Thirsty among empties

Press, 20 November 1982, Page 16

Thirsty among empties

Burgundy. By Anthony Hanson. Faber, 1982. 335 pp. Appendices. $16.50 (paperback). Bordeaux. By David Peppercorn. Faber, 1982. 381 pp. Appendices. $16.50 (paperback). (Reviewed by Barry Holland) - At first glance; Faber’s two recent books on wine, “Burgundy” and “Bordeaux,” seem as relevant to the New Zealand market as Dick Brittenden’s ‘•‘Great Days In New Zealand Cricket” would be to the French. However, at least Anthony Hanson’s “Burgundy” offers some consolation to the New Zealander who must search in vain for the host of bottles paraded in the two books. He suggests we are not necessarily missing much. “In burgundy, vintage after vintage, the fruits of 11% months of patient labour are spoiled through lack of training, lack of application, and the knowledge that mistakes can be painlessly corrected by blending. Over-sugaring is the order of the day at vintage time for the alcoholic strength thus acquired goes some way to compensating for the lack of real quality,” he say s - ■ . .. He goes further, explaining how the problem of rotten grapes can be overcome, how the appellation controlee decree was watered down, and how some of the producers include a proportion of deep-coloured Mediterranean wine in their burgundy to improve its colour and body.

His village-by-village tour of the wine district is exhaustive and exhausting though valuable for anyone fortunate enough to be able to holiday there. On a few occasions, Mr Hanson turns aside to brighten the journey with such observations as Napoleon’s choice of wine, or the intriguing idea of winemaker Jean Gros, who puts three people naked into the vats to submerge the “hat” of grapes. Mr Peppercorn labours through his vinegards with no such levity, guiding his reader from one chilly chais to the next charming chateau. While openly critical of some of the wines he has tasted, he does not rake up the 1974 Bordeaux wine scandal and adopts a more neutral stance towards the industry compared with Mr Hanson. Both books are well illustrated with maps and are loaded with information, including descriptions of the grape types used, winemaking techniques, and a brief history of the regions and their vineyards. But David Peppercorn’s book suffers from too many notes on too many fine-labelled bottles from the past which he has sampled. It is like rummaging through someone else’s collection of empties with him — quite interesting, but hardly satisfying. While both books are likely to appeal more to the connoisseur than the casual wine-drinker, Mr Peppercorn’s takes longer and offers less.