| 14th CONCORSO ENOLOGICO INTERNAZIONALE - The Jury Members | | | | By: Remie Law | << back  Page 2 of 4 next >> |
At 3.6% of the time, a hand is raised asking for a second sample. A very good low rate of just 136 rejects out of 3,735 bottles of wine. The second bottle is presented without disrupting the rhythm or the Sommeliers' Parade.
Nevertheless, this year's proceedings had a greater share of disruptions compared to 2004. We had several disputed classifications, which needed to be resolved. I had a flight of white wines that suddenly turned distinctly DARK RED. Wrong bottle sample! A flight of liqueur wines, mainly sweet, with one very dry Marsala right in the middle of them all. "Fortified Wine" might be a better translation from the Italian.
Then, it happened, again, as with each year. Only differently. The sommeliers marched out with the first flight of the day and stood awaiting the signal from Dr. Martelli. "Prego" he intoned, and the sommeliers duly marched out of the tasting room, without pouring a drop!
Precise and strict silence is maintained and ALL mobiles are switched off, during the tasting sessions. On the same morning, in the beginning of the second flight, a lone but loud beeping was heard. Dr. Martelli's eyes narrowed and his long stare reached out to the offender. Immediately, a whole series of mobile phone beeps, whistles and tones were heard throughout the room! Dr. Martelli face changed into a wide grin.
The fool of 1st April was called - twice!!
Following Dr. Martelli's lead, the Jurors took these disruptions in their stride and the whole proceedings ended on schedule on Sunday morning by lunchtime.
Here are some of the varied personalities at this year's Competition.
At first meeting, John looked like the retired Santa Claus, who has come to play with wine. His shock of gleaming white hair and full beard made him look the part. His walking stick that doubled as a mobile seat makes one wonder if this Santa had a bad fall during one of his chimney decends. But no, Count John Umberto Salvi MW has been a wine personality for a very, very long time. To be precise, he is "around" the 25th member of the august Institute of Masters of Wine. A true English Gent of royal Italian parentage, John has been living in Margaux, France for over 38 years, tracking the effect of weather on Bordeaux vintages. These statistics, he shares with the world, through a very technical subscription newsletter. Besides all this highly technical stuff, he also writes for various other international wine publications translated into French, Spanish, Italian or more. He has been a fixture at this Competition, since the beginning, being on the organising committee with Dr. Martelli. As John warms up to you, you begin to see the true English Gent in him. Ready for a chuckle or a fib or laugh. Play the ladies if he had half a chance! Most of all, he truly enjoy good company and good food. He is diplomatic but it does not stop him from speaking his mind. John is a valuable member of the wine fraternity counting among his close friends, Steven Spurrier, Michael Broadbent, the Peppercorns and any wine personality you care to name.
At the other "end", if you like, still wet behind her ears, is Cathy van Zyl MW. A South African of Scottish blood, Cathy was elected the 250th Master of Wine, in late 2005. That makes her the only South African-based MW. Cathy has no airs about her, despite the MW, and warms up to people easily. However, she expresses precise opinions in her website blogs. The most recent ruffling of feathers was her demand for accountability in the use of artificial flavours in South African Sauvignon Blancs. In the same vein, the tasting notes in her website are totally independent and unbiased. These form the basis for the annual South African 2nd best-selling publication (after the Bible) "John Platter South African Wines" guide. This guide is a whole year's work by 12 independent wine tasters, who taste through about every wine produced in South Africa. Besides all these wine-tastings, she oversees her household overun by her 9-year old son and work mainly from home, if she is not travelling. Leisure time is spent at a seaside cottage, where she dives for abalone or lobsters in the choppy waters of the Cape.
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