Unfiltered with Mt Difficulty’s Matt Dicey
Friday 14 May
Matt Dicey, winemaker at Mt Difficulty, introduces this episode of Unfiltered. He wriggles out of telling us his birth year and loves the Matrix…Keanu, you still have your fans!
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Matt Dicey, winemaker at Mt Difficulty, introduces this episode of Unfiltered. He wriggles out of telling us his birth year and loves the Matrix…Keanu, you still have your fans!
I picked up a copy of Simon Difford’s Class magazine this week. It’s very swish: all bells and whistles but my favourite part of the bartender’s magazine was its Hall of Shame page. Oh, how I laughed: find a crap product and tell people what you think.
Why hasn’t the wine world done that? There’s plenty of rubbish out there that people should be warned off and it’d be a lot more interesting than simply reading about what’s nice. I find it quite refreshing to read honest columns and a ‘What’s Not Hot’ would spice things up a bit.
I’ve also been re-reading Eats Shoots and Leaves this week, a book about the demise of spelling and grammar. Yes I admit it, I’m a stickler. I’ve not had the misfortune to taste any terrible wine this week, so I’m putting the Sussex Wine Company in my Hall of Shame for grammatical reasons. I stumbled across this wine description on their website and it got my goat:
“The Chateau, Lamothe Bergeron, was promoted Cru Middle-class Superior at the time of the revision of the classification of 1932, occurred in June 2003.” Er, I think you might mean Cru Bourgeois and the last bit doesn’t make sense.
“The usual blend is perdominately Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.” Try spellcheck next time.
I think I might make the Hall of Shame a more regular thing. If you find anything wine-related that is a prime candidate, let me know!
It’s only been a week since I arrived in Marlborough to work part of the 2010 vintage but I’m already in need of a rest!
I thought I was fit before I arrived at Jackson Estate but pulling hoses, plunging unyielding caps and working 12-hour shifts is a real test of stamina. The cellar boys have worked 12 days on the trot and I don’t know how they do it. If you wanted to get fit but hated the gym, taking on a cellar job would do the trick.
I’ve talked to the boys in the winery today and the hours are certainly the worst part of working vintage but the flip side is meeting people from all corners of the globe and seeing those grapes turn into the delicious final product. A glass of wine at lunchtime also makes life more bearable.
It’s back to the day job for me now and while I’m looking forward to resting my aching limbs, I’m sorely tempted to stay on for the vintage party, complete with a pig on a spit.
I swore I would never work in a cellar again after a terrible vintage experience in Australia in 2006. Rose-tinted glasses firmly on, I’ve agreed to do a week’s work at Jackson Estate in Marlborough
Ominously the booking reference code for my flight to Marlborough read “HEL” – the omens could have been better.
Luckily Jackson’s winemaker and the cellar boys have eased me in gently today. I’ve plunged a few tanks of Pinot Noir: a great workout for both arms and shoulders. The only downside was wearing the safety harness to prevent any falls into the open vats – it’s remarkably similar to wearing a baby bouncer. Not a great look but it gave the American cellar hand a good laugh.
However, I have managed to redeem myself by borrowing a rather fetching pair of leopard print wellies from the owners of Jackson. Who said cellar work can’t be glamorous?
The day started off at 7 a.m. in the vineyards with their band of Thai pickers. It was a warm and sunny morning but the Thai team were rugged up for all eventualities with balaclavas, gilets and hats. Nevertheless they picked at an impressive clip and we were putting the fruit into the destemmer (and grape juice in my eyes – nasty stuff) and off to the tank within hours.
For the next week, I’ll be reporting every day from Jackson, giving you the inside track on the 2010 vintage and the latest happenings in Marlborough with interviews and videos.
NB: This blog can also be read at Harpers throughout the week
Sandra Bullock won Best Actress at yesterday’s Oscars but she should be afraid - very afraid. Here I am on Wine Vault TV talking Syrah, Pinot Noir and calling host Jayson Bryant a soft southern fairy. I am expecting a call from Hollywood in the next couple of days…