Long Read: Hidden gems making their mark

By David Gill MW

Published: 27 May, 2021

While travel has been restricted, many wine drinkers have been on their own journey of exploration enjoying hidden gem wines – whether unusual varieties from popular wine-growing countries or regions, or familiar grapes from unfamiliar places.

Here, David Gill MW at Kingsland Drinks shares his insights into new varietals entering the UK market, which wines are proving successful, and which ones have the potential to excite consumers and encourage experimentation and exploration.

British wine consumers are an open-minded bunch. Shoppers are ready and willing to experiment with new wines on the market, and explore lesser-known regions such as Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Brazil. During the pandemic, we’ve been observing shopper behaviour and how consumers are taking a leap into the unexpected and branching out in their wine buying.

Those who traditionally stick to a Sauvignon Blanc are now trying Rieslings from regions such as Washington State, and Viogniers from California.

Consumers are prepared to trade up too, and there is a clear demand for more premium wines at around the £10 to £15 price point, which is pushing up the quality.

Revival of forgotten grapes

Work is underway to revive grapes that have been forgotten or that have not had much promotion in the UK, and many winemakers are keen to show that their region offers more than just one grape variety.

Argentina has become synonymous with Malbec but indigenous varietals such as Criolla are entering the market. We’ve been working with Aldi to bring Criolla from the Mendoza region to UK stores and it has been flying off the shelves and proven itself popular among wine critics and influencers.

While Sangiovese is traditionally associated with Tuscany, Chile has produced its own version from the Coquimbo region. Working closely with our partner producer on the ground, we have brought this to Aldi stores and it certainly travels well, offering a deep red, medium-bodied, unusual style Sangiovese.

Chile has also been working to revive its ancient indigenous País grape – one of the oldest grape varieties in the New World. It appeals to lovers of light and fresh easy drinking reds, such as Gamay and Pinot Noir, and while it can form part of a wine blend, it’s certainly standing up on it’s own as one to watch.

Next generation winemakers of Eastern Europe

There’s a real regeneration of winemaking happening and new generations  of winemakers  are making strides in bringing back traditional production processes, making wineries more sustainable and efficient, and resurrecting old vines.

Bulgaria is one country leading the way with exceptional quality wines, and offering impressive value for money. Reserve Merlot from Yamantiev in the Thracian Valley, Bulgaria, is certainly a rising star entering the UK market. The climate and soil here are very favourable for red grapes, and vines are grown in accordance with biodynamic agriculture resulting in wines with character and a unique style.

As well as Bulgaria, we predict that countries such as Moldova, Romania, and Greece will lead with way in Eastern European exploration. We know the trade has been talking about these countries but we really think over the next couple of years they will become much more widely available, and more frequently purchased. These countries offer familiar varieties at competitive price points, as well as blends using their own native grapes.

We’ve seen bottles of Romanian Sauvignon Blanc blended with Feteasca Regala and Merlot with Feteasca Neagra entering the market and being added to basket thanks to the fact they offer a recognisable grape with something new and exciting, and the value for money is also an attractive factor.

In addition, shortages of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand mean the gap will need to be plugged and these wines are ready and available, offering good quality, affordable, recognisable wines.

Food and wine matching

International food trends are certainly guiding people to explore new wines and work out their favourite pairings.

During the pandemic, we’ve seen groups of Brits experimenting with recipes and world cuisines, and commonly those who enjoy exploring new foods and flavours are searching out wines to pair with their culinary creations. Asian food is one cuisine that is booming, whether from takeaways, restaurants, finish-at-home kits, or for cooking from scratch, and wines such as Grüner Veltliner and Riesling pair well with these foods.

In summary

There are some seriously under-rated and underappreciated wines that deserve more attention, promotion and shelf space to get them into the hands of consumers. There are some real rising stars and some revived wines worth a punt and we know consumers are ready to try something new.

It’s time to give these wines the spotlight they deserve as we know drinkers are ready to explore off-beat wines and set foot into lesser known wine growing regions.

Image: Jidvei Winery, Romania