Wood on Wine

WineSouth 2002 was a festival of sorts. This was my second year in attendance at the event which spanned two days at the end of September. It was held at the Gwinnett Civic and Cultural Center located some 35 miles north of downtown Atlanta in neighboring Gwinnett County.

Last year's event was held at a posh, upscale restaurant in Atlanta and had a special ambience and charisma that was conspicuously absent this year. Present, however, were substantial improvements and qualitative upgrades that resulted in the event's success.

The decision to hold the event in the larger and more spacious facility this year was a good one. Though the event was definitely more crowded on Saturday than Sunday, the crowds were manageable and people were able to move around freely from one tasting or eating station to another. The parking lot was convenient to the facility and there were more than ample restroom facilities accessible from the event hall.

The hard concrete floors were a source of discomfort for many of the attendees who chose fashion as opposed to comfort with respect to their choice of footwear. Yet, there were seating islands strategically located throughout the convention hall so that the weary had a place to sit, eat and rest.

It seemed that there were less exhibitors this year than last - perhaps that was because there was so much more space available. I thought it was interesting that the food and wine stations were commingled enabling the attendees to opt to eat and drink at the same time. Last year's event was organized differently with the food stations segregated from the wine stations.

One aspect of festivals of this magnitude is that one has to decide where to focus or emphasize one's time and energy. It is impossible or at best foolish to try to taste all of the wines offered. How then does one make an informed and prudent decIsion as to where to concentrate?

One technique that I found intriguing was to observe where the crowd seemed to congregate and then to ascertain why. Allow me to share a few of my observations as to what seemed to be the "people's choice" at this year's festival.

Clearly, one of the most impressive wine stations this year was one of the smaller and less conspicuously placed. Buckhead Fine Wine had a constant flow of very happy attendees hovering around its table the entire time I was there. I was one of them admittedly. Why? This local retailer was pouring the following wines: Chateau Le Fleur Petrus 1999 (retail $79.99), Chateau Pichon Long. Lalande ($54.99), Burguet Gevrey Chambertin 1997 ($49.99), Germain, Beaune Vignes Franches 1997 ($44.99), Mugnerot Vosne Romanee 1997 ($36.99), Armand Pommard 1997 ($56.99), Amiot "Les Macherelles" 2000 ($56.99), Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet, Clos St. Jean 1999 ($54.99) and, Whithall Lane 1.5 Magnum Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 ($169.99).

It didn't take an oenophile to figure out that this was an oasis in the midst of the desert. It was like finding that one-of-a-kind wine in the closeout barrel and feeling quite smug about it. This was clearly the Rolls-Royce of the exhibit stations this year. It definitely got my attention.

I was also impressed with the organization of the wineries and distributors that were pouring. There were Australian wines lined up aside each other enabling one to compare a little easier. I found the McWilliam's Hanwood Estate Southeastern Australia Chardonnay 2001 to be quite good. Their Shiraz (2002) was good as well but needed a little maturing in my mind.

The Morandé presentation was, as always, first class and they had a large area from which to display and show their wares. Their staff was knowledgeable and cordial - something that is often overlooked at these events. Their 1999 Morandé Edicion Limitada Grand Reserve selection was most impressive. Morandé is clearly a player in the U.S. market after only a two year presence. Look for them to continue to "challenge the ordinary."

Kendall-Jackson's impressive array of wines from all over the world was also impressive. Their staff, as well, was friendly, courteous and knowledgeable. One thing that seemed to impress the attendees was the fact that the Kendall-Jackson lineup contained many labels that were familiar - La Crema, Pepi, Edmeades, Yangarra Park, etc. Their Grand Reserve and Great Estate labels were clearly superior and were oft requested.

Finally, I enjoyed a complete tasting from my friends at International Gourmet whose lineup of French wines was again complete and consistent. By the time that I managed to taste about eight of their wines, I was not able to make any clear distinctions as to taste and quality given the lateness of the hour and the frequency with which I had sampled others' wines. However, I was received well there and I enjoyed the presentation.

Clearly, the receptivenss of the staff manning the wine stations is a key factor relative to a comparative assessment of the many vendors. A pleasant smile and a warm welcome goes a long way at these events. After all, this is all about marketing and PR, and those who do it best fare best.

Perhaps my most memorable and noteworthy experience this year was the opportunity to meet and speak with Dorothy J. Gatier and her husband, John Brecher, authors of a very fine new book "Love By the Glass: Tasting Notes from a Marriage." Let me tell you that this was indeed a pleasure, albeit a brief one. I love to read about wine as much as I love to write about wine and the wine experience. This, too, is the approach that these writers take in their book. I purchased their book and had an opportunity to chat with them ever so briefly.

As I read the book (I even began reading as I rested during the event), I was amazed at the parallels that exist between their lives and their wine-enthusiasm journey and my own. It was ever so heartwarming to learn after I met Dorothy that she was familiar with my columns and WineLoversPage.com. Though I am a few years older than both of them, we "cut our wine teeth" on the same stuff: Boones Farm Apple and Strawberry, Cold Duck, Chablis (in the box) and Mateus Rosé.

So, this leg of my wine journey is complete. I don't attend many wine extravaganzas as I find them to be somewhat tedious and repetitive. I like to drink wine and enjoy the experience that comes with enjoying wine with friends socially and with a good meal. I have never purported to be an "expert." I am just an everyday enthusiast who knows what I like and enjoys the learning experience. I suspect that there are a lot of folks out there just like me who approach the enjoyment of wine as I do. Many of them were in attendance at WineSouth 2002 and I believe they found the experience to be a good one as I did.

Oct. 1, 2002

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