Just like fashion or music, the wine business is subject to the whims of trends. Some last for years while others, well, to quote Elvis Costello, “yesterday’s new is tomorrow’s fish-and-chips paper.” For years Nashville consumed Merlot and Cabernet because they were hot, and while those wines are still good sellers, many, especially the under-40 crowd, are looking for something new or different. But how do you know what’s hot in the wine world this summer and what’s going the way of the Hummer? Easy. I’ll tell you.
Over the last few years Petite Sirah has taken off and really carved a niche for itself in Nashville’s collective palate. These wines last trended hot during the ‘70s, but they fell from favor for about twenty years. As more Petite Sirah vineyards have come back on line in California, so the selection has grown at both your local retailer and on wine lists around town. Nashville has long loved full-bodied reds, so it’s no wonder these inky, bold wines are so popular. Petite Sirah tend to be high in tannins, have big berry flavors and show some spice. If you like Syrah, Zinfandel and Malbec, you may join the ranks of the Petite Sirah fans.
In conjunction with the general shift in the U.S. toward more mindful consumption, an increasing number of wine lovers are turning to organic wines as answers to the oft-discussed problems facing the environment and our health. Many American wineries have been making organic products for years but have generally garnered more attention for their practices than for the outstanding wines they were making. Many saw these producers as making average wines that targeted a small niche by using a gimmick to sell their wines. News flash! That niche has grown significantly in recent years, and it’s been sustained because people are discovering that many of these wines are far better than they expected. (It’s always hard to believe that something good for you can taste great at the same time.) Meanwhile, as the demand grows so do the offerings in the market. You can find organics in almost every varietal of wine out there, so give one a try.
With the heat of the Tennessee summer has come a big local thirst for rosé, a varietal that’s making an impressive comeback. It was an incredibly popular style of wine all across America until the advent of White Zinfandel killed sales some years ago, which led to a period of time in which anyone seen drinking a pink wine was in danger of being summarily judged by the wine snobs in the room. Well, thankfully, a nice dry rosé is back in style due in part to the fact that people realize that wine snobs are complete boobs to be avoided at all costs, but mostly because they’re damn fine wines. They tend to show light flavors like strawberry and cherry with a crisp, clean mouth feel. Offerings from France, Chile and Spain are flying off shelves all around town and making appearances at outdoor events across the Middle Tennessee.
If anything invited the derision of even casual wine drinkers more than rosé in recent decades, it has to be boxed wine, and yet more and more wines are coming out in this deceptively effective format. There are three main reasons for the increase in sales: First off, the new breed of boxed wines are far better than the stuff we’d gotten used to because winemaking technology has advanced. Second, there’s been a growing demand for a good everyday wine that won’t spoil quickly for those only wanting a glass or two a day. And the third reason is our current economic conditions—many people are turning to the high-end boxed wines as their house wine because they can get the equivalent of four bottles’ worth, which will remain good for up to five weeks, for about $25. That’s $6.25 per bottle, and none of it will go to waste. If you can find one you like, it may make good sense for you. That said, I still recommend you not drink the same wine every day because your palate needs to be exercised if you want it to stay at its peak...