The Man from Mosel River

I would love to be in Canberra right now. The 2007 Canberra International Riesling Challenge is going to start tomorrow at the Hyatt Hotel. Now, that my tastebuds have been extensively exposed to German and especially Mosel Rieslings during the last two months travelling in Germany it would be extremely interesting to compare the different wines and styles on offer from the Old and the New World.

German Riesling grapes, fall 2007

The event is the biggest Riesling competition in the southern hemisphere. This year a record number of wines were registered, 482 wines in comparison to 458 last year and 328 in 2005. The bulk of the wines comes from Australia (293), 73 are from Germany, 58 from New Zealand and 45 from the USA but only three from France.

For more information please visit the website especially created for the event (www.rieslingchallenge.com).

As we know Riesling is all the vogue. Dr. Ernst Loosen from Bernkastel/Mosel (www.drloosen.com), one of the prime producers of Mosel Riesling was very modest and polite when he suggested earlier this year during the “Riesling Rendezvous” at Chateau Ste Michelle estate in Washington State (24-26 June) that “it is up to the New World to help raise the reputation of Riesling and create a Riesling renaissance”. In fact the wine consumers have done it all alone and the world is witnessing a boom in Riesling demand.

Talking Riesling is very important. Australia is a leading Riesling producer. Ever since the Pewsey Vale Riesling from the Eden Valley won a gold medal in London in 1854 Australia has been on the international Riesling map. Many wine regions in the Old World,with the exception of the Mosel of course, where elector Clemens Wenzeslaus had instructed its administrators in 1768 to grow only “white riesling”, did not grow much Riesling in those days.

I hope the event can also contribute to a better understanding of the confusing labelling of German Rieslings. Here more needs to be done to educate international consumers.

Rieslings from our own wine region, the Upper Goulburn Wine Region, have done well in Australian wine shows in recent years. At the 2005 Small Vignerons Awards a 2004 Barwite Riesling won the trophy for best Riesling and in 2006 this trophy was won by the 2005 Delatite Riesling. At the recent Alexandra Food and Wine Expo (please see my earlier blog entry) I had the opportunity to taste the 2005 Barwite Riesling, which showed beautiful floral characters and was a citrus bomb in my mouth. Of course I am curious how the UGWA member wineries will do at the event.

It sounds strange to the ears of an Australian vintner that the wine industry (because of its complexities) would need the protection of the government. I think we in the Australian wine industry enjoy a maximum of freedom from government intervention. European vintners are not that lucky. But is seems that finally they might be getting some more freedom, if the European Commission carries through with its proposal to reform the heavily subsidised and regulated wine market.

However, if one expected a hearty welcome and praise for this effort, one would be utterly mistaken. There is some fierce criticism from some of the EU member countries which object to this “too much” of freedom. Doomsday scenarios are then usually invoked to scare reform minded policy makers. “The end is near”, “our culture and traditions are dying” and other similar slogans are shouted out by lobbyist of various persuasion. Of course consumers would ultimately benefit from deregulation and liberalisation. In the non-wine producing countries, there seems to be no problems but in the wine belts of the EU a storm is being stirred.

According to the Economist of June 16th, 2007, the EU wine budget amounts to € 1.3 billion a year. Some wine is produced more or less exclusively for destruction. The reform plan includes the pulling of about 200,000 ha of vines (about 6% of the total area) and transfer payments to vintners who cannot sell their produce so that they can leave the sector and find some new employment. The restrictions on new planting are scheduled to be lifted from 2014 onwards so that successful wineries can expand. Especially French and Luxembourgian officials oppose these moves and invoke the fears of inundation by cheap, mass-produced, “industrial technique” dominated wines from the new world. Both countries are rather successful in making money from wine production. Their vintners earn more than others in Europe, says the Economist. Ever since the debate of the Corn Laws in Britain in the House of Commons in 1813 and the enactment of the importation act in 1815, mercantilism has raised its ugly head from time to time, always with the ever same line of argumentation (foreign grown products would be dangerous to rely on, prices and wages would be diminished and producers and manufacturers would lose out). Empirical evidence is overwhelmingly just to the contrary. Europe would not be that prosperous without free trade and the healthy competition it bring with it.

On a more personal note, I believe there is another aspect usually overlooked: the dignity of a producer who can survive in the market without government handouts. Isn’t it a beautiful feeling if your wine flies out of the farm into shelves of supermarkets and grocery stores, and you don’t have to beg government officials for charity? I hardly make any money with Two Hills Vineyard at the moment, but so far I survived as a free but responsible man. If I should be forced to pack up and sell, I can say that I at least tried. No government to blame, I have only myself to blame which is neat.

I wish my European colleagues well in their efforts to become more independent and sucessful.

It’s always good to be back in Taiwan. It is here that I started my professional career about 23 years ago at the former Land Reform Training Institute in Taoyuan, now renamed, the Center for Land Policy Studies and Training (www.iclpst.gov.tw). The class I am teaching (on good governance, decentralization, democracy and citizens participation in land administration) is very exceptional, 24 professionals from 22 countries from all over the world. They make it easy and interesting for me. This year’s group is very active, interested and discussion hungry. As always the staff of the Center is very friendly and I have the chance to catch up with many old and new friends.

On Sunday it started with a wonderful lunch in Taibei. At the “Wei Fu Lo” Restaurant we had Beijing Duck and many wonderful local Taiwanese dishes to complement the North Chinese delicacy. I later learned about a special chicken dish, called “Gu-ken chicken” which is grilled in coffee powder. We drank green tea with our meal, no wine.

But across the street from the Center is a wine and spirits shop which I used to patronize in the past. I paid it a visit and browsed through its stock. These include mainly whiskeys, brandies and cognacs as well as other spirits, but also a selection of fine wines from France (lots of Bordeaux’s, among them a Barville, Sancerre, Cordier/Saint Emilion, Baron de Rothschild, Chateauneuf du Pape, Mouton Cadet), Italy (Nero D’Avolo from Sicily, wines from Umbria and Melini from Tuscany but also a Barolo), Chile (Philippe de Rothschild), Spain, Australia (Lindemans, but also Amberly from Margret River and Goudrey from Western Australia ) and a large stock of various Blue Nun (Made in Australia) bottles. The selection included also some sparkling and desert wines (Ice wine).

My friend Jim bought a bottle of 2004 “Les Cloîtres” (Hautes-Côtes de Nuits) of Bouchard Aìné & Fils, Beaune, Bourgogne, France for the equivalent of about 17 EURO (!) which we drank together. After the bottle got some air, the wine was silky and smooth with lots of red fruit flavour, a good texture and an impressive finish. A week is not long and before I could settle in I was back on a plane heading home to Jakarta.

Oh boy, what a splendid celebration this was, the annual St. Patrick’s Ball in Jakarta (www.stpatricksjakarta.org). My friend Uli from Germany came with me to enjoy the fun. We sat with some of my Australian friends on table No. 39, four couples and we two Germans, almost as last year just that my wife fell sick and I was, so to speak, with a male companion only. For Uli it was the first St. Patrick’s Ball ever. But being a country boy himself, he adjusted quickly and felt at home in no time. I met quite a few friends and acquaintances and we all had a good time.

The dancers were spectacular, the speeches boring, the food very good, the people in a jolly good mood, all dressed up and in their best outfits, a pleasure for the eyes and senses. There was white wine from Spain, and red wine from Western Australia.

Gun cuireadh do
Chupa thairis le
Slainte agus sonas

May your cup
Overflow with
Health and Happiness

I was sure that I would remember the brands until the next day. But something must have gone wrong. I danced at my hearts content until about three thirty in the morning with some charming and beautiful lassies from all over the world. When I hit the hay at home, I had already forgotten all about the wine, but boy, we had a jolly good time….

The German “contingent”, two old friends!