What We're Reading --
Is the Wine Boom Over?
The wine industry is at a tipping point. The convergence of an aging population and decelerating population growth signals a future with fewer consumers on the hunt for expensive wine, dining and other discretionary luxury experiences, while the varied tastes and financial constraints of younger generations foreshadow a drastically different market landscape. The wine industry, once a secure investment, is now grappling with the likelihood of diminishing returns, exacerbated by astronomical grape prices and intense market competition.
Napa Valley has mirrored California's repeated boom-and-bust pattern within the wine industry since 2000, with numerous new market entrants, soaring prices and a surge of speculative investors. Although many have thrived, signs indicate that Napa Valley is nearing the peak of what might be a sharp decline in the coming years. (Napa Valley Features)
What will wine lovers drink in 2024?
When budgets are tight and the next pay check uncertain, there is no room for error. That’s the situation retailers and restaurateurs are dealing with as they plan strategic wine purchases for 2024. (Drinks Business)
6 Beer Industry Trends to Watch in 2024
Alternatives without carbonation, improved customer service, and brewery consolidations are on deck for the coming year in beer. (SevenFifty Daily)
Non-Alcoholic Wine and the “Second Glass” Test
Inspired by a New York Times column, the Wine Economist tests some non-alcoholic wines to see if they pass the "second glass test."
Giesen NA Pinot Grigio from New Zealand and Giesen NA Sauvignon Blanc " tasted fine and cost about the same as the regular Giesen wines, but they didn’t really remind me of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
Then we received a sample bottle of JØYUS NA sparkling wine. . It "tasted very good, reminded us of sparkling wine (and not sparkling cider), and at less than $30 per bottle it was priced between Prosecco and Champagne and so in the range you might expect for sparkling wine." (The Wine Economist)
Ancient Roman wine production may hold clues for battling climate change
Though the Romans consumed even more wine than we do today, ancient vineyards in Italy looked radically different from the typical landscape of rolling hillsides covered by rows of tightly spaced vines. We can learn a great deal from the methods Romans used to produce wine about adapting our own agricultural systems to a warming planet. (The Conversation)
The nation’s capital, built on water, struggles to keep from drowning
The site George Washington chose in 1791 as the nation's new capital was a land of wetlands, marshes and creeks. Two centuries later the city's subterranean geology makes Washington, D.C. vulnerable to catastrophic flooding as climate change intensifies storms, rainfall and sea-level rise. (The Washington Post)
Miller High Life Celebrates 120 Years Of Beer History And Innovation
A look at the history of the "Champagne of Bottled Beer." (Forbes)