From the vine to the shelf, the journey of making delicious wine is a very intricate and time-consuming process. For the people that do it, it’s a passion. And it’s a passion that premium Scandinavian appliances brand ASKO has paid tribute to by teaming up with wine expert and sommelier, Andreas Larsson, to reveal his top wine predictions for 2023.
Andreas also shares his sommelier secrets on the best way to store and serve your finest wines, and to get the best out of every bottle ahead of spring.
So Andreas, what wines/flavour profiles do you predict will be trending in 2023 and why?
Assyrtiko from Greece, the indigenous Portuguese white varieties like Loureiro and Arinto. For reds, I’d say that Cabernet Franc still deserves more attention and orange wine is definitely a category which is here to stay, following a recent surge in popularity.
Which wines do you believe deserve more recognition and attention from consumers in 2023?
There are so many wines on the market and a vast selection to choose from, but I would look to classic French regions for classically dry and elegant Sauvignon instead of the upfront styles from Marlborough. The great treasures of Grenache from century old vineyards, found in Southern France and Spain certainly deserve more attention.
For the people hosting this year, what wines would you recommend serving with canapés or desserts?
English sparkling of course! It’s a wonderful style of wine which has reached a very good quality level, and the perfect accompaniment for a celebratory canapé. For a Camembert, I’d go out of my wine comfort zone and suggest a good artisanal cider.
For a great dessert, nothing beats a good old 10 or even better 20-year-old Tawny Port, which in my opinion is the definition of a liquid dessert itself.
What fine wines are worth investing in to make any big party extra special this year?
If you are able to stretch the budget, I’d definitely recommend investing in a bottle of something special to really impress your guests. As Burgundy is getting rarer and increasingly more expensive, I’d stock up on whatever I could find. A fine Bordeaux however, is more accessible to get a hold of, yet it remains the pinnacle for collectors and investors such as the top wines from Piedmont, Tuscany and Napa Valley.
A Madeira is also a perfect pairing for your dessert as it combines complexity, freshness and warmth. However, to remain classic, Sauternes is still an undervalued style of wine. It has never been better; it ages tremendously well and its immediate appeal suits everyone. For a lighter and utterly pleasant version, try a Moscato d’ Asti from a good producer.
Once you’ve picked the perfect bottle, what is the correct temperature to serve your wines?
Personally, I serve most red wines around 16 degrees with slight variations depending on the style. For fortified wines higher in alcohol I like to serve them at ‘cellar’ temperature, somewhere between 12-14 as it brings down the alcoholic sensation. However, this can be totally subjective, so it’s up to everyone to decide what they prefer. White wine is normally served at a temperature of between 8˚C and 12˚C whereas the recommended temperature for serving red wine is between 12˚C and 18˚C.
How should I store my wine?
An important factor to take into account when serving wine, is to make sure the drink is stored correctly. Not only is the temperature important to control, but also the humidity. The storing environment should correspond to the humidity of a natural cellar, free of vibrations and light.
The ASKO Wine Climate Cabinet is the perfect option for consumers to store their wine.
The benefits of having a wine climate cabinet is to be able to store your wine under perfect conditions. What I really like with the wine climate cabinet is the serving area. This enables you to keep the bottles at the right temperatures and even store your glasses and utensils.
Plus, you can set the light, change the warmth, the colour and the intensity, to fit your mood, to fit your environment. And this means that you can put the wine climate cabinet anywhere in your home.
The ASKO Wine Climate Cabinet, SRP of £5,999, is the perfect addition to help you store your wine as it contains three temperature zones for different types of wine, each of which can be meticulously controlled. Not only does it chill drinks perfectly, it also features a virtual sommelier feature – allowing you to learn more about your wine’s provenance and tasting notes, so you always have an Andreas Larsson at hand to share top tips.
