Wine Flipping
Limited vineyard releases and small vineyard blends mean that competition for wine increases after vineyard distribution. Collection of special price and mailing list sales means certain individuals are placed in a position to resell to restaurants, collectors and wine connoisseurs for strategic increases in value. Wine flippers buy wines to clear through a select mailing list or store until their price points render them impossible not to sell.
Wine flipping allows entrepreneurs with capital and good positions on leading distribution mail order lists to obtain wines that many other wine enthusiasts and oenophiles might not get. Many avenues lead from the bottlers to the retail level shop to the consumer right away. Wine investors and speculators can leverage their advantaged buying position into wealth creation. Thus an aftermarket is born where by wine lovers can fortify their cellar as their wallet allows.
Small Vintners
The large multiple terroir vintner customs in California and elsewhere have shrunk to a microclimate, limited release vintage strategy that established a price point and competition aftermarket for wines. Small vintners can be large production label bottlers and wine manufacturers producing a special reserve but usually can be an introductory or debut blend of special merit.
Small vintages might be a huge vineyard that selects a small set of terroir yield to produce a special wine and limit distribution, or merely the take from an entire plot belonging to one vintner and bottled according to future blending concepts with other grape selections for final effect. It's a noteworthy detail during a tasting to observe only a few hundred cases of any wine have been made.
Cult Wines
Cult wines cover the shift from wine ratings and wine tastings to many of the moment wine styles that follow the most recent marketing and bottling vintner trends. To the extent that the vineyard releases control consumer taste cult wines can revolutionize a blend or terroir via media or Internet popularity. Cult wines can drive demand down, as the near-infamous merlot treatment of the movie "Sideways" has now proven.
Cult wines might be regional discovery of hard to find foreign wines, fruit blends, organic wines, certain local vineyards or promoted brands with events and tastings to popularize their products. Cult wines become prevalent due to word of mouth and cultural events where their enjoyment becomes a recognized social habit. Oaked wines, organic wines, and price sensitive wines like the Trader Joe's "Two Buck Chuck" brand are examples of cult wine sensations.
Ice Wines
The furore over freezer based over genuine ice matured vine frozen grapes ended in a decision protecting the appellation to veritable fine frozen fruit. Polish, impact, and intensity of ice wines can make the value proposition in farming and the risk of managing a vintage rewarding. Ice wines are opening new markets due to their pairings with unusual Asian cuisine and fish dishes.
Old World New World Fusion
Tasting trends produce new nuances of Old World techniques and flavors and New World brightness and oak presence. New world brightness with old world polish and velvety or acidity crisp finish can bring a hybrid Old World/New World effect. Soils, nutrient thinning, rot, and vine decline can lead to aging and less than stellar old world vintages, while the New World earth revels in record yields of colorful fruit, bright bouquets and lush colors.
Purists may be up in arms over the categorical confusion between these classicistic distinctions, but wine fans can enjoy the new game vintners are bringing to the wine consumer market. The classic Old World distinctions can blur, infuriating tasters who demand snob appeal in their wine. New World wine fans enjoy the confusion, and bring continued tasting approval to New World wine development.
To Oak or Not to Oak
Oak treatment and oak barreling of wines during fermentation and storage aging has produced an effect notorious in the wine world. Oak taste inside wine means a presence of a toasty or oaky element many wine fans have come to loathe. Sommeliers and chefs enjoy pairing oaked wines with consumers who embrace the taste. Blended new oak and used oak and no oak vintages blended together in one wine are common oaking flavor strategies.
Over oaked wine can ruin an otherwise bright and cedar box cabernet or other type of wine. Complimentary vanilla and other taste elements can create a gorgeous wine or a disastrous, overly popularity-driven effort. Even strong wines can be overpowered by that familiar toasty taste. Oak treatment can infuse a final note into a balanced wine or ruin a great taste with buttery finish that drives some wine tasters crazy.
Decamped for decanting
Decanting has evolved to a must for wine tasters and home consumers since the better wine plates often upgrade to wines that benefit from aromatic exposure to air via decanted demi-poured status. A closed nose and a curved top can allow air into the wine and let the finesse open up. A softer wine experience makes for better tastings. A noticeable impact will occur after decanting for older wines will allow the finer nuances of the bouquet and finish to perform. Tight noses on older wines will benefit from temperature controlled decanting every time.
Home Mixing
The mergence of several types of trend setting hybrid blendings has made ambitious tasters into amateur home wine mixers. Opening table wine and blending with a more expensive or impact complimentary color or flavored wine can have punch bowl derivatives for a whole table full of dinner guests.
Home mixing or wine mixing parties can challenge sophisticated palates and create fun for wine fans who have been "tasted out". Home mixing of wine can answer questions wine fans have about what would happen if two white wines were blended, or which red would dominate if fruity or alcoholic wines were created at the table on an ad hoc basis.
Vinotourism
It's not just about Napa valley anymore. Whereas Napa and Sonoma Counties used to enjoy the bulk of wine enthusiasts trekking in for tastings and new bottlings, now vinotourists can tour the facility and sample barrel samples onsite. Washington, Oregon, New York, Southern California and other states now have thriving wine tourism offshoots for internal United States travel interest.
But vinotourism is not just for New World travelers. Old World wine country travel has been made into a huge chateau based attraction where wines and tours featuring wine production thrill visitors. Famous appellations throughout Spain, Italy, France, Argentina, Chile, Australia and New Zealand have become secondary travel boosts to local economies. Visitors can even lend a hand during grape picking seasons to get the thrill of being involved in the wine production cycle.
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