Now that we’re well past the holidays and into a new year, it’s high time to poke our heads out of the wine barrel and survey the landscape.

         Or at least which wines are trending up, which ones not, and there are always those few that never seem to gain any traction in terms of growth…

         If I were a gambling man, I’d give you odds that:

         Malbecs from Mendoza will continue their torrid sales pace in 2012. It took the folks from Argentina several decades to realize that most of the red vines that had been transplanted from Bordeaux were, in fact, not merlot, which remained a common misconception until the wonders of grapevine DNA-testing.

         Now that malbec has assumed its rightful place in the viniferous universe, it’s simply the hottest selling red varietal around. The Nielsen company keeps track of grocery and chain store sales, and they’ve reported that malbec sales have increased at double-digit levels for the 5^th year in a row.

         My take? The ‘09s and ‘10s that are beginning to come to market are the best vintages in quite awhile, so it’s a great time to jump in and try a few bottles beyond the “comfort-zone” $10-to-$18 price-point. There are some great malbecs selling for $20-$35 that compare favorably with “big reds” from anywhere.

         *Bet big on moscato. This white varietal is a bit confusing as the bottles showing up in the market are as likely to come from the U.S. as they are from Italy (or France or Australia).

         But at a whopping 57% increase, Nielsen crowns these softly sweet nectars as the biggest movers in terms of sales growth.

         My take? Every decade or so there’s perceived to be a “new” wine that serves as the entry-point for beginning wine drinkers. Some of us more experienced (okay, older) drinkers remember the heyday of Lancers and Mateus, and it’s more recently that white zins have long overstayed their welcome in that role. In 2012 even newbie drinkers understand that they need to find an alternative. Thus, moscato.

         *Pinot gris will continue to make inroads in the “white” market as well. As long-time grigio lovers from Italy look for more interesting alternatives, the splendid pinot gris’ from Oregon will continue to move front and center on wine shelves.

         Soft, fruity-without-being-too-sweet, these white wonders from the Willamette are a stellar alternative to most any aperitif-style wine.

         *Zinfandel: this columnist will give zins—the genuine red ones, mind you---a half-share vote. The wines have never been better, although consumer attention seems to remain fixed on a few of the usual suspects.

         The growth for zin is in it’s blends, whether it’s with some of the big names such as The Prisoner or the Wagner Families’ Red Conundrum or Dave Matthew’s Dreaming Tree Crush wines. Zin has been the workhorse blending varietal for at least as long as Marietta’s Old Vine has been around, and that’s 2 decades and counting.

         Is 2012 the year that syrahs finally enjoy a breakthrough? I’m afraid I’d stay on the short side here, even though those of us in the wine trade love the grape with unrestrained passion. (We’re just not able to sell it, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon).

         Double-down on Riesling? Soon. But not yet. Give those new drinkers an opportunity to jump in with those moscatos first and after a few years, who knows?

         Others? Cabs, pinot noirs, and yes, even chardonnay will continue their slow but steady growth patterns. And merlots, well, I think it’s about time for their resurrection, don’t you?