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The Australian wine show system has been a driving force in both the marketing of our wine and the increase in the quality of our vinous offerings over the years since the first shows rolled out in the late 1820s. There is no doubt that the show system has played a pivotal role in shaping the styles and direction of the wine industry, but as we march on into the future the question has to be asked - are wine shows still relevant to today’s wine consumers?
In early September 2012, an event called Wine Show Future was convened in the Hunter Valley with the aim of answering the question above and formulating a road-map for the future viability of wine shows in Australia. The brainchild of Iain Riggs from Brokenwood Wines, representatives from the AWRI, AVSO and for the first time members of the various Royal Agricultural Societies were brought together to discuss the wine shows path in the years to come.
The event was also attended by 50 past scholars of the Len Evans Tutorial. Now in its 12th year, the Len Evans Tutorial has been instrumental in providing a transfusion of new blood into the wine judging ranks, with many scholars going on to become panel chairs and chairmen of capital city shows.
Len Evans Tutorial trustee and convener of the Wine Show Future event, Iain Riggs says "we wanted to make the most of bringing this group of talented people together. A core role of the Len Evans Tutorial is to foster the next generation of wine show judges and so we all have a vested interest in the strength, relevance and future of Wine Shows."
Over a three day period the group had a frank, warts ‘n’ all discussion about the system’s triumphs and failings, hoping to give the shows increased relevance. As an attendee, it seems to me that there has been a disconnect between the wine show and the consumer. There is a need for research to gain insight into what they would like out of a wine show, but consideration must be given to the balance of the needs of both the winery and the consumer.
One point that was agreed upon early in the discussions is that we currently have too many wine shows, with several new events sprouting up every year. In a perfect world the show system would operate as a pyramid. At the base, the results from the regional shows would feed the capital city shows, and their results would in turn, feed the national show in Canberra. Good in theory but logistically difficult with the regional shows having to be completed by mid-year, the capital city shows over the following 5 months and the National show towards years end.
Tim White wrote in a recent Financial Review column that he has concerns about the same old judges judging in very show. There is some truth in the statement and it would be good to see judges limited to several regional shows and a capital city show each year to prevent them seeing the same wines, and gaining familiarity with them over several shows.
The regional shows are the lifeblood of the show system and need to be championed. While I am fairly new to the wine judging circuit the Barossa, Hunter Valley and most recently Yarra Valley wine shows I’ve participated in are well run, have a great sense of community and bring forward both the provenance and the sub-regional diversity that is so important to communicate as we venture forward. While we are at it, under the current system, wines should be judged in sub-regional classes at the capital city shows also, before being dragged forward into taste-offs.....that just makes sense.
On the subject of communications, the way that show results are broadcast could also do with a re-hash. The Adelaide Review Hot 100 does the best job at the moment with a beautifully presented book with in-depth notes on the top ten wines along with tasting notes and scores for the remaining 90 wines. It also does a great job of tying in the culture of South Australian food, history and music within the show’s architecture to provide those judging with a real sense of what makes the state’s wines tick. Drinkability is the over-riding factor when evaluating the wines and judging with music playing is certainly more conducive to achieving that goal rather than the white lab coats in a sterile white room scenario.
The number of wines that the judges were seeing per day was also broached. There is no doubt that palate fatigue sets in and the wines are not given the justice they deserve if too many wines are on the table in any given day. Nuance is overlooked and the “ louder” wines stick out. At present the Royal Adelaide Wine Show is the worst offender with judges expected to wade through in excess of 160 wines per day. The overall consensus is that numbers must be decreased to get the best results possible.
At the end of the three days the following outcomes were put forward.
• The establishment of an Association of Judges and a central register, similar to the current ASVO system, of current judges
• The enhanced focus on consumer engagement and marketing and the importance of strong, relevant communication of wine show outcomes.
• The continued focus on best practice and the communication of agreed standards for the conduct of wine shows.
• A continued commitment of the Agricultural Societies to meet collectively.
• Moving the dialogue about the purpose of Shows from "improving the breed' to the "pursuit of excellence".
With many great ideas aired, now is the time to engage with both the consumer and the wineries to ask what they would like to see out of the wine show system in Australia.
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