WINE REPORT 2004 is a wine guide by Tom Stevenson – author of ‘The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia – which provides a one-stop update to what has happened in the world of wine during the previous 12 months. This is a book full of inside information on every wine region. Tom Stevenson has specialised in Champagne for almost 25 years with his Champagne book by Sotheby’s in 1986 being the first wine book to win four awards. In 1998 his Christie’s World Encyclopedia of Champagne and Sparkling Wine (Absolute Press) made history by being the only wine book ever to warrant a leader in any national newspaper (The Guardian), when it published a 17th century document proving beyond doubt that the English used a second fermentation to convert still wine into sparkling at least six years before Dom Pérignon even set foot in the Abbey of Hautvillers.
As the author suggests, one person could not possibly keep up with all of this on an annual basis. He assembled then a team of specialists to contribute to his book. Names like Clive Coates MW on Burgundy and David Peppercorn MW on Bordeaux. It is not just full of Brits, though, he commissioned two French experts, Thierry Desseauve on the Rhône and Antoine Gerbelle on the Loire. John Platter is the specialist on South Africa and on Greece Nico Manessis. I can go on and mention more names; however, the total number of the contributors in this guide is 38. This first edition covers every well-known wine-producing region in the world, all the lesser known, and many of the most obscure. India, Japan, and China? Yes they are also covered but they are considered old hats. There are news on wines from Thailand and South Korea, even Bali, Algiers, Tunisia and Morocco. He will even attempt this year to produce a report on Luxembourg, Netherlands and Denmark (no, he is not kidding).
A wine lover will discover in this book essential reference on the vinus world. A few headings from the global reports picked at random include ‘China is now the eighth-largest Viticultural country in the world’ or ‘First Native winery opens in Canada’. And what about ‘Gérard Depardieu’s success where Robert Mondavi of California failed’, ‘The first Greek Master of Wine’ and ‘The incident of a publication which was fined for describing Beaujolais as …’ There are many more headings but, as I always do when I find a guide or an atlas, I always try to find the chapter which Cyprus is under.
On page 175 the global report is on Eastern and Southeastern Europe. Caroline Gilby MW was commissioned to write about our island along with Hungary, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Slovakia. This is the first time that Cyprus is not mentioned as part of The Levante along with Israel, Lebanon, Turkey and Northern Africa, as in all my other guides and atlases. Why? I think because other than Romania and Bulgaria all the above countries have one thing in common – EU. Enlargement of the EU then is the big story on May 1 this year. Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria are working towards the next round of expansion in 2007. EU membership will provide a challenge to wine producers, who have, until now, been trading in comfortably protected domestic markets. The arrival of global competition will certainly affect the prices winemakers are putting on their wines. Tougher regulations may force basic standards up. However many producers in those countries are nervous about joining the EU because their cost of production is fairly high, and cheap Western European imports could provide serious competition on the domestic market. The opportunities are there for private wineries to look for niche export opportunities something like the New Zealand of Europe.
The effect may be less dramatic for Cyprus since already we import a lot of EU wines and production levels sometimes are below demand. Caroline Gilby says: “KEO, the biggest Cypriot producer, has a more pragmatic approach on the subject. While joining the EU may be a good trade opportunity, the company believes tourists will still demand local wine”.
Mrs Gilbey has a horticultural doctorate in plant tissue and she is a freelance wine writer and independent consultant to the wine trade. I share her thoughts on the subject and I will elaborate a bit more on this issue.
With global surpluses and the New World stealing market share in most wine-drinking nations, Eastern and Southeastern Europe must concentrate on quality and consistency to have any chance of survival. The region – Cyprus included – is often let down by inadequate fruit from elderly, poorly managed vineyards that were frequently planted for high volume production. This is a common problem in a nation of bulk shippers like Cyprus. The producers of this region see themselves as the New Europe, but they have no hope of matching the massive marketing spends of highly capitalized New World brands. If the wines of New Europe are to survive in the new brave world of an open EU market, Cypriot wine producers must overachieve on quality and provide it consistently, bottle after bottle.
Furthermore, there must be a ‘must pull together’ attitude to be successful in presenting a united front to promote our wines. Working together does not seem to come easy in this part of the world. Cyprus fairs better in this matter along with Romania and appears to be more cooperative. The wine industry must bring everyone into the fold; it is no good promoting a few icons if the country’s image is let down by the many. Producers of Commandaria, for example, must come together to promote it is one of the world’s truly unique sweet wines, instead of indulging in self-defeating infighting over oxidative or reductive styles when there is a market for both.
Investment in the wine industry is just as important as the proper use of available funds. Expensive heavy equipment and state-of –the-art bottling lines are available in almost all wineries. However, the best investment for an industry in urgent need is on vineyard management and the full-time employment of qualified oenologists. This will almost guarantee the quality and consistency that are the two basic elements in competing with established wine regions around the world and justifying their pricing. Skilful sales and marketing techniques have to be adopted again from specialists in the field.
The Global Report on Eastern and Southeastern Europe devotes three pages on Vintage reports. For Cyprus 2002 quality was good, albeit low in quantity due to a green harvest imposed by the government to reduce yields. Summer rainfall also caused mildew around Paphos and Lemesos. The vintage report ends in 1997; Cyprus though is not mentioned again.
Keo and Sodap are placed ninth and tenth respectively under the category of new up-and coming poducers. There is no mention of any of the independent smaller wineries, due mainly to the fact that Cyprus is still not considered an up-and-coming wine region of the world. This, unfortunately, is common to most guides and atlases. It is about time, though, to aspire, to strive to have our own chapter in these books. This is easier said than done. Overall in my opinion, Cyprus wine is not bad. It can become better provided our winemakers decide to overlook their egos and realise what is happening around them in the real, competitive wine world. Depending on tourists and ignorant, inexperienced consumers is a very shortsighted policy which I encounter time and time again, while tasting a wine ‘product of Cyprus’. Vineyard management, wise investment in the wineries, technology, the issue of oenologists, dynamic management and marketing are the key areas to achieve that.
Other than featuring all the known and unknown wine regions the book has several other articles on wine and health, on grape varieties, vintages, auction and investment, viticulture, wine science and wine on the web. It is published by DK and costs £9.99. It’s available in Greece, but once discovered in Cyprus, it will be my pleasure to provide the necessary information. Wine Report 2004 is ideal for every wine enthusiast who wants to keep up to speed with the constantly changing and ever-expanding world of wine.
