Like most working professionals in the U.S.A., we worry quite a bit about outsourcing and the effect of the global economy on our jobs. To this end, we were really interested in a recent bit of research on the effect of the global market on wine consumers.

It turns out that the Top100 wines, as defined by Wine Spectator, have actually gotten cheaper over the years.  The authors claim that this decline is real prices is a result of the globalization of the wine market.  As top wines from France are replaced by top wines from the New World, or even the “New New World,” prices decline by an average of 1-2.5%.

Not only are the wines cheaper, but the number of countries that produce the wines in the Top100 list expanded from only 6 countries to 11 over the course of the 18 years studied.  That certainly fits with what we see - more and more variety from which to select.

This is great for the educated consumer, but (in our opinion) difficult for the average consumer. We think it is no coincidence that along with the increase in new choices from around the globe, we have seen the influence of wine scores grow.  People need a way to navigate the deluge of choices coming their way in the new wine world.  And PalatePrint™ is just one example of the many tools now making it easier to sort through these choices.