WINE LORE
OBSCURE FACTS AND OPINIONS When it comes to wine, we are the luckiest people of all time. Quality has never been as good as it is today. Availability is unrivalled. Winemakers are practising sustainable methods in the vineyard, becoming far less reliant upon herbicides and insecticides than in the past. Access to information (often the internet) and the sharing of insights among vineyard owners and winemakers has elevated our collective consciousness and made us more intelligent and far more discerning than ever before. We have heightened expectations and are less tolerant of mediocrity when it comes to wine. But we are sometimes fooled into thinking medals or stickers are of great significance when it comes to wine, which is often not the case. I would argue that a wine from a great vintage with no medal is often far superior to a gold medal wine from a vintage which suffered from darkness and/ or excessive moisture. I would also argue that many, if not most, producers of excellent wines would never enter their wines into wine shows because they don’t need to do so, and often just don’t believe in the merit of wine shows other than to show there was a consensus opinion. This is all debatable. Let’s get back to how lucky we are. We have come to know the difference between a Sauvignon Blanc and a Cabernet Sauvignon. We know that ‘Burgundy’ is a place, not a wine varietal. We know that some wines are ready to drink immediately upon opening the bottle, and some wines require greater aeration. In the 13 years that Finer Wines has been around, I have seen the aptitude of my customers increase beyond measure. But I have also seen people swayed by radio people who may or may not be true wine experts, or who may or may not even have an experienced wine palate or even have any idea of what they may be espousing. So with all the positive things I’ve mentioned, there are also people who may visit the wine shop looking for a particular wine on the basis of what a radio pundit has described. I try never to embarrass the prospective customer or myself by degrading the source of the wine excitement, but I do wonder what ‘insight’ a radio pundit may have over a wine person who tastes hundreds
of different wines yearly and who does this as a profession. Usually the person hunting down a wine isn’t even aware of which vintage the radio host was enamoured with, which is an important consideration. One common thread in all the wine articles I’ve written is that there is a huge difference between truth and hype, between reality and commercialisation. The key thing I always need to know is what the customer considers to be a brand or grape variety they prefer, and if they enjoy a drier wine or a sweeter one, as most styles of grape produced can vary considerably. Without knowing the customer’s point of reference, it is impossible to be accurate in finding a wine to suit a preferred style. I wish to express my gratitude to all the people in the vineyard and all those involved in the making of wine for continuing to improve all the facets of their business, which makes my job all that more interesting, dynamic and fulfilling. In vino veritas.
Jim
Finer Wines
8 Main Road, Katikati | www.finerwines.co.nz
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