Looking for new wines to explore in 2016? Check out our expert picks!
Lighter-Style Reds — Jamie Goode, Wine Writer
“Red wine doesn’t have to be dark in color to be great. Increasingly, interesting winemakers are looking to extract less from the skins of red grapes to produce more aromatic, balanced and elegant reds that are easy to drink. Think South African Cinsault, new-wave Gamay from Beaujolais and lighter-style Grenache from South Australia.”
Chasselas — Victoria James — Sommelier at Piora
Unfamiliar with Swiss wines? It’s not because of the lack of quality — it’s because the Swiss drink almost all of it themselves, leaving little for export. Victoria James thinks Chasselas, a popular white varietal, is worth tracking down. “The grape offers such a crystal-clean and pristine minerality, almost like fresh spring water. Sometimes I think I’ll look down in my glass and catch fish swimming about!” Her favorite producers: Cave Caloz, Pierre-Luc Leyvraz and Louis Bovard.
Swartland — Matthew Kaner, Owner/Wine Director at Bar Covell and Augustine Wine Bar
“I am completely inspired to drink more wines from the Swartland Region of South Africa. Incredible sparkling, white, red, and rosé is being produced by a hip group of young inspired winemakers who are all about purity and expression of their homeland.”
Organic and Biodynamic — Pascaline Lepeltier, Beverage Director for Rouge Tomate Chelsea
“2016, for me, is to keep on looking for organic, biodynamic and low-intervention producers, especially in ‘New World’ — there are things happening in Chile, New Zealand and Canada that will probably be available in the next year in the US. Then there are regions to be rediscovered for their complexity and age-worthiness, like Alsace, Catalunya, or the South-West of France. And I will definitely continue my quest to drink high-acid, mineral driven white, Loire Valley Chenin first and foremost, but also Savagnin, Manseng, Furmint & Riesling.”