THE Winter Olympics is all but over, Champions League football has already resumed, and Chinese New Year has been and gone with the news Chinese scientists have apparently cloned monkeys.

Yep, we’re already well into 2018 and, as spring draws nearer, it’s probably time to dust things down and look at what’s new for the wine world this year.

According to a report by leading wine retailer Majestic, 2018 promises to be another quirky year, with several trends likely to feature. Here are a few of our picks.

Bigger is better

Magnums are big news. In 2017, Majestic saw a 378 per cent increase in year-on-year sales of super-sized bottles under £20, rosés and house reds in 1.5 litre measures proving particularly popular, especially for big celebration.

Wines in magnums also take longer to reach their optimum drinking age, and this adds to the intensity, making them many connoisseurs’ choice for premium wines, too. Big bottles are also good centrepieces for a hearty social dinner.

El Niño hits South American wines

Abnormal weather in South America has resulted in low yields that have dismayed winemakers on both sides of the Andes. Chile and Argentina may no longer be safe bets for decent wines at the £6 or under price point. In the immediate future, the emphasis for these regions could well shift from quantity to quality, thus with price rises likely.

Eastern Europe could be a saviour

Eastern European wines have been steady ships on the choppy waters of dismal European harvests and Brexit-related supply blues. Sales were up by a whopping 1,365 per cent year-on-year in the £5-£10 price band at Majestic in 2017. Initial reports also suggest Hungary’s harvest is down only three per cent compared to an EU-wide average drop of 14 per cent, while Romania is looking at a 60 per cent harvest increase. Your midweek bottle, therefore, may increasingly originate from Hungary’s Central Valley - rather than Chile’s. Many of these wines have been underrated for too long anyway.

Prosecco isn’t going anywhere… yet

Apparently some people were writing off Prosecco – not sure who, to be honest – but sales of this light sparkler are still booming. Warnings from dour dentists that the bubbles and sweetness can be bad for your teeth have been largely shrugged off.

The Rivamonte Prosecco Frizzante (£8.49 at Majestic or £6.49 in the Mix Six promotion) is one we enjoyed recently for such a price, with its fresh apple and floral flavours and pleasant dry finish. At 10 per cent, it wasn’t heavy on the head either.

However, with another difficult harvest in Northern Italy, where some yields are down as much as 30 per cent, sparkling wines from Sicily or Central Italy could prove to be good value alternatives to stave off price increases.

Gin, you say? Brits are favouring a new tipple for 2018

While gin in all its crafty new forms has been arguably the biggest success story of 2017’s drinks business – and will probably continue to boom this year - Majestic has recorded a 25 per cent increase year-on-year in sales of sherry. What used to be Granny’s favourite has dropped its age appeal by 50 years, with 20- and 30-somethings happy to be seen sipping this retro classic. Other fortified friends are making comebacks, too, with port sales seeing an 18 per cent volume increase in 2017 and the unsung Madeira up 224 per cent, with those trends tipped to continue. Oh, and watch out for brandy being the next spirit to get the craft treatment

Wait a second. Cloned monkeys?!