New wines on the market
At the time of writing this article, we have just seen the first matches played at Wimbledon, the World Cup football is well underway and the sun just keeps on shining. For many, such weather is perceived as being perfect for enjoying clean, crisp and scented dry whites, pale fragrant rosés and even lighter and slightly chilled reds. Thankfully there seems to be an endless supply of new concepts in wine which are continually arriving on the market to help satisfy the ever-growing demand. It never ceases to surprise me how well informed my customers seem to be on wine trends and styles and as a result the high expectations they have when buying wines. Before we dismiss the use of the aforementioned styles of wines as purely ‘summer wines’ and box them up for summer drinking only, I would strongly promote the virtues of rosé wines for enjoying all year round as they can be equally well suited to accompany smoked salmon at Christmas as Eton mess in July.
When we analyse new wines, let’s remember that these wines are the result of total dedication by the winemakers and the ideas of the people in the trade. Without their enthusiasm, production and technical knowledge, as well as an insightful understanding of the wine trade, the development of new wines would simply become static. The modern winemaker is seldom shackled to their own winery, but likely to be travelling the two hemispheres comparing notes and exchanging ideas. Consider for example bordelaise-styled blends produced in Argentina. Herbaceous, floral sancerre look-a-likes from South Africa, and here’s a new one… the nebbiolo, the classic grape used to make barolo, now produced near Minervois in southern France… and very sound it is too. There really seem to be no end to the options still waiting to be discovered.
Do note that it is the duty of the true wine enthusiast to try and experiment with as many of the new styles of wines as possible! By failing to support these new and innovative concepts in wine development, the production of these often inspiring wines will simply become unviable. This is all close to my heart as my son Liam Steevenson, Master of Wine, recently unveiled his latest wine project ‘YAATRA’ - a syrah, grown in vineyards near Mumbai, India. Wine production in India, whilst still on a small scale, has actually been around for many years. Perhaps the involvement of a respected and high-profile master of wine is just what is needed to help India gain a serious wine reputation. From wine wholesaler to supermarket buyer and now to wine maker, Liam’s other wine innovations include wines from northern Spain, New Zealand, three stunners from Côtes de Roussillon in southern France… oh, and his highly acclaimed picpoul de pinet. It seems options and opportunities are endless. My advice - always try as many different grape varieties as you can, explore new regions and countries… and avoid repeating the same wines over and over again!
Charles Steevenson