HOUSTON – If you love drinking wine but you don’t keep up with what’s trending in this popular industry, you are not alone.
To help you navigate the wine aisle, Sommelier Armando Dawdy, from Brenner's on the Bayou, shared wine trends for fall you need to know to stay ahead of the game.
“Millennials are drinking a lot of different things from what we dranked before, Twenty-five percent of millennials are teetotalers, so they’re coming out with nonalcoholic wines now. But they want wines that they can get quickly and fast,” said Dawdy.
Another popular wine trend is canned wines.
“I was really apprehensive about trying them at the beggining, but they turned out to be outstanding products,” said Dawdy, who mentioned other trends, like cannabis-infused wines and vegan wines.
But if you don’t want to try new fads and you prefer great, but traditional wines, Dawdy shared his favorite five wines under $20 that are perfect for the season.
“These aren’t hard to find. You can get them at Spec’s or H.E.B. or Total Wine,” said Dawdy.
WHITE WINES:
Mohua Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Retail price: $11.99
“This is my favorite. It’s a New Zealand wine. It’s made in Marlborough, which is their best growing region. It’s crisp. Clear,” said Dawdy.
ROSÉ WINES:
Sofia Rose Mini 2018 and Sofia Brut Rose Mini 2017
Retail price: four-pack of cans $17.99
“They are so convenient. These are very ecologically manageable. These work out better for a lot of people. The straws are biodynamic. Wines are really solid, and the wines are really, really good,” said Dawdy.
Studio by Miraval Rose 2018
Retail price: $17.99
“This is my new favorite. It’s made by Miraval. Miraval is the winery that’s owned by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. You can smell peach, white flowers (in the wine)."
RED WINES:
Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Retail price: $16.99
“This is one that you can never go wrong, For the value, you can’t get a better deal,” said Dawdy.
Boneshaker Zinfandel
Retail price: $14.99
“It’s got a lot of alcohol in it. It has 15% alcohol in it, so if you really want to put out a good buzz, I recommend this one,” said Dawdy.
For more delicious wines, don’t miss the Brenner's on the Bayou Annual Fall Wine Fest, happening Saturday, Oct.19.
To see Dawdy’s complete interview, watch the video above.