Lust For Life

Here's an article for a wine writing comp I submitted recently, I thought some of you may enjoy reading it. Let me know if you like it, or if I should forget writing that book...

The Peculiar Life of wine.

The joy of wine drinking can often be dulled by analysis. Searching for faults or flaws, ticking off characteristics. Often we forget about The Peculiar Life of Wine.

In the beginning, loins are laid bare to the elements, fending for themselves for tens of years, centuries even. Each year surviving vicious knife attacks and being left out in the cold - the harsher the conditions the better. Roots take hold in the crumbliest of shale, producing the most tenacious liquid. Finally the seed is harvested at it's peak, destined for greater things. And as if that wasn't enough, it only happens once a year.

Fertilisation isn't the privilege of one successful sperm here, grapes burst forth and mingle with the juice of thousands, an orgy of flesh, juice and the odd frog. The resultant primeval soup is cultivated, fermented, crafted and manipulated. Shaped into life-giving matter by oak and secondary ferments, adding complexity until the perfect unity is formed. The time taken is beyond the tantric dreams of mere mortals, this dance can be years long.

(Those with certain religious views may want to skip this paragraph). Contraception is a necessity in the peculiar life of wine. It takes place first on the vine, selecting the right grapes at the right time, discarding anything not perfect, a basic genetic purification. Later it takes the form of removing rouge parcels, blending and selecting, discarding undesirable batches, leaving only the best to continue towards greatness.

The bottle then becomes the womb. A protective environment that will see the wine develop and evolve. Synapses connect, bonds are forged and a being is formed. This pregnancy can take years and needs the parental love any unborn being craves. Cool, dark cellaring, protection from vibrations, movement, light. Utmost care is needed to nurture as the wine grows and develops in it's protected environment. Some guardians may have a brood of thousands, tending each one carefully. Others choose IVS, or In Vino Selection, at their local bottle shop.

A quiet pop or hiss of a cork, a crack of a screw-cap seal signals a birth, a new life released. The blood red flow of wine out of the bottle's neck, cascading into glasses. Cheers from multiple recipients, celebrating new life and new potential. Everything is in the future, waiting to be unveiled. The parents may not be there, but you can feel their pride and hopes of success for their young charges.

Somewhat closed after it's gestation in the bottle, wine's first moments are often hesitant, like a toddlers unstable waddle or throw of a ball. A lot of noise being made, but nothing coherent yet. A swirl of the glass here and there, like a guardian's careful guiding hand, encourages the wine to grow, mature and explore its potential.

As a teenager, wine finds it difficult to express itself, often appearing muted or below potential. Brooding, distracted and unfocused perhaps but opening up, slowly showing glimpses of things to come. Too far yet to be fully revealed but enough to whet the appetite.

Fully developed, wine engages all the senses. The journey complete, the spirits enlivened and the masked potential revealed like rays of sun through rain clouds. Subtle notes become beacons of flavour, scent and aroma. Every mouthful is a celebration of life and the journey that lead here.

However later in life there comes a tendency to waffle, perhaps labour the point and get somewhat off track. Reminiscing about the fullness of fruit and flavour that seemed not so long ago. Punch lines are blurred and urgency lost. Wine's passing into old age is by one of two means. Getting bitter or losing its marbles. Bitterness sets in in the younger set, flavours being tainted and the vinegar of spoilt potential courses through the glass, lamenting the fact it sat open too long without being drunk. An older wine has a more noble demise, gradually dulling, getting a little dusty and not really knowing what's going on. Dreaming of a more fruitful time it appears tired in the glass, not even a shadow of its youth – which may have been just hours before.

Sometimes, things don't turn out the way they should. The tragedy of cork taint, potential cloaked by a wall thick or thin, of wet cardboard or subdued nose. The plight of a wine handicapped so is less considerate than if a human, and often results in a journey down the sink (unless that dodgy uncle is in town again). Oxidation, reduction, these too can spoil the potential of a newly born wine and usually suffers the same plight.

Other times wine is born old, coming out of the bottle tired and age-weary, bereft of the flavours of youth. Life before birth has taken it's toll. The tragedy here is many-fold. So much potential, so much care, where did we go wrong the owner asks? We nurtured, we cared, we waited for that special occasion. Realisation though, too late, that sometimes holding on isn't always the best. Or that the top of the fridge may not be the best gestational environment.

Sadly, and more often than not, the life of wine is cruelly cut short. Just as the cloud of youth is being dispersed and the unencumbered beauty celebrated by all, the bottle is drained, finished. The final gift often a gritty deposit polluting the last greedy glass. As the only cure for an empty bottle is a full bottle, the practice of purchasing wines in cases, or duodecaplets, can mitigate these symptoms.

So next time you crack a bottle of wine, don't just think of what's wrong with it or what's right with it, think about it as a living entity and enjoy what it's been through and what it's parents wanted it to be. It just might make the wine world a better place.

Sweet Surrender

I love Riesling. (Is there a pattern here? Am I reviewing what I love? I guess I'll buy things I WANT to drink, because I'm not being paid for this blog, but I like to explore new wines, regions & varieties.)

Anyway, Australia is spoiled with two of the greatest dry-style Riesling regions in the world; the Clare & Eden valleys. And I love them, especially with a bit of age. But this blog is about what I can find now, not reminiscing.

And so introducing the Mirassou 2006 Riesling from Monterey Country, California, U S of A.


Up front there's a developed sweet tropical fruit on the nose, flagging that we're not in the same steely territory of the Rieslings I'm accustomed to. But there was a contentious mineraly vibe going on in the background that maintained my faith in the 'true' Riesling essence - at least from an Australian's point of view. Many other countries would argue, strongly and rightly.

So once in the mouth it was an Australian purist's let down, but a flavour lover's delight of sweet tropical lychee with melon and honey. The acid plenty enough to tame all those sweet fruits and lead into a nice balanced finish. Lovely.

At $12, it's right on the money, or a few dollars over. Grab it with your favourite Japanese take away.

Piece of Pie

French Sauvignion Blanc. I usually love it. The hint of wood taming the more grassy tones, lovely. So with joy I lay down $17 for Thierry & Guy's Fat Bastard Sauvignon Blanc 2006.



First impressions were OK. Straight off the bat it was obvious this was going to be more in the new than old world style. On top of that we were a fair way from the Loire Valley, way South in the regoin of Languedoc-Roussillon. No great matter, I love them both. Or all three, as it were.

Cracking the bottle and having a whiff, it was citrusy (is that a word?) and grassy, good varietal flavours but quite thin on the nose. No real punch. This extended into the mouth, light and fruity with an OK length the only real thing I can say about it is... indescript. No real issues or faults, but it didn't rouse any great passion or excitement.

Because of that, I could make up a bit more here or I could just cut to the chase and say that at that price there's too many contenders. There is a chance there was a slight cork taint taking the edge off the flavours, so I may revisit this one if I feel so moved, but as it stands I'd probably pay not more than $10.