What to drink in 2025 – Trends and reccos for your most vaunted sips
Like so much else in the world, the world of beverages has seen disruption, change, evolution and growth in the last year.
By Vir Kotak
This will continue in 2025. Wine and Spirits trends globally must content with a few macro consumption patterns. These are:
Peak liquor in the West, Asia grows: Western consumer markets have hit what some people call “peak liquor” and may have a started a plateauing or even a mild decline of sales, while emerging markets, especially in Asia, have witnessed greater growth from more consuming populations, greater spend per capita, and lessening of taboos around the consumption of alcoholic beverages in private and in public.
China, US imports hit: Younger consumers in multi-generational consuming societies are increasingly engaging with sobriety, but at the same time, younger consumers, especially Gen-Z are avidly indulging in conspicuous consumption, including aspirational brand name beverages. The Chinese consumer has matured tremendously in appreciation of fine wine and spirits, but the state of the economy and the state’s disapproval of luxury consumption – implicit and explicit – will no doubt slow the demand from this giant. The United States of America, has always had a large percent of its liquor demand being met by its excellent local production, though still being a massive importer of all kinds of beverage from around the world. But lately, the imports side of American consumption has been hit with high tariffs being set for EU products. At the start of the 2025, with a new administration due to begin, tariffs are set to only go higher, further isolating this great market and producer from the rest of the world.
Indian home-grown will go global: India is a fast-growing market, and in spite of a young population, and a fast growing economy, India’s strict, expensive, always-changing and decentralised importation rules, mean that the breadth of brands and products to majority of consuming Indians is very limited in context of spending power and taste maturity, both of which is high. However, in response of this there has been a powerful emergence of home-grown spirits from India, which is now looking set to conquer its way beyond domestic markets.
London and HK for the global best for collectors and connoisseurs: The usual global consumer-friendly jurisdictions of London (the wine and whisky capital of the world, far ahead of Paris and Scotland), and Hong Kong (with friendly tax policies, dozens of distributors and world class storage for collectibles) however continue to be places that offer most of the best of what the world produces, and are places where global Indians procure from and store at.
Watch out for quality new world appellations in wine: In the world of wine, climate change, the rise of younger, more dynamic producers in traditionally stuffy and conservative old world appellations, and the continued increase in quality in surprisingly diverse new world locations are the major trends that seem to be defining the most exciting aspects of what one can buy and drink.
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How to Spend It on Wine
A guide for collectors and connoisseurs by Vir Kotak
Bordeaux has become more and more predictable for me, with warmer vintages, and huge investments by deep-pocketed owners resulting in stellar vintages every year! Consumers just need to pick their preferred chateau for stylistic preference, and not worry too much about vintage variation.
That being said, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2016 are all amazing years. I personally find the best value in Bordeaux rouge away from the First Growths, and try to vertically stock up on Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou, Ch. Pichon Longeville Baron, Ch. Montrose, Ch. Leoville-Las Cases, Ch. Pontet Canet and Ch. Lynches-Bages from the left bank, and right bankers Vieux Chateau Certan, Ch. Clos Le Eglise, Ch. Gazin from Pomerol, and Ch. Figeac, Ch. Troplong Mondot, and a personal favourite, the indulgent Ch. Angleus from St. Emilion.
Hidden gems in Bordeaux
While not at Burgundy levels of stratospheric pricing, a lot of drinkers do struggle to find quality Bordeaux rouge at affordable levels, with a lot of mass-made wine of middling quality. You just need to know where to look – unclassified Ch. Sociando Mallet and Ch. Gloria are fantastic wines with tremendous ageing potential, and can be found in several back vintages at good prices. Chateau Mangot (and their sublime Todeschini Distique) by young winemaker Karl Todeschini from St. Emilion is a wine you probably haven’t heard of today which is reflected in the price, but is excellent and I believe has a huge way to go up in value. Many top châteaux have 2nd, 3rd and even 4th wines, and very often they have some of their fruit being the same as the ones in the grand vin, besides from younger vines which will eventually be used for the grand vin, and a lesser use of new oak – there are always some fabulous picks here and my current favourites are – Fugue de Nenin, Le C De Calon Segur, and La Gravette de Certan.
The world is always so fixated with Bordeaux rouge that one tends to forget that some of best regarded botrytised (shrivelling of the grape due to fungal rot) wines, especially from Sauternes, and criminally under-appreciated Bordeaux Blanc are also produced in the region. I’m really loving both the sweet and dry wines from Doisy Daene who have enjoyed a massive revival, and the Y d’Yquem, the Blanc bottling of Ch. D’Yquem. An amazing, pricey unicorn of a buy which will definitely be a conversation starter with your mates in your cellar is the Haut Brion Blanc, though you could happily settle for the Le Clarte de Haut Brion Blanc, with a sizeable portion of the fruit grown on the Haut Brion terroir.
Champagne is the Old World’s most exciting pop at the moment
Champagne is where I’m finding the most excitement with the hotting up of competition between the larger (often conglomerate) sized maisons or traditional champagne houses, and newer producers, who started of as being grape farmers, but are now producing their own wines, incorporating natural growing practices and artisanal production methods.
Jacques Selosse’s use of oak barrels for fermentation, and a solera system of aging for some non-vintage expressions, are just some of the ways this producer puts out some of the most complex, rich, and complex wines from the region so many years on. Roses de Jeanne by Cedric Bouchard is a small but vital producer, using biodynamic, low-yield, and terroir and grape driven winemaking processes. Egly Ouriet uses extremely ripe grapes, and ages the base wine in oak, making a rich, powerful champagnes that can age endlessly. Frederic Savart, a young winemaker offers terroir-focused intense champagnes at competitive prices – wines I’m happily adding into my cellars at this moment. Champagne Marguet by Benoit Marguet is one of my favourite producers, who uses ploughing by his horses, eschewing the use of herbicides, going to the extent of timing processes like disgorgment and bottling according to a biodynamic lunar calendar and minimising the use of sulphites in bottling. His prestige cuvee, Sapience, is an ethereal sorceress that will entertain and change as the evening progresse.
During the pandemic, big champagne houses had their “Birkin moment” with demand outstripping supply, prompting the large houses to be selective on distribution and opportunistically increasing prices. Fortunately, that era seems to have receded with more realistic pricing and better access.
The smaller maisons have shown exciting traction with a view to make their wines more artisanal, like those of the grower-procurers. Drappier’s incisive Blanc de Blanc NV offers a linear minerality with a play of complexity seen in usually more expensive vintage champagnes. A very old but contemporary small Maison that hasn’t been spoken of enough and I was happy to gate-keep till now, is Henri Giraud, who for their barrel-fermented champagnes go so far as to control the process of the locally sourced forestry and cooperage of the barrels. Their entry level wines like the Espirit Nature NV give you so much more than big brand champagnes but their prestige Argonne Grand Cru Vintage bottlings is where the magic really is at. And at the end of the day, come celebration, or disappointment though, there is still nothing a bottle of Krug won’t cover you for.
Expensive French roulette aka Burgundy, though global warming worries for Chablis
Burgundy has been that rocket that has been difficult to catch over the past 15 years with prices being increasingly eye-watering for wines of top producers and sites. A Burgundy bottle can reward handsomely with some of the most complex, nuanced and profound wines being produced here from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (and that less loved but sparky little brother, Aligote) but vintage, producer and bottle variations means popping a cork can also be a game of expensive French roulette which to my mind is both a feature and a flaw of this queen of appellations.
The wines of Francois Milkulski and Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey (PYCM), young star producers of whites, are on-point bets for powerful, super high quality, white Burgundy. Domaine Dujac by the Seysses family and Domaine Claude Dugat are the cult wineries of the Cote de Nuits, that are my go-to for big energy, big emotion red Burgundy. There are many producers, many with great legacy, who have been upping their output quality, and I particularly been enjoying the wines of Domaine Hubert Lignier, Jean-Noel Gagnard, Camille Giroud and Patrick Javillier. While Gevrey Chambertin for red, and Meursault for whites are my favourite appellations in the Cote D’Or,
I am increasingly loving the wines being produced from Marsannay, Pommard and Volnay. Chablis has always represented stunning value in Burgundy wine, with generally a strong typicity of high acidic, flinty style, but warming seasons has somewhat reduced that distinctiveness. That being said the wines of Domaine Francois Raveneau and Domaine Vincent Dauvissat, while expensive, continue to represent insane value for their quality and age-worthiness. Last but definitely not the least, the Cote Chalonnaise is Burgundy’s true last frontier, with lots of up-and-coming younger producers making exciting, accessible wines in Rully, Bouzeron, Mercury and Givry.
A spiritual experience in Loire
In the Loire, there is great reason why Didier Dagueneau is considered the zenith cult wine-maker, a reputation that continues on with the Domaine after his passing. His Silex is possibly the most intense and heartfelt expression of the Pouilly Fume (Sauvignon Blanc only) appellation, though also try and get your hands on the 2021-only released XXI. Domaine Huet makes lovely, balanced Chenin Blanc based wines, and their ex-Domaine aged library wines, and sweeter expressions of the grape, so evocatively display the versatility of this beautiful grape. Savennieres’ maker Domaine Thibaud Boudignon’s Clos de Fremine is a lively, linear powerhouse, and if you can get your hands on the Les Ongles made by Stephane Bernaudeau from grapes grown on a mere 2 hectare parcel of land, I would strongly recommend you buy and consume it for what I can only describe as a spiritual experience.
Bet on alpine wines from Jura and Switzerland
If anyone is watching this space closely, alpine wines from Jura, Savoie and Switzerland have had a lot of people sit up and take notice of them. The Outils Saint Pierre by Domaine Francois Rousset, made from Jura’s savagnin grape is lively, funky and saline, while the Argile Rouge by Domaine Des Ardosieres from Savoie is a crunchy, delicious, red-fruit forward blend (Gamay, Mondeuse Noir, Persan) that can go with just about anything.
The Syrah-Grenache-Mourvedere wines of Peyre Rose, in the Languedoc, founded by Marlene Soria is my left-field alternative to the Southern Rhone, especially the terrific, winery aged Marlene No. 3, though I will always be happy to add all wines from Domaine du Pegau and Chateau de Beaucastel from the Chateauneuf du Pape, to my cellar. The Northern Rhone makes superb, structured, age-worthy red wines from a handful of storied producers, but my current obsession is with the much harder to come-by, well-aged Northern Rhone whites. Notably apex and focussed is the L’Ermite Ermitage Blanc by M. Chapoutier, made with Marsanne, and Les Chaillees de L’Enfer Condrieu by Domaine Georges Vernay, made with the equally rare and luxuriant Viognier.
Galicia in Spain is having a moment
As Sortes, made by Rafael Palacios from the Godello grape, is a banger that delivers Burgundian sophistication, with Chenin-style personality. Vivaltus in Ribeira del Douro is amongst the most talked about new wineries, with a fresher approach to Tempranillo grape, while Unico, the Vega Sicilia flagship remains the gold standard of this wine style and region.
In Rioja, Marques de Murrieta’s Castillo Ygay, also Tempranillo, continues to get more recognition for truly being one of the great wines of Spain. Priorat, near Barcelona, has been upping the game with restrained wines from Grenache and Carignan and the winery of Terroir al Limit, exemplifies this push to great quality.
From the many method traditional sparkling wines from around the world, I find Cava quite special, in that while it has the yeasty aromas you’d expect from a double fermentation process, the grapes used are most often local like Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada, which ripened under the Mediterranean sun gives fuller stone and tropical fruit flavours. Colet Navazos Reserva Extra Brut is an outstanding example that is a perfectly respectable alternative to champagne. Jumilia produces big alcoholic wines primarily from the Monastrell (Mourvèdre in French) grape, and Juan Gil Silver Label is a great example of a big, meat friendly wine offering terrific value. From the Canary Islands where wine has been grown for centuries, an off the beaten path pick for me is 7 Fuentes by Suertes del Marques, a volcanically austere and mineral driven wine made from the Listan Negro grape.
A 100 pointer in Tuscany
There are 2 Tuscanies – one of tradition led by terroirs best suited for the high acidity, high tannin, high intensity Sangiovese grape, and one of innovation, where the best of Bordeaux meets the garrigue and funk of Italy. When it comes to Sangiovese, I stick closely to Brunello di Montalcino, and I aim for the better, more storied wineries, where pound for pound, dollar for dollar, some of the best wines of the world are produced. Opening the Madonna delle Grazie, the single vineyard bottling by Il Marroneto is like an opening a symphony orchestra in your decanter. The 2013 and the 100 pointer 2016 are notable vintages, and the pre-reviews of the 2019 promise it to be most spectacular.
The Casanova di Neri Cerretalto, made in just the thousands each vintage is a power bomb of a wine with depths of complexity. Outside of the usual Super-Tuscan suspects of superlative quality, Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Solaia, and Masseto, its exciting to see Bibi Graetz and his unique take on old vine Sangiovese with the Testamata, and the indigenous white grape, Ansonica with the Colore. Grattamaco one of Bolgheri’s original Super-Tuscans is having a renaissance of sorts, and their red Superiore Bordeaux blend is a rich structured delight, while their Bianco made from Vermintino is an intense, saline beauty.
Valpolicela and Abuzzo picks
Valpolicela doesn’t see much deviation from the traditional wine making processes but Zyme is a winery thats carefully stretching the mould. Their excellent Kairos, made using the passito method of grape raisining usually seen in the appellation, but using a blend of 15 traditional and non traditional grapes, resulting in a deep complex winter warmer of a wine. Emidio Pepe is that singular stand out wine producer from Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo and their formidable flagship red is still available in multiple back vintages direct from the winery, but its their white Trebbiano that really is a party on your palate – boldly aromatic, texturally sensous and obscenely vinous, there’s nothing quite like it. Where Dreams Have No End, is an atypical rich and creamy Chardonnay from Fruili Venezia Giulia, that is worth mentioning.
Is Orange the New Pink?
Well, it depends on the wine and winemaker! The Meinklang Weißer Mulatschak from Burgenland, Austria and made from Welschriesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer, is lively, fruity and yeasty, while the Slovenian Butul Primorska Koza Nostra made from raisenated Malazija grapes and aged on lees to make a thoughtful, concentrated and funky wine. The Hungarian winery Disznoko has a special limited bottling of their lusciously sweet 6 Puttanyos Tokaji Aszu from a single Kapi vineyard only released in special vintages – currently you can get their 2011, 2015 and 2017 offerings, and it makes a very credible alternative to a top-drawer Sauternes.
“New Burgundy” in America
The Americans make their wines big, bold and very pleasing, and I always maintain that’s no bad thing. But there is a new generation of wine makers all over this continent sized country making striking, innovative wines that seek to push the boundaries completely. Oregon’s Willamette Valley continues to be viewed as the “new Burgundy” with expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that have elegance and nuance, along with power, and with winemakers increasingly letting the fruit rather than the oak doing the talking. Gathered Stones Pinot Noir by Rose & Arrow Estate and Appasionata Pinot Noir by Fortissimo are great examples of this special appellation. Rajat Parr, the master sommelier, turned wine writer, turned cult winemaker, has brought a completely unique dimension to natural winemaking in the Central California coast with his cultivation of alpine and heritage grape varieties not normally seen commercially there. His Scythian Wine Lone Wolf using the original conquistador brought Chilean Pais (or Mision) grape is an exciting new chapter in new world winemaking, and the Phelan Farm’s Pet-Nat is a maestro’s edit of a hipster favourite. God Only Knows is a powerful Grenache based field blend by French vigneron Christophe Baron made organically in Walla Walla, Washington State. The Finger Lakes region of New York needs to be spoken about more, as does the Riesling grape varietal, and a great value, sharp example I’ve come to enjoy is the Heart & Hands Dry Riesling.
Discover chardonnay… from Argentina
Argentina is always associated with Malbec, and right so, especially the fresher, high altitude bottling. But a Chardonnay from Argentina is up there with some of the best of the world, the Catena Zapata Adrianna Vineyard “White Bones” is linear, fresh, intense and lively and can easily cellar for 20 years. Where in South America did I find the best red wine of late? Chile, or Argentina? Nah, how about Uruguay!? Balasto made from the Tannat grape by Bodega Garzon is a generous, plush wine with lashings of dark fruit and vanilla spices with resolved, integrated tannins.
What are the rare shiraz from Australia
People wrongly assume Australia to be only about big commercial wine production at the expense of quality. Many big wine producers also make outstanding higher end expressions, and there are so many talented artisan-winemakers. Garagiste Wines in Mornington Peninsula serve up low-production, terroir specific Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Yarra Yerring of Yarra Valley produce multiple outstanding white and red wines, but its their Bordeaux Blend Red Wine No.1 that just hits a bulls-eye for this wine style. Also from Yarra, another Bordeaux blend, the Mount Mary Quintet is a complex structured expression going toe to toe with the best of the Left Bank. Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River is a stunning mineral forward white that punches way above its weight, though its the Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay that may just be the most profound offering from the country, with a powerful structure and unmatched elegance. One cannot speak about Australia and wine, and not mention Shiraz, and here the superlative is Henschke’s 8 hectare single vineyard Hill of Grace that would be perfect if not so expensive and hard to get! New Zealand really got onto the international wine map with their cheap and extremely cheery Sauvignon Blancs. Greywacke has taken that formula but added a whole lot more to it with the addition of fermentation using wild yeast, the Greywacke Wild Sauvignon adds a prominent texture and mouth-feel to the fruit and herb aromas and long finish. The Church Road Tom Chardonnay and Kumeu River Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay are each gorgeous oaked and mineral driven new world expressions of the world’s favourite grape.
Box
Small batch tequila, aged, complex rums make a comeback
Collectible and unique spirits for 2025
The competing pulls of Big Liquor and the Artisanal define how and what is being sold and consumed today in the spirits world, and nowhere more than in the world of Agave. On the one hand, corporations and celebrities continue to invest in tequila brands, but smaller producers of tequila and mezcal by its very nature of being small batch continue to thrive. Tears of Llorona, Extra Anejo Tequila has been winning quite a few awards of late, and managing to have got my hands on a few of this very rich and limited production bottling, I can absolutely see why.
Mezcal to me is what craft spirit making is all about, in that each batch and bottling is ultimately a unique expression, and that’s no bad thing. I love the Alipus San Andres Blanco Mezcal as a perfect outdoors, with your friends 11pm digestif.
I love that Rum is making a proper comeback with more and more options for greatly aged, complex sipping rums. A great single point of a go-to is Planteray Rum that has a range of bottling from the simple rums meant for cocktails to single cask and vintage rums. Their Stiggins Fancy Pineapple is a flavourful dessert in a glass, while their Plantation Jamaica 1998 Single Cask is seriously contemplative.
I’m glad that Cognac is taking the focus back on itself from the erstwhile excitement around Armagnac. I like stocking up on a bottle or two of cognac from Through The Grapevine, an independent small batch bottler, often times being single cask. Tesseron Cognac is an old cognac house while still being fiercely independent and family run, and it shows in their quality (The same family also owns Chateau Pontet Canet). Any of their XO designated cognacs are a winner, but if I had to pick, it would be their Lot No. 53, XO Perfection. And if somebody wants to buy me a Christmas present, I’d be happy to accept one of the only 1000 bottles of Experience 01, Grande Champagne Cognac.
For whiskey blends, I love that Compass Box has completely upended the stodgy and traditional world of scotch, and makes expertly crafted blends in a contemporary style with contemporary labelling. Their flagship Hedonism Blend and their Peat Monster are great additions to a home bar. With Single malts, Single Casks and Independent and Small Batch bottlers is still where its at for me, and my favourites are blink and you’ll miss them releases from That Boutique-Y Whisky Company, and LMDW’s The Artist Collective. India single malt maker, Paul John deserves a special mention for their intense, almost cloying, limited release, Mithuna. In Bourbons, I currently love the Booker’s small batch, barrel proof releases, Michter’s US*1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon, the sumptuous Russel’s Reserve 10 year old, and if I can get my hands on it, the annual release of the Yellowstone Limited Edition. I think of Gin as a base liquor for mixing in cocktails, or with tonics, so thats my filter in choosing them for my bar – the French boutique gin brand Citadelle has innovative limited editions, and their Vive Le Cornicon! is infused with real pickles making it a perfect start point for a real grown-up’s martini. And speaking of grown-up Martinis, Mancino vermouths are a nice elevation for the cocktail cabinet, especially their Mancino Vecchio Barricato barrel aged Vermouth.
