The most-viewed column by far this year was Outlaw Wine? 19 Crimes Succeeds by Breaking All the Wine Marketing Rules, which first appeared in 2018. 19 Crimes is a phenomenon and, as I wrote in the column, it breaks convention in many ways and perhaps because of that it appeals to a wine market demographic that is otherwise hard to reach. Are there lessons to be learned from the 19 Crimes success story? Obviously a lot of people want to find out.
The Top Ten list is drawn from columns first published in 2019. Here they are from #1 to #10. Take a look at the titles. Do you think they have anything in common (my answer follows)?
1. Six Things to Do With Surplus Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes
4. Anatomy of the Rising Import Threat to U.S. Wine
5. Global Wine Market: Storm Clouds Gathering?
6. The Beginning of the End of the Old World Appellation System?
7. Is Sustainable Winegrowing Sustainable?
8. Which Wine? Navigating the Retail Wine Wall’s Fluid Map
9. What’s Really in your Glass? Transparency, Accountability & Wine
Interesting list, don’t you think? Several of the columns establish a problem — slack demand for wine in many markets and emerging over-supply, especially of Cabernet Sauvignon here in the U.S. What to do?
Most of the rest of the columns look for answers. There are some growing segments and categories even in a stagnant overall market. What’s hot? Who’s buying? What? Why? The columns on Rosé and wine in cans got extra attention because those were two growing markets in 2019.
I wonder what will be hot in 2020?
The Wine Economist will take a break for a couple of weeks and return in the new year with more analysis of global wine market trends. Sue and I wish all our readers health and happiness. See you in 2020!
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Note: Many Wine Economist columns are republished in Italian by Civilta del Bere, a leading Italian journal of wine and culture. Grazie mille!