Year in Review 2025
2025 was a wine year that could not quite decide whether it wanted to provoke or to please – so it did both. On Instagram, natural wine devotees and conventional purists resumed their familiar trench warfare; winemakers began experimenting with yet more lunar cycles (the old ones seemingly exhausted); and, meanwhile, a third trend wave swept through our glasses: white wines are once again allowed to show colour. In some regions, the question even arose whether one can still vinify “normally” without being instantly diagnosed as a nostalgic traditionalist with the early symptoms of a midlife crisis. In short: it was turbulent, delightfully contradictory – and thus alarmingly authentic for the world of wine.
At the same time, the glass itself grew surprisingly quiet. We are drinking less, but with a seriousness once reserved for tax returns. The second half of the bottle now regularly finds its way into the fridge – a sentence I would once have considered an affront to the very idea of joie de vivre. Yet the first glass now tastes twice as focused, almost meditative. Quality through scarcity: Marx would no doubt have applauded enthusiastically, before asking for a mature Riesling to contemplate the dialectics.
As consumers grow more reflective, the trade, too, has shown its true face. In 2025 it became painfully apparent how quickly grand talk of “passion” evaporates once margins no longer align with marketing plans. Today, it is no longer about how much ends up in the glass, but how credible the story behind it is – handsome labels alone no longer suffice; one tastes conviction along with the wine. And so it has become clearer than ever who genuinely burns for wine, and who merely treats it as a decorative vehicle for profit.
Perhaps it is precisely this mixture of chaos, clarity and mild head-shaking that makes for the perfect moment for a personal retrospective. Not an objective one, nor a comprehensive one – simply mine. With categories that will not appear in any official “best of” list, except my own.
An Expensive Wine That Was Surprisingly Just “OK” in 2025
DuMol Finn 2021 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County)
Exceptionally high scores from various critics occasionally trigger an impulsive purchase on my part. In this case, however, the wine felt overly concentrated and impeccably polished – technically brilliant, yet emotionally curiously smooth.
The Wine with the Strangest Name of 2025
Bonkers zombie robot alien Monster from the future eat my brain
Yes, it is a real wine. And yes, I could not resist.
The Wine with Which I Began 2025 – and Would Happily Begin 2026 Again
Comando G – La Bruja 2020 (Sierra de Gredos), Magnum
Sometimes it is the “smallest” wines in a domaine’s range that have the most to say. Funky Grenache, bursting with energy and sheer drinkability.
The Most Outrageously Mixed Field Blend of 2025
2022 Gemischter Satz “Rettet die Reben”, Weingut Beurer
At least 22 grape varieties – including Adelfränkisch, Roter Urban, Putzscheere, Blauer Scheuchner and Honigler, among many others. Fitting more varieties into a single bottle would be difficult – and, frankly, into a paragraph as well.
Fun fact: the vines grow idyllically below the Yburg on a small terraced vineyard rich in companion plants – something the wine unmistakably reflects.
Remarkably Approachable 2021 Pinot Noirs
Bernhard Huber – Malterdinger Bienenberg
Meyer-Näkel – Dernauer Pfarrwingert
Both wines demonstrate convincingly that weaker red wine vintages can, indeed, be enjoyed earlier – and sometimes should be.
Forgotten Red Grape Variety of the Year
2020 Scarpa “Rouchet”, Monferrato Rosso DOC (Ruchè)
An exuberant bouquet of roses, violets, jasmine and rosehip – almost a floral arrangement with tannic structure.
The Oldest Scheurebe I Have Ever Drunk
Weingut Meßmer – Scheurebe Eiswein Selection 1999
Tasted across several half-bottles, showing remarkable freshness and depth. Even Scheurebe, it seems, can age – who would have thought?
The Label Least Likely to Win a Design Award in 2025
Caveau de Bacchus Réserve du Caveau – Lucien Aviet
Not everything needs to be beautiful. Sometimes character is enough.
Best Wine Bargain of 2025
Vayi Szamorodni Dry 2020 (0.5 l) – €13.50
It is hard to find more complexity, length and individuality at this price point. Dry, oxidatively aged Szamorodni from Tokaj have sadly become a rarity.
The Wine That Sent Me Googling the Most in 2025
2024 Ramon Estate Chardonnay (Mitzpe Ramon, Negev, Israel)
There is virtually no information to be found about this wine. If anyone knows the project: please do get in touch.
The Vintage Champagne That Teaches Patience
Bollinger La Grande Année 2008
Currently poised beautifully between freshness and the first signs of maturity. Its true drinking window likely lies another two to five years ahead.
My Top Three Captured “Unicorn” Wines of 2025
2023 I. et S. Bernaudeau – Les Nourrissons
2024 Guffens-Heynen – Pouilly-Fuissé Croux et Petits-Croux
2022 Weingut Johannes Aufricht – Nachtweid
The hunt continues.
Most Exciting Riesling Discovery of 2025 (Outside Germany)
Le Silence et la Résonance 2024 – Jintaro Yura (Alsace)
A Riesling of striking balance: depth and generosity perfectly countered by razor-sharp acidity – pure tension.
The Most Burgundian Müller-Thurgau of My Year
Weingut Schmidt, Lake Constance – Müller-Thurgau “Drumlin” 2024
According to the winemaker, it came about by chance – one does not have to believe everything.
Aside: Drumlins are gently rolling hills of glacial debris around Lake Constance, offering well-drained, ventilated soils with excellent cold-air drainage.
Best Wine Deal in a Michelin-Starred Restaurant in 2025
2021 Domaine Labet – Savagnin En Chalasse (€100)
A magnificent food wine that accompanied multiple courses with ease – and truly shone with the now almost unavoidable cauliflower course.
Looking Ahead to 2026
I am curious to see how the wine world will continue to reinvent itself, how the 2025 vintage from Germany’s wine regions will actually taste – and whether it truly lives up to the current promises. Above all, I look forward to new discoveries, fresh experiences and further lessons learned.
If 2026 turns out to be even half as contradictory, curious and surprising as 2025, I shall have little to complain about in my glass.
Thank you for reading – and wishing all wine lovers a wonderful year-end celebration and a joyful, flavourful start to 2026. 🍷