Frontline Wine: Wine Writer Or Pocket Liner?

It is important for me to read the opinions and comments of the other wine writers in this country to fathom opinion. But on too many occasions recently I’ve wanted to stuff my muffin into the keyboard and hurl my coffee against the nearest wall in frustration. Please, do my blood pressure a favour and put the word “advertisement” at the top of your column and stop pretending that you are roving reporters ‘recommending’ wines to the public. If these ‘wine-writers’ had their hands any deeper into the pockets of the conglomerate wineries that produce the very worst mass- produced rubbish, they’d be making holes in the thread (ahem ).

The way New Zealand wine is currently marketed, both nationally and internationally, is of the utmost importance. This young, boutique industry is perceived around the world to be a benchmark of lush, quality freshness. An image built around a renowned environmentally-conscious society and other high quality exported products like lamb that are market leaders for quality. But, it’s an image that can be easily tarnished. Large companies are riding the crest of a wave, playing on this reputation with badly made wines that are steadily worsening. These are the sales leaders who unfortunately produce the wines by which many people will judge this country. As demand grows, quality will invariably fall.

So, when you get these ‘wine writers’ in the national rags shamelessly promoting poorly-made wine to the masses ( “if the paper’s saying it’s a good wine, then it must be a good wine”), they are actually causing damage to the wine industry. If New Zealand wishes to retain the boutique feel to the industry, there must be a groundswell of support for high quality wines. If there are thousands of readers digesting this written rubbish as truth, how can the country possibly hope to project an image of quality internationally when the home market is being swamped with these chemical/sugar concoctions peddled by unscrupulous money-men in suits?

You only need to look across the water to see how endless rivers of cheap, badly-made wine can affect people’s market perception. If you think Kiwi wine will retain its current image in the face of the current boom in demand, just fold your arms, sit back and watch the slide happen. Unless people reject these advertorials that hog much needed coverage for the industry as a whole,

I fear the conglomerates will keep a firm stranglehold on the market.

Lindauer Brut

Lindauer, one of the top wine exports from this country and a wine I first tried in London almost ten years ago. It was once a brilliant value bubbly that characterised New Zealand wine. After recently tasting it, I can’t hide my disappointment at how significant a drop in quality I see. This wine is overly fizzy, tasteless, and has a raw, exposed acidity. It is unpleasant and badly made. Cheap? Yes! But for a company with a responsibility to represent this country internationally…this just isn’t good enough.

Petros 2001 Golden Bay

Another disappointing sparkling that I admit to having enjoyed in the past. A refreshing fine acidity on the front palate that is also delicate and citrussy, but it falls away too quickly. Maybe it’s getting too old, so I’ll hold off being too harsh until I try the next vintage.

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