Online searches ‘through the roof’ for Sancerre and chilled reds
A new ‘Summergeist’ report by Google reveals the top-trending food and drinks this season, with Sancerre and chilled reds storming ahead, as well as, bizarrely, spam hotdogs. db finds out more.
Google’s trend analysis reports pull back the curtain to reveal which terms global consumers are actively searching for on their devices.
In 2024, searches shot up for ‘Sleepy Girl Mocktails’ and ‘Porn Star Martinis’. The following year, fingers were tapping on keyboards for ‘Caviar Chicken Nuggets’ and ‘Postpartum Mocktails’, while retro Spanish drink Sangria also made a comeback in 2025.
This summer, it’s all about one white wine from France and a way of serving red wine, which (in the UK at least) would have raised eyebrows until fairly recently.
Sancerre takes over
According to Google’s Summergeist Trends Report, Sancerre is having a major moment, partially tied to pop star Taylor Swift after a bottle of the French white was spotted in her documentary series Taylor Swift: end of an era. As db reported in January this year, the cameo triggered a rush on the wine in the US, with stocks selling out almost overnight.
Off the back of this phenomenon, Sancerre has this summer become what is known as a ‘breakout search’, meaning Google has recorded a 5000% increase or more on the usual search volume for the term.
Phrases including “Taylor Swift Sancerre” and “Sancerre wine Taylor Swift” have soared in the past month while, unusually, the names of specific Sancerre producers have also shot up.
The terms “Sancerre Pascal Jolivet”, “Alphonse Mellot Sancerre” and “Domaine des Terres Blanches” are all breakout searches. All three estates are considered benchmark producers of the eastern Loire Valley wine region, with Pascal Jolivet, founded in 1987, owning 120 hectares of organically-farmed Sancerre and Pouilly sur Loire. Allphonse Mellot, on the other hand, is owned by the Mellot family, which has roots in wine stretching back to the 17th Century when César Mellot was appointed wine advisor to Louis XIV in 1698. As for Domaine de Terres Blanches, owned by the Saget family, it owns 15ha of Sancerre, located between the villages of Bué en Sancerre and Amigny.
An additional breakout search in the last month was “Sancerre terres blanches,” with people keen to learn more about this signature soil type found in the Sancerre appellation, while questions including “What grape is Sancerre?” and “Where is Sancerre?” also spiked, the latter up +50% during the last month alone.
Finally, “Sancerre rosé wine” also reached breakout status in the last four weeks.
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Chilled red wine no longer a rogue option
Online searches also peaked for chilled red wine, though the specific nature of the searches reveal a widespread acceptance and bedding in of the practice. Tellingly, Google searches asking “should red wine be chilled?” were down -4%, suggesting that wine drinkers are no longer seeking approval to pop a bottle of red in the fridge.
Instead, more people than ever jumped online to search simply “chilled red wine trend” (+20%) and “red wine chilled” (+4%).
Beaujolais, especially, was on people’s minds, with searches for the young, fruity French red wine also up +20%, hinting that chilled Beaujolais could become a favourite.
Hugo Spritzes and Hojicha lattes
As the Google report explained, spritz searches tend to spike very summer. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the popularity of the drink, one breakout search this month was “What goes in an Aperol Spritz”.
However, searches for “how to make a Hugo Spritz at home” spiked 2200% in the same timeframe, suggesting that this alternative take, made using Prosecco, elderflower cordial, mint and lemon, is gaining ground.
On the alcohol-free front, “Hōjicha” and “horchata” are both currently being searched in volume. “What is hojicha latte” and “is hojicha caffeinated?” are top trending questions in the past month, with “matcha horchata latte” a breakout search.
If you’re new to the idea of a “hojicha latte”, it’s a creamy hot drink made from Japanese roasted green tea (hojicha), hot water, and frothed milk. Unlike matcha, hojicha is roasted over charcoal, giving it a smooth, nutty, and caramel-like flavour without bitterness and a naturally lower caffeine content.
Fibremaxxing, black sesame and spam hotdogs
In the food category, hot trends include “fibermaxxing” (with searches up +115% in the past 90 days) as people around the world try to boost their fibre intake. Favourite searches in this field were “high fibre smoothie” and “high fibre blueberry muffin”.
Elsewhere, home bakers are looking to incorporate “black sesame” into their desserts with “black sesame ice cream” and “black sesame cookies” also breakout searches from the past month.
The somewhat grim prospect of a “Spam hotdog” has nonetheless found a fanbase, while Google asked whether New York is “single-handedly bringing the froyo back” as searches for “frozen yogurt NYC” are up 120% in the past 90 days.
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