After Pinot Grigio, What next?

Over recent years Pinot Grigio has been the white grape of choice for many wine drinkers. The appeal of Pinot Grigio is it can be a fresh, easy drinking, mildly fruity wine that is not too challenging on the taste buds. A good glugging wine on a hot summers day. Alas many Pinot Grigios can be bland in the extreme with almost a complete lack of flavour.

The recent phenomonen follows a well trodden path which started with the sweet German wines of the seventies, heavily oaked Australian Chardonnay of the nineties through to the confected sweet white Zinfandels of today. Maybe not the most glorious of wines in the past, but what of the future?

If I could predict future trends then I probably wouldn't be in this job, but I can offer a few suggestions as to which white varieties are becoming more popular and who knows, might replace Pinot Grigio in the future. Sauvignon Blanc of course rivals Pinot Grigio's popularity and can offer zingy crisp fresh whites with bags of gooseberry and citrus flavours such as False Bay Sauvignon Blanc to the sophisticated smokey, flinty Pouilly Fume such as Domaine Pierre Marchand. Sauvignon from New Zealand's Marlborough region remains popular and with more production, prices here are beginning to ease.

Aromatic white wines are also becoming more popular. Albarino has a close following, but because it only thrives in the hills of Rias Baxias in north west Spain, it will never reach a price that will meet the mass market. Viognier has also become more popular with wine such as Santa Rosa Viognier from Argentina producing the floral, rich character of Viognier whilst retaining the fresh acidity. Slightly more aromatic is Torrontes from Argentina which has a rich texture and a hint of spice on the finish.

Chenin Blanc from South Africa has the right blend of freshness, subtle aromas and good body that could prove a winning combination (try Lutzville Chenin Blanc). It can also be produced at an affordable price that could rival Pinot Grigio.

Chardonnay for all its bad press of late remains the most produced white variety with the most variety of styles. From fresh unoaked peachy fruit to rich creamy oaked wines. It is also one of the few white varieties with ageing potential.

As for myself, I crave a bit of variety where white wine drinkers ask for a variety of different styles and keep us all on our toes. I'll raise a glass of Vermentino to that.