Blue wine, cats and without grapes: The three kookiest wine fads so far in 2016
The world of wine seems to have gotten a little uncorked this year.
If you were getting tired of your usual white, rose and red wines, it could be your lucky day. Thanks to a new Spanish producer, Gik, you might soon be able to pour yourself a glass of blue wine.
The 11.5 per cent azure-hued booze is made from a mix of red and white grapes grown in vineyards in Spain, and is priced at below £8 a bottle.
"Try to forget everything you know about wine," the Gik website tells readers.
"Try to unlearn the hundreds of protected wine designations of origin, the complex and demanding service standards and everything that sommelier said at a tasting course to which you were invited."
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Cat wine
In another twist on a relaxing glass of red in the evening to emerge this year, cat people can now make sure their beloved felines can relax with a glass (or bowlful) of Pinot Meow or MosCATo.
Created by Apollo Peak in Denver, Colorado, the cat-friendly wines are non-alcoholic, made of organic catnip, fresh beets and water.
Single-taste bottles are available for $4.95 (£3.37), and can be shipped internationally.
Look Mum, no grapes
Last month, San Francisco wine startup Ava Winery went viral after it claimed it could create fine wines without using grapes.
Read more: Supermarket wines uncork victory at international awards
The creators claim they are able to "hack" wine-making by building it on a compound-by-compound basis, adding together amino acids, sugars, volatile organics, ethanol and other ingredients at "precise levels" in a strictly-regimented brewing process.
Original bottles retail for over $200, while Ava Winery's are currently on the market for a quarter of the price at $50, appealing to those who cannot afford pricey vintages.