And now to decide once and for all…did the chicken of the current (bottled) red wine boom come before the egg of the `modern’ styles of red or not? Is the market demanding more of the newer reds, or are they simply accepting what has been put in front of them? No-one can deny, but things have changed here, and almost everyone has noticed. For instance, it has become more sexist than ever to suggest to a woman that she try a white wine instead. I wouldn’t dream of that any more – the list of male chauvinist casualties is already steep enough. Our red wines are undoubtedly more approachable than ever before, and they appeal to a far wider range of palates. And seeing that most good wine is actually purchased these days by the fairer and more knowledgeable sex (at least when it comes to wine…), then clearly it has worked out well for the wine industry. Brian Miller, the Fine Wines Manager of Seppelt, believes that the credit should go to the industry itself. His point is simple:- the `boom’ in bottled red wines began around twelve months ago, but the wines actually responsible for this, i.e. those wines being bought and drunk as part of the boom, were made well before the whole thing kicked off. That’s hard to argue with, for we are still working our way through the ’85s and ’86s, aren’t we? “The public have been influenced by the direction of the change in red wine”, proclaims Miller. “The fact that winemakers began to concentrate on fruit in our wine has not gone un-noticed, and now it’s paying off in the market”. So what else has been responsible for the resurrection of the red? Certainly the proliferation of the light dry reds has something to do with it. Australia’s climate is suited to both the mass production and mass consumption of these wines, and the day could well come when everyone not involved directly in their manufacture will play some role in their usage. That other wine boom, wine export, which has received far more publicity than an interesting story would, has scared a significant number of people into hoarding vast quantities of red wine, to see them through the predicted increased prices for at least the next few years. It’s the cellar of the ‘fifties revisited, and could well be responsible for a minor building boom, for there is a limit to how much of the stuff you can put under the bed. Brian Miller is firmly convinced that the increase in red wine purchased over the last twelve months has far outweighed the national consumption, thereby adding fuel to the previous theory – that the wine must have been put someplace. “They simply couldn’t have increased their intake that much”, shrugs a bewildered Miller, “so undoubtedly they’re stocking up”. It’s funny how things go in cycles. Not three days ago a prominent Melbourne wine retailer confessed to me that he expects to see the prices of wine tumble again in five years. Hmmm… Until recently the larger companies weren’t so concerned about getting every available kilo of quality grapes from their vineyards, which were by and large, pretty neglected. All that has changed with the recent and massive increases in grape prices, and a return to profitability for the vineyard. Naturally enough, that has resulted in the production of better fruit across the board, which automatically means that it’s easier to make better wine, now that the vineyards are taken more seriously. A danger from that train of thought is over-cropping, and nothing could be more certain to make ordinary light wines. Keep that in mind. It has now got to the stage when certain viticulturalists now get their names in lights on wine labels. The Hickinbotham wines all carry the grower’s name, and Brown Brothers have done the same for ages. Top viticulturalist David Paxton’s name decorates some premium wine, and it can now be argued, in Paxton’s case at least, that his name is used to sell the wine. The effective wine marketers have assisted their winemakers to understand what the wine to modern consumer is responding to. In Miller’s words, the modern style “is softer, has less apparent acid (not to be confused with total acid), is slightly lighter in style, with less tannin and alcohol. It has more fruit, and with all things considered, should actually cellar well”. You know all those back labels that say “it drinks well now but will definitely improve for another eighty years”? Some could well be right. But what if we take it too far? We could wind up as a land of cordial drinkers, or worse still, ros. On the other hand, how about those who make the fuller, tradition wines? Ron Laughton and Phil Leamon, of Jasper Hill and Chateau le Amon fame respectively, will budge from their richer, firmly-structured wines for no man. “I’ll continue to make my wines the way they are”, says Laughton (whose new `Friends’ Shiraz is a trimmer), “and I’ll educate the public to like them”. Leamon is equally adamant, and turns his nose up at the suggestion of changing completely to lighter reds. Of course. It would be like asking Imran Khan to bowl spin. David Lance is a small winemaker whose wines actually fit the current mould. His Cabernet and Pinot Noir are light and elegant in structure, and almost overwhelming in depth of flavour. He doesn’t have to change, but would he consider it if the trends reversed? No way. You see, the small winemaker is invariably an individual, and up to a point make only what he or she would like to drink themselves. The trends don’t matter nearly as much for them as for the big companies like Seppelt, where to be abreast of the changes can make the difference between success and failure.
