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C<br />
10 <strong>Style</strong> | interview<br />
Wine Master<br />
Bob Campbell is one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed wine experts, part of an elite group<br />
holding Master of Wine qualifications. There are only 343 Masters of Wine wordwide, and, on<br />
top of this, Bob is also an accomplished writer, public speaker, chartered accountant and founder<br />
of The Wine Gallery. With New Zealand on a wine buzz this month due to Winetopia, we took<br />
the chance to ask for some advice from the master.<br />
What is currently an on-trend or<br />
“socially acceptable” wine to be<br />
drinking?<br />
I tend to drink what I like rather<br />
than following any convention,<br />
but here are a few thoughts on<br />
upward trends. Chardonnay is<br />
strongly back in fashion after<br />
being elbowed aside by pinot<br />
gris a few years ago. That’s a<br />
trend I’m very pleased about.<br />
Sauvignon blanc continues its<br />
popularity, particularly in export<br />
markets where it leads by a huge<br />
margin from everything else.<br />
New varieties on the map include<br />
Albariño, which I believe has a<br />
strong future in this county. The<br />
sparkling Italian wine, prosecco,<br />
continues to enjoy growing<br />
popularity with look-a-likes<br />
emerging to cash in on the trend.<br />
How important is the glass?<br />
Should we swap long-stemmed<br />
wine glasses for more<br />
contemporary tumblers?<br />
Glasses are very important. I<br />
estimate that the difference<br />
between drinking out of a<br />
good glass and a poor glass can<br />
contribute as much as 25% to<br />
the pleasure I get from drinking a<br />
glass of wine. I like to use largebowled<br />
glasses that are fine (and<br />
not chunky). I marginally prefer<br />
stemmed glasses, but regularly<br />
use stemless glasses, which can<br />
often be more practical (easier to<br />
stay in the dishwasher).<br />
Like wine, the choice of glasses<br />
is a personal thing. Choose a<br />
shape that pleases you. I don’t<br />
use separate glasses for red and<br />
white wine, preferring to put a<br />
little less wine in the glass when<br />
I drink white rather than using a<br />
smaller glass.<br />
How does alcohol content affect<br />
the taste of wine? Is there a<br />
perfect percentage?<br />
As alcohol increases it tends<br />
to make wine become more<br />
full-bodied, very slightly sweeter<br />
and it can make the texture<br />
slightly softer. However, excess<br />
alcohol can leave a slight burning<br />
sensation on the throat and give<br />
the wine a thread of hardness.<br />
The perfect alcohol level varies<br />
from wine to wine. Alcohol must<br />
be “in balance” with the other<br />
components in the wine.<br />
What is your view on the New<br />
Zealand wine industry?<br />
The New Zealand wine industry<br />
is remarkably healthy when<br />
compared with wine industries<br />
in many other countries. We<br />
are now the 13th largest wineproducing<br />
country in the world,<br />
having just overtaken Brazil and<br />
Greece. The prices we earn<br />
in most export markets are<br />
higher than just about every<br />
other country, which says a lot<br />
about the quality perception<br />
people have for our wine. We<br />
do “quality” (as opposed to<br />
“quantity”) very well. Our cool<br />
climate styles (fresh, bright, highenergy<br />
wines) are very much in<br />
vogue at the moment.<br />
I’d like to see New Zealand’s wine<br />
regions devote more attention<br />
to improving the wine tourism<br />
experience with more<br />
restaurants at cellar doors and<br />
more innovative ways of showcasing<br />
our winemaking and<br />
viticultural methods.<br />
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