting the top wine trends for 2021 From the rise of virtual tastings to unconventional packaging formats, we examine the trends that took 2020 by storm and are set to continue in 2021. Winemakers in your living room Nothing replaces vineyard visits or sharing wine face-to-face. Yet Zoom masterclasses and home tasting kits have allowed wine lovers to support restaurants, wineries and more while expanding their own knowledge. Richard Halstead, chief operating officer at research group Wine Intelligence, said there was a sense of ‘online finally coming of age’, both in terms of wine sales and education. Stephanie Barnett at London private members’ club 67 Pall Mall noted that online events meant…

In brief Stay up to date with the latest wine news on Decanter.com, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @Decanter • A rapid approach to detecting wine fraud using ‘fluorescence spectroscopy’ has great potential, according to a study in Food Chemistry. ‘This method provides a “fingerprint” of the samples according to the presence of fluorophoric or light-emitting compounds,’ said Ruchira Ranaweera, PhD student at the University of Adelaide’s Waite Research Institute, who conducted the research. • Looking for a steady supply of Port? Churchill’s Port has launched a ‘digital-first’ club, with members receiving bottle packs and ‘access to unique travel and Port education experiences both in Portugal and online’. Zoe Graham, co-founder of Port.Club, said: ‘Different Ports will be delivered direct to your door each [calendar] quarter.’ Annual membership…

Women in a man’s world I read the ‘Women of Champagne’ feature in your December issue with great pleasure. I found it inspiring and refreshing in a world of wine that, to a 24-year-old female, seems to consist predominantly of middle-aged men. It was with regret that I read Alexander Pelling’s letter in the January issue, in which he speaks of ‘your feminist lecture’ and advises Decanter to steer clear of ‘gender politics’. ‘Readers will thank you for it,’ he says. This is precisely the type of attitude that limits women’s progression in their careers. Systemic inequalities of any kind will not disappear unless there is widespread attention for them and discussion of them. Tori Elyssa Kok, London, UK I, like many others, was delighted to see an article promoting diversity within the wine industry…