Thursday, 3 December, 2015
Grape Collective, Kristen Bieler
What wine regions have you been the most excited to discover in the last few years?
There are many places that thrill me in terms of novelty. But what I’m most excited about right now is the Southern Hemisphere. I know in New York City it isn’t fashionable to talk about wines from these regions, but I am extremely impressed with the new generation of winemakers in South Africa, and the new regions in Chile—many of which are old regions being rediscovered, such as Maule. I am banging the drum whenever I have a chance, since I do see a blanket feeling in places like New York that all wine must come from Europe. I believe my job is to try to expose some of the developments in countries which are regarded as merely sources for cheap and cheerful wine.
You’ve been a passionate advocate for South African wines, which have not achieved the foothold in the U.S. that they have in the U.K. market. What will it take for this to change?
I think the new generation in South Africa will change people’s opinions. Winemakers like Eben Sadie, Chris and Andrea Mullineux, and Adi Badenhorst, among others, will open people’s eyes: These aren’t copies of French bottlings, but wines that are uniquely South African. It’s not the case that Europe has a monopoly on terroir or artisan production.
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