| The wine revolution is upon us. It’s not a violent uprising or a turbulent coup, but big changes have taken place and a new style of wine is washing up on shores the world over.
If you drink wine, you’ve almost certainly begun to taste the effects. Red wines from countries such as Spain, Italy, France and Portugal that were once a statement of individuality have become the hallmark of homogeny. Call it the international style or standardization of wine, it really doesn’t matter, but the changes to the wines we drink are real – and the debate about whether they’re good or bad is raging on.
So what is this international style and why has it got producers, critics and drinkers alike drawing lines in the sand? The international style simply refers to wines that are produced to appeal to the greatest number of people. It’s sort of like fast food – most people like ketchup but not everyone enjoys spicy Dijon mustard. So if you want to sell wine to the entire planet, it’s easier to stick to a proven recipe. As a result, instead of crafting a unique wine that represents the soil, climate and culture where it was created, producers are opting for wines that deliver popular flavour profiles, which are easily marketed in any nation.
Changing your technique isn’t difficult, but it is expensive. The first step is to hire a top enologist, and after that, every aspect of viticulture and vinification will be carefully tailored to create an inoffensive merlot look-a-like.
Vineyards are planted at high density to maximize the concentration of grapes, which are picked only when they have reached the maximum ripeness that the vintage will surrender. Traditionalists contend this is done at the cost of precious acidity, which provides wine with long life and gives it more appeal when served with food. But modernists know – the riper the fruit, the richer the wine.
Next the fruit is brought to the winery where it is handled gently and an abundance of whole berries are allowed into the fermenter. This produces soft and clean flavours, but some would argue that they come at the expense of more complex aromas. The fruit is always kept cool and oxygen is excluded, all while minimal fruit handling techniques are employed.
Fermentations often take place in modern rotary instillations, which keep the skin in constant contact with the juice, coaxing out only the softest, most supple tannins. Although the maximum colour can be extracted in this manner, the wines can lack backbone and a sense of structure. And while a deep rich hue is considered a positive trait in wine, attaining these colours often strips the original character from wines such as Chianti or Burgundy, which tend to be naturally lighter. The wine is then aged in new oak barrels, the ultimate seasoning for the international cocktail. This is the most contentious point – not all wines benefit from extended oak aging and all too often it masks the real flavour of the grapes.
Adding to the problem is the wine press. Critics sit and taste massive flights of wines, and inevitably the lowest common denominator prevails while the biggest one wins. Wines that require a little more attention are quickly brushed aside in favour of teeth-staining blockbusters, where a single sip is concentrated enough to leave a lasting impression.
There is no denying that the quality of wine today is better than at any time in the past – regions in every corner of the world are managing to produce noteworthy creations. The problem comes when they all start to taste the same. The idea of flying winemakers who travel from country to country putting their stamp on millions of bottles is sort of like every artist copying the same artist's style. Sure, the art may be beautiful, but half the fun of wine or art is to observe diversity. There is no point going to a wine shop that stocks hundreds of labels if every wine tastes the same once the cork is pulled.
But, as with most businesses, the accountant will probably have the last say. It’s easier to sell someone a style they already like than introduce them to something new. And because most people drink wine within 48 hours of buying it, there’s little point in producing a lot of wine that needs 10 years before it peaks.
It’s just that when winemakers stop making the decisions and the marketing whiz kids take over, the whole idea of drinking wine becomes a lot less exciting. |
