2016 Wine Trends from Your Experts at Bacchus & Venus

Better Wine = Better Sex and other need-to-know developments in the world of wine from your experts at Bacchus & Venus Have no regrets about the year 2015, drinking Rosé or chugging wine-in-a-can! We've got big plans for 2016 -- count on Bacchus & Venus to keep you on top of the New Year's biggest wine trends. Could drinking red wine lead to better sex? A new study out of Harvard University and the University of East Anglia found that consuming foods and drinks rich in flavonoids, found in red wine, berries, and tea may lead to a decrease in erectile disfunction. Flavonoids may also reduce the risk of conditions including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Pinot Noir contain the highest concentrations of antioxidants and flavonoids. Try 2013 Damselfly Petite Sirah for just $19/bottle or Eighty-four 2010 Napa Petite Sirah for $78/bottle. Thrice the Spice is Nice! Spice consumption nearly tripled over the past half-century. A few years ago, Sriracha was the unpronounceable hot sauce that you might find in Chinatown. Now, you can get a Subway chicken sriracha melt with a side of sriracha potato chips! Studies suggest eating spicy food more frequently can lower risk of death, and conditions such as cancer, heart and respiratory diseases. Spicy foods are known to pair with fruity white wines like Viognier, and Gewürztraminer, but you can also match spice with lighter red wines. Low to medium tannin wines generally work best. As a rule, look for reds that are fruitier and/or spicy in style and have a good level of acidity.  Try 2014 Last Summer Grenache $39/bottle (only 90 cases made) or Parador 2011 Napa Tempranillo $34. Harissa is the new Sriracha! Restaurant analyst Maeve Webster believes the next sauce to experience a sriracha-like rise is harissa, a spread of dried chiles, garlic, tomatoes, caraway, paprika, coriander, and olive oil that's as common as ketchup in Tunisia. Try it with Clavo Albarino from Paso Robles $30/bottle. Flutes are flying the Coupe Will 2016 mark the death of the Champagne flute? Sommeliers and wine experts are forsaking the flute in favor of glasses that better show off their fizz. While flutes are festive, it's much harder to detect aromas from the tiny opening of a flute glass. Many sommeliers are opting to pour Champagne and sparkling wines into white wine glasses or Burgundy balloons. Sparkling wine is not just for special occasions anymore - consumption is up nearly 10% over last year. Bacchus & Venus carries about half French and half California Sparkling. Our new favorite is from the Foundry Winery -- Blanc de Blanc Sangiacomo Vineyard 2013 ($56/bottle).  Horizons are Broadening Take Unoaked Chardonnay, for example. The wines have fresher, fruitier aromas and rich textures without the harsh overlay of oak.  For this reason, stainless steel and egg-shaped concrete tanks are gaining popularity over oak barrels for fermentation and aging. Pellet Sonoma Coast Sunchase Vineyard Unoaked Chardonnay is one of our favorites at $40/bottle or Y. Rousseau Mt. Veeder no-malolactic (read: clean, not cream) with just 20% oak at $42/bottle. On the other hand, one of our most popular white wines of 2015 was Vogelzang Sauvignon Blanc - aged in oak barrels - not traditional at all! It's proof that a growing number of consumers are breaking out of the box. And, if the varietal name is a tongue-twister with a few accent marks, people want to drink it. We've got a following for California-grown Graciano, Fiano, Malvasia Bianca, Tempranillo, 100% Petite Verdot, to name a few!  Urban Wineries Urban wineries are on the rise -- wines are being trucked to places like Treasure Island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. (Try Bravium Anderson Valley Pinot Noir $45/bottle.) Bluxome Street is in the heart of the city. (We love their Bluxome Street Chardonnay made in SF from grapes grown in the Russian River $37/bottle.) Now, Neighborhood Vineyards is growing a half acre plot of Pinot Noir in a city farm in the Portola area of San Francisco. No, that's not a castle overlooking the vineyard, it's subsidized housing. The vines are young still, so for now, try their lovely Cabernet Franc, soft and elegant at $28/bottle.  Wine in a Can! Portable, fun, and safer for poolside, boating, and outdoor concerts like the Sausalito Jazz Festival. Fiction Central Coast Pinot Gris in an ice cold can at just $10 -- there's no chance of broken glass and it looks like you're having an energy drink. We sold hundreds of these last Summer!   Please call or email if we can help you find more wines to suit your tastes, your budget or your dinner party. You can reach us by telephone at (415) 331-2001 or by simply responding to this email. Cheers to the New Year! Marcy Your Wine Experts at Bacchus & Venus in Sausalito Top 12 Wines of 2015 Save $124 on our best-selling wines of the year! We Ship to All States Damselfly Petite Sirah Full of Flavonoids and just $19 per bottle! Urban Winery Neighborhood VineyardsCabernet Franc $28 Save [10%] Mention this 2016 Trends email and take 10% off any of our wine selections not already discounted. Or, Join Our Wine Club and get even deeper discounts.   Offer Expires when the wine runs out.

Bacchus & Venus Wines, 769 Bridgeway, Historic Downtown Sausalito, CA 94965