How we’ll be drinking in 2017

If there are two words for wine in 2017, they’re experimentation and exploration. An unquenchable thirst for the new means wines made from less wellknown grapes, such as Verdejo, and unfamiliar regions in Portugal, South Africa, and Arizona will gain buzz. ( Hey, a wine from the Azores made my top 10 list for 2016.)

The days when wine drinkers stuck with familiar brands, easy- topronounce grape names, and the standard bottle are gone forever.

That doesn’t mean that we’ll give up what we’ve already embraced. For example, prosecco and ros, which have moved from fads to wine- world fixtures, with a few stumbles. More luxury versions of all, especially pink vino, are coming, which will, hopefully, put a quick end to the fros ( ros slushie) eruption.

Scientists say 2016 was the hottest year on record, and while global warming may doom polar bears, a modest side benefit is the expanded boundaries for growing such grapes as finicky pinot noir. Think Germany, where spatburgunder ( pinot noir) is better than ever, Canada, and Oregon, where the past few vintages produced top quality.

Despite competition from craft beer ( up 14.1 per cent, according to Beverage Information group), cider ( up 10 per cent), and flavoured whiskey ( ugh), wine will still be going strong in 2017.

But I have a host of questions. With Brexit and other political turmoils, how much will exchange rates influence what we buy?

Will wine sales from Presidentelect Donald Trump’s Virginia winery soar or slump? Will Bordeaux finally lower prices for the promising 2016 vintage? And will the love affair with smoky foods cooked over a woodfired grill bring zinfandel back? Here’s what I see in my crystal glass for 2017: A wider world of great sparkling wine Sparkling wine is positively effervescent in the US, Britain, and even China, partly thanks to prosecco, but also because bubbly is rapidly becoming a drink for everyday celebration ( and consolation). Champagne sales in the US, for example, were up 10 per cent for the year ended September 10.

The quest for more affordable fizz will lead drinkers to new choices. Regions from Italy’s Franciacorta to Tasmania have begun to crack the Champagne code with new spins on the classic recipe.

In 2017, I expect two sparkling categories to increase hugely.

Spanish cava, made by the same method as Champagne, is going upscale. A designation to identify higher- quality bottles, Cava de Paraje Calificado ( single- estate Cava), has just gone into effect.

Also poised to grab attention is dry lambrusco from Italy. Like pt- nats, these are fun, crisp, and refreshing workday stress relievers and white

and red versions are beginning to show up on restaurant wine lists. Next Year’s Hot Region? The Loire Valley

Burgundy is still hot but ever more expensive, so the Loire will be the next cool- climate region to capture attention. Exports to the US were up 10 per cent last year, and that number is sure to climb.

There’s a lot to like at reasonable prices in the region: elegant, distinctive reds from cabernet franc and popular gamay as well as stylish, complex, dry and sweet whites from chenin blanc and lively, zingy sauvignon blanc.

You may know Chinon, but lesser- known Loire areas Touraine, Anjou, Saumur, and Vouvray are set to shine.

Interest in wines from France’s cool northern regions is higher than ever. The first trade show devoted to them will be held in Paris in February but because of 2016’ s dismal weather, there will be much less Burgundy and Beaujolais available ( and it will be pricier than ever).

In the Loire, most winemakers harvested a plentiful crop with smiles on their faces. A boom in light red wines

A couple of converging trends will boost light reds from everywhere.

First, they tap into the ros craze because they can be served lightly chilled, just like ros, and offer pink- vino fans a way to expand their drinking horizons.

All light fruity reds, such as Beaujolais and some pinot noirs, taste better chilled, because that points up their bright fruit and violet scents.

Light reds are also part of the growing trend to cool- climate wines ( see the Loire Valley above), perfect for everyday, year- round drinking: They don’t require ageing, are highly versatile with food, and have plenty of flavour.

Next year look for lively frappato from Sicily, tangy schiava and lagrein from northern Italy’s Alto Adige, pinot noir from Alsace, and zweigelt from Austria to hit bythe- glass l i sts i n restaurants. You’ll be drinking good wine from cans

The popularity of craft beer has encouraged stuffed- shirt wineries to take a more relaxed, unbuttoned approach to wine. So be prepared for more jazzed- up packaging.

Case in point: The canned wine phenomenon boomed in 2016. Sales increased 125.2 per cent in the 52 weeks ended on June 18, according to Nielsen. Although sparkling wine in cans has been around for a few years, now such wineries as Oregon’s Union Wine Company are putting the same Underwood pinot noirs they sold in bottles into single- serve cans for customers’ convenience. They’re easy to tote and chill, you don’t need a glass or a corkscrew, and they’re eco- friendly, too.

Here are other new bottle types

you’ll see next year, from the wacky to the luxurious.

London entrepreneur Joe Revell of start- up Garon Wines has designed a plastic Bordeaux- style bottle that’s flattened like a flask so it can fit through an English letterbox for easy delivery to consumers.

In California, several top wineries ( Sonoma’s Scribe, Napa Valley wineries Ca’ Momi and La Sirena) are introducing a new, short, fat bottle called the “corta,” inspired by ancient hand- blown vessels, for some of their wines.

Look for Ca’ Momi’s brand- new everyday red and white, Rosso and Bianco di Napa, and Scribe’s skinfermented chardonnay.

This trend isn’t just for everyday wines. Jay- Z’s Armand de Brignac champagne introduced the luxury fizz mini- bottle: 1000 “purse- size” 187 ml bottles ($ 216 each) of its expensive flagship Gold Brut. ( Les Petites d’Armand de Brignac has the same pewter l abel as the original.) The Anti- Snob Wine List Will Be a Zine

Restaurant wine lists have improved mightily in the past decade or so. Gone are the leather- bound tomes with unreadable Gothic script. We’ve had the shorter, 100- name lists and the digital tablet lists that take so long to figure out how to use them that you finally just ask the waiter for advice.

In 2017, I predict more restaurants will go even more anti- snob with hip, superfun wine zines, such as the luxury list at June’s All Day in Austin, Texas.

At June’s, master sommelier June Rodil uses a format with a zany handmade, comic- book look; handwritten wine names in loopy cursive, cartoon balloons, arrows, crazy drawings, quirky details, and colour to liven it up.

When a wine is gone, she just blacks it out with magic marker.

Here’s a trend I hope will continue: wine fountains.

In October, the Dora Sarchese winery in Ortona, in Italy’s Abruzzo wine region, created a fontana del vino, a “fountain” that flows with free red wine.

The idea was to offer refreshment to those walking the popular 196- mile Cammino di San Tommaso pilgrimage route between Rome and the Ortona Cathedral. People enter into a large barrel structure and fill their glasses from spigots above a stone basin.

In Spain, Bodegas Irache in the Navarra region maintains one on a wall facing the pilgrimage route Camino de Santiago.

Thousands have visited to serve themselves a free glass of wine. But the Italian one in Ortona has captured the world’s attention: It’s the first to be open 24/ 7.

Bloomberg Markets wine columnist Elin McCoy uncorks trends for the coming year.

Sarah Trotman Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit Director of business relations at AUT, Sarah Trotman has recognised for services to business and the community. Trotman is an active business mentor for SMEs and was chief executive of Business Mentors NZ from 2000 to 2003, where she supervised free business mentoring for more than 3000 businesses annually and saw a 70 per cent increase in the number of businesses using the service. She has organised initiatives for the national small and medium business sector: Business Expos, Excellence in Business Support Awards and the Bizzone Business Magazine. Trotman helped establish the Lifewise Big Sleepout fundraising event to support people out of homelessness. Justine Kidd Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Justine Kidd, managing director of Hawke’s Bay- based farmers’ collective Kitahi, has been honoured for her services to the dairy industry and equestrian sport. Kidd has been heavily involved in the agriculture sector for more than 20 years and her roles within the industry include chief executive of BEL Group and farm production scientist at the Dairy Research Corporation. She is the former chair of Dairy Women’s Network. She has been chef ’dEquipe for the NZ Dressage Young Rider Programme and Equestrian Sports New Zealand high performance manager for the 2004 Olympic Games. Bruce Moncor Stewart Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Bruce Stewart co- founded and has successful managed the construction and property company Calder Stewart Industries since 1955. Calder Stewart was established with two employees and more than 60 years later is a multi- million dollar national company with more than 450 workers. Stewart has been a board member of the Otago Manufacturers Association, Otago Master Builders, and NZ Metal Roofing Manufacturers. Roger Bridge Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Christchurch businessman Roger Bridge has been made a Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for his services to business and philanthropy. Bridge’s background rests in property investment and management. He has been involved in the formation and development of new business ventures, is a member of the Institute of Directors and was once on the board of the Christchurch Arts Festival Trust. Charles Shadbolt Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Independent Fisheries boss Charles Shadbolt has been acknowledged in the New Year Honours for his devotion to helping others and his services to the fishing industry. The business started life as a Christchurch chip shop started by Shadbolt’s father, Leslie, before transforming into one of the country’s largest fishing operations. Shadbolt was put on NBR’s rich list for the first time this year, with his worth estimated at $ 60m. Geoffrey Thorpe, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Geoffrey Thorpe of Gisborne has been honoured for his services to the wine industry in New Zealand. Thorpe was a pioneer in viticulture, establishing Linnaeus Laboratory in 1999 to provide the vine nursery industry with an accredited virus testing service. His Riversun Nursery launched New Zealand’s first independently audited grapevine certification programme in 2000 and established a privately operated quarantine facility. Laurie Paterson Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit

Southland beef breeder Laurie Paterson has been acknowledged in the New Year Honours for his long and innovative career. Paterson, who is was a former director and president of the New Zealand Hereford Association, has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the beef industry

According to his citation, Paterson has been a key innovator for the organisation and has represented NZ breeders internationally.