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Malbecs from Argentina can be wonderful and affordable, but its chief competitor for new grape to me is Carmenere from Chile - had a stunning version over the weekend that most would have guessed to be pinot noir, yet it had much more structure and cost only $18.
Albarino is a strong contender for white, yet my personal tastebud favorite would be roussanne. Gruner Veltliner would be a third choice.
Grigio and S/Blanc had their chances yet did not get it done.

I've got my money on Grenache for the next big red. Although Malbec would easily be my second choice...

For a new white, I have to go with vinho verde. Excellent summer whine, very light and refreshing. As far as reds go, a good high altitude malbec is tops in my book.

Great picks from all of you. For what it's worth, I think Tempranillo is the next next big red, perhaps followed by Cab Franc. I love the idea of sake for the white. I think the problem with ribolla, gruner, and arneis is availability here in the US. Amandarama and Simon will like Petite Sirah, based on what they are enjoying now. And if Sauvignon Blanc was going to do it, I figure it would have by now--but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

Ellis, you've discovered one of my quirks: wine personifications. Not all my reviews have them, but a lot do. One day you'll get sick of them--then I'll switch to music or something. But I'm glad you liked it.

Keep the predictions coming!

I'll have to try the Petite Syrah. I was on the Pinot Noir bandwagon was early as 1997. Lately I've been enjoying the various blended reds available that are comprised of shiraz and/or grenache in combination with other grapes (such as mouvedre).

For whites I really like New World sauvignon blancs. I like their juiciness and they go great with spicy foods (which I eat a lot of). But, I also like chenin blanc and viognier, especially on a hot summer afternoon with a picnic lunch!

@ellis ~ "A wine that tastes like a very-berry Zinfandel that walked through a tannic Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard with a dark chocolate bar clutched in its fist."

I must memorize that description and blow my wine expert friends away. If you listen carefully, you'll hear their jaws hit the floor. 8-D

My favorite wine description ever: "A wine that tastes like a very-berry Zinfandel that walked through a tannic Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard with a dark chocolate bar clutched in its fist."

I respectfully request that the flavor profiles of all wines be personified from this point forward. Much obliged.

The next big white is not a grape, it's a grain. Sake has been growing in the US and is about to reach critical mass. One particular subcategory, sparkling sake, has huge potential on restaurant menus, since it comes in little one (generous) serving bottles.

I am less than thrilled by the current obsession with Pinot Noir. Even in the best Burgundies, I find it too light and fruity. Recently I have been very happily surprised by straight Cabernet Franc, and it's Spanish descendant Mencia. I also love some pure Zinfandels. Syrah on its own, other than the great Hermitage bottles, doesn't do it for me. Overall though, I'm a blended wine fan. Be it from Bordeaux, Cotes du Rhone, California, Spain or from South America. Finding the next big trendy single varietal red wines seems to me to be mostly an American obsession.

As for whites, Grüner Veltliner and Sauvignon Blanc are my favorites. And I'm really enjoying the rosés being produced with non-traditional grapes. This is how I've really enjoyed Pinot Noir the most. Kamen Estates makes a Cabernet Sauvignon rosé that is to die for but is next to impossible to find.

Great article, I'll have to check them out.

Personal experience from the wine bars in NYC, Chardonnay still dominates the whites, but there is some migration to some northern Italian grapes such as Gavi and Arneis.