Very little in the world of wine ever suggests a break with tradition. Most wine types, styles and categories are driven by what the fruit delivers, as they have been for centuries. It all looks so resistant to change that predicting what the wine trade will look like 200 years from now hardly appears a challenge.

However, change comes through technology, so wine will not be spared disruption: for a start, I suspect that in the near future the uncertainties and inconvenience of trying to make wine from grapes will be “solved” by artificial wine. You can see the appeal of no vintage or bottle variation, no spoilage, no special storage requirements, and a beverage that tastes exactly like a 1964 Romanee-Conti or 2015 Kanonkop Paul Sauer for a fraction of the price...

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