Comments on: A report from World Class Australia – some really top and some vile filth wines

By: David Strange

David Strange — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:53:24 +0000

Both Peters have a point here. We may not care about the cheap stuff, even though it is generally well-made, clean and ripe. Yet, as Peter says, when this wine-making style is carried to extremes it does not make for interesting wines (see tonight’s experience). Yet Peter S is also correct to say that this style of wine is a brilliant piece of marketing which will appeal to the unsophisticated drinker who just wants a bit of flash for their cash. I just don’t want to drink wines like this.

Try and get some Mac Forbes, or By Farr, they are proper wines with real interest which come with a more interesting message than “Avoid.”

By: Peter S

Peter S — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:36:02 +0000

Peter “What I don’t like is those Australian wines that are priced more highly and reckon they are quality stuff, but which are overdone, big dollops of ripe fruit, but one-dimensional and with no interest. They are essentially just bigger, pricier versions of so many lower-value Australian wines.”

I reckon that this again is just excellent market positioning and branding, a talented wine-making industry repsonding to the large market niche of people who are unfussy in what they drink but who want to show off a bit at a special dinner !

By: Wine Rambler

Wine Rambler — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:10:24 +0000

Peter, I do blame bad winemaking on winemakers and not the consumers, and I do not give credit for great winemaking to consumers. However, I also reserve the right to blame people for buying the cheapest plonk they can get to entertain guests at receptions. I have been to quite a few of those in the past few years and I often had to endure boring or annoying Australian wine. However, I do not blame Australia as a winemaking country for that as you will find cheap rubbish everywhere. I have not had nearly enough Australian wine (beyond the cheapest supermarket category) to feel even close to an opinion. I do agree that there is nothing wrong with wanting (or having) to buy cheap wine. One would just wish it would be decent value.

David, thanks again for the recommendations.

By: Peter

Peter — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 07:32:49 +0000

I’m sorry, I still think everyone’s wrong apart from me. Most consumers want cheap wine, and there’s nothing wrong with that. All wine producing countries make a lot of wines aimed at that market, and that is also fine. Australians are good at that, making wines that are clean and consistent. They taught the Old World rather a lot on that front. What I don’t like is those Australian wines that are priced more highly and reckon they are quality stuff, but which are overdone, big dollops of ripe fruit, but one-dimensional and with no interest. They are essentially just bigger, pricier versions of so many lower-value Australian wines. Yet there are some Australian producers, and I would submit that Farr and Henschke are among them, who make more interesting wines in a style which seems to me to be untypical of Australia. I hope and expect that more Australian producers will in time follow such trail blazers.
Jeremy, you’re just being too reasonable.

By: ed tully

ed tully — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:20:00 +0000

How entertaining (synchronous?)Jeremy, that we should post at the same time and with a similar point in mind! Does it really matter if lots of people are happy with rubbish? I mean, if everyone liked Clos de la Roche and Bonnes Mares it would be insanely expensive. Perhaps we should give thanks that some people are easily pleased and that some kind souls are servicing there needs.