2010 - Life in a wine

Science likes to offer simple answers, nature rarely poses simple questions. A science of making top quality wine does not exist – instead we have a collection of scientific understandings of narrow questions relating to the making of fine wines and it is up to the winemakers to assemble the knowledge... read more »

2009 - Points of Terroir

Reprinted from “The World of Fine Wine” Issue 23, 2009, pp31–32 where my article was first published.I must commend “The World of Fine Wine” for its in-depth range of subjects and writing. I like it too, because of how it reports on wines. Take for example the report on the Barbaresco wines1:... read more »

2008 - Whos the driver at Dry River

There is a common perception that fine or great wines are the product of inspiration and great flair, from a winemaker. That the winemaker looks at the sky and looks at the grapes… “I think we need to do this” … or “this” and yet another brilliant creation ultimately... read more »

2007 - Little things mean a lot

A few years ago I attended a wine conference for winemakers during which many wines were tasted blind. One presentation included two wines which, on a majority opinion, were different from each other. They were actually the same wine, some of which had been couriered to the venue 2 weeks previously,... read more »

2005 - Fashion, Flavour and Phenomenology

In a previous article ('Jottings', Spring Cellar Notes, 2004) I developed the argument the assessment of wine is best made in the cultural context of where it originates since ‘terroir’ should be considered to include the culture and attitudes of its people as well as the more fundamental physical... read more »

2005 - Just how good is modern winemaking

Winemaking technology has taken large strides in the last 50 years, producing a minor revolution in how the wine is made. And, make no mistake, the “traditional” wineries of Europe are frequently leading the way in these innovations. The underlying winemaking principles remain the same,... read more »

2004 - Where where does the expressionof terroir end and that of winemaking begin

(Nature vs Nurture) The terroir controversy Is the concept of terroir a convenient contrivance from French marketeers or is it a valuable concept in wine culture? I like the comments arising from Larousse's Wines and Vineyards of France which start from the subjective view of terroir as the link visualized... read more »

2003 - Throwing some light on heat

Ripeness is generally seen as a function of flavour - the desirable endpoint of a flavour progression as the grapes hang on the vine in sufficiently warm conditions to effect change. Conventional wisdom has been that the warmer the grape growing region, the more quickly the vine is able to ripen grapes.... read more »

2002 - Musings: the brain is a blunt instrument

To measure pleasure...The notion that pleasure can be bought is simplistic and misleading, but nevertheless pervasive in this consumer age. It derives from the concept that pleasure is somehow intrinsic to, rather than enabled by, the object about to be enjoyed. What price lying in bed listening to the... read more »

2002 - Stelvins, corks, synthetic corks and their alternatives

Over the last year there has been intensive publicity relating to the virtues of Stelvin or ROTE (screw-cap) type bottle closures and comparing these to corks. A number of winemakers have lent their weight to the campaign for changing to Stelvins, pointing to the problem of 'corked' wines (presently... read more »

2001 - Of terroir and tradition, Burgundy and Pinot noir

TERROIR AND TRADITION Ask any Parisian what sort of wine he likes and he will usually talk about the place where it is grown and not the variety. He may nominate red Burgundy and if he wants to get particular he might refer to Vosne Romaneé to Chambolle-Musigny. The underlying assumption is that the... read more »

2000 - Tannis, palate structure and longevity in Pinot noir

The third most abundant constituent in most wines is broadly classed as the ‘phenolics', and they occur in concentrations ranging from nearly zero to several grams per litre. These compounds make an essential contribution to many aspects of wine flavour, including bitterness, what may appear to be... read more »

1999 - Have you had any bottles of great wine lately

"There are no great wines, only great bottles" said the famous gastronome André Simone. Have you read what international reviewers like Robert Parker have written on particular wines, tasted them yourself and then wondered if the reviewer can possibly be talking about the same ones?... read more »

1998 - Wild or natural ferments

It is not uncommon for wine books and wine promotions to refer to 'wild' or 'natural' ferments when describing the production of Chardonnay and red wines. Such descriptions accord with public sentiment, which tends to prefer the natural to the artificial or technological, and reinforce the bucolic and... read more »

1997 - Storing opened bottles of wine for later consumption

On a quiet evening, opening a special bottle of wine can be a real treat. But finishing that treasured 750mL can be a trial for one or even two people. Storing an opened wine overnight or even for several evenings is worthwhile provided it can be done without sacrificing too much of the wine quality.Now,... read more »

1996 - Understanding Botrytis and dessert wine styles

Botrytis and dessert wines are sweet wines in which high levels of sweetness have been offset against a greater concentration of flavour so that their primary impact should remain with flavour rather than just sweetness, which can otherwise become simple and cloying. Concentration of flavour from the... read more »

1995 - Pursuing Quality the Dry River way

'Great wine comes from great grapes.' Dry River is not unique in following this tenet, but it is unusual in how it sets out to do it. The initial and crucial decision for the winemaker is the choice of the vineyard site. Having established which region is cool enough to preserve varietal and fruit characters,... read more »

1994 - And what is Dry River specialist in

Being labelled a specialist frequently implies that, in producing only a small number of wines, one must surely be producing the best. This belief probably stems from the observation that the great chateaux of Bordeaux and proprietors of Burgundy frequently make only one or two wines. Clearly, over hundreds... read more »