The Second Annual Broken Hill International Wine Show – Continuing the Revolution

Following the hugely successful inaugural 2012 Broken Hill International Wine show, a new energetic organising committee are set to take the International wine show to a whole new level.

Last night, the Broken Hill Chamber of Wine and Food Commerce, in conjunction once again with the Far West Alternative Wine Growers Collective launched the 2013 Broken Hill International Wine Show.
 
The launch was hosted by new Chairman of the Chamber organising committee, Xin Xin Lee and held in the hall of the recently renovated and renamed Yellowtail-Constellation Chambers of Food and Wine.
Mr Lee replaced the original Chairman of the event, Johan Trambly-Churchill last March when reports came to light suggesting Trambly-Churchill had on-sold thousands of bottles of excess wines submitted to the wine show.  Funds from the on-selling had allegedly paid for a renovation to Trambly-Churchill’s ensuite and underground wine cellar, though these rumours were never substantiated.

Seeking to distance himself from the controversy of 2012, Mr Lee made a series of exciting announcements regarding the upcoming wine show. Highlights included:

-        The number of wines submitted for judging had trebled (to 3545 entries), as had the number of wine classes (100 up from 35).

-        A small team of 5 unknown, but exciting wine judges, wine writers and bloggers would be tasting and judging the entries over a three day ‘wine lockdown’ period.  Mr Lee defended the unknown tasting panel and shortened period for judging the wines (three days down from 5), noting that the team of judges were the emerging ‘crème de la crème’ of the twitterverse and all functioning alcoholics, so would be more than able to handle the intense wine tasting load.

-        A slightly tweaked Galena Tasting Panel Method™’ would be used to make the final call on split decisions and to decide the 135 trophies that will be handed out during the show, though details were not forthcoming on the night.

As the centrepiece of the launch, Mr Lee announced that the Broken Hill wine show will be the first in the world to showcase a virtual tasting of ancient wines that have long since been unavailable to consumers and wine critics alike. The revolutionary wine tasting concept, labelled the ‘Magical Wine Mystery Tour’ was the brainchild of Santa Monica native Dr Trey Garcia.
Dr Garcia, who has a triple degree in viticulture, mysticism and marketing from UCLA has spent almost 10 years studying ancient wines as well as séance and extra-sensory perception strengthening methods.

Given the shock and amazement felt in the press gallery following the announcement, RedtoBrown Wine News was lucky enough to speak to Dr Garcia after the presentation and asked him how he came to develop virtual wine tastings using mystical methods.
"Early on in my journey through mysticism I was able to connect easily with relatives and pets I had as a kid. With this natural power of mysticism and crossing over, I turned my attention to my other love – wine.”
The Ancient Wine séance will include virtual tastings of Athenian wine consumed after the Battle of Marathon, infamous Roman Falernian from the 121BC vintage, a bottle of the first vintage of Champagne made by Dom Perignon in 1670, several pre-phylloxera Burgundy and Bordeaux’s from the 19^th Century as well as a bottle of the first commercially available red wine produced in Australia (an 1819 vintage sourced from grapes grown adjacent to Sydney Cove).

Trey Garcia explained the process of the ‘Magical Wine Tasting Mystery Tour’ to RedtoBrown: ‘It starts with the tasters ‘crossing over’ together to the period in history the wine comes from. Using my powers of extra sensory perception, I will be pouring the wine into the glasses of the tasters and we will join together in a séance, savouring several historic wines from several parallel realities. I am qualified globally in the responsible serving of alcohol so unfortunately the tasting sizes will only be 50ml”.


An artist's impression of the 121Bc Falernian
 to be tasted virtually at the Broken Hill International Wine Show

RedtoBrown News was unable to verify that the virtual tasting was legitimate, despite our repeated attempts to be given a test run. Dr Garcia did note that well-respected Decanter wine writer, Andrew Jefford had experienced two test runs of the ‘Magical Wine Mystery Tour’ last week, and could verify its authenticity.
When RedtoBrown News contacted Mr Jefford via email, he provided glowing praise for Dr Garcia’s work.

“Words do not do that tasting justice” Jefford noted in his email response. “Twice I was transported to taste the finest, most authentic (and largely cork-sealed) wine from ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, medieval and pre-industrial revolution Europe. I even tasted low PH, (but no added acid) –era Australian wine. As predicted well before the tasting, the Australian wine was like rot-gut, but it was authentic, sincere, cork-sealed: an authentic total wine experience.  The Magical Wine Mystery Tour was other worldly and only poetry can truly capture its brilliance. Allow me” (Mr Jefford proceeded to craft a poem for RedtoBrown):

"Earth in my fingers/the love stork chirping/
like silk on my skin/wine from heaven/
In heaven eternally”.

The Broken Hill International Wine Show follows the successful Sydney Wine Show and Rootstock Natural Wine Show, though has intentionally been brought forward to trump the Karratha Asia Pacific Wine Show and the newly announced Ipswich International Burgundy Challenge.
RedtoBrown News will notify readers of the 100 trophy winners in upcoming posts.

Manitoba's version of Natalie MacLean - RedtoBrown News Interview Canada's Top Wine Writer

In the amateur blogging coup of the decade, RedtoBrown Wine News managed to secure an exclusive interview with Manitoba’s famous wine writer Doris MacDay following a chance meeting* at last month's Las Vegas Blog/Website Monetisation Maximisation Conference.

After years of hard work, Doris MacDay has become one of the pre-eminent North American wine writers, on a par with Ontario’s Natalie MacLean and Maryland’s Robert Parker jr. Doris was kind enough to speak to a representative of R2B at the conference afterparty.


A rare image from 1997 of Ms MacDay, taken from her original Netscape-hosted website 

R2B: “Doris, thanks for your time, it is a pleasure to finally meet you, given all of the unattributed R2B wine reviews we have seen posted on the www.DorisMacDay.com.bs website.”
Doris: “My pleasure!, I scan your blog and hundreds of other amateur and professional wine websites with interest, and am happy to have a chat!”

R2B: "You are one of the most revered and recognised wine writers in the southern suburbs of Winnipeg, and your website – www.DorisMacDay.com.bs is one of the fastest growing subscription wine websites in Manitoba. How do you find the time to come to events like this on top of writing those numerous one sentence reviews padded by unattributed secondary reviews?”

Doris: "That’s a great question, and how kind of you to mention my global reach. In short, I am very good at managing my time. On top of managing my website, I bake, I cook, I garden, I taste numerous bottles of wine from producers who are loyal ‘Plankton Premium’ subscribers to my site: there is ‘just’ enough time in the day to do all the things I need to. I also have dedicated staff that help and support me. They assist me in the sometimes arduous task of finding an even mix of reviews to copy and link, as well as all the other miscellaneous administrative tasks required to run my website."

R2B: "Out of interest, what do these miscellaneous admin tasks consist of?"
Doris: "Oh, plenty of random things! Receiving and registering wine samples, checking them off with the ‘Plankton Premium’ membership lists, disposing of wines from wineries who have refused to subscribe to my site, ensuring my research staff are meeting their review search quotas. Lots of things."

One of the many  www.DorisMacDay.com.bs internet research centres spread accross North America:
Another industry-leading method that makes the site pre-eminent in Southern Winnipeg.

R2B:" On your website you proclaim to be the ‘Greatest Wine Writer in the Universe’. Who bestowed you with this amazing honour?"
Doris: "I will always cherish that award - it is giving me chills just thinking about it. It was the North Carolina Chenin-Blanc Appreciation Academy who awarded me the honour 13 years ago, and only 11 years ago awarded me the same honour for a second time. It remains one of my proudest achievements, especially given how much respect I have for that Academy. Wow."

R2B: "What advice would you give to budding wine writers interested in adopting your one sentence wine review methods?"

Doris: "The first thing I would say is research, research, research methods of padding out your review. When you are writing so many reviews you cannot be creating new, descriptive and vivid content every time. It can be a surprisingly exhaustive process to pen a 15 word review. Secondly, keep it general. Finally, ensure your researchers can link to some really good reviews from other wine writers that add credibility to your one sentence review – unattributed of course."

R2B: "Why the insistence of the linked reviews being unattributed? Isn’t it beholden of you to attribute the work of others....?"

Doris: "Hang on – you’re not one of those pesky Palette Wine Presser investigative journalists that have recently been hassling and harassing Canadian wine writers are you? I am sick of your snooping and tomfoolery!!! ……I am assuming your promise to sign up to my Plankton Premium subscription was a lie as well...... This interview is over! (Doris stormed off towards the drinks table and the interview was ended)."

Recent video footage of Doris MacDay
 debriefing the Manitoba Wine Appreciation Society
after her trip to the Chicago Wine awards- LINK

*RedtoBrown Wine Review did not pay Ms MacDay for the interview and are not paid members of www.DorisMacDay.com.bs
** Any ambitious wineries seeking global/Universal exposure can send free wine samples to RedtoBrown Wine Review. Please contact the RedtoBrown Revenue Maximisation Section(redtobrownwine@gmail.com) . Links to previoulsy published reviews of the wine would be appreciated. 

2008 Clayfield 'Thomas Wills' Shiraz Grampians

A dark purple, blood plum-colured wine, Ripe blackberry, cherry liqueur, plum and liquorice-spice nose. Full-bodied and powerful flavours of bitter dark chocolate, ripe blackberry, plum and salted liquorice on the palate. Does not finish as sweetly as the nose would suggest. The smokey cedary oak is apparent, though not dominant.
Alcohol heat (abv listed at a hefty 15.8%) apparent, in broad balance with the hefty, ripe fruit, liquorice and chocolate flavours. Just.

A wine for those who like their Shiraz turned up to 11, even 12. Pass.

Rating: 86pts
RRP: $28-32
ABV: 15.8%
Website: www.Clayfieldwines.com

Wine Wars - Episode IV

Episode IV sees the arrival of legendary natural wine smuggler, Han Solo. After agreeing to take Luke and Obi-Wan to Alderaan, Han has some unexpected run-ins with Pancho Campo and Jay Miller. Click on the link below to see how these encounters unfold . . .

https://vimeo.com/47160675

WINE WARS EPISODE 3 - NATURAL WINE

In the latest installment of the inter-gallactic battle for the future of wine, Obi-Wan, Luke and the Droids have set off for Mos Eisley, seeking a smuggler of Natural Wine who can transport them to Alderan. The fate of the Biodynamic Wine Alliance depends on their mission.

Click HERE to View Wine Wars Episode 3

Yelland and Papps Devote Greenock Shiraz 2010

The 2010 Yelland and Papps Devote Greenock Shiraz was made using grapes from a single site in the northern Greenock sub-region of the Barossa Valley. Inky purple in colour and with a fruitcake spice and black fruit nose, the wine has impressive, silky blackberry, spicy dark plumb fruit flavours flowing through from the front to back palate, some milk chocolate and chinotto flavours on the finish and pliant, ripe tannins.

The fruit flavours are powerful and sweet, though balanced with the sensitive (and relatively understated) use of new and old American and French oak. This is not a subtle wine, more seductive and overt than demure and suggestive. However, the result is not confected or overwhelming, just enjoyable and moreish.

After three days on the tasting bench, the wine didn’t budge much, other than for the tannins to assert themselves some more and the sultry fruit cake spice.

This is another example of Yelland and Papp’s enjoyable, fruity and flavoursome Devote range, and from a very good vintage – it has enough restraint, expensive oak treatment and structure to suggest it will age nicely in the cellar, yet will please a majority of wine drinkers right now – a ‘win-win’ approach.

Rating: 93pts

RRP: $32
ABV: 14.5%
Website:
Source: Sample

Wine Wars - Episode 1: A Vinous Hope

A short time in the future, in a galaxy not that far away, two diametrically opposed wine making factions face off in a battle that will decide the future of wine consumption in the galaxy:

LINK:  Wine Wars - Episode 1: A Vinous Hope

Downfall of a Cult Californian Winery

Earlier this year legendary wine critic, Robert Parker, announced that he would no longer be covering California, and would be focusing solely on Bordeaux and the Rhone. Responsibilities for California have been passed to Parker's associate, Antonio Galloni. One Californian winery was not particularly happy with this news . . .

Warning - there are a few four letter words coming your way.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lIvGuCPZOc



Red

The Next Frontier of Australian Wines?

This article was originally published on the Wine Communicators of Australia Blog - http://blog.winecommunicators.com.au/

The Australian wine industry Catch 22: To be unable to innovate leads to wine-making and wine industry stagnation. However, if we stop focusing on what we do well and concentrate on diversifying using alternative varieties that have their own history in their home country, Australia may lose its wine individuality and become even more of a globalised, homogenous wine producing nation. Can a middle ground be reached and if so, has it already occurred?


The next frontier of Australian wine is one where wine makers and wineries ply their trade from a position of self confidence, not self doubt, and advertise this fact in an innovative and non-traditional way. There are positive signs already, though structural and historical factors prevent Australia from realising its wine making potential.

The Australian wine industry at the moment is like a city that has reached its geographical limits and is suffering growing pains: important far reaching decisions need to be made.

Does Australian wine expand into new territory (new markets, new varieties, new styles), does it reinvigorate or consolidate what it already has (previously successful wine styles, varieties, markets) or does it try to strike a balance between the two? Regardless of the choices made by the wine industry, it will not succeed if these decisions are not made in a self confident and innovative way.

What is meant by ‘self confidence’ aside from basic definitions? – self confidence on the new Australian wine frontier is the confidence to make some mistakes in the short term trying to push the boundaries of wine excellence with the aim or aspiration to hit the highs in the long term. Take risks, try new things, have the courage to maintain and improve on traditional methods. This is has all been said before, but most importantly, the wine industry must have the self-confidence to stick with it.

In harnessing the emerging self confidence in Australian wine, the new wine information paradigm must be fully utilised. The wine maker, winery, vineyard or vintage narrative, combined with new media-assisted word of mouth is one of the key methods the Australian wine industry should use to forge a new frontier. The era of the hegemonic wine critic passing down wine style commandments from on high is coming to an end: Information is becoming more diffuse, readily accessible, and generic yet ironically also more niche. Wine consumer sub cultures, can now access more than enough information to enable them to make commercial decisions on the products they want to consume. The more innovative, versatile, agile, unique and quirky Australian wine becomes (breaking from the critter wine stereotype in the process); the easier it will be to promote this innovation using the new information paradigm.

I smile when I see an Australian winery taking a risk. If the risk works they are praised, if it fails, they wear some criticism. I applaud the wine risk takers and the innovators. In the brave new wine world, the more risk takers and skilled story tellers Australia can produce, the better-off Australian wine will be. The new frontier awaits.

2007 Mollydooker Two Left Feet Shiraz Cabernet Merlot

Edit: After reading a set of reviews posted by Andrew Graham on his Australian Wine Review blog (see the reviews and comments HERE), I did a quick browse of my own scores for certain wines. Looking at this review, it is painfully obvious that I over-rated it. At RedtoBrown, we have tended to post reviews of wines we rate above 85. For me personally, I do not want to spend my (increasingly limited) spare blogging time savaging a wine when I can praise, or critically asses a much more interesting, challenging wine (or try and produce some wine satire that invariably misses the mark, while drinking an interesting wine :-) ).

Nevertheless, I have written up notes on a few wines that I did not enjoy, partially to discuss the style of wine in question or query the judgement of the winery/corporation in releasing certain wines (see the Rosemount Botannicals post  (LINK) for arguably my most strident, negative review).

I did not enjoy this wine. It did not grow on me. It is made in a style I am not a fan of (a style foreign wine drinkers and critics think of when discussing Australian red wines). Looking back on the tasting notes, and my thoughts on the 2 bottles I tried 6 months apart, a rating of 86 points/3 stars is wildly inaccurate, and has to be addressed. The new, more accurate (in my view) score is below. Apologies for the flip flop; I do not have the time or desire to re-taste some wines I have my doubts on (and largely, I am happy with the calls made on most of the wine notes posted), but this one had to be addressed.

PS - thanks to Andrew Graham for leading the way in posting notes that are an honest view of what ones palate is telling them and not a complex calculation of fashion, wine trends, expectation and cliches.


I will have to come out first by stating that as an Australian, I had never heard of the slang term ‘mollydooker’ being used to describe left handed people until the winery of the same name stormed onto the scene in a rush of Parker points around 2005. If forced to offer up an Australian slang term for a left hander, ‘cackhanded’ would be my pick. Though not a national or personal emergency if it happened, the winery may be partly responsible for convincing Americans that we walk around our outback towns calling left handed people mollydookers.

In much the same way, Parkerised wines like the Mollydooker Two Left Feet have for some time been convincing Americans that Australia makes two styles of wine – the very cheap critter variety (Yellowtail, Koala Blue, random labels most Aussies will have never heard of) and the 90+ pointed Robert Parker blockbuster fruit bombs. Unlike the use or misuse of Australian slang, this perception, whether true or imagined, is definitely not the reality, and is not healthy for the Australian wine industry.

To set the scene, the wine being reviewed, the Two Left Feet is black-purple in colour. Following a ‘Mollydooker shake’ as instructed, its sweet nose of liqueur black fruit and tobacco enmeshes with spirity, pure alcohol fumes. There are porty black fruit flavours on the front palate, leading to bitter dark chocolate (both from heavy oak and fruit) on the middle and back palate, finishing in a crescendo of more bitter dark chocolate, porty black and some blue fruit, salty hard liquorice and a hit of powerful alcohol heat. The wine is not structurally out of control, though the alcohol is out of balance with everything else.

On day two, with ample time in the decanter, the flavour profile had not budged – if anything, the alcohol was more prominent. 2007 was a difficult vintage in the McLaren Vale, which would explain the harsh, bitter tannins evident (quite common in many of the MV Shiraz and Cabernet I have tried from that vintage), and might also explain the very high alcohol level that dominates the wine. However, this wine has obviously been made in a certain style regardless of vintage conditions, and it shows in the glass.

On reflection, the 07 Mollydooker Two Left Feet fits the pantomime villain description you see in wine forums criticising the style of Australian wines highly rated by Robert Parker and Wine Advocate. Unlike some of the Australian wines Parker rates highly, this wine conforms to many of the stereotypes: high alcohol clearly evident (16%abv, but more like 18%), porty, liqueur black fruit, difficult if not impossible to match with any food and too much to drink by itself (or to have more than one glass in one sitting). Yet this style of wine still sells in America, albeit in reduced quantities and for reduced prices.

However, there is hope. The way Australian Chardonnay has evolved since the ‘Sunshine in a glass / Dolly Parton’ era shows that the style of wine being made by wineries previously blessed with ‘Parker points’ could evolve in time, turning down the alcohol levels by several degrees, selecting fruit that is less over-ripe, and reining in the use of new (mostly American) oak.

Furthermore, the introduction of Lisa Perrotti Brown as the Asian/Australian rep for Wine Advocate (and noting her relatively high scores given to some Hunter Valley Reds early last year) suggests that such a move may actually be rewarded and not punished by Wine Advocate in the future.

Whether the aforementioned hope is realised, and whether wines made in the style of the Two Left Feet evolve accordingly remains to be seen. However, in light of the milieu the Australian wine industry finds itself in, it would be of assistance if this was the case.

Rating:
77 points (formerly 3 stars, 86 points)

ABV:16%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: http://www.mollydookerwines.com.au/

New Red to Brown feature: 'Fact or Fiction' Topic 1 - 'Savaging Sweetness’?

Below is the first of a semi-regular series of posts to encourage further debate or discussion about a particular wine topic. In a way, it reflects the banter that goes on between Red and myself at a tasting, dinner or any related function where wine is being discussed or consumed . All thoughts and opinions are welcome.

‘Savaging Sweetness’?
Looking over our tasting notes, and the notes of many other published and amateur wine writers / bloggers, it appears that sweetness in wine is seen as a negative characteristic, and not only when it is in the overt ‘syrupy’, ‘cloying’ range (note: I am thinking more of dry table wines, rather than those intended to be made in a semi-sweet / off-dry/amarone style). Given that many of the highest selling wines tend to be sweeter than they are savoury, it brings me to the first RedtoBrown Fact or Fiction Question:


Fact or Fiction: Is the existence of sweetness in table wine treated by wine critics and bloggers in a similar way to the existence of bacteria in the water we drink – tolerable, though only at minute levels?

Is this true or false? Is sweetness derided so strongly by many/some? Is there a common tendancy to tolerate sweetness to a point, but go to town if it is obvious / put a caveat on any good wine that is sweet? This observation throws up some related questions/hypothetical questions, such as:


• Does a red wine have to be savoury, or at least have a spine of savouriness running through it to be considered top quality?;
• If the ‘savaging of sweetness’ does exist in wine writing, is it driven by snobbery/elitistism?
• Is a red table wine with overt sweetness considered flawed from a viticultural and wine making perspective in every instance?
• Is the number of sweeter wines being sold a result of the region the grapes are grown (eg high crops, irrigated vines, dry, warm climate) or is it a result of consumer demand for this style of wine?
• Will the tastes of consumers in the premium bracket change to once again seek out sweeter table wines?
• Has Robert Parker Jr had a positive/negative impact on the appreciation of sweeter wines (or any other critic, including those who praise super-savoury wines)?


While the questions will not keep Andrew Jefford or Jancis Robinson awake at night (and have no doubt been posed 1000 times before), I hope they generate some thoughts for some. Interested to hear your view!