Is White the Future of Wine?

Jason Wilson, in New Wine Review, argues that white wine is the future of wine. It is an interesting claim although his argument is thin. I say that only because it is based on only two premises:

The news, late last year, that white and rosé now surpass red in worldwide consumption may have surprised a lot of people, but the data is real. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) reported that white wine alone now accounts for 43 percent of global wine consumption, up 10 percent over the past two decades. In the U.S., the world’s biggest consumer of white wine, consumption rose 65 percent from 2000 to 2021. Meanwhile, worldwide red wine consumption is down more than 15 percent since 2007, according to the OIV report.

The rest of the article is about how demand for dry Chenin Blanc has increased in several Loire Valley appellations accompanied by an unsupported claim about European trends:

If you look all over Europe, the trending prestige wines to watch are largely dry whites—whether it’s single-vineyard Grüner Veltliner in Austria, non-sparkling Xarel·lo in Catalonia, the primacy of dry Riesling in Germany, the rise of Rioja Blanco or Portuguese whites, and numerous other examples. Meanwhile, it’s hard to name as many red wine regions on the rise, outside of maybe Spätburgunder from Germany, or Blaufränkisch from Austria’s Burgenland.

One trend does not a future make but the numbers do suggest that, at least for now, tastes are trending toward white wines.

The reason for this may not be hard to discern. White wines tend to be less expensive and better bargains than red wines. This is in part because most white wines, which today are made in a fresh style, do not require expensive new oak or several years of aging. Consumers have been less willing to pay top dollar for white wines because they have generally been considered less serious then red wines. Perhaps the trend toward white wine is just a response to the high price of reds.

It is of course a good thing that consumers are discovering the considerable virtues of white wines that can be as interesting and complex as red wines. But I wonder if, as demand for white wine increases and producers begin to charge more for them, whether that trend will continue.

Of course, the price differential may not be the only reason consumers are interested in white wines. One important factor might be our changing tastes in food. Red wines pair well with European and traditional American dishes which are mostly meat dishes. They pair less well with spicy Asian or Middle Eastern dishes, lighter dishes, or vegetable dishes. White wine is often the better choice for diets that source from global cuisines.

Climate change may also be a factor. As temperatures skyrocket heavy red wines that don’t show well when chilled may not be that appealing.

There is reason to think that for at least the near term white wine will continue to flourish. And that is a significant change in taste.