A fair trial? Londoners’ taste test ‘disappointing’

Press, 26 March 1981, Page 12

A fair trial? Londoners’ taste test ‘disappointing’

Maurice Hunter’s

GRAPEVINE I

Late last year I was approached by a woman whose nephew had accepted an invitation to talk about NewZealand wines to the civil service.wine-tasting group in London. He wanted to be brought up to date with developments here during the last few years. I- rustled up what information I could at short' notice, and have since had a letter giving a brief report on the tasting, as-well as details of his wine background. He appears to be pretty well clued up. After five years of sampling "many fine Australian wines” and running a wine-tasting group in Melbourne, he left Australia in -1979 for Britain. Since then he has lectured on Australian wines to the civil service group and various wine societies, and also delivered lectures on "Wines of Tuscany and Piedmont." “French food and wine,” ‘‘Wines of Alsace.” “Cabernets of the world,” "Summer wines.” "Christmas wines.” and. finally, “Wines of New Zealand.” — a record which reduces mine to the Kindergarten class. The wines presented at the lecture -were: Cooks Te Kauwhata Chasselas, Pinot Gris and Riesling Sylvaner, all .1979; Corbans Chenin Blanc 1976, Montana Marlborough Riesling Sylvaner 1979 and 1980; Cooks Cabernet Sauvignon 1977. Montana Marlborough Cabernet Sauvignon 1980. McWilliams Cabernet Sauvignon 1976 and Villa Maria Auslese 1977.; Montana Pinot Chardonnay 1976 (double gold award winner in Bristol last year) was not available.

The concensus of opinion was, verbatim: “On the whole the wines were disappointing.'’

“In the whites, the 1980 Marlborough Riesling showed good characteristics, and was a sound wine. But at SNZ7.9O most people thought too expensive compared with the German Muller Thurgaus available. The other dry whites suffered from too much residual sugar.

“The Cooks and Montana reds were too light — more reminiscent of gamay than cabernet. "However, the McWilliams 1976 Cabernet was a fine wine, very much in the mould of a good Bordeaux, as was the auslese.”

There’s nq doubt that they picked the good ones, although one would have expected them to be a little more enthusiastic about the Marlborough Riesling.

Almost at the same time when it was being assessed by the civil service group, it was chosen as the best white wine of the second International Food and Drink competition in London, From entries by 200 winemakers of 20 countries, including the United States, Germany. France. Australia, Spain, Austria and Chile, the wines were narrowed down to a short list of eight. Marlborough Riesling was chosen unanimously by the judges to be the best of the lot. .

But the group rated it to be the best of the six whites served, so they didn't do too badly.

As for SNZ7.9O being “too expensive,” I wouldn’t know. But I do know that overseas visitors, particularly from Britain and Canada '(the notable exceptions being from Australia, where there is no sales tax on wine) comment on the low prices of our wines.

Perhaps comparisons with the European wines with which it was matched would be helpful. I also know that, in Hong Kong in 1979. I bought Marlborough Riesling 1978 for SNZ7 and, after some of the stuff I'd met in my travels, I was glad to pay it.

The accolade for the McWilliams 1976 Cabernet Sauvignon was well deserved. Not only did it win gold awards in last year's national competition and this year's Easter show, but it was also awarded a double gold in London last year. They were a bit tough, I think, on Cooks and Montana reds. Both won silvers in last year's national competition and the Marlborough Cabernet moved up to a gold at the Easter, indicating that it is fulfilling the early promise of a red with a future.

It is also the one on which Montana are pinning their hopes as an export wine.

The final reference to Villa. Maria Auslese being linked with McWilliams Cabernet as “a fine' wine, very much in the mould of a good Bordeaux is, I believe, the result of the report being written rather hurriedly.

There is no doubt that the the fruity quality and softness of that particular style, whereas the Marlborough Riesling is crisp and dry with a freshness of finish.

It is, perhaps, unfortunate that 1979 wines were sent to London. It was not a good year, and some residual sugar may have had to be retained to counteract the high acidity. But that doesn’t alter the fact, that the wines with residual sugar were preferred over the full dry. There is an iluminating news item in the February 9 edition of the trade magazine, "Hospitality.” The public'prosecutor’s office in Mainz, West Germany is investigating the reported shipping of thousands of tons of liquid sugar, between 1977 and 1979, to vintners in Rhine-Hessen, Moselle-Saar-Ruwer and Rhineland Palatinate, areas which account for more than 70 per cent of German wines.

It’s enough sugar’ to turn millions of gallons of ordinary table wine into higher a priced Kabinett and Spaetlese designations. Is it fair enough to comment on this, do you think? > Or do you believe that I am running the risk of having a pin-stripe trousered, bowler-hatted civil servant wave his furled umbrella at me and say: “Pardon me, old chap. I don't wish to be rude, but I believe your parochialism is showing.”