INSPIRATIONAL WINE KNOWLEDGE AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE DRINK March INTERNATIONAL 2012 INTERNA WEB AUCTION TIONAL SPECIAL ICONIC WINES FROM THE WINE WINE CULTIVATION IN THE GOLDEN CONDOR WORLD’s pARADISE SID 6 NEW ZEALAND IS GROWING SID 11 SID 22 SID 6 ICONIC WINES FROM THE WINE WORLD’S PARADISE SID 11 WINE CULTIVATION IN NEW ZEALAND IS GROWING SID 18 CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC: THE FINE WINE MARKET IN 2011 SID 22 THE GOLDEN CONDOR SID 25 FINE WINE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR 2012 SID 29 “YES PLEASE, I´M DRIVING!” SID 31 THE SWEDISH ALCOHOL POLICY IN EUROPE SID 34 WINE CLUBS ARE HERE TO STAY WEBAUCTION SPECIAL: SID 36 ON THE ONLINE WEB AUCTION STOCKHOLM 12TH - 14TH MA RCH 2012 SID 41 ONLINE FINE WINE AUCTIONS SID 40 ONLINE FINE WINE AUKTIONER SID 42 SOTHEBY ’S HONG KONG 2012 SPRING SALESERIES SID 44 SOTHEBY ´S LONDON MARCH SALE SID 45 INVESTERING ELLER NJUTNING? INTERNATIONAL NEWS THE SystEMBOLAGET TO USE CREatE YOUR OwN BLEND EtHICAL DISPLays Scott Zrna from Fox Creek in the famed McLaren Vale region of South Australia Finding ethical wines at the off-li- invited guests at the ‘My Kitchen Fair’ to a blending session. On each table stood cense is going to be easier from now four component wines of 2010 vintage. Two on. In addition to the green, ecologi- versions of Shiraz of course, because Scott is cal shelf displays there will a purple an Australian, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab- display to show that the wine is ethi- ernet Franc, as well as a blending tube, with cally approved. In this way the state a scale that measured up to a 100. For one retail chain has responded to one of hour those present were allowed to create the demands that the Campaign for their favourite blend of the aforementioned Fairness In Winestores ran last year. wines. The two different blends of the Shiraz This just shows that dedication and wines were the deciding factor. As usual the international cooperation pays off. Cabernet Sauvignon stood for the body of “Grassroots involvement on three dif- the wine, with the little Cabernet Franc to ferent continents, interacting with round it off at the top. A very pleasant initia- strategic communication has worked tive where at the end of the day everyone’s well!” says Gabi Bjornson, Secretary a winner. General of the Africa Groups. The campaign has encouraged the Sys- temBolaget monopoly, which is one of the world’s largest retailers of wine, as well as other Swedish wine import- ers, to assume a greater obligation for the farm workers’ situation. “Shelf displays of ethically labelled wines are a step in the right direction”, says a spokesperson for the organization. JFC WELCOME TO A NEW EDITION OF FINE WINE. YOUR on-lINE MAGAZINE IN A GLASS OF its OWN Online Web Auctions Open the way for New Global Auctions 2012 is going to be a very exciting year, especially for those looking for new opportunities for ROI (return on investment). There is reason to believe that the global investment market for fine wines will be shifting to the different web auctions around the world which are now accessible in real time. The first one out of the box is the Swedish SystemBolaget, the state owned off-license chain, together with Stockholm’s Auktionsverk. Last autumn they carried a three day trial in real time for a designated number of hours per day. The results were so promising that SystemBolaget made the quick decision to discontinue the public ‘under the hammer’ auctions in the future, so as to focus entirely on online Web auctions instead. To begin with they plan to hold four auctions beginning this spring. Added to this there will be discussion on topical Fine Wine auctions with Sotheby’s, Zach’s and Christie’s. There is also current information on the Whiskey auctions, which you’ll find in the web auctions supplement at the back of this edition. Also in this edition is an article by Ursula Hellberg on New Zealand wines and Johan Franco Cereceda on Chilean wineries. Christopher Jarnvall writes on the Swedish alcohol politics in Europe and Stuart George writes on the Fine Wine Market during 2011 and what’s going on in 2012. And, as is our tradition, we have chosen our Fine Wine Producer of the year. A warm welcome to a new and exciting year! Ove Canemyr Editor in Chief Fine Wine International It is perfectly acceptable to send Fine Wine International to good friends and acquaintances who are 20 years and older and are interested in Fine Wines. Please tip us off about interesting events and occurrences, get together etc. [email protected] e cannot take responsibility to unsolicited material. Please quote freely from Fine Wine but always reveal your sources. EDITORAL OFFICE: Ove Canemyr: Editor in Chief , Fine Wine Magazine/Trendsetter Box 24013, 104 50 Stockholm. Layout : Sophie L Slettengren, By Design AB, English texts: Roger Brett, Broadcasting Arts. [email protected] Proofreading: Kris Bibby Omslagsfoto: Anne-Marie Canemyr 2 INTERNATIONAL NOTICE THE WIND BRINGS THE AROMA THE CLASSIC RIOJA BODEGA Reingau was nearly destroyed at the end of WWII - there IS LAUNCHING WINES MADE wasn’t much left of the vineyards. Many of the growers sim- FROM CHARDONNay ply gave up or sold their land but the Leitz family wasn’t one of them. Johannes Leitz was only 18 years old when he lost his father and had to take over the family vineyard at a mo- ment’s notice back in 1985 and since then things have gone very well. Johannes has always run his vineyard with a clear understanding of the way forward towards better wine by constantly improving the quality and subsequent profitabil- ity. All vineyards are treated as separate entities meaning Johannes’ philosophy is very ‘terroir’ orientated. Each vineyard’s terroir and situation expresses its own elegance and finesse. Rieslings from Weingut Joseph Leitz have become highly regarded, particularly in the USA and the UK as well as Sweden and Norway. These are the largest export markets and represent 65% of his wine production. “You could say that my wines are grown, not made, and that the minerality from the soils appeals to the Scandinavian taste. Perhaps even more than the Ger- In recent times Rioja has been allowed man,” says Johannes with a wink. to grow Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo in order to attract wine- Johannes’ wines are available in the Swedish state owned off-licence chain Sys- makers to make exclusive white wines. temBolaget’s regular stock. It’s the classic Bodegas that are not so regular stock. If you’re interested then go to www.leitz-wein.de easily seduced by the sales potential in putting Chardonnay on the label. ”TO BE TRUE – FIRST A WINE HAVE TO BE GOOD” There is an exception though - Bode- gas Faustino Martinez. Only a meagre At a recent lecture in Stockholm David Le Mire from Shaw 5% of the wine production in Rioja is & Smith has inverted this concept, which is the mantra of white wine. Everything is dominated the biodynamic growers in, amongst other places, France, by the mighty Tempranillo. Never- to mean: “To be good –a wine has to be true.” David’s state- theless Faustino’s wind-up has raised ment is in line with current trends amongst the Chardon- great interest in the international nay producers in Australia. The alcohol content is reduced wine press. The company began its resulting in a more crisp and creamy style with less vanilla. planting of Chardonnay in 1990, when The use of large French oak barrels has increased, some- the variety was permitted in the pro- thing that’s been going on in the Bourgogne for some time duction of Cava in the area. to reduce the residual taste of oak. How do we interpret this? Is this the beginning of a transition to an Old World But now in March the time has come. style of Australia? Or is this a flirt with some of the BRIC countries which are a bit The premier launch has been planned closer on the map? This new type of Chardonnay goes very well with Asian food, for London with the wine’s meagre so will the new markets be China and India? Where there soon won’t be any 25% Chardonnay; the rest is made up French wines to get hold of. This could be a new and interesting, not to men- of the indigenous grape variety Viura. tion expanding, market for Chardonnay producers Down Under. On the other There are many who judge this to hand what do the traditional Chardonnay consumers in Australia have to say be the prelude to a newly awakened about this? interest in the prestigious district’s white wines. We have a lot of exciting things to look forward to in the coming years. Read more on www.shawandsmith.com JFC FINE WINE on your Reader Pad Now’s the time to fill up your reader pad with some content. You can download Fine Wine as a Pdf file and read it on the reader. Please pass this on to friends and acquaintences. 3 INTERNATIONAL NOTICE MOËT-HENNESSY ARE ”IF THEY OPEN A REstaURANT ON THE MOON CULTIVatiNG WINE IN THE – WE LIKE TO BE THERE” HIMALayas Stefano Leone from Antinori circumnavigates There was a time when terroir was the globe five times a year to maintain contact the talking point in quality wine pro- with the 140 markets where Antinori wines duction, now the new trend in the are represented.