The much-loved chain of UK wine shops, Oddbins, is preparing to appoint administrators according to this report by Drinks Business. It wouldn’t be the first casualty of the High Street by any means, but it would be one of the most missed. Only the other day, our retail specialist Andy Howard MW reported Oddbins deserves a hug. In July Richard was raving about its unusually ambitious wine selection. Put Oddbins in our search box and see our massive coverage of and affection for the much-reduced chain. Many visitors to JancisRobinson.com will miss these characterful shops, I’m sure, if they are forced to close. The owners European Food Brokers are working hard to find a solution that will avoid this, and the stores are continuing to trade. Go, buy, support!
Watch out for a Savvalanche of citrus-flavoured New Zealand Sauvignon. Today the results of a research project carried out by MW student and Co-op wine buyer Sarah Benson for yeast specialists Lallemand and supervised by MWs Sam Harrop and Dirceu Vianna Junior, were presented at Sauvignon Blanc 2019 in Blenheim, Marlborough. The project apparently has shown that UK consumers prefer a citrus flavour profile in their New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, with barrel-fermented styles being their least favourite.
Lallemand’s statement: ‘The study, conducted in collaboration with the St Clair Family Estate (Marlborough), is key to understanding consumer preferences and was designed in response to declining wine sales in favour of other alcoholic beverages, such as craft beer and gin. As Sarah Benson states in her introduction to the project, “If we are able to understand more about consumer preference, and how this relates to winemaking protocols, we can make wine more relevant to consumers which has potential to stem the decline in wine consumption”.
‘This study, which focused on four different styles of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc – tropical, herbaceous, citrus and barrel fermented – also shows how winemakers can influence the final flavour profile of their wines through the use of microbial tools. By maximising the site potential and respecting the sense of place for each category, through the use of Lallemand’s knowledge of what their microorganisms can accomplish, and together with St Clair’s head winemaker Heather Stewart’s experience of her sites, these four styles were significantly different and ensured that the wines offered to the consumer were distinct.’
A summary of this research is available on request via [email protected].
Mind you, the character of NZ Sauvignon may be altered by something greater even than Lallemand products: Nature. Steve Smith MW pointed out at the same event, 'If it gets warmer, then it will get a little riper, so the characteristic grassy character of Marlborough Sauvignon may not be as intense and that might be replaced with more citrus and nectarine.'
