International wine challenge

Friday, June 4th, 2010

London: I wish I had ten pounds for the number of times I heard “Oh I do hope we don’t get South African Pinotage!” said aloud in a plummy accent. I’d have made pretty good money in the week spent at the International Wine Challenge held at the Barbican Centre in the City of London. Pommie tasters feel the need to put the boot in before anyone else – but then that seems to be the national sport… Newspapers are full of random acts of violence which are all the more horrific because they are so commonplace. A man stabbed to death by a stranger because his attacker ‘thought’ he was a paedophile. Two young women – no older than 22 – in court for kicking a man to death in Leicester Square. They’d rounded on the 50-year-old gay man walking with his partner calling him a “faggot” before giving him “a right kicking”.

So it was really fantastic to see condescension turn to praise when South African Sauvignon Blanc was tasted. Granted, mostly from the 2009 vintage which we know was special because of the late onset of harvest and cool ripening conditions. Having tasted a flight from Constantia and Elgin – and later the same day a flight of Savvies from Marlborough in New Zealand there’s no doubt about which wines I’d prefer to drink – and that’s not being a pie-eyed patriot. It’s about the relative quality of production.

But before I get too carried away – a flight of Chilean Syrah had me nervous. South Africa has to compete against wines that offer complexity and enjoyment. Pure, rich ripe black berry fruit had me running out of adjectives. Seriously good wines. Contrast so much extracted, heavily oaked, overripe, “thrown everything but the kitchen sink at it” SA Shiraz – and again there’s no argument about which wine I’d prefer.

SA, be afraid… be very afraid!

One other snippet of info from the International Wine Challenge was that the entries topped 10 000 this year. On day one our panel thought we’d died and gone to heaven: we had a flight of Burgundy – Grand and Premier Cru. Bonnes-Mare, Echezeaux, Vosne-Romanee… That’s something that just NEVER happens at international wine competitions since the best of the best feel they don’t need to enter. It was such a pleasure to judge and was the highlight of a week of in excess of 500 wines in five days.

However, the reality of the economic situation is such that a UK agent entered 300 burgundies into the IWC. Organiser Charles Metcalfe admitted that they’d given him “a good deal” on the entry fee as a result…

Those little stickers – be they local or international – are undoubtedly good for business!