Allen Balik’s The Wine Exchange 3/26/26
While trends may pass, staples tend to remain
The Wine Exchange
March 26, 2026
For centuries, wine has had its foundation in specific communities where it was grown, vinified and served as a natural companion to local cuisine. However, as with many other products and fashions, wine has now become an ever changing landscape, with consumers (especially younger generations) actively seeking out something different and producers from around the globe searching for expanded markets.
Over the last several decades, both consumers and trade have found fertile ground for experimentation and discovery. Now, with the internet, social media, numerous travel possibilities, along with an innate sense of curiosity, the search is on to find something new. Many of these “finds” are more in the nature of a passing fad but others (often grounded in history and tradition) can become staples in the market and on our table.
As I look back on my early days of wine appreciation, choices were far more limited than what we see today on store shelves or a favorite restaurant’s list. In addition to the staples of the day (e.g. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon) wine coolers were hot (remember Bartles & James?) and White Zinfandel was establishing itself as an entry-level refreshing semi-sweet alternative to many of the dry reds having a foothold.
There were few imports of stature at that time other than the heralded wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy and parts of Italy at the higher end. Lower priced sweet wines of Germany such as Liebfraumilch (produced mainly for export) and mostly insipid Soaves led at the lower end. And for something different, you could look to Lancers and Mateus for a slightly sweet lightly sparkling rosé. Not much in the way of choice and in many ways a passing fashion from today’s perspective.
Through the 1980s, white wines ruled. As a result, countless acres of red vines were pulled to ride the great white wave with plantings of Chardonnay as the next “shining star.” Unfortunately, much of this acreage was inhospitable to Chardonnay, and inferior wines at the lower end flourished even though not tasting anything like the more varietally correct versions from prestigious growing areas here and abroad.
Since Chardonnay was fast becoming the leader, other then popular whites such as Chenin Blanc and Riesling were also pulled in its favor. Chardonnay easily traversed the road from trend to staple and has since grown to be the most widely planted, produced and consumed wine country-wide.
The 1990s were ushered in with the 1991 airing of the “French Paradox” on “60 Minutes” where red wine was hailed as a major health benefit in guarding against coronary-artery disease. This was based on scientific studies of the French diet that is high in fat and long on red wine. Overnight the rush was on to satisfy the white wine drinker’s palate with a more subdued red. Merlot was the instant answer as shelves ran dry and distributor inventories dwindled.
Many acres of existing white grapes (not necessarily Chardonnay) were ripped out and Merlot was planted to meet the anticipated future demand. Yet again, much of the re-planting took place in areas not well-suited to the grape. Napa and Sonoma were ideal locations for growing outstanding world class Merlot and managed somehow to partially avoid the next step in a losing fight to make the Merlot trend a staple.
This path to a staple was interrupted in 2004, as the movie “Sideways” debuted. Lead character Miles Raymond (played by Paul Giamatti) dismissed the grape and its place in the market with one simple line, “I ain’t drinking any [expletive deleted] Merlot.” Further, the film helped position Pinot Noir as the next great trend that quickly become a staple. While Merlot sales and plantings precipitously dropped overnight, it has since regained market strength to become a staple as the fourth most planted variety behind Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir in California and the U.S., while continuing as number one in Bordeaux.
Also, during the later-years of the 1980s, through the 1990s and into the mid-2000s, another trend began to appear. Largely “critic-driven,” vintners and winemakers tended to believe if a little oak was good, then more would be better. That thinking, combined with what is now considered the over use of malo-lactic fermentations (conversion of malic to lactic acid) to “soften” Chardonnay and produce the “buttery” flavor many consumers incorrectly associated with the grape.
Fine wines, generally use French oak barrels in the aging and often fermentation processes of Chardonnay, but are very expensive – approaching $1000 each during that time and far more now. Producers in the lower end of the market cannot afford those prices or methods, so the use of oak staves, chips, powder and even extracts emerged.
Thankfully, those practices have been greatly reduced in the mid- to upper ranges. This shift enabled more wines to express varietal character and a greater sense of place from their growing areas. We now also see a swing away from over-ripe flavors, lower acidity and higher alcohol levels that were also sought after not too long ago. Not a complete shift from that trend, but a substantial effort by many producers helping in returning to the classic stylistic impressions and the staple category once enjoyed.
The market has also experienced other significant trends that have passed the test and move toward staples. Prosecco came to the U.S. as just a simple sparkling wine that could be enjoyed at a lower price, but was never thought of as a threat to Champagne or other sparklers made in the Traditional Method. How wrong “they” were as Prosecco traversed the trend to become the number one imported sparkling wine in the U.S. and one of the few growth categories in today’s challenging times.
The same can be said of Pinot Grigio. Terlato Wines International brought this variety to the U.S. as Santa Margherita in 1979. This gave consumers a chance to experience a moderately priced and noteworthy white wine from Italy that was decidedly different from others more popular at the time. It is now grown domestically and imported from countless producers to become a market leader. Curiously, the same grape from France (Pinot Gris) has also gained in popularity over the years, but never approached the success of those labeled Pinot Grigio.
Other examples of trendsetters that have become staples in the market include, a resurgence of Zinfandel as a “red” wine overcoming its former dominant impression of White Zinfandel that is now somewhat of an anomaly in the market. However, we must pay tribute to its former popularity; as it kept old Zin vines in the ground as other reds were being pulled. Zinfandel is now firmly established as a staple and the fifth most planted variety in the U.S. just behind Merlot.
Only a few decades ago, countless varieties from the Old World began to appear and grew as trends in the market. Most, including indigenous and international varieties, are now established as staples.
A broad range of classic red and white Italian wines from north to south have joined those of Spain and the dry table wines of Portugal. All were popular to their home audience and are now considered staples in our domestic market. And let’s not forget others such as Grüner Veltliner from Austria as just one example of many seemingly obscure varieties finding their way to our shores.
The southern hemisphere from South Africa to South America and on to Australia and New Zealand are now producing what were once thought of as passing fancies; but today considered important parts of the market and favored by consumers here and abroad.
So, the next time we reach for a glass of something new on the cutting edge we may ask the question, “Is this wine a trend or will it become a staple?” We’ll just have to wait and see!
Share your experiences with other readers by commenting on this article with an email to me at
allenbalik@savorlifethroughwine.com.
Allen Balik, a Napa resident, has been a wine collector, consultant, author, fundraiser and enthusiast for more than 40 years.
