Today someone told me that February is the new January and I tend to agree. It’s been a somewhat hectic first month of the year for me so I am a little late with my trends piece but if February is the new January, then I am right on time.

My top trends of the year for 2024 are below and I am interested to see what you are envisioning for the year ahead:

1. Portugal as a country will finally be seen as the wine destination it should be and its grape varieties although hard to pronounce will be seen on wine lists near and far. Arinto, Loureiro, Touriga Nacional to name a few.
2. Italian white wines have finally come into their own with a host of monovarietals and even blends being considered wines to drink now and that can age: think Verdicchio, Lugana, Fiano, Greco, and others.
3. The Sparkling and Rosé trends will continue to rise and gain traction with experienced and novice drinkers alike.
4. Chillable reds will also continue as a category and will become acceptable even among the snobbier wine set.
5. Natural wines are no longer a novelty. Focus will shift to soils and regenerative agriculture.
6. Wine writers will focus more on alpine and island wines, thinking about location in terms of elevation will grow in importance as climate change becomes an increasing part of the story.
7. Indigenous varieties from all corners of the world continue to be a way into understanding local culture and traditions and hybrids are having their day as well.
8. Wine study programs gain in importance both for career development as well as for the community contacts and networks.
9. Wellness, low alcohol, no alcohol, and periods of sobriety will continue to be discussions that surround wine and wine culture.
10. Prices will continue to rise for premium wines with the excuse that people are drinking less but better.
11. Price hikes will be passed to consumers because of increases in shipping costs, glass wear, corks, etc.
12. New interest in old/historic wine regions will come to the fore such as Armenia, Georgia, and Macedonia.

While many other things are happening, these are some of the ones I think that matter and are pretty mainstream. How about you? What do you see for 2024?