As consumers increasingly seek out lesser-known wines, New World regions are giving France a run for its money.

For all of us keeping pace with dark rosé and unfortified Palomino, it’s a sobering thought that most people are still drinking what they were five or even 15 years ago. Ask any head sommelier or wine director of a top London restaurant or hotel what sells and they’ll all give you the same answer: Champagne, white Burgundy and red Bordeaux. Of course there are many more adventurous bits of the wider market, but when it comes to making money and margin in wine, these regions are the standard bearers.

While anything made from an almost extinct grape variety that can be described as ‘saline’ (that’s all of them, apparently) is a shoo-in for a Dalston wine list, even in the most conservative contexts, wine drinkers do open up to new things.

Last month, for instance, 67 Pall Mall published its Fine Wine Trends Report, an initiative led by Guy Woodward in collaboration with the club. In terms of popularity, Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux dominated the top spots in 2025 just as they did in 2015. But when you dig into the data – and I did – there are some interesting findings among those keen enough on wine to join an expensive members’ club on Pall Mall. First, Burgundy sales per head were actually down. Bordeaux’s were too, though to a lesser extent. Champagne sales have rocketed, even after adjusting for a larger membership base. But the real percentage growth lay outside France: Oregon was substantially up, as were Sicily, New Zealand, England and Tuscany.

“Members are increasingly embracing wines from emerging regions and lesser-known varieties,” notes Kathrine Larsen-Robert, 67’s head of wine for Europe. Even in Pall Mall – land of tasseled loafers, corduroy merchants and people who still have time for cigars at lunch – curiosity is getting the better of members. As it should. This September, I attended a fascinating blind tasting in South Africa generously organised by The Singles Club, an association created by Restless River, Storm and Newton Johnson Family Vineyards. It pitted their South African wines against global competition: fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from California, Oregon, New Zealand, Australia – and Burgundy.

The final scores were extremely close. A Burgundy took the top spot for Chardonnay – Bouchard Père & Fils Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2021 – while the stunning Restless River Le Luc Pinot Noir 2022 beat Armand Rousseau Ruchottes-Chambertin 2022 by a fine margin.

It wasn’t a decisive victory but it was a reminder that the quality gap between Burgundy and the rest is narrower than it has ever been. Although a clean sweep for Hemel-en-Aarde in both categories might have been more gratifying for the wineries who had gone to considerable expense to organise the tasting, the results were still a clear vindication that Hemel-en-Aarde’s wines belong on the same tables as the best in the world.

Then there were the prices to consider. As Adrian Garforth MW, 67 Pall Mall’s former COO, points out: “The reason Bordeaux and Burgundy became popular is because of what they were doing 30 years ago. Bordeaux only started being really successful after the 1982 vintage – and that’s only 40 years ago.” Importantly, that popularity was partly based on fair pricing that allowed people to get involved. Since both French titans seem to have lost the plot on that, there is now a golden opportunity for producers in places like Hemel-en-Aarde.

Now it is time to hold the line, keep the faith and resist impatience or greed. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from countries like South Africa are quietly gathering momentum among Burgundy drinkers – even on Pall Mall. The tectonic plates continue to shift. The next movement could be seismic.