Wine got a swank new theme park. Canadian rapper Drake launched a bourbon. A British researcher announced he'd created a synthetic alcohol that doesn't cause hangovers. On the downside, 2016 marked one of the worst French wine harvests in 30 years and brought news that white wine may increase the risk of melanoma. It was also a time when Americans elected a winery-owning teetotaller to the most powerful office in the free world. Herewith, a few cheers – and jeers – to the boozy year that was.
Interprovincial wine barriers get uncorked
In April, a New Brunswick provincial court judge threw out all charges against local resident Gérard Comeau, who had been charged in 2012 for transporting 14 cases of beer and three bottles of liquor across the border from Quebec. New Brunswick law – not unlike the sad vestiges of Prohibition-era legislation still on the books in other provinces – prohibits anyone from having more than 12 pints of beer that was not purchased in one of its government liquor stores. Public prosecutors, frustrated with the sage verdict, announced last month (to a chorus of boos from forward-thinking Canadians, no doubt) that they would seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Let's keep fingers and toes crossed that the case comes down, once and for all, on the side of freedom, justice and tariff-neutral domestic wine shipping for all.
Guggenheim for grapes
Bordeaux, a city surrounded by regal châteaux and some of the most famous vineyards on the planet, cut the ribbon in June to its latest and arguably most sensational attraction yet, La Cité du Vin. A museum-cum-theme park, the City of Wine is housed in a spectacular, curvy building said to be inspired by the whirlpool of a well-swirled glass of Burgundy. Ten storeys high, it features, among other things, a 250-seat auditorium, a sensory sniffing exhibit, a bar stocked with 800 selections from dozens of countries and a simulated boat ride that's like a virtual-reality booze cruise through the history of wine. Disneyland, move over.
Celebrities in high spirits
Stars of stage, screen and sports have long been getting into the wine business (hello, Sting and Gérard Depardieu). Some also have dipped a toe into the vodka and tequila worlds, such as Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake. These days, brown seems to be the new colour of liquid fame. In 2016, Canadian rapper Drake launched Virginia Black Decadent American Whiskey to much ballyhoo. Hot on his heels were Wayne Gretzky with No. 99 Red Cask Whisky and Ricky and Bubbles of Trailer Park Boys fame (a.k.a. Robb Wells and Mike Smith) with Liquormen's Ol' Dirty Canadian Whisky. Now, that's hooch, Canadian-style.
Near beer's breakout year
Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev jumped into the non-alcoholic market in a big way in May with the launch of Budweiser Prohibition Brew, a sober version of its bestselling brand (which I never found particularly strong to begin with, gnuck, gnuck). Tested in Canada before a scheduled global rollout, it joins a growing list of big-brand brewskies aimed at health- and calorie-conscious consumers, including Carlsberg's Nordic and Heineken's 0.0% MAXX. As for flavour, you be the judge. And while you're at it, won't you be my designated driver?
Wine gets funky
People had been producing wine the old-fashioned way (with wild yeasts and minimal intervention) for thousands of years. Technology, including temperature-controlled fermentation and meticulous application of hygiene, pretty much ended the practice in the modern era. But in 2016, publications such as Vanity Fair, Food & Wine and the New York Times were singing the praises of so-called natural wines crafted by backward-looking renegades. "Orange" wines, too, made no shortage of headlines, owing their curious, often hazy colour to the fact that they are white wines fermented the antique way – in contact with skins, just like red wines – and are generally unfiltered. In fairness, these offbeat creations tend to be an acquired taste. But you've got to admire the passion and be grateful for such renewed diversity in the face of so many tedious, look-alike, oaky chardonnays.
Liquor without the hangover
Make way for "Alcosynth," a synthetic alcohol that produces a pleasant buzz without the dry mouth, nausea or headache on the morning after. British developer David Nutt said this year that the chemical is metabolized in a different way by the body and could help curb liver and heart troubles associated with standard ethanol. The neuroscientist reportedly has two forms of the compound in testing for widespread use. We'll drink (in moderation) to that.
French wine's very bad year
Hail, frost and rot plagued vineyards across the great wine-producing country as bad weather resulted in one of the smallest harvests in 30 years. Champagne, Burgundy and the Loire Valley were particularly hard hit by springtime frosts, which hobbled vines, and drought conditions in the south did further damage around the Mediterranean. While fruit tonnage was low, there's a silver lining: Grape quality in many cases was very good.
Pair that pinot grigio with sun block, people
From the health world this year came a new study suggesting that white wine, even in moderation, can increase the risk of skin cancer. Researchers, who published their findings in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, examined the self-reported drinking habits of more than 200,000 Caucasians and found that one daily glass of white wine was associated with a 13-per-cent higher chance of contracting melanoma, particularly on the generally non-sun-exposed areas around the trunk of the body (versus the head, neck and extremities). The apparent culprits: acetaldehydes. They're present in both red and white wines but red wine contains antioxidants that are believed to offer added carcinogen protection. All I can say is, make my next glass a pinot noir.