The wine world’s hottest trends this summer

With every year and every season, there are new trends that heat up the world of wine. There's nothing quite like a nice glass of wine on a warm summer night, and so wine writer and sommelier Natalie MacLean shared some of the trendiest options you should try this season.Find her picks below, and watch the video above for more from Natalie!

ORANGE WINE TREND

Let’s clear this up first: orange wine is not made from oranges, it refers only to the wine’s colour! It’s also known as amber wine or skin-fermented white wine. Although orange wine seems new and trendy, it’s actually an ancient style of wine that’s been used for thousands of years to make white wines, often fermented without temperature control for long periods in qvevri (clay vessels or amphorae), in regions such as Georgia and Armenia.The re-emergence of orange wines in several regions was a move to get away from over-manipulated wines and get back to ancient methods.

Wines to try:

Southbrook Vineyards Vidal Skin Fermented Orange Wine 2019Niagara, Ontario V.Q.A., CanadaThis wine has aromas of Earl grey tea and clementine. So savoury and juicy. Pair with braised meats. Vidal Skin Fermented Orange Wine food pairings: fresh and bloomy rind cheeses, white bean spreads, pasta with cream sauce, white finned fish and roast chicken.Alcohol: 10.7%Sweetness: Extra DryDrink: 2020‐2021Score: 92/100Price: $29.95Anatolikos Vineyards Orange Wine 2017Avdira, Thrace, GreeceAn extraordinary, organic orange wine that's an unfiltered, skin-fermented white wine. The Greek wine is a blend of 80% Assyrtiko and 20% Malagousia grapes. Aroma of toasted almond, hazelnut, Earl grey tea and orange peel. Pair with roast chicken.Alcohol: 14%Sweetness: DryDrink: 2019‐2024Score: 92/100Price: $59.00

NATURAL WINE TREND

Both orange and natural wines don’t have any additives and they’re not filtered or fined. Much like orange wines, natural wines are a move toward less manipulation in the wine-making process. This trend goes hand in glove with movements toward organic produce and buying local from small-scale farmers.Natural wines comes in all styles: red, white and sparkling and they’re all made from organic, hand-picked grapes that are fermented using local, wild yeast. However, there’s already a backlash against natural wines in that some argue it’s more of a winemaking philosophy or approach that should be left to the winemaker’s interpretation than it should be codified into law, because really how do you define natural? That’s much more ambiguous than defining orange.

Wines to try:

Nigl Gartling Gruner Veltliner 2018Niederösterreich, AustriaA lovely, zesty Austrian white wine made from the country's iconic Gruner Veltliner grape. This natural wine is made from organic, hand-harvested grapes. Aromas of tangerine and citrus zest with some white pepper. Juicy, racy acidity for seafood and shellfish.Alcohol: 11.8%Sweetness: Extra DryDrink: 2019‐2025Score: 90/100Price: $23.95    Wittmann Winery Weissburgunder Trocken 2017Rheinhessen Qualitätswein, GermanyA zesty natural wine made from hand-picked, organic Pinot Blanc grapes. Aromas of lime zest and lemongrass. Racy acidity for grilled shrimp, onion tarte, herbed flatbreads, brunch fare.Alcohol: 12.5%Sweetness: DryDrink: 2020‐2022Score: 90/100Price: $24.95

WHISKY BARREL-AGED WINES TREND

Instead of using traditional oak barrels from France, Hungary, Spain, etc, some winemakers are innovating and using barrels that were previously used to make whisky in Canada or bourbon in the US. The popularity of these wines dovetails with the renaissance of craft bourbon and rye.They’re also marketed more like spirits than traditional wines, so you’ll see a lot of tattooed men in cellars with metal instruments beside smoke and fire rather than leafy green vineyards and sunlight.

Wines to try:

Stave & Steel Canadian Whisky Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon 2017California, United StatesA full-bodied Californian Cabernet that's aged in Canadian whisky barrels. Aromas of fleshy ripe black fruit and smoke. Pair with meat lovers' pizza.Alcohol: 15.5%Sweetness: DryDrink: 2018‐2023Score: 91/100Price: $19.95Robert Mondavi Winery Private Selection Bourbon Barrels Cabernet Sauvignon 2016Monterey County, California, United StatesFull-bodied Californian Cabernet with aromas of brown sugar and maple syrup. Pair with grilled meats.Alcohol: 15%Sweetness: DryDrink: 2016‐2021Score: 89/100Price: $20.95[video_embed id='2008771']BEFORE YOU GO: Weather news hit goes viral after child starts dancing in the background[/video_embed]