What new wine trends will 2023 usher in? Whether you’re a longtime wine aficionado or new to the world of wine, let’s take a look at our top 2023 wine trend predictions.
Trend #1: Sparkling Wines for Everyday
This elegant traditional method sparkling wine made from estate-grown Pinot Noir makes every day a celebration.
Champagne was once seen as a wine for celebrations – the New Year’s toast, the Champagne shower after a big win, the Champagne tower at a wedding. Now, however, sparkling wines of all kinds are coming into their own and being celebrated for their food-friendliness, refreshing qualities, and diversity.
A glass of traditional method bubbly is the perfect aperitif before a nice meal, stimulating the appetite with its flavors of citrus and toasty richness. But sparkling wines can also pair well with a wide range of dishes. A high-quality sparkling rosé can even be the perfect match for red meat like a tender filet. If you’re on the plant-based train, the zesty, fresh flavors of many Chardonnay-based sparkling wines pair especially well with vinaigrette-dressed salads and a variety of vegetable dishes.
Looking for your new everyday sparkling wine? Our Pops Sparkling Wine is sure to be your new favorite.
#2: Wine Cocktails
Wine cocktails allow you to experiment with the complex flavors of wine in new and exciting ways.
Millennials and Gen Z aren’t necessarily interested in that dusty bottle of Bordeaux. With the growth of the craft cocktail movement, wine cocktails bring creativity and a sense of playfulness into wine enjoyment. Their myriad colors, garnishes, and presentations make them especially social media-worthy and we’ll see more of these shared on Instagram and TikTok.
The best wine cocktails typically employ high quality wines along with other quality ingredients, such as freshly squeezed fruit juices, spirits, liqueurs, bitters, etc. For those who are health-conscious or looking for a low-ABV option, there are plenty of wine cocktails that offer a lower-alcohol, more refreshing option.
Want to try your hand at this trend? Check out our favorite winter wine cocktail recipes.
#3: Focus on Sustainability
Our Stags Leap District estate vineyard is farmed organically.
Sustainability isn’t exactly a new topic in the wine world. But recent events, including devastating wildfires in California and Australia, record early harvests in Champagne, and widespread drought in many regions, have brought the issue front and center.
Now more than ever, we see wine writers and critics gravitating toward the wineries that not only make impressive wine, but employ sustainable practices such as regenerative farming, integrative pest management, and biodynamic viticulture.
Wondering how we employ sustainable practices at Baldacci? From our farming to our glass sourcing to our winery animals, we are committed to preserving the land for generations to come.
Our vineyards are farmed organically, which means we do not employ synthetic pesticides or herbicides. We are currently in the process of gaining our organic certification from CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers), which also sets standards for the conservation of soil and water and the use of renewable resources.
Our wine bottles are sourced from Gallo Glass, which is committed to sustainability through the use of recycled glass, lightweight bottle design, and reducing their carbon footprint and air emissions through recycling programs.
As for our winery animals, our barn cats help keep our property free of pests and rodents. Our goats love hanging out on our hillsides, clearing brush and grasses to reduce fire risk. During the dormant season, we’ll also rely on them to graze on cover crops in the vineyard. This eliminates the need for tractors, thereby reducing emissions while providing natural fertilization to improve soil health.
#4: Unique Wine Experiences
Join us for our Perfect Pairings experience and discover the art and science of food and wine pairing.
What’s better than tasting wine at a beautiful winery? What about a winemaker dinner in the vineyard? A sommelier-led blind tasting? A hands-on food and wine pairing experience?
Immersive experiences allow guests to truly get that insider perspective of the unique world of wine – the winery, the wines, and the people behind it all. Through these experiences and stories, guests will be able to truly feel connected to the place and the process, all of which will increase their overall enjoyment of wine. Explore our experiences here.
#5: “Low-Calorie” & “Low-Sugar” Wines
Nutrition facts aren’t commonly found on wine labels. But if they were, our Pops Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine would feature this label.
95-calorie Chardonnay. Zero sugar wines. Light wines. Skinnygirl Moscato. It seems every time I walk down the wine aisle, there’s a new wine claiming to be “healthier” in one way or another.
While we won’t get into the research on wine and health here (it’s overall positive), the truth is that most quality, dry table wines – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon – have negligible amounts of sugar (typically 1 gram or less per 5 oz. glass). The vast majority of calories in dry table wines come from alcohol, which contains 7 calories per gram. Most dry wines contain between 12-14% alcohol by volume (ABV). This puts a standard 5 oz. glass of wine around 120-130 calories.
Take a look at one of these “light” or “zero-sugar” wines, and you’ll likely notice that their ABV is closer to 7-8%. Many of these wines are marketed as 95-100 calories, so essentially you save perhaps 20-30 calories per 5 ounce glass. Worth it? You decide, but we’re sticking to our favorite wines and enjoying them in moderation.
We want to hear from you! Which trends do you hope are here to stay? What are your predictions for the wine world in 2023? Connect with us on social @baldacciwinery and let us know!