Globally Yours......Red or White?
(Sunday Times 2001)
Just before the begining of the new year a famous wine journalist writing in one of the most respected and authoritative magazines around the world wrote that he was going to spend the New year holidays in Rome and that as at around this time he always feels like Claret he will be looking for 'Ornellaia 1997'. 'Ornellaia' is one of the so called Super Tuscan wines made from Grape Varieties that are not typical of Tuscany, vinified by a French man, aged in French oak Barriques and most importantly made with French ideology.
Whether this journalist intended to compliment, Ornellaia or not. Or maybe he was indirectly complimenting, or not, Bordeaux, I cannot tell, but quite possibly he has summarised the current chaos that the wine world is in at present.
That Ornellaia drinks very well no one can argue. That it is not value for money many can argue. That the wine has character, some would argue, but what character, Tuscan or Bordeaux. On the same way of thinking, a very influential American wine magazine recently scored and reviewed the great Tuscan vintage of 1997. ' Reminding me of great Bordeaux' , ' Finesse to rival the best of Bordeaux' was some of the commentary.
Standardisation or what?
The success of the super, hand crafted wine whether it is from Tuscany or anywhere else was until recently described as a phenomenon. The innovation backed by the hype that these wines attracted brought with it huge prices based solely on speculation which in turn has encouraged every Piero, Gerard or Miguel to look after their own interests rather than the interests of the collective character of their respective regions. It is no longer Robert Parker or Michel Rolland that has the magic wand but any one with enough clout and marketing people to influence the ever greedy speculators.
I suppose this is what the modernists call progress and the traditionalists call the end of the wine world as we know it. I personally call it greed, going to extremes. If wine has a message for all of us to value, it is surely, to be balanced and cautious. We must move ahead with progress and technology , slowly and surely, but we must not at the same time forget the fundamental meaning of wine. Wine is and should always be a reflection of a specific piece of land with it's microclimate, it's grape varieties and it's wine grower. All of this within local traditions and micro cultures. Technical values are obvious, but wine's only measure of quality must be based against character and breed.
Some may argue that what counts is the liquid in the glass and the market who drinks it. That statement is as inspiring as saying human beings must breath to live... I ask, will we soon be adding Brunello to Barolo, to add elegance? Hermitage to spice up St-Emilion? How about Margaux stopping it's replanting programme to produce less, but super Margaux?
Maybe in the future we will start seeing wine lists offering Red, White and Rose, simply at Lm 2.00, Lm 4.50 Lm 10.00 etc!!!! Consumers requesting Lm 5.00 worth of Red and 50c worth of Rose!!!
Many generations of wine growers and wine drinkers, from all over the world have built up a good will for wine that stretches from the glass of wine in a Taverna on a Greek island to the Grandeur of a Chateau in France. Both have acclaimed passion status on their own individual merits and it is up to us and our contemporary wine growers to respect that and remember that in the final analysis Tuscany made Antinori famous, Catalunya gave Torres it's identity and Saint-Emilion gave Gerard Perse the recognition that he now possess....... not the other way round.
It is not so much the planting or the use of grape varieties, neither is it the exchange of knowledge between wine technicians, after all the ever important soil and climate remain the same, but more the fact that by giving up the regional and traditional style and character, producing wines that are standardised according to what the market wants we are taking away from the good will mentioned above. The beauty of wine is in it's diversity and just like us human beings we can only be great if we reflect our cultural, historic and temperamental character. Individuality, based on those criteria is a virtue but a wine made in Tuscany from Merlot, aged in French oak barriques, made by a French Man specifically with the USA market in mind is like a 5 star Hotel running a Tapas Bar or an American complaining in a Pizzeria in Naples that his Pizza is not like Pizza Hut.
On a recent visit to Sicily, we were discussing wine at a winery on the Etna when the owners told me that they were thinking of ripping up their Nerello Mascalese to plant Merlot. When I asked why, the answer was that the situation is such, that no one wants to drink our wines anymore. Whether in five or ten years time people will be drinking Merlot or whatever from the Etna I don't know, but one thing I am convinced of and that is that when I get an urge for a taste of Sicily I shall stick to Nero d'Avola, Cerasuolo di Vittoria etc.
Like wise when I feel like a claret I shall spend my money with our friends from Bordeaux.
Incidentally I also felt like claret this Christmas, so I opened a charactherful Carteau Cotes Daugay 1990 (St-Emilion) , whilst for New Years we enjoyed a very typical Cerasuolo by COS at some Sicilian friends.
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