Talking about trends with the Robert Parker, Wine Advocate’s team.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate's event, Matter of Taste, returned to Zurich this year. The Dolder Grand Hotel Zürich was the host of the wine event that oenophiles have been waiting for the last 2 years. Robert Parker Wine Advocate's Matter of Taste, has been staged during the years in Zurich, Taipei, New York, Napa Valley with a host of extraordinary tastings, masterclasses and dinners.  

It was a great opportunity for us and for the attendants to taste and experience world-class wines while meeting the winemakers and estate owners who craft them.

But the most exciting moment for me was the talk about the market and the trends with the Robert Parker Wine Advocate’s team members. 

As we all know already, the demand on the market is changing because of the new generation consumption habits but also due to the pressure to reverse the negative effects of carbon emissions which requires a change in technologies applied in vineyards and wineries. Even though there are trends that occur naturally there are also the others that will be imposed by OMS or by the viticultural and wine laws in Europe starting next year. 

So I was glad that the talks with the team's members focused on this topic. 

We can all relate with the ideas discussed during the meeting, that with the generation change, the demand for wine consumption is changing, the new generation developing a care for the environment and for health habits.  Because the consumers are world travelers, they have more sophisticated taste, and they are more open to explore different wines and traditional varieties. I think that’s why some countries, almost unknown until now for their wines, have a real chance to be selected in consumers lists of favorite wines.

What is also very interesting, is that the new generation of winemakers is coming with new and innovative ideas to preserve the viticultural heritage, but also to find new ideas that can reverse the negative effects of climate change. They are the ones that can relate to the new generation of consumers and use and apply the new technologies. 

The sommeliers are challenged to adapt the wine and drinks list to the new demand, so they are focusing on wines that express the terroir, with unique styles and typical expression with a substantial part of the wine lists represented by local wines. 

In conclusion, in each country there is a mature wine market in which we can frame the connoisseurs and the wine collectors and on the other side there are the wine explorers who want to taste the authentic wines. 

I received a very direct and funny answer from LUIS GUTIÉRREZ regarding the de-alcoholised wine. 

De-alcoholised wine, totally or partially, is a sensitive subject in the wine world, a trend that I personally consider to be imposed by the OMS campaigns and not the consumer's preferences. Because of the technology, which implies  the extraction of the alcohol from the wine, I consider that the final product is not wine anymore, it is a totally different drink, and I can relate with the wine critics, in that they do not want to rate or review such a wine product. 

There was a funny moment, when I asked the wine critics when they will taste and rate a dealcoholized wines 

LUIS GUTIÉRREZ replied that : “You know the wine is made by fermenting the grape juice, that product is not wine it is a sort of must. We are not the Must Advocate we are Wine Advocate, someone should do it, but not us”. 

Joe Czerwinski on the other hand tasted some partially de-alcoholised wines and his opinion is that using the technology of extracting the alcohol from the wine, produces a wine with a mixture of sour and sweet taste with a lack of flavors, richness and body.

 “I tasted some partially de-alcoholised wine with 5-7% alcohol, technology which led to a total lack of flavor.  When you lower the alcohol in wine, they lose a certain richness and the mouth feel and they try to address that, so they leave more sugar in the wine. So you end up with a very sweet and sour Sauvignon Blanc. You might as well drink lemonade, it's better.” 

Anthony Mueller “I see this concern for dealcoholized wines all over the world, and I think that will be a consistent market in the future, but we are not there quite yet. For the people with health problems, I think it is a smart idea to have this type of wine for consumption, but to review such a wine I think is a kids play.”

Robert Parker Wine Advocate (RobertParker.com), is considered the world’s most recognized authority on wine.  Matter of Taste is built around an all-star cast of Wine Advocate Reviewers and 250+ of their favorite wines. As one of the largest fine wine experiences of the year open to the public in Europe, you get up close and personal with over 250 iconic wineries from around the world showcasing wines rated from RP90 to RP100.

  About Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Robert Parker Wine Advocate is the world's premier independent wine buyer's website with a database of more than 450,000 tasting notes, scores and reviews from professional critics around-the-world. For over 40 years, Robert Parker Wine Advocate (a part of the MICHELIN Group of companies) has been the global leader and independent consumer's guide to fine wine with its 100-point rating system and in-depth coverage of major wine regions.

About Michelin

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