Wine then and now: what has changed over the past 50 years

What was the world of wine like fifty years ago? One of the world’s most famous wine writers, the British Jancis Robinson, began writing about wine in 1975. In ‘How Wine Changed on My Watch’, she describes 50 key changes and developments she has witnessed during her fifty years as a wine journalist.
Text: Ingrid Larmoyeur (The Wine Institute) | Image: Pexels

A good example: in the ‘*World Atlas of Wine*’ (1971) France was given 74 pages. South America had to make do with two. New Zealand with … seven words. Nowadays, New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Argentina are, of course, an integral part of the international wine world.

Wine became more accessible and widely available. Sales shifted from specialist shops to supermarkets. Many consumers were barely familiar with grape varieties until producers outside Europe began listing them on labels more and more frequently. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon became popular worldwide. Trends such as Lambrusco and Beaujolais Nouveau followed, whilst auctions of exclusive wines also began to emerge.

From cellar to vineyard

California proved it could hold its own against France, Australia took Europe by storm with its ripe Chardonnay and Shiraz, and the screw cap became a serious alternative to cork. Winemakers from the Old and New Worlds are now actively exchanging knowledge and techniques, causing boundaries to blur.

Recently, the focus has shifted from the cellar to the vineyard. Interest in indigenous grape varieties, terroir and regional identity is growing, as is interest in organic and biodynamic viticulture, biodiversity and soil health.

A lot has changed in our glasses too: Prosecco has become wildly popular worldwide, rosé (preferably from Provence) has seen a huge surge in popularity, and orange and natural wines have made their appearance on the scene.

And the biggest change of this century? According to Robinson, it is climate change. On average, the harvest has come forward by about two weeks. Drought, forest fires, frost, hail and flooding are threatening viticulture, whilst the global wine map is shifting towards cooler regions, partly as a result of this.