The Revenge of the Whites and Rosés

 Here we go again. Since I started working in the world of wine – at the beginning of the 1990s – the market cyclically “rewards” one style of wine over others, winning the favor of consumers. When this happens, wineries are forced to modify and adapt production in order to satisfy the fad of the moment, therefore trying to remain in the market. When I started being into wine, the style that enjoyed the greatest favor in Italy among consumers was white and, in particular, those produced with Pinot Gris, especially from the north-eastern Italian territories. Competing for the market for these Pinot Gris wines was a white from Tuscany, in particular from the Chianti Classico area, specifically created for the market needs of those years by using the surpluses of white grapes. That wine earned honors on the tables of the 1980s and much of the following decade, establishing itself with a name that certainly many still remember: Galestro.

 At that time, white wines were faithful and consistent with this chromatic adjective: looking at them in the glass they appeared much paler than greenish yellow, generally considered the palest shade for these wines. They even went so far as to introduce the descriptor “white paper”, as they were so “white”, with the specific aim of describing these wines that were so popular. Furthermore, in the menus of restaurants and pizzerias, in addition to these wines, there were invariably also certain captivating bottles of whites and rosés from Portugal, as well as a pretty long selection of slightly sparkling wines, which stood out for their slender Rhine bottles. When we went to a pizzeria with friends, if we decided to pair pizza with wine, in the majority of cases, it was one of these bottles that was poured into the glasses. The same happened, not infrequently, at the restaurant too. White wines were definitely on the top of the list – or rather, to be precise, those white wines – and were the unmistakable sign of “fashionable connoisseurs”.

 Fads, indeed. Wine, like any other “product” – in a broad and general sense – is evidently no exception to this type of phenomenon. Fads come and go, including those about wines. That habit of drinking white wine, which seemed unstoppable, inevitably came to an end and was replaced by an interest in red wines, especially, in Italy, the barriccati ones (meaning, aged in barrique). The new fad had arrived and the consumption of white wines recorded a notable decline: everywhere the glasses were colored red and the dominant aroma of the important wines was that of “barrique”. Then the whites returned again. Then came the turn of the reds which were so robust they could almost be chewed. Then the bubbles, again the whites aged in wood, then the reds light and immediate, then the rosés, then everything repeats and will repeat over and over again. Today, it seems, consumers are once again favoring white wines alongside rosés. The reds get off the podium and go backwards, recording a sharp drop in sales.

 This time, however, the drop of red wines in the preferences of consumers seems to be significant as well as sensational. According to data released by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), white and rosé wines currently make up more than half of global consumption. A change and progression that even records an increase in the United States of America of 65% in the period from 2000 to 2021 and in relation to white wines alone. This trend – in accordance with what was released by the OIV – is recorded, in general terms, in every country in the world, especially in recent years. The prestige of the so-called important red wines – that is to say, the robust ones and in particular aged in barrels – seems to be declining almost everywhere and market demands, including consumption preference, is constantly decreasing. Furthermore, forecasts would seem to suggest that this decline could even increase in the coming years.

 Everyone is crazy about whites, rosés and bubbles, it seems. Perhaps – this is what they think – the current consumer preference towards white wines and sparkling wines, including rosés, is mainly due to their alcohol volume, generally lower than reds. In addition to this, I would personally also add the “fad” factor, as has happened many other times, probably favored by the general interest of consumers in preferring more immediate and direct, simple and aromatic wines, to be drunk in a casual way. In this sense, the so-called “ready to drink” wines, white, rosé and Charmat sparkling wines in particular, are capable of satisfying this request much more easily than any red wine. The data, evidently, speak clearly: in 2021, 43% of the wines consumed in the world were white, while reds dropped to 47%. In this sense, the figure from France is significant, where the consumption of red wines has actually decreased by 15%, while whites have grown by 10% and rosés by 17%. In this regard, we certainly remember what recently happened in France, in particular in Bordeaux, with the authorization to uproot red grape vineyards because of the lower demand for this style of wine.

 Furthermore, the progression of sparkling wines in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States of America is significant, where they are conquering increasingly important market shares and – in certain aspects – compensating for the general decrease in consumption in the main European wine-growing countries. The only nations in which red wines are enjoying a growing interest are China, Germany and the United States of America, despite the fact that the latter country has the highest consumption of white wine in the world, with an increase of 65% in the last twenty years. Furthermore, the consumption of white wines is also recording significant increase in Australia and Russia, as well as in the United Kingdom, where there is also a clear increase in the consumption of rosés. As regards Italy, in the last twenty years the consumption of white wines has increased by 10%, rosés by 15.4%, while red wines have decreased by 30.6%. The most direct consequence is, inevitably, the adaptation of production, now in favor of white and rosé wines and sparkling wines, sacrificing red wines.

 Statistics about the consumption of red wine in 2021 see the United States of America in the first place. As regards red wines, in fact, consumption in this country recorded 11.5 million hectolitres, followed by China (9.8), Germany (9.6) then France (9.1), Italy (9) followed by Russia (5.9), Argentina (5.8), Spain (5.6), United Kingdom (5.4), Brazil (2.9) and Portugal (2.7). The United States of America was also first in 2021 in the consumption of white wines, with 18.3 million hectoliters, followed by Italy (14.2), Germany (8.4), France (6.6), the United United Kingdom (4.2), Spain (4.2), Australia (3), Romania (2.4) and Argentina (2.2). These data certainly make us think: not only does the highest wine consumption occur in a non-European country, but above all that in the historic countries of the old continent both consumption and production are decreasing. Many attribute this change to the European Union's recent campaigns in favor of reducing alcohol consumption, others to sanctions and restrictions regarding the maximum blood alcohol level permitted for driving vehicles. Perhaps, more simply, is it yet another trend in wine consumption which has practically always seen one style prevailing over others?