The future of wine is going to be white

Jul 24 2008 Raise A Glass By Laurence Mccoy

STREWTH...how things change! It's come as something of a shock to hear that an Australian, of all people, has predicted the future of wine is going to be white, delicate, floral and low in alcohol.

That sounds a bit like Ricky Ponting telling his bowlers to be gentle because the English batsmen prefer not to get dents in their helmets.

But highly respected Australian winemaker Brian McGuigan is apparently convinced that less alcohol and light, flowery flavours are the next big thing. According to this month's Decanter magazine, McGuigan thinks that the world, and especially the UK and France, is moving towards low-alcohol alternatives in the midst of widespread concerns over alcohol abuse. Only this week the Government announced it will be getting tougher on drinking laws, including recommendations to reduce the size of wine glasses in pubs.

Brian McGuigan may well be onto something. So he is busy planting more Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay - as well as aromatic grape varieties like Viog nier, Alba rinho and Verdejo. And he is amply supported by a growing number of commentators who think too much alcohol in wine simply disrupts the balance - as well as the ability to have more than one glass at a time.

It's all about ripeness, with modern winemakers able to extract the maximum sugars from the grapes and use new yeasts that ferment to higher levels of alcohol. The result is powerfully alcoholic wines that can be massively impressive, but sometimes are just awkward and muscle-bound. A lot of people might welcome less emphasis on the weight-training a nd more on the skills.

Meanwhile, McGuigan's prediction has played straight into the hands of the Aussies' traditional rivals. English w inemaker Bob Lindo, of Camel Valley, in Cornwall, responded that he agreed with McGuigan's vision of the future. "But it's there already - and it's called 'English Wine," he quipped.