Spontaneous fermentation is seeing a big surge among breweries. It’s a method beer, cider, wine and liquor makers should consider because spontaneous fermentation is a sign that the brewer is confident in their technique, willing to trust the uncontrolled aspects of the fermentation process and having fun, says Bon Appetit magazine. Also known as hands-off, natural or traditional fermentation, it’s the oldest form of fermentation, used before fermentation could be controlled and regulated.

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A growing trend in the wine industry: fermenting in concrete tanks instead of oak barrels or stainless steel containers. Winemakers find concrete helps produce a wine that is bright and fruity, without the risk of introducing unwanted elements or a sterile taste. Ironically, though concrete tanks are growing in popularity now, Greek and Roman winemakers used to ferment wine in ceramic amphorae 2,000 years ago.

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Increasing wine consumption makes China critical to the future of the industry, but trade disputes are hurting U.S. winemakers. China included wine on a list of potential tariffs. Exports represent 5% of US wine sales – 5% of that ($79 million worth) is sent to China.

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Are co-ferments the next big trend in fermented drinks? Cross-pollinated drinks mix fermented fruit beverages, like putting wine in the barrel with cider, perry, mead or beer. Beverage producers at RAW WINE say tasters want to explore beyond traditional flavors. “Grapes are not the only fermentable foodstuffs capable of complex, long-lived drinks,’ says Isabelle Legeron, the organizer of the RAW Wine Fair in London.

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For those who want to make their own wine Grapevine d’Vine in N.Y. handles the messy part. Guests pick their custom flavor from a variety of juices, then it’s fermented in the on-premise carboy. After 4-8 weeks, customers get 28-30 bottles of personalized wine.

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Further evidence of the ancient roots of fermentation: archaeologists found 8,000 year old wine from the early Neolithic period, the oldest evidence of fermented grapes ever discovered.

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