A Matter of Taste
Wednesday 19 May
I was polishing off a bottle of Hawke’s Bay Syrah last night with a flatmate. I thought it was elegant; he didn’t think it had enough balls. I tried to explain that just because it didn’t have balls didn’t mean it wasn’t a great wine. Big doesn’t mean better. But what if that’s what you like?
We concluded that everybody needs to find a wine critic with similar taste. It helps if they write well (that doesn’t stop a few people) but wine is a matter of taste.
It’s the same with film reviews. Any movie that gets a five star rating in the Independent newspaper, I avoid like the plague: The Aviator, The English Patient, Lord of the Rings. Spare me the three-hour epic. If it gets two stars the likelihood is, it’s for me. There’s nothing wrong with liking a trashy movie and there’s nothing wrong with drinking something uncomplicated mid-week. It can be tiring being highbrow all the time.
Having judged at a few wine tastings recently, panels should even things out. However, we’re all trying to look for elegant, restrained wines at the moment – sometimes that isn’t what people want.
Sav- and Shiraz-alanche
Saturday 8 May
It’s a daunting prospect tasting more than 50 Kiwi Sauvignon Blancs before 10am. Then, just when you’ve recovered from the Savalanche haze, you’re assaulted by a blur of 50 super-ripe Aussie Shirazes before lunchtime. And we volunteer to do this!
Before tasting the Sauvignons at Liquorland’s wine show, all 20 judges discussed what we should be looking for: elegance, balance, freshness. It’s an unusual time of year to be looking at Sauvignon Blanc. It’s usually judged in October as it falls off the bottling line or at Easter. Yet, it’s probably one of the most useful times to see how those wines are holding up a year after they were harvested. Moreover, these wines are going to be the ones the export market drinks for another six months.
The class we judged was pretty solid (which, was a lot more than we could say for the Chardonnay and Merlot category) although there were more wines than I expected with reduced characters: think burnt match, cabbage, garlic. Not something you’d want in your glass.
I’m astounded why people enter faulty or tired wines past their best in a competition. They’re not going to win anything. Yes, it’s less prevalent than it used to be but it still exists today. So, I asked some winemaker judges why so many people entered their wines to a rigorous judging process. One response was winemakers become too close to their wines and believe they are worthy of a medal; another claimed more wineries are entering competitions because they are desperate to help sales; if they can sneak a silver, it’s going to give them a boost.
The Australian Alternatives
Monday 2 November
This week it’s the tenth Australian Alternatives Varieties Wine Show (AAVWS). Last year I was lucky enough to be an associate judge to taste my way through hundreds of Australian and Kiwi Tempranillos, Sangioveses and Vermentinos.
Max Allen is chief of judges and, as it’s a decade old, asked all previous judges to “indulge in some uninhibited crystal ball-gazing”. What will Australian wine be like in fifteen or so years from now, he asked?
His questions included what varieties will we be drinking, what will be the pressing issues of the day and will the export market have changed much?
My first thought was that I expect the Aussie industry to be a lot smaller than it currently is – through both consolidation and a lack of water.
What will Australia be producing in 2025? I certainly expect to see more alternative varieties accepted into the mainstream as we have seen with Pinot Grigio. The rise of varieties better-suited to a warmer and drier climate means the likes of Vermentino, Fiano, Grenache, Mourvedre and Touriga Nacional will be edging Pinot Noir and Merlot off the Australian shelves.
But for consumers to become more aware of these varietals as acceptable alternatives to Cabernet and Shiraz, it requires the big brands to get behind these alternatives and bring them into the mainstream consciousness as well as shows like the AAVWS.
Will the UK be a major export market for you? Perhaps not. Our Australian market offer is still promotion driven and I can’t see us moving away from that unless the government clamps down on those promotions. With an increased number of wine consumers in the USA, the Far East, and Scandinavia this is perhaps a better market for Australian wines. Ok, we do have more consumers who want to trade up to Grange or Hill of Grace unlike many other markets but ask any importer how Aussie fine wine sales are going and the answer is they can’t shift them despite the quality clearly being there.
Yes, the UK is a mature market and we are steadily growing to understand there is more to the country than South East Australia but will most consumers know the Hunter or Clare Valley exist by 2025? I doubt it.
Issues of the day? Doesn’t history repeat itself? Plague, famine, drought, war, the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer. Why is the next 15 years going to be any different? I expect to see GM vines, flavoured wines, wines much lower in alcohol - how about robots instead of winemakers - at least we won’t have to put up with their egos then!
I wish I was over there judging again – it’s the most enjoyable judging week anyone could have: beers, bowls and jam sessions in between a lot of tasting. Follow the show on facebook or log on to The Australian Alternatives Wine Show website
Exclusive: Roederers to launch young wine writer award
Monday 14 September
Hooray, the organizers of the Louis Roederer wine writer awards have agreed to have a young wine writers award next year.
In my blog last week, I had a good moan about young wine writers not getting the credit they deserved. There’ve been a few comments from people and happily, I can announce exclusively, that’s all set to change.
James Samson of Maison Marques et Domaines, commented on my blog, ‘That’s a very happy coincidence to read your comments as we have been going through a process of invigorating the ‘Roederers’ and have had it in mind this year to add a new category to encourage more entries from younger wine writers.
‘Unfortunately, this idea, which came out of discussions with the judging panel, was just too late to include it on the entry forms in 2009. But rest assured in 2010 there will a category dedicated to rewarding emerging talent.
‘This year we were so impressed by what Jane (Parkinson) had achieved that the Chairman’s award was the best vehicle available to get that message of encouragement across.
‘We are very keen to stimulate debate and reward relevant wine-writing in the UK and abroad, increasingly in the form of on-line writing as well.
‘So please spread the word and encourage as many young writers to enter as possible in 2010.’
Hooray someone is listening out there! Right, young’uns, better get writing something profound yet entertaining.
The Roederer’s need to encourage young talent
Wednesday 9 September
Well done to those who won at the Louis Roederer Wine Writer Awards. No big surprises or upsets.
But I’d like to say a special congratulations and commiserations to Jane Parkinson at the Drinks Business. She is one of a young band of wine journalists out there including David Williams (formerly Wine & Spirit), Clint Cawood (Imbibe), Fionnuala Synott (freelance) and Richard Hemming (jancisrobinson.com). These guys and girls are making a living (just about) from wine writing but there is little recognition of their contribution or the potential they have for the future. Jane was given the Chairman’s commended prize despite missing out on top honours and I’m incredibly pleased that she was given the plaudits.
I did not enter this year because I feel younger writers aren’t taken as seriously as their older peers. I’d love to see the Louis Roederer’s make a category for the under 35s. It would be of more benefit to the young guns than any of the other older winners who are already long established in the industry.
The Artistry of Wine Award 2009
Jon Wyand
For Triage at Domaine des Perdrix
Online Wine Writer of the Year 2009
Natalie MacLean
Articles from www.nataliemaclean.com
Regional Wine Writer of the Year 2009
Christine Austin
Articles from The Yorkshire Post
Champagne Writer/ Presenter of the Year 2009
Tom Stevenson
Articles from Wine & Spirit, The World of Fine Wine
and Meininger’s Wine Business International
Louis Roederer Award for International Wine Book 2009
Oz Clarke
Bordeaux
International Wine Columnist of the Year 2009
Tim Atkin
Columns from OLN, The Observer and Intelligent Life
International Wine Feature Writer of the Year 2009
Margaret Rand
Articles from Decanter