On the 25th of May the USA will be celebrating National Wine Day, a beverage which has been enjoyed for centuries by cultures worldwide.
From canned wines to cannabis infusions, FoodBev is raising a glass to this perennial alcoholic drink by looking at the top new global wine industry trends of 2019 so far.
The global alcoholic RTD market has been estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.32% from 2019-2027, according to Inkwood Research, and wine sold in cans will play a major part in this.
One of the main driving forces behind canned wine is millennial drinkers. The convenience of canned wines being sold in single measures, alongside the environmental benefits of the recyclability of cans over glass bottles, are two of the main reasons for this.
Earlier this year, British start-up company Nice launched a pale rosé and a sauvignon blanc that rolled out to 600 Sainsbury’s stores. Canned wines hitting the supermarket shelves is a clear indicator that this trend is on the rise this year.
At the end of last year, alcoholic beverage giant Diageo identified low- and no- alcohol as the number one trend for 2019. As consumers are being moving towards healthier lifestyles, there are an increasing number of people seeking to reduce their alcohol intake. Offering low- or no-alcohol options does not necessarily just appeal to the health-conscious, but also has the potential to appeal to consumers more broadly by widening choice.
From BrewDog releasing a low-alcohol craft beer to Asahi introducing a 0.0% non-alcoholic beer in the UK, the beer category has taken the lead in this trend. But we are now seeing the wine category step into this arena, with the launch of craft soda brand Sparklingly Sober in January 2019, with brands starting to offer an alcohol- free alternative to fizzy wine.
While alcohol consumption among younger consumers has reportedly declined, a rise in CBD-infused beverages has been evident over the past year. The increasing legalisation of cannabis in the US has led the trend of cannabis-infused wines across the nation.
So far, we have witnessed various US brands, such as Rebel Coast Winery, sell wine infused with cannabinoids. But like most other cannabis-infused wines, this innovative wine does not contain alcohol.
In September 2018, the state of California passed Assembly Bill 2914 prohibiting alcoholic beverages combined with cannabinoid being sold, which could set a precedent and lead the way for alcohol-free wine in 2019.
There is no doubt consumer demand for plant-based products has rocketed recently. During the winemaking process, egg whites and some fish products are traditionally used when clarifying the wine before bottling.
To respond to consumer demand, vegan-friendly wines, that are fined with non-animal agents such as clay-based bentonite, are becoming more popular. Supermarkets have certainly been hopping on this trend, for instance retailer Marks & Spencer now has over 384 vegan-friendly wine options.
Arguably, one of the biggest recent food and beverage trends has seen brands moving towards more environmentally-friendly decisions in order to align with consumer concerns over sustainability.
One way the wine industry has responded to this is seen in the rise of winemakers moving towards renewable energy. At the end of 2018, Pernod Ricard Winemakers announced its commitment to sourcing 100% renewable electricity in Australia by mid-2019. Other big industry names, such as Australian Vintage, are making similar moves by sourcing energy from solar and wind farms.
Packaging is another area that the industry has been making sustainable decisions. Garçon Wines, who won a World Food Innovation Award this year for their packaging design, have created a flat wine bottle made from 100% recycled PET that is fully recyclable.
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