Crystal ball-gazing as astrologers will tell you involves interpreting yesterday’s runes, call them what you will, and fashioning them into tomorrow’s near-certainties. Bordeaux’ new trade pact with Pu’er tea suggests that it can work as well with wine as tea leaves. So if the previous year’s harvest is a major clue as to how the world’s wines will turn out this year, it’s not going to take an Einstein to work out that for the second year running Bordeaux is likely to suffer at the hands of Burgundy.

Côte d'Or - The Slope of Gold

The Bordeaux 2012 vintage is looking like an improvement on the 2011, but it’s unlikely to match either 2009 or 2010 as a futures vintage worth buying. More of a problem is that Bordeaux overplayed its hand with the exorbitant pricing of its 2011 vintage last year. It expected the Chinese to bite but when they rejected Bordelais avarice, the world’s biggest fine wine region was left with egg on its face and wine in the cellar. A significant price gesture when the new vintage is tasted and released this Spring could go some way towards redressing the balance, but you’d have to be a professional poker player to bet on it.

Burgundy’s star on the other hand is rising thanks to excellent vintages, improved quality and relatively sensible pricing. It kicks off the new year with tastings of the last but one vintage next week and the signs are encouraging for a delicious red Burgundy vintage worth stocking up on. All the more so because of small quantities and high prices of the 2012 vintage at the barometer Hospices de Beaune auction in November. Early birds can catch the tastiest worms when the wines will be available for tasting and purchase (check out my site anthonyrosewine.com for a list of specialist merchants with tastings next week).

Elsewhere, the crystal ball is pointing towards New Zealand growing further in popularity and Spain offering some of the best value for money wines outside the classic regions of Rioja and Ribera. Australia too will make a powerful comeback despite a strong Aussie dollar and Portugal will be the surprise package. Fino and manzanilla sherry are already on a roll, German’s dry rieslings will feature and English fizz will build on the success achieved on the back of the Diamond Jubilee.

In other wine news, the government’s flawed plans to introduce minimum pricing to curb binge drinking look like falling flat on their face. Pinched pockets and continuing duty hikes will slow down wine sales although it will continue its upward trajectory in discount stores and through online sales. There’s even cause for optimism at the premium wine level as our thirst for quality grows. Wishful thinking? Time, and the runes, will tell.

Something For The Weekend

Something For the Weekend 5 January 2013

Night In

2009 Domaine de la Chanade Galien Gaillac Rouge

This bright young red from France’s South West displays attractive liquorice spice aromas with cherry and cassis fruitiness framed by polished vanilla oak topped off with a robust, rustic freshness. £7.49, down from £9.99, Marks & Spencer.

Dining In

2010 McManis Family Vineyards Viogner , California

A tropical dry white from California showing the classic viognier fragrance of honeysuckle and an opulent quality of apricot fruit whose honeyed richness is leavened by refreshing acidity and restrained alcohol. £10.99, Waitrose (the 2011 is at Majestic).

Splash Out

2010 Shaw and Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz

Classically full-favoured yet elegant Aussie cool climate shiraz with aromatically spicy, mulberryish undertones and a vibrant blackberry fruit quality that’s deliciously supple-textured, rich and satisfyingly lingering. £22.25 – 25.99, Cambridge Wine Merchants (01223568989), Reserve Wines (01614380101), ozwines.co.uk, Winedirect.co.uk.

At the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

Burgundy 2011 Merchants and Tastings

This is the non-exhaustive but exhausting list of specialist and general wine merchants (and others) with 2011 burgundy offers and tastings. Most of these wine merchants holding tastings are for press and customers, i.e. by invitation.

Armit . Tasting at Middle Temple on Wednesday 9 January.
Berry Bros & Rudd. Tasting Tuesday 8 January at One Great George Street.
Bordeaux Index . Tasting at Hatton Garden on Wednesday 9 January
The Burgundy Portfolio . Tasting at 1 Berkeley Street on Tuesday 8 January
Charles Hawkins. Tasting at the Institute of Directors on Tuesday 8 January
Charles Taylor (Montrachet). Tasting on Tuesday 8 January.
Corney & Barrow . Tasting at The Tower on Wednesday 9 January.
Fells. Tasting at Chandos House on Wednesday 9 January.
Flint Wines . Tasting Tuesday 8 January at 26 South Molton Lane.
Clark Foyster . Tasting at 1 Carlton House terrace on Friday 11 January
Genesis . Tasting at The Cadogan Hotel on Monday 14 January
Goedhuis & Co. Tasting at the Philip Mould Gallery Monday 7 January
Hatch Mansfield. Tasting at BAFTA on Monday 14 January
Haynes Hanson & Clark. Tasting at the RSA Monday 7 January
Howard Ripley. Tasting at Middle Temple on Monday 7 January.
Jeroboams . Tasting on Tuesday 8 January.
Justerini & Brooks. Tasting at One Great George Street on Monday 7 January
Lay & Wheeler . Tasting at Glaziers Hall on Thursday 10 January.
Lea & Sandeman . Tasting at Saatchi Gallery on Friday 11 January
Liberty Wines. Tasting at Dartmouth House on Wednesday 9 January
Louis Latour. Tasting of Louis Latour etc. at their Grafton Street offices on Friday 11 January.
Mentzendorff. Tasting (Chanson) at Albert Embankment on Tuesday 15 January
OW Loeb . Tasting at Merchants Taylors Hall on Thursday 10 January.
Union des Grands Crus de Chablis. Tasting at Institute of Directors Wednesday 9 January

Burgundy's Year?

Here are some more specialists and general independents likely to be offering and holding a tasting of Burgundy 2011:

A&B Vintners
Averys
Bancroft
Bibendum
Bowes Wine
Christopher Piper Wines
Clarion
Davis, Bell & McCraith Wines
Fine & Rare Wines
Farr Vintners
FromVineyardsDirect.com
Great Western Wine
H2Vin
Handford Wines
Charles Hawkins
Hicks & Don
HS Liquid Assets
Daniel Lambert Wines
Noel Young Wines
Private Cellar
Raeburn
Roberson
Robert Rolls
The Sampler
Seckford
Slurp.co.uk
Tanners
Ten-Acre Wines
Uncorked
The Vineking
The Wine Society

A smart address