David and Walter Finlayson.

Wine maker David Finlayson has resigned as cellarmaster and CEO of Glen Carlou with immediate effect. Along with his father and Glen Carlou founder, Walter Finlayson, David built Glen Carlou into a premier wine estate known for world-class Chardonnay, Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Bordeaux blends. A 50% share-holding in Glen Carlou was purchased by the Hess Group of Switzerland in 1995, where-after David progressed to winemaker and CEO. The Hess Group took complete control of the Paarl Estate in 2003.
ΓÇ£I will now be concentrating exclusively on my Edgebaston wine brand which I started a few years ago from my own vineyards in Stellenbosch,ΓÇ¥ says David. ΓÇ£The experience I gained with Glen Carlou in the South African and international wine markets will hopefully stand me in good stead to continue growing Edgebaston and underscoring my commitment to the South African wine industry.ΓÇ¥

Jol! Op die foto is Lourens Relihan, verkoopsbstuurder van Tulbagh Wynkelders, Arno Jordan, gaskunstenaar,Sonica Manas van TW en Quintus Basson, bemarkingsbestuurder van Tulbagh Wynkelders.

Met die nuwe reeks versnitwyne wat Tulbagh Wynkelders pas bekendgestel het, betree die kelder ‘n nuwe marksegment en word daar op jare se lojale ondersteuning vir dié bekende reeks gehaltewyne, voortgebou.
Mnr Quintus Basson, bemarkingsbestuurder van Tulbagh Wynkelders, het gesê dat hierdie uitdagende en nuwe projek gebou word op ‘n stewige grondslag wat die Tulbagh-wynreeks oor die afgelope 25 jaar gelê het.
“Ons weet dat die Paddagang-reeks wyne reeds ondersteuning in die handel geniet en met ons nuwe reeks, en nuwe etiket, gaan ons die plaaslike mark met ons top gehalte wyne verras,” het hy tydens die bekendstelling by die bekende Paddagang-restaurant op Tulbagh gesê.
Tulbagh Wynkelders en Paddagang, ΓÇÿn restaurant wat oor die afgelope 35 jaar naam gemaak het met sy tradisionele geregte, het ΓÇÿn jarelange verbintenis en die Paddagang-reeks wyne wat al sinoniem met Tulbagh Wynkelders geword het. Dit was dus heel gepas om die nuwe reeks wyne daar die lig te laat sien.
“Die nuwe reeks versnitwyne gaan hoofsaaklik op die restaurantbedryf toegespits word en gaan Tulbagh Wynkelders se teenwoordigheid in hierdie marksegment aansienlik uitbrei,” het Basson gesê.
“In die huidige ekonomiese klimaat is dit dus vir ons belangrik om hoë gehalte wyne aan ons verbruikers te lewer. Sterk, karaktervolle wyne teen markverwante pryse is die fokus van die reeks.
“Ons glo die wyn sal suksesvol deur die nasionale restaurantbedryf ontvang word,” het hy gesê.
Die nuwe wynreeks bestaan uit ΓÇÿn chenin blanc, chardonnay, Grenache, viognier-versnit, ΓÇÿn viognier/chenin blanc-versnit en ΓÇÿn Cape Blend-versnit. Hierdie wyne sal almal onder die Paddagang-etiket bemark word.
“Alhoewel daar ‘n ligte luim in hierdie name verskuil is, is die wyne van hoë gehalte en gee die Paddagang-reeks erkenning aan persone in die geskiedenis wat ‘n groot invloed gehad het. Daar word ook nog heelwat ontwikkelingswerk aan nuwe produkte, wat nog twee rooi versnitte sal insluit, gedoen. Hulle sal in 2010 op die mark geplaas word.
ΓÇ£Tulbagh Wynkelders staan op die vooraand van ΓÇÿn opwindende tydperk in sy ontwikkeling en al hierdie nuwe produkte word in ΓÇÿn nuwe, moderne en elegante voorkoms bekendgestel. Ons het ook pas ΓÇÿn nuwe nasionale verspreidingsagent aangestel wat sal verseker dat Tulbagh Wynkelders se produkte landwyd in die restaurantbedryf beskikbaar sal wees,ΓÇ¥ het Basson verduidelik.
Die nuwe Paddagang-reeks se etikette is deur die bekende grafiese kunstenaar Dawid Toua van die Paarl ontwerp. Die etikette het ΓÇÿn meer moderne aanslag, maar behou tog steeds die tradisie van die bestaande Paddagang-wynreeks.
Die nuwe wyne sal teen tussen R40 en R60 in die handel beskikbaar wees.
Terloops, Tulbagh Wynkelders het pas ‘n goeie oesseisoen agter die rug en goeie wyne word van die chardonnay en sauvignon blanc  in die wit-kultivars verwag, terwyl daar ook hoë verwagtinge van wyne wat van merlot en pinotage gemaak word, is. Die druiwe het almal stadig ryp geword, met ‘n gevolglike goeie balans en ryp geure wat in die wyne verwag kan word.

Niël Groenewald, left, Bellingham winemaker with viticulturalist Stephan Joubert.

A new label from Bellingham, one of the premier wineries owned by DGB, made an auspicious entry onto the 2009 wine scene by winning two of only five gold medals awarded to South African wines at this yearΓÇÖs Monde Selection International Wine Contest in Belgium held in April.
The Bernard Series by Bellingham, a range evolving from its Maverick label and named after Bellingham founder Bernard Podlashuk, saw two of its wines achieving gold: The Bernard Series Basket Press Syrah 2006 and The Bernard Series Small Barrel S.M.V. 2006.
Over 1 600 wines from 70 countries entered this yearΓÇÖs Monde Selection, one of EuropeΓÇÖs prestigious wine competitions.
“Two gold medals at the Monde Selection is quite a manner in which to introduce a new label!” says Niël Groenewald, Bellingham winemaker.
ΓÇ£The gold won by these two wines in The Bernard Series is especially rewarding, as over the past year BellinghamΓÇÖs white wines ΓÇô especially our Chenin Blanc ΓÇô have been in the spotlight after winning various awards on the local and international stage,ΓÇ¥ he says. ΓÇ£To have two red wines now coming to the fore underscores BellinghamΓÇÖs focused commitment to premier winemaking processes and the diverse spectrum of quality fruit planted to specific sites throughout the Western Cape.ΓÇ¥
The Bernard Series is named after Bernard Podlushak, the colourful and legendary raconteur who took ownership of the Bellingham wine farm after moving to Franschhoek in 1943. Despite his larger-than-life image, Podlushak was a visionary self-taught winemaker who introduced various new cellar practices and wine styles to South Africa.
Ni╬ô├╢┬úΓö¼Γò£l says that – unlike what Podlushak was prone to do! – he didnΓò¼├┤Γö£├ºΓö£├╗t take any chances when making The Bernard series wines that won gold medals at the Monde Selection.
“Good fruit, attention to detail and patience – that’s about it,” says Niël. “The Bernard Series Basket Press Syrah 2006 was the result of an excellent Shiraz year, which saw the fruit evolve magnificently over 18 months in French oak.
“The Small Barrel S.M.V. 2006, a blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Viognier, continues with the Shiraz theme. And it really is rewarding to have two wines recognised in the Shiraz category, which is always the most fiercely contested one of any wine competition.”
The Bellingham St. Georges 2006, a red blend in the wineryΓÇÖs Legends Collection, was awarded South AfricaΓÇÖs only silver medal at this yearΓÇÖs Monde Selection.

Lizelle Gerber celebrates!

Boschendal, South AfricaΓÇÖs oldest privately owned winery, was one of only three South African wineries to achieve Gold Medal status at the 2009 Monde Selection International Wine Contest held in Maleizen in Belgium. The Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay 2008 was also the only South African Chardonnay to win Gold in this prestigious international wine competition in which over 1600 wines from 70 countries were judged during April.
The International Wine Contest of Monde Selection is recognized by the European Union and takes place under the supervision of Enforcement and Mediation ΓÇô Directorate General for Federal Public Service Economy.
According to Lizelle Gerber, white wine winemaker at the Franschhoek-based winer, BoschendalΓÇÖs access to superb plant material contributes to the success of the Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay.
Γò¼├┤Γö£├ºΓö¼├║At any international wine competition, the wines in the Chardonnay Category are always going to be compared to the great wines of Burgundy,Γò¼├┤Γö£├ºΓö¼├æ she says. Γò¼├┤Γö£├ºΓö¼├║However, the specific range of soil and climatic influences on our Chardonnay vineyards gives our wine a unique South African character – that Γò¼├┤Γö£├ºΓö£ΓöÉsomething differentΓò¼├┤Γö£├ºΓö£├╗ international judges are looking for. In the case of the Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay, this means the austere minerality of Europe together with sumptuous sunny fruit so characteristic of New World countries. The limited use of oak also allows for more fruit expression.Γò¼├┤Γö£├ºΓö¼├æ
Gerber says success at international wine competitions is extremely important in the current economic climate.
ΓÇ£The wine industry has never been more competitive, so international recognition is as important for a brand like Boschendal as it is for the South African wine industry,ΓÇ¥ she says. ΓÇ£International markets are currently reluctant to pay the high prices wines from traditional European producers command, and are looking for quality wines from countries like South Africa which do not carry huge price-tags.
ΓÇ£Having the Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay winning an important award at the Monde Selection where it is compared to the best in the world, not only honours our winemaking and vineyards, but also is a tremendous boost for our image in the competitive global market-place.ΓÇ¥

Don't call me Tannie....

Bukhara Restaurant, Stellenbosch. Tel 021 882 9133
It was with a sense of foreboding normally reserved for a visit to the doctor that I finally went to Bukhara in Stellenbosch, after self-imposed exile of about half a decade. It was a matter of principle that I would not return to a place which was renowned for being severely overpriced and whose staff displayed more attitude than attention to detail. At least, I thought, if my suspicions were confirmed, I could console myself that it was not my suggestion to go there.
Let us start with the objection which is most often heard, namely that Bukhara is expensive. This is unfortunately still true of the wine.  The list may be extensive and well-chosen, but there is barely a red under R120, and the mark-up appears to be at least 120%.
Whether the food represented value for money had to be determined by BruwerΓÇÖs first law: the total of the bill equals the number of units ordered multiplied by the price of the units ordered (TB = nu x pu). Main courses are generally R109. A bit much, one would think, for chunks of chicken or lamb in a spicy sauce. But read the fine print. For an extra R24 you can ΓÇ£supersizeΓÇ¥ and get three extra units, namely two side dishes and rice. This adds up to R131 for a very substantial main course.
Bearing this in mind, we ordered three ΓÇ£supersizedΓÇ¥ main courses (two pepper lamb and one butter chicken), the allotted number of side dishes (some diced potatoes with cumin, an aubergine dip, and raitas with garlic and cucumber), and one naan to be shared by three adults and a teenager. There was a slight gasp at the table as the waiter arrived with a monstrous tray containing a multitude of bowls, and had to assemble a side table to accommodate the overflow. You really do not have to order starters, and if you are really in an economizing mood, your dessert can be an ice cream at the Italian place round the corner (it cannot seriously be disputed that the Italians are better at these things, especially in the opinion of teenagers, than their (Northern) Indian counterparts).
But let us return to the main course. Quantity is one thing and quality another. We were not disappointed. The meats in both dishes were wonderfully tender, and the sauces well-integrated, with considerable depth of flavour. One point of criticism is that the butter chicken was not as mild as one would expect╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡ – when we pointed this out to the waiter he told us that the Γò¼├┤Γö£├ºΓö¼├║ouensΓò¼├┤Γö£├ºΓö¼├æ in the kitchen can have a bit of a loose hand with the spices. But there are limits to such benign experimentation, especially when ordering for children – the teenager was decent enough not to complain at the beginning, but her cheeks became visibly rosier as the meal progressed. At least a delicately flavoured mango lassi came to the rescue.
First prize, though, goes to the service, which was quite outstanding. With one exception, though, which brings us to Bruwer’s second law: there is a direct and inverse correlation between the size of the tip and the number of times a waiter (especially a strapping lad of about 20) refers to any female patron under 40 as “Tannie” or Aunt (TT =  k/x.) where TT is the total tip, k is the non-zero constant, and x is the number of times the expression is used). I know its use is well-meant, as a sign of respect. But principles can be dear. As I now know for not having lifted the self-imposed exile from the Stellenbosch Bukhara long ago. How unforgiving we can be in life in general, but in our judgments on restaurants in particular.
JP Bruwer

If Wines of South Africa (Wosa) had a transparent communication procedure in place to tell us what exactly it is responsible for, the bodyΓÇÖs activities would not be picking up more flak than a US air-force bomber over Dresden.

From training local restaurant personnel on wine-service to being responsible for generic marketing of SA wines internationally to saving the Greater Cape Chameleon; from embarrassing the image of the wine industry by blaming its financial woes on the Department of Trade and Industry to trying its hand at wine marketing through the abortive Fundi project, Wosa surprises the wine industry and its followers on a daily basis.

The latest cap Wosa has plucked from the hat-stand is that of Wine Procurement for the FIFA Confederations Cup which kicks off next month. ThatΓÇÖs right, the marketing brains and logistical expertise of our multi-faceted industry-sponsored body will now assist the tournament organisers in sourcing a couple of thousand bottles of wine for the tournamentΓÇÖs Official Hospitality Programme.

In a newsletter Wosa thus calls for submissions from producers.

Whites: Un-wooded or lightly wooded Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc between R35 and R60 a bottle. Reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and red blends between R40 and R70 per bottle. (All in six bottle cases please.) And, oh yes, the wines will not be considered if they have not garnered a princely 3,5 Stars in the John Platter Wine Guide.

Should Wosa, whose primary function is to promote South African wine internationally, be tampering in the wine procurement business? No. And if the bodyΓÇÖs constitution does make room for this, the industry should look at calling for an industry-led workshop to define exactly what it should be busying itself with. By involving itself in the business of rands and cents, this Section 21 Company is opening the door for some serious questions from those who find themselves precluded from the largesse.

But humility, an accommodating approach and communication do not count as WosaΓÇÖs most well-known attributes. Nor logic:

On the one hand Wosa moans at the lack of funds and manpower to tackle the American market. But when you turn your head it is performing laborious and logistically challenging wine-sourcing activities.

The 3,5 must-have Platter Stars is a further dim-witted approach as PlatterΓÇÖs representatives have always defended their inability to award Stars on the basis of blind-tasting by stating ΓÇ£weΓÇÖre just a consumer guide, you knowΓÇ¥.

Now the ΓÇ£guideΓÇ¥ is determining, as in the case of this latest Wosa exercise, the financial well-being of a large amount of producers.

By stating that whites and reds vying for attention must have a price of R35 and R40 respectively, various stunning producers are excluded from the process. The list is too long to mention, but a R25 bottle of Paarl, Breedekloof or Orange River Chenin Blanc is not going to be scoffed at at anyoneΓÇÖs event. In fact, if FifaΓÇÖs Official Hospitality Programme was made aware of the excellent South African wines at the lower price-end, it may well decide to embark on a long-term relationship with the local wine industry.

And although the retail segment may sound sexier, Wosa should surely not forget its responsibility of promoting the South African wine industry in its entirety. It therefore has an obligation to allow all South AfricaΓÇÖs wine regions access to its little tendering exercise so as to give the Fifa hotnobs a taste of the full South African spectrum.

By pegging a price restriction Wosa has smartly made it nay impossible for wines from OlifantΓÇÖs River and Oranjerivier to contend for the tender, as their prices are lower than the respective R35 and R40 limit.

Wosa is constantly moaning at the lack of recognition and assistance it receives in government circles. But this body should see the absence of government scrutiny as a blessing: even Julius Malema has enough brains to know that this organistion has overstayed its welcome in its current format.

The Editor

The feature of Boschendal Harvest 2009 was the realisation ΓÇô once again! ΓÇô that the wine industry cannot risk accurate predictions on any harvest. Not on grape quality, nor grape volume. However, the excellent results the early grape analyses was showing this year, gave us an indication that something special was on its way.
Leading-up to the harvest, predictions were eagerly communicated throughout the wine industry as there was a lot to be excited about. The vineyards were literally blooming with health and vigour, mainly as a result of the cold, wet winters experienced in 2007 and 2008. The low winter temperatures experienced all over the Western Cape, including BoschendalΓÇÖs major vineyard regions ΓÇô Boschendal, Faure, Bottelary and the Helderberg ΓÇô had given the vines the opportunity of clamming shut to get a long, deserved winter rest.
The rain came down in buckets throughout the winter as cold front after cold front lashed the Western Cape, driven by stormy winds from the north-west. This resulted in high water tables ensuring that the vineyards took in ample reserve water, keeping the soils cool and moist for metres below the roots.
Rain and low temperatures continued throughout the spring month of September. The rain dissipated eventually, leading to a dry October, and just when we saw summer before us, torrential rain came bucketing down in the 2nd week of November. This storm-rain had a high nitrogen content, which ensures the soils got a double whammy: more water, and a natural nitrogen growth-booster.
This means that when the sun came out in late November and December, the vines grew vigorously with numerous secondary shoots developing in the process. These secondary shoots, which appeared in abnormal abundance, contributed towards excellent grape analyses. Stephan Joubert, BoschendalΓÇÖs viticulturalist, says that he had never seen so many secondary shoots in any season.
Though the vines had benefitted from the long winter and temperate spring, they really took off in December. This meant a lot of long hours in the suckering department, with the all important canopy management procedures also requiring 24-hour attention and round-the-clock work.
Despite the late rains, the vineyards went through flowering, budding, berry-set and veraison without hardly a hint of diseases, with Stephan commenting that he hardly saw a diseased leaf before or during the harvest season.
What was apparent, was that early-ripening varieties were running two weeks late in terms of achieving optimum and phenolic ripeness due to the late summer. Later varieties were ripening on schedule, an in certain instances were also slightly earlier.
In anticipation of the harvest, green harvesting was extensive due to the uneven ripening in some vineyards.

White varieties
Sauvignon Blanc, BoschendalΓÇÖs signature white variety, promises to produce wine of excellent quality this year. The variety benefitted from the slow ripening period, and grapes from the Boschendal farmΓÇÖs famous elevated vineyards and the maritime-influenced regions of Somerset-West and Faure produced fruit of extreme concentration. ΓÇ£Tasting some bunches before harvest was like biting into a fig,ΓÇ¥ says Stephan.
The grapes were harvested at sugar levels of between 22Γö¼Γòæ and 24Γö¼Γòæ Balling from vineyards yielding around seven tons per hectare.
Lizelle Gerber, BoschendalΓÇÖs white wine winemaker, immediately noticed the tropical character in the fruit. ΓÇ£Throughout the Sauvignon Blanc harvest, which ran from the end of January to the beginning of March, the grapes showed great tropical character during and after fermentation,ΓÇ¥ she says. ΓÇ£This is exactly what I wanted, as this character is conducive to the style of Sauvignon Blanc we aim to make at Boschendal, tropical complexity with a full mouth-feel.ΓÇ¥
Chardonnay quality is also ΓÇ£brilliantΓÇ¥. Harvesting was throughout February at sugars of 24┬║ Balling, with Faure and Boschendal farm responsible for the majority of the grapes. As the case with Sauvignon Blanc, grape bunches were smaller, tightly packed with flavour.
ΓÇ£Classic,ΓÇ¥ says Lizelle Gerber. ΓÇ£Minerality for length and good fruit on the nose and palate.ΓÇ¥

Red varieties
With all indications of a spectacular white wine harvest apparent, the elements decided to throw a curve-ball in the direction of or the red vineyards. The heat-waves poured over the Cape in March, with average monthly temperatures some 3┬║ higher than average. Even BoschendalΓÇÖs cooler blocks of Shiraz situated on the doorstep of the Atlantic Ocean at Faure were not given respite from the searing heat.
Water was not a problem. But what did lead to a bit of stress amongst the winemaking teams, was that everything seemed to ripen at the same time. ΓÇ£It was as if the grapes were saying ΓÇÿpick me before it gets any hotterΓÇÖΓÇ¥ says Thinus Kruger, BoschendalΓÇÖs red wine winemaker.ΓÇ¥
Shiraz, BoschendalΓÇÖs signature variety on the red side, was picked between 25┬║ and 25,5┬║ Balling, with the average yield per hectare being eight tons.
High temperatures were a problem as the heat-wave continued, with picking schedules having to be planned to perfection throughout the extensive area to avoid the shrivelling of grapes that can occur during periods of extreme heat.
Thinus says the planning worked, as the wines are looking classical and structured. ΓÇ£This is a year that has given me the building-blocks for making wine to the specific Boschendal Shiraz style. This is more restrained fruit and more elegance, instead of powerful fruit-bombs.ΓÇ¥
Cabernet Sauvignon, which is harvested right up to mid April, is also more subdued in fruit expression, and should play a perfect partnership role when blended to Boschendal shiraz.
What is another feature, on both red and white grapes, is that volume is down 7% as a result of smaller, lighter bunches. But what is lost in quantity will be made up for in quality.

Green fingers - Jacques Rossouw

In its efforts to minimise its carbon footprint, Distell is prioritising the measurement and management of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and has appointed Jacques Rossouw as its new environmental manager, says Dr Gert Loubser, the company’s director of quality management and research.�
Rossouw, who comes with international expertise having worked in the Australian environmental regulatory industry, was previously the manager of the South African wine industryΓÇÖs environmentally-sustainable Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) programme, considered the most progressive of its kind in the world.
In this role, he worked extensively with Distell on an international project to establish a globally accepted basis for wine producers to calculate their GHG emissions.  Called the International Wine Industry Greenhouse Gas Accounting Protocol and Calculator, the system identifies and provides a universally accepted basis for quantifying CO2 emissions throughout the grape growing, wine production, packaging and transportation processes.
He worked with Distell and Winetech as part of the South African team involved in the project.  They collaborated with representatives from the wine industries of California, Australia and New Zealand in developing the new system, which has since been tabled with the World Resource Institute, the body that sets GHG protocols for manufacturing industries worldwide, as well as with the Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV). The system has also been formally endorsed by the International Federation of Wine and Spirits (FIVS).
ΓÇ£With the methodology for carbon footprint calculation now at our disposal, we can begin to record our emissions and develop strategies to lessen still further our impact on the environment,ΓÇ¥ says Loubser. ΓÇ£Although intended for wine producers, the protocol and calculator can be modified and applied to measure DistellΓÇÖs impact on the environment in other areas of production, such as spirits, ciders and ready-to-drinks (RTDs).ΓÇ¥
The company has already received international praise for its recycling of CO2 released during the fermentation of its ciders.  The gas is captured and then purified for use in carbonating its ciders.�
Loubser adds that Rossouw’s former role in administering the IPW programme on behalf of the South African wine industry will give further impetus to Distell’s progress in achieving ISO 14001 accreditation for more of its production facilities.  “As it is, the IPW programme is based on the principles of the ISO 14001 environmental management system. To date, Nederburg, Bergkelder, Durbanville Hills and Plaisir de Merle are already ISO 14001-certified but our current focus is on achieving accreditation for our Adam Tas and Green Park production and bottling facilities.”
In his new capacity, Rossouw will remain on the steering committee of the recently launched co-operative project between the South African fruit and wine industries which is seeking to develop a comprehensive response to climate change.
Rossouw, previously at the Western Cape Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, believes that for the wine industry, water is the most critical natural resource associated with climate change.  “As far as Distell is concerned, the focus on water management will be applied throughout the business.  In addition to the recycling of waste water for vineyard irrigation, already underway at Durbanville Hills, Stellenzicht, Neethlingshof and Le Bonheur, Distell is also looking into expanding this practice where possible to its other cellars.”
The company is also working with the University of Stellenbosch and other research bodies to develop strategies to curtail water usage and wastage elsewhere in its wine production operations, as well as in the production of its spirits, ciders and RTDs.
Rossouw says an important feature of Distell’s water management programme includes the removal of water-thieving alien vegetation across its farms.  The eradication of invasive vegetation is also a practice closely linked to the local wine industry’s Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (BWI) that is involved in protecting the abundant biodiversity of the Cape Floral Kingdom and setting aside areas where indigenous habitat can be conserved or re-introduced.
Rossouw holds a masters degree in microbiology from the University of Stellenbosch.

No blindfolds, please, we're not sexy

Wine Goggle is proud to bring you the most extensive coverage of the open discussion on The Platter Forum from he was there, Brad Majors.

My, my, what an interesting week it’s been. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡First up we had the much-awaited Platter Forum at the Lord Charles on the 16th of April. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Maybe feeling himself in the presence of royalty inferred by the name of the venue (or should it then have been the Prince Charles?), Andrew “Pomp-And-Ceremony” McDowall opened the gathering of enthusiastic gawkers by admitting his jealousy of Philip van Zyl and the Platter tasting crew being invited to “sexy wine launches” while he had to stay at home to man the office. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Now every good speaker knows that sex is the one thing that sells even better than the Platter guide, so the attendees were rooted to their seats, hoping for some sordid details. But alas, no tales of the daring escapades of any Platter tasters were to follow (not even a mention of a certain Platter taster making unsolicited amorous advances to a producer or anything such).
Philip van Zyl was his endearing self-effacing, well, self. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Explaining the history of the guide as well as how processes have been fine-tuned over time, his most thought-provoking statements included that the Platter guide is “an independent mouthpiece” and “a consumer publication”, before going into some interesting aspects of how Platter scores can be massaged by the editor(s) if they feel that the stars given by the tasters do not correlate with, for example, competition results and scores given by other publications. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡This surely is a new definition of the word “independent” and it reminded me of what David Lamb had written in his seminal work when he declared that Africa is known for “one man, one vote, one time”.

African time
It was only later, when Ken “Imbongi” Forrester stood up and did a worthy impersonation of an African praise singer, that I realised that yes, we were indeed in Africa where the real important issues are glossed over, only to be replaced with rhetoric and mutual patting of backs.
Not once were the important questions raised. The beautiful Janet Weiss look-alike sitting next to me did get quite twitchy when Jeremy Chennels tried to explain what Philip van Zyl had said instead of acting as an unbiased facilitator for constructive debate as was originally intended. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡I sat with bated breath hoping that mention would be made of what, or should one say who, had been the instigator for this “turn out for the books” event. Although quoted anonymously, Neil Pendock was never mentioned (although I did hear his name muttered in hushed tones and private discussions). ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡So where was the man? ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡According to his own blog (http://blogs.thetimes.co.za/pendock/2009/04/17/pendock-not-opposed-to-sighted-tastings/) he had felt that it would be unbecoming to attend as he is launching his own (blind-tasted) wine guide in the near future. ╬ô├¬ΓîÉ╬ô├╢├ë╬ô├▓┬ú
Philip van Zyl had, however, already indicated that “it’s not a question of whether the Platter guide should be tasted sighted or blind – that is not possible”, laying down the rules for any possible dissent in the ranks on this important issue. Giving testimony that tasters did actually taste blind, well, sort of, sometimes, maybe, Philip opened up a potential debate but seemingly with no takers. Was Kobus Deetlefs asleep or just biding his time as everybody knows that he had publically proclaimed that he felt that Platter tasters were biased against non “this-side-of-the mountain” producers. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡(Sidebar: ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡When almost everybody had left, Kobus did muster up the courage to give some opinions, but they were unspecific and only asking that Platter should either “cross-reference” or not give stars but rather recommendations – an opinion that did not hold much water in the company of five star laureates such as Jean-Vincent Ridon, David Trafford, Ken Forrester and Chris Williams, to name those that I had seen).

Margin ratings
Philip van Zyl was at pains to explain that the stars in the margin were an indication of a wine’s track record. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡I found this quite intriguing as, for example, Quoin Rock The Nicobar Sauvignon Blanc, indicated as a “new” entry in the 2009 guide, managed to garner the much-coveted five stars in the margin (in contrast with Philip’s answer to Jaap Scholten of Cheviot Winery that a wine had to have a two year track record to get a “margin” rating). ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Surely one year cannot be seen as a “track record”. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Reading the descriptor that the wine has a noticeable residual sugar and had been oaked I suddenly realised that Philip van Zyl’s contention that it is a “consumer publication” was complete bollocks. Show me the average consumer who prefers a wooded Sauvignon Blanc over a racy, zippy Springfield Life from Stone, a 480g/l sugar, 16g/l acid, 5.1% alcohol dessert wine at R1 500 per 375ml bottle over a “lekker” R40 a bottle Muscadel. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Nope, suddenly one realises that you’ve crossed the bridge of ponce and left good, honest pleasure behind.
Probably the most important question never raised was how tasters are selected (or deselected for that matter).
Philip stated that the tasters are “enthusiastic, professional and qualified”. I have no way of measuring “enthusiasm” (do they jump up and down when opening a bottle), “professionalism” (do they send a thank you note to the producers whose samples they sell off for personal gain?) but “qualified” must surely have some meaning? ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡OK, Cathy van Zyl MW is undoubtedly qualified, no questions asked, but some of the other tasters’ qualifications are quite suspect. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Without going into this into too much depth, I cannot see that a quasi-academic qualification bestowed by one of the other Platter tasters can actually be seen as relevant, or am I being too cynical in seeing the panel being far too “clubby” (a word, incidentally, used by the self-same Platter taster when he referred to the KWV of years past).
The concept of “bias” was mentioned but not debated. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Are tasters biased towards certain areas of production origin? ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Are they unanimous in believing that more (in terms of residual sugar, wood, over-extraction, alcohol, etc.) are better than dry or elegant? ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡These were the questions that needed to be asked. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Will Robertson ever be able to deliver a five star wine with the current tasters or even will any unwooded Sauvignon Blanc not coming from Cape Point manage to crack the nod of five-star approval from the requisite number of judges? ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡I think not. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Sweet rules (six of the thirty two five stars in Platter 2009), wood rules (don’t even go there but but unwooded five star wines are scarce, if not completely impossible), palate weight rules (will we ever see a five star, unwooded ros╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ë? ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡I think not).
(Oh, before I forget, wasn’t it just so poignant that Backsberg was the example used for explaining the workings of Platter, as if to further fuel Pendock’s contention that tastings cannot be unbiased when some of the tasters have financial ties to specific producers. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Great Scott, what perfectly unplanned (hopefully) genius.)
One could also ask many other questions such as who decides on the “calibration” wines. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡A case where the police are policed by the, well, police? ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡This does seem to smack of socially engineering how tasters should assess wines. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡How does this gel with the concept of independence or are the tasters just supposed to be automatons in coming to the results that they are expected to deliver?

Ludicrous proposals
There were also some ludicrous proposals from people normally seen as rational human beings. The Rustenberg clan trying to oust small producers from Platter (Simon Barlow advocating that producers should pay for panels to assess the wines and Dave Hutton contending that small producers should be put into cyberspace and not waste valuable ink in the hard-copy edition). Somebody called Jack, from Nelson Estate, actually made some sense and got the closest to giving some good reasons why blind-tasting could add value. Their ros╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ë, although able to do well at blind tastings such as the Terroir Competition and Wine Magazine, only managed to get two stars in Platter, effectively half a star less than “good everyday drinking”. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Maybe a case of taster-bias against ros╬ô├╢┬ú╬ô├«├ë as a category?
There were, however, also other people who tried to convey some sense but were probably far too academic for the touchy-feely audience present. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡University of Stellenbosch lecturer, Dr Wessel du Toit’s contention that the process should be more scientific with track-backs and correlation analysis found few supporters. Paul de Wet of Zandvliet’s contention that price was maybe also a cause of bias (i.e. low price cannot be good, high price must be) could make for a good research piece.
All-in-all it was a great fun day. The coffee and snacks served beforehand were definitely worthy of five star status. And I sincerely hope that all the pats on the back will make Philip van Zyl have less of his self-confessed “sleepless nights, hernias and ulcers” (although I have no idea how hernias can be caused by being the editor of Platter) but, as the Bard was wont to say: ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡”All the world’s a stage” and the fact that the people of the Platter guide put themselves onto the stage is commendable. ╬ô├╢┬╝Γö£├¡Viva critical thinking, viva.
*The next installment will feature the failed coup d’etat attempt of Dana Buys and his USAPA boys, so watch this space.