A seasonal release – the best reds
The Big Red Wine Book by Campbell Mattinson and Gary Walsh
Louise Johnson
The Big Red Wine Book [©Hardie Grant Books]
It’s a great time of year to release a book about red wine. As the cold closes in and we retreat indoors the light-weight pinot gris that was so fashionable last summer stays cooling in the fridge and we reach for warming, meaty reds to match the winter dishes on our tables.
The Big Red Wine Book is released at the beginning of winter to take advantage of this, admits author Campbell Mattinson who produced this second edition of the book with his partner in wine, Gary Walsh. Smart thinking and smart drinking too.
More than 1000 red wines are reviewed and rated, which gives a relatively comprehensive picture of what’s worth drinking in the current red releases. Restricting themselves to reds also means they are able to be generous in their descriptions and comparisons and in the varieties they cover.
Campbell says all winemakers and wine writers are trying to work out where wine drinkers' preferences are heading.
“I think increasingly consumers are beginning to understand what they want,” says Campbell. “Do they want super intense wines? Do they want medium red wines? Or do they want a lighter bodied wine? And thankfully lighter bodied and medium bodied aren't dirty words anymore.”
Quality has changed in the wine industry, he says. Ten years ago Australian wine tastes were quite different – heart stopping shiraz and buttery chardonnay was top of most wine drinkers menus. Campbell says the limited range then was partly because, for example, a $20 pinot ten years ago wasn't actually very good and “it's always hard to convince people of a different style when it doesn't really stack up”.
“I think that was a big problem for styles like pinot noir ... but as quality as gone up so has the appreciation of the style.”
He says for pinot noir this increase in quality reflects some maturity in the vineyards and a new generation of winemakers specialising in pinot noir.
“[Ten years ago] you might have had a lot of winemakers who spent their whole lives making shiraz, suddenly making pinot. Now we've got a generation of winemakers for who pinot has been either their focus for a long time or for their whole winemaking life. This makes a big difference. Apart from just experience with the variety, usually they've been drinking a lot of pinot from different places and it's all about picking a style you're trying to make - they have an end result they're aiming at.”
But what about white wine? Campbell says there's nothing wrong with white wine, but there are many more complexities to choosing and enjoying red wines including cellaring and in some cases, investment value. Each review includes an auction rating which Campbell explains is an acknowledgement that wine auction houses are booming, especially online.
“The more stars a wine is given, the better we think it is likely to perform at a wine auction.”
He says consumers tend to buy single bottles of white and dozen cases of red, so a bit of research is necessary before you make such an investment.
"I just find that people who want to go to the trouble of reading wine reviews tend to be people who want to read about reds. Those who drink white wines do so happily without finding the need to read reviews, in general. I drink as much white wine as anybody; I've found no trouble finding the right ones.”
The Big Red Wine Book certainly makes choosing great red wine easy. Split into varietal chapters for shiraz, pinot noir, cabernet and blends, sparkling and organic and biodynamic. The Italians, Spaniards, merlot and grenache and their blends also share a chapter. Great value reading, especially for those who are serious about their red wine investments.
The Big Red Wine Book is published by Hardie Grant, June 2009, RRP A$24.95. VisitVineyards.com Members and subscribers can purchase The Big Red Wine Book from our online book partner Seekbooks at 12.5% percent discount off the recommended retail price (postage extra).
Listen to wine critic Campbell Mattinson discuss some Penfolds 'Super Premium' red wines (7 minute video):
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