From the smell that drifts into our nose to the taste that starts subtly, then courses like a river through our taste buds, drinking wine has long been an artform we have happily enjoyed. And with 2014 upon us, new trends are emerging and new expert recommendations are waiting to be heard. Here’s what to watch out for in the world of wine this year.

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Sustainability
More and more emphasis has been placed in where the food that we eat comes from. Organic, sustainable, eco-friendly, foods with these words attached to them have become a strong selling point due to consumers shifting their focus from price, to health. The wine industry has taken notice and has followed suit, so expect to see more organic wine bottles on the shelves than ever before.

Global Consumption and Production
More and more countries are consuming wine, and because of this more and more countries are producing it. Do not be surprised the next time you take a trip to the grocery store and you see wines from all over the world. While the usual suspects are still there (France, etc) other countries like Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay all produce quality wines, and because of so much competition, wineries are forced to keep their prices low. The market in China is especially one to watch, with consumption doubling in the last five years, they are now the 5th largest market for wine consumption.

For the everyman
In the past, it seemed like sommeliers either fell into two categories; pretentious enough to scoff when you didn’t want a $200 bottle of wine, or uneducated but opinionated. Expect to see more of an everyman’s approach to sommelier duties in 2014, due to both the amount of information available at our fingertips and the availability of diverse, reasonably priced wines from all over the world. Sommeliers have taken note of this and have begun to offer wine lists that strike the balance between traditional pairings and distinctive tastes.

[This Post is a Guest Post by Allison Turner]