It's been a while since I've posted but it's been even longer since the wine industry has done anything new or innovative that excites me.
Not long ago there was a flurry of activity on production of no or low alcohol wines and alternative packaging but this hasn't progressed very far at all.
There are more reduced alcohol wines available but these are still in the aromatic varietals that I don't like. Offer me a decent reduced alcohol pinot noir, rose or chardonnay and I'll buy it but, to date, there are none.
Why is this? It's not as if the technology isn't there - it comes down to will. Most producers simply can't be arsed to invest in this, to them, tiny segment of the market and prefer to pump out full alcohol wines to meet their (current) markets.
Twenty years ago I was researching and trialling some low and zero alcohol products, both wine and synthetic wine substitutes as I could see what the opportunity would be in the future. The stick-in-the mud people I worked with had no vision in this and gave little support to my project. When I left the company it wasn't pursued and, to date, that company still hasn't done anything significant in this area and is being gazumped by the likes of Giesen, Brancott Estate and Forrest.
I'm excited by the experimentation going into vine development whereby, instead of picking unripe grapes, fully ripened grapes that will give a lower alcohol yield are being propagated. If these provide full or near to varietal flavour then I'll definitely be a buyer but, to date there are only a few people trialling this and the big companies with the big funds aren't bothering. Luddites.
This is interesting reading but is four years old and I'm unaware of any commercial breakthroughs:
LOW ALCOHOL WINE - VITICULTURE
As regards packaging innovation almost all companies are still using 'traditional' 750ml wine bottles and ignoring the potential market in 375ml and other packaging forms like cans. Safe linings for aluminium cans for wines have been developed but scaredy-cat executives of the major companies haven't got the balls to give them a go. Again - they just look at their current markets and not future ones. A paradigm shift is required here and, when it does happen, many will be on the back foot.
I'll be happy to buy most of my wines in 375ml bottle format even though the per ml cost is higher (larger production runs will reduce costs and subsequent prices though) and definitely would buy wine in 200ml or 330ml cans when the more serious varietals are used other than the current aromatic and cheaper quality wines.
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Like this but better quality |
