Trending Topics Archives

Five New Masters of Wine Announced

Five members of the wine trade from the US, the UK, Norway, Singapore and Mainland China have become Masters of Wine last week, taking the total number of MWs to 421.

The new MW’s will now join the Institute of Masters of Wine having passed all stages are: Neil Bernardi, Tone Veseth Furuholmen, Benjamin Hasko, Victoria Mason and Wei Xing.

They complete the 2024 vintage of Masters of Wine, joining Emily Brighton MW, Christopher Martin MW, Robert Mathias MW, Dror Nativ MW and Pietro Russo MW, who passed in February of this year.

There are now 421 active Masters of Wine based in 30 countries, spanning a wide range of areas in the wine industry.

The MW exam consists of three parts: the theory and practical exams taken at the end of stage two and the research paper (RP) submitted at the end of stage three. The RP is an in-depth study on a wine related topic from any area of the sciences, arts, humanities or social sciences. Completion of the exam seeks to represent an all-encompassing knowledge of the industry, and only when an individual passes the RP do they become a Master of Wine.

All members must sign the IMW’s code of conduct before they have the right to use the title Master of Wine or the initials MW. By signing the code of conduct, MWs agree to act with honesty and integrity and to use every opportunity to share their understanding of wine with others, echoing the IMW’s mission to promote excellence, interaction and learning.

IMW Chair, Cathy van Zyl MW, shared her thoughts on the announcement: “The announcement of new Masters of Wine is always a happy day for the Institute, but more importantly marks a momentous achievement to those receiving the MW title. The journey to becoming a Master of Wine is no small feat and I share my heartfelt congratulations to Neil, Tone, Benjamin, Victoria and Wei. Your dedication, sacrifices, and pursuit of knowledge have led you here. Welcome to the IMW.”

She went on to say, “I’d also like to thank all the MWs who have contributed to our five new MWs’ journeys, those involved in the education programme and examination, as well as those who may simply have answered the odd question here and there, or shared words of encouragement.”

Source: The Institute of Masters of Wine

Concours Mondial de Bruxelles – Guanajuato, Mexico – Key Highlights

I was trilled to participate in the prestigious Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Guanajuato, Mexico, just two months ago!

Some key points:
The wines were blind-tasted by wine trade, including buyers, journalists, wine merchants, and oenologists, who were selected by the CMB, representing 45 nationalities.
We tasted over 7,500 red and white wines from 42 countries.

🥇🥈 Full results can be found here: concoursmondial.com

Scientists prove that drinking good wine will make you happier

Scientists prove that drinking good wine will make you happier, with the effect being further enhanced if you listened to jazz.

The National Research Council of Italy study reported March 5th, 2024 (in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture) can good wine impact the “pleasantness” of an experience.

A trial was undertaken at the 2022 edition of the Internet Festival in Pisa, Italy, where a social experiment with a reliable methodology, through wearable sensors, measured the emotions aroused in a live context on consumers by different kinds of wines.

Five wines were trialed, two of which the scientists described as “faulty” and three which were high-quality samples, on 50 consumers in an “arousing context” with live jazz music in the background.

Both explicit results through questionnaires and implicit results through electrocardiogram (ECG) recorded by the wearable sensors were recorded.

According to the research findings, study author Dr Lucia Billeci, of the National Research Council of Italy said wine “undoubtedly generates a significant emotional response on consumers” and that an answer is “multifaceted and attributable to the quality level of the wine tasted”.
The findings also state: “In fact, all things being equal, while drinking wine even untrained consumers can perfectly recognise good wines compared to products of lower quality.” and “High-quality wines are able to induce a spectrum of positive emotions, as observed by the analysis of ECG signals, especially when they are coupled with background music.”

In conclusion, the scientists reported that the framework, “certainly played to the advantage of good-quality wines” and produced “positive emotional characteristics on the palate even of some less experienced consumers”.

In addition it said there was a “dragging effect” towards a positive mood, which was generated by the surrounding conditions, i.e. good music in a beautiful location.

Link to Research:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38441204/

Sources: The National Research Council

Global wine consumption could see a ‘shift’ by 2027

Wine consumption trends could “shift” according to a new report analyzing the global wine market changes between 2022 and 2027. This new report was led by analysts at Research and Markets of which findings were brought together by multiple data sources, which collates data from over 107 countries.

The data showed that the global wine sector was valued at US$346.8 billion in 2022 and is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8% during 2022-27 to reach US$528.2 billion. Additionally, in volume, the findings show that the global wine market will reach 26.7 billion litres in 2027, up from 24 billion litres in 2022 with leading territories being Western Europe with a 49.5% market share, followed by the US with 21.6%.

The report also provides an overview of changes in the consumption of wine over 2017-27, at global and regional levels and has hinted that it pinpoints “high potential countries” for wine consumption as well as provides analysis based on market assessment, economic development, governance indicators, socio-demographic factors, and technological infrastructure. Offering a more-detailed analysis of each of the countries, analysts have revealed that the data covers the key challenges, competitive landscape and demographic analysis that can help companies gain insight into the country-specific nuances. The report also noted that the analysts have outlined how the findings will contain significant emphasis on the key trends that drive consumer choice and the future opportunities that can be explored to help the sector and wineries boost revenue.

The wine world has long been expanding as more regions come into the international limelight and new markets continue to develop.

Link to Report: https://www.researchandmarkets.com/report/wine

Source: Research and Markets

The 10 most-consumed alcoholic drinks have been identified

Insider Monkey’s list of the 10 most-consumed alcoholic drinks have been identified in a new list that outlines which tipples we favour most.

The analysts at the investment advisors Insider Monkey drew from their deeper dive report of the ‘20 Most Consumed Alcohols in the World’. Here is a list of the top 10, for your review.

1. Beer
Global market size in 2022: US$793.74 billion

Beer is the most consumed alcohol in the world. In fact, after water and tea, beer is the most popular drink in the world. According to reports, in the 2022 brewing year, global beer production ended up increasing slightly year-on-year by 1.3% to 1.89 billion hectolitres. However, the market is yet to return to its pre-pandemic levels when production peaked at 1.91 billion hectolitres in 2019. The category has also evolved with consumer tastes as brewers look to satisfy the thirst of their audience. Plus, the overall demand for premium and low-calorie beers, the rising popularity of craft beer, and the continued expansion of distribution networks in emerging countries are all expected to continue driving growth in the global beer sector over the next few years.

2. Wine
Global market size in 2022: US$441.6 billion

The rising demand for premium and luxury wines has been reported alongside the growing popularity of wine tourism which have become key factors driving growth. According to the analysts, global wine consumption in 2022 was estimated to be at 232 million hectolitres, marking a decrease of 1% compared to the previous year. Year-on-year, wine consumption around the world has decreased at a regular rate and yet this can be mainly attributed to the decline in China’s consumption, which has lost an average 2 million hectolitres per year since 2018.

3. Liqueurs
Global market size in 2022: US$128.9 billion

Liqueurs, which are essentially distilled spirits that are sweetened with sugar or syrup, and often also contain fruit, herbs, and oils, can be sweet or bitter depending on the flavours used.

4. Baijiu
Global market size in 2022: US$95.21 billion

Baiju plays a prominent role in China’s drinking culture and has done so ever since the Ming Dynasty. It is most distilled from sorghum, although other grains – including rice, wheat, corn, and millet – are also available in blends throughout the country. Last year, consumers in China consumed US$91 billion worth of baijiu, yet it remains less well-known outside the nation.

5. Whisky
Global market size in 2022: US$64 billion

As millennials are increasingly beginning to experiment with different drinks and assisting in the rise of ‘cocktail culture’, the use of whisky as a premium ingredient has increased in bars. 2022 was hinted to be a great year for Scotch whisky and exports of Scotland’s native spirit hit US$7.5 billion last year, the highest figures ever. Whisky exports by volume also rose, with the number of 700ml bottles shipped overseas up by 21%, to 1.67 billion.

6. Vodka
Global market size in 2022: US$25.98 billion

Vodka continues to be the most consumed spirit in the US and has been since 1970. Around 78.1 million cases of the spirit were sold in America in 2021 and by 2022, 28.1 million 9L cases were sold globally.

7. Cider
Global market size in 2022: US$17.9 billion

Cider has risen in popularity significantly over the last decade and can also flex with the seasons. In the UK, Insider Monkey outlines how cider continues to be a popular alcoholic drinks category with an off-trade value sales growth in the UK of 5.2% over the past year. Some 47.8% of all British households now regularly buy cider – up from 45.5% last year.

8. Rum
Global market size in 2022: US$17.4 billion

While rum sales are still dominated by major producers, many consumer preferences are said to be moving away from value options and towards an appreciation for craft and aged rums instead. Made from fermented sugar cane juice, rum also provides a key function in cocktail culture.

9. Gin
Global market size in 2022: US$15.3 billion

There are, reportedly, three main reasons for gin’s continued popularity – taste, versatility, and the variety now available. The UK is the largest exporter of gin in the world and, according to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) data, gin exports from Britain hit US$879 million last year, up from US$651 million in 2021.

10. Tequila
Global market size in 2022: US$14.7 billion

Tequila’s popularity has been on the rise for years, and in 2021 it surpassed whisky in retail sales. The analysts found that the growth in popularity of Tequila can primarily be attributed to several factors, including the expansion of the premium spirits sector as well as the introduction of new flavours, and a greater social media presence.