There's no excuse for not trying something new

BY DEBORAH WALTON AND PETER MORICE

Nobody likes change. Generally we're much more suited to routine and knowing what's coming next. This applies equally to the constant of the daily commute for city dwellers to the rhythms of rural life. Even animals get in on the act – with routine-obsessed bovines literally lining up at the gate waiting to start the trip to the milking shed.

Even when we think we are adding variation and spice to our lives by taking up a hobby or joining a club, change can drive a stake through the heart of our ambitions. Just try introducing the latest Mills and Boon bodice-ripper to your erudite, cosy and well-ordered book club and see what happens.

It's the same with wine, where we find that most wine drinkers are terrified of trying something new. There are no excuses for this when you consider that there are literally thousands of grape varieties from around the world from which wine is made.

While some of the classic varieties – cabernet sauvignon, syrah, chardonnay, riesling and sauvignon blanc – are nominally the same, each have their own flavours and aromas. These result from the influence of country or region of origin, differing soil types, local wine-making traditions, prevailing weather patterns, vine age and clonal selection to name but a few. If you really want to blow your mind, check out the different varieties listed in Jancis Robinson's fantastic book Vines Grapes and Wines.

So, apart from adversity to change, why have some us ended up in this vinous rut? Several reasons come to mind. One is parochialism. Now don't get us wrong, loyalty is to be recommended, but how do you know how good you are if you're unaware of the competition?

Slavish devotion to competition results and specialist wine media can also take its toll. Yes, they can be a useful guide, but it's as well to remember that while the judges/commentators aim for consistency it sometimes involves a preference for, or the recognition of, a certain varietal style to the exclusion of all others.

Recently, Oz Clarke, the influential British wine writer and judge was on TV saying that true Marlborough sauvignon blanc (and the one he preferred) was the sharp, pungent and brisk style. By definition all other styles of sauvignon blanc are impostors or just plain wrong and will not trouble his palate – so much for an open mind.

To our way of thinking there is no such thing as a bad/wrong style. Yes, there are numerous examples of poorly made wine from unripe fruit – but never a wrong style, only an expression of the winemaker's art and the fruit they're using to craft it.

Price is also influential. It's often said that the main beneficiary of the current wine glut is the consumer. A quick stroll down supermarket wine aisles will confirm this as there is now any number of unrecognisable brands bottled by unknown producers for less than $10.

The problem here is that these brands are the product of accountants' angst, not winemakers' skill. Worst of all, they do nothing to enhance the wine drinker's experience and breadth of knowledge.

In this column we review wines from places like France, Italy, Chile, Argentina, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. The main aim has been to help broaden readers' horizons and give them the confidence to try something new. So don't be shy – give it a go.

Bladen 2008 Marlborough pinot gris

Aroma: A straw-coloured wine displaying pear skin and apricot/peachy notes with a soupcon of lemon honey. There's also some savouriness that adds interest.

Palate: Creamy peach and apricot flavours greet the palate then white nectarine and fresh, stalky phenolics take over; however these devolve to a sweet toffee apple taste. A jot of acid keeps things in check at the finish while the toffee apple makes a welcome return at the after taste.

Bladen makes some lovely aromatic wines and the proof is in a very rewarding example of pinot gris.

Price: Around $24

Curio 2008 Nelson pinot gris – Horrel vineyard

Aroma: Out of left field here with some interesting marzipan/nutty aromas backed up with peaches and lemon honey while some tinned veg notes keep things interesting.

Taste: Soft acids with sweet, rich ripe pears and stone fruit. Some luscious (almost over- ripe) pineapple lends the wine some fruit bomb characters Across the mid-palate to the finish which is creamy but not distinctive – toffee apples on the aftertaste round things out.

A pleasant quaffer and non-challenging in a gallery-opening sort of way!

Price: $27.90

Riverby 2008 single vineyard Marlborough chardonnay

Aroma: Honeyed apricots, peaches and cream, some toasty oak with a dash of coconut. Give a bit of a shake up the wine becomes a bit fresher with some vague citrus notes but not enough to overpower the toffee/caramel malo notes

Palate: This one doesn't muck about with spicy floral upfront ginger and nougat; a hot wine (14.5 per cent) with a massive lick of malo flavour from start to finish. Ripe fruit powers the mid-palate and offers some grunty complexity on the finish.

It's a goody!

Price: Around $25

- The Marlborough Express