There was a news item last week that got me started on a long-ish post about who really determines wine styles; critics, winemakers or consumers. Long post short, I think ultimately consumers determine wine styles but it takes a bit of time for the industry to respond.
That’s what makes this Decanter story so interesting. Not only do consumers in the U.S. and Europe prefer lower alcohol wines but in China, “…91% of drinkers saying their desired level would be 8.5-10.5% by volume.”
There is no doubt China will play a very large role in the international wine trade and their influence is already noticeable in some sectors. Will this lead to lower alcohol wines? I think it will.