The first quarter of 2026 has delivered enough to fill a very well-stocked cellar. Let us open it together. The industry that never sleeps is having a very loud, very interesting year. From a white spirit distilled from French grapes positioning itself as the voice of a generation, to the world’s most famous Scotch quietly courting bourbon drinkers, to Prosecco — becoming France’s third-favourite sparkling wine, the first quarter of 2026 has delivered enough to fill a very well-stocked cellar. Let us open it together.
1. Rémy Martin Goes Clear — and Goes Gen Z
The House of Rémy Martin has done something genuinely unexpected: it has launched a white spirit. Rémy V is distilled from 100% French grapes, crystal clear and naturally smooth, crafted to empower a new generation of drinkers. The campaign partner is content creator Tefi Pessoa, the limited-edition summer accessories are included, and the tagline is “it’s V you.”
Let us pause here for a moment of honest reflection. Rémy Martin — a house whose entire identity is built on aged Cognac, on the patient alchemy of time and French oak — has launched a clear spirit aimed at people who prefer their luxury without waiting. It is a bold pivot, executed with considerable style. Whether it dilutes the house’s prestige positioning or cleverly opens a new door without closing the old one is the question the next 18 months will answer. The critical note: when a Cognac house goes transparent, it is not just the liquid that risks losing its colour.
2. Piper-Heidsieck Courts the Courtside
Piper-Heidsieck, the iconic Champagne House, returns to the Miami Open for the third consecutive year, bringing its unmistakable red signature courtside from March 15 through March 29. The experience includes Gypsy Kings-style performances, Latin dance, French cabaret, and a Marilyn Monroe-inspired glamour station on designated dates. For those with an appetite, the culinary centrepiece is the unapologetically over-the-top $100 Golden Glizzy — an Australian Wagyu hot dog served in a croissant bun, topped with an entire tin of Golden Goat Caviar and finished with gold flakes.
A $100 hot dog. At a tennis tournament. Served with Champagne. This is either the most inspired piece of experiential marketing of the year or a sign that the luxury world has fully surrendered to absurdist excess. Possibly both. What is undeniable is that Piper-Heidsieck understands something most Champagne houses do not: that in 2026, the bottle is the entry ticket, and the spectacle is the actual product.
3. Prosecco Walks Into a Parisian Bistro — and Nobody Stops It
This is the one that should make every Champagne house’s marketing director slightly uncomfortable. France — historically synonymous with Champagne — is now the third-largest market globally for Prosecco DOC. Exports to France reached 43 million bottles in the first ten months of 2025, up 21% in volume and 18% in value compared to the same period in 2024. Versus 2019, the growth is frankly staggering: up 119% in volume and 125% in value.
The consumer data is equally revealing. Among French Prosecco consumers, taste is the primary driver of choice, cited by 49% of respondents, while 53% of Prosecco consumption in restaurants and wine bars is used in wine cocktails. The French are not drinking Prosecco instead of Champagne. They are drinking it instead of everything else at aperitivo hour — a category that, until very recently, did not exist in France as a cultural ritual. Prosecco did not beat Champagne. It created a new occasion entirely. That is the more unsettling and more intelligent story.
4. Johnnie Walker Seduces the Bourbon Drinker
Johnnie Walker launched Black Cask Blended Scotch Whisky on March 1, 2026 — a new permanent expression aged exclusively in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels, led by Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker. It features whiskies from Cameronbridge, Glen Elgin, and Roseisle, delivering layered notes of creamy vanilla sweetness and rich caramel depth. The retail price is $34.99.
This is a commercially astute move dressed as a creative one. The luxury spirits sector is actively moving toward exciting experiences and new entry points, and Black Cask is the liquid equivalent: a Scotch engineered to feel familiar to American bourbon palates, lowering the barrier of entry without cheapening the house. Meanwhile, at the other end of the price spectrum, Johnnie Walker’s Vault experience in Edinburgh starts from £50,000 for a one-on-one private blending session with Dr. Emma Walker, with the resulting blend presented in a crystal decanter handcrafted by Baccarat. The same brand. $35 and £50,000. The range is intentional, and it is working.
5. Redbreast Goes to Málaga
Redbreast launched Moscatel Wine Cask Edition as the fifth expression in its Iberian Series — finished for 16 months in Málaga Moscatel casks from Bodegas Quitapenas, under the supervision of fifth-generation custodians. The result, bottled at 46% ABV and priced at $109.99, brings notes of sweet tangerine, twisted orange peel, vanilla, floral honey, and sugar-glazed fruits.
This is the quiet, serious launch of the quarter — no celebrity ambassador, no golden hot dog, no clear liquid in a summer bottle. Just an Irish whiskey house with a deep respect for Iberian wine culture, doing what it does best: taking time seriously. In a market increasingly obsessed with newness and noise, Redbreast’s patient, provenance-led approach feels genuinely countercultural.
6. Hendrick’s Breaks Its Nine-Year Silence
William Grant & Sons launched Another Hendrick’s — the brand’s first new permanent gin release in almost a decade. Based on the original recipe but with the addition of cacao and orange blossom botanicals, it clocks in at 41.4% ABV and retails for £33. Master distiller Lesley Gracie described it simply: “it is still obviously Hendrick’s but it has different elements coming through.”
Nine years between permanent releases. In an era when brands launch quarterly just to maintain algorithmic relevance, this is almost revolutionary restraint. The critical question is whether “Another Hendrick’s” — a name that is either brilliantly self-aware or mildly confusing — will find shelf space alongside the original without cannibalising it.
THE TRENDS — OBVIOUS AND NOT
The Obvious: Experience is the New Liquid
A paradigm shift has taken place among consumers, who have adopted a live-in-the-moment philosophy that prioritises intangible experiences over material goods. It is no longer what is in your glass that counts — it is how experiencing the liquid makes you feel. From Piper-Heidsieck’s Champagne gondola to Johnnie Walker’s £50,000 Vault, every major house is now in the memory business as much as the bottle business.
The Obvious: Zero and Low is Permanent, Not a Trend
Citadelle launched its first non-alcoholic expression, Citadelle 0.0, using a gentle hydrodistillation process inspired by perfumery techniques to capture aromatic notes without alcohol. Hendrick’s, Absolut, and multiple craft producers all have zero-proof plays in 2026. This category has graduated from novelty to necessity.
The Less Obvious: The Iberian Finish is Everywhere
Redbreast in Málaga Moscatel casks. Kavalan in Triple Sherry. Numerous whisky producers reaching into Spain and Portugal for finishing wood. The Iberian Peninsula has quietly become the most coveted finishing destination in premium whisky — partly for the flavour profile it delivers, partly because the provenance story (fifth-generation custodians, ancient bodegas) is exactly the kind of narrative that sells at the $100+ price point.
The Least Obvious: France is the New Italy
The aperitivo occasion — long an Italian cultural export — is now taking root in France, and Prosecco is its vehicle. The implications for how luxury drinks brands position themselves around food and social ritual are significant. Champagne owns the celebration. Prosecco is colonising the everyday moment. The gap between those two occasions is where the next decade’s market share battle will be fought.
