ProWein's super efficiency vs Vinitaly's chaotic charm

This year, I had the chance to visit two of the major international wine fairs: ProWein in Düsseldorf, Germany and Vinitaly in Verona, Italy. These two fairs are only two weeks apart and are considered by some as head-on competitors. But are they?

Massive Vinitaly!

In terms of size, both are huge. ProWein took up nine halls while Vinitaly had a whopping 18. Both required at least a 10 minute focused (ie, not distracted by wine) and brisk walk to get from one end to another, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes. In terms of numbers, ProWein had about 4,700 exhibitors and over 44,000 trade visitors in three days while Vinitaly featured around 4,200 exhibitors and a startling 140,000 visitors (both consumer and trade) over four days.

ProWein certainly has much more of an international focus. Wine producers from some 50 countries in all five continents, ranging from China and Uruguay to Slovenia and England, were present, and visitors were certainly international with a significant number of Asian faces. Most exhibitors were grouped by country and region whereas WSET had three booths strategically located in different sections. In contrast, Vinitaly’s exhibitors were at least 90% home grown and visitors were largely European.

So, from the above observations, ProWein and Vinitaly are not truly direct competitors. Which fair you choose to exhibit at or visit depends on what you are looking for.

Wines from Turkey and Switzerland

For me the highlights of both fairs were the many opportunities to taste off-the-beaten-track wines. At ProWein around 50% of the space was dedicated to France, Italy and Spain but I only tried wines from two Italian and one Spanish exhibitor. I was far more attracted by the pavilions of Switzerland, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, England and Uruguay. I had two full days there but could have done with another two just for these lesser-known wine regions. At Vinitaly, we moved mostly in a group following a fixed programme but I was lucky to have some time to myself wandering the Piedmont hall. There I discovered Erbaluce, a white wine with vibrant character, and Vespolina, a minor relative of Nebbiolo that is spicy and tannic. Both come from the Alto Piedmont region. Again I would have loved to have two extra days just to explore all the native Italian varieties!

Wines of South Africa self-tasting booth at ProWein

ProWein was well organised and efficient in everything from entrance access to taking breaks. Apart from on-site restaurants there were various mobile catering vans selling hot dogs and sausages all day long. The visitor pass also included free public transportation to and from the fair. Inside I particular liked the self-service tasting area where a few hundred bottles of premium wine (over €10 per bottle) were lined up for visitors to taste. And some individual countries, including South Africa and Hungary, had their own self-service areas. This is a very good concept, especially in allowing the media and educators to get an overview of the wines on offer, and also for comparing and contrasting the many different styles of wine that can be made from a single variety, such as Chenin Blanc from South Africa or Furmint from Hungary.

Vinitaly, in comparison, was somewhat more chaotic. We were in a group led by Vinitaly staff but, even so, entrance to the venue was not always straightforward. Restaurants opened late even though there were queues of people waiting, and they ran out of food if you were too late. It seemed that most people were driving, so you can imagine the traffic around the venue. Although I don’t mind sharing a fair with consumers, their number was overwhelming, especially on the first day (I later found out that the first day, the Sunday, was indeed the ‘official’ consumer day). I was tasting and writing notes at one booth when a group of loud ladies came by, sat at the table and started ordering wine as if they were in a bar. The lady I was talking to went to serve them, and eventually I just walked away without tasting any more from that booth. By early afternoon groups of half-drunk teenagers were everywhere and some had to be taken out by ambulance.

The attitude of exhibitors at the two fairs was also very different. At Vinitaly, perhaps because it largely caters for local visitors and perhaps also because of the language barrier, I found most exhibitors not very inviting. The gates opened at 9:30 but by 10:30 some exhibitors were still not ready. As I walked around, most of them (both big and small) did not seem to want to make eye contact let alone invite me to try their wine, so I ended up doing more walking than tasting, although, having said that, once I was welcomed to a booth, exhibitors were all enthusiastic. In contrast, the exhibitors at ProWein clearly had more international experience, and tastings were always conducted in a professional and efficient manner.

So which is better? ProWein Düsseldorf is an international platform bringing together wine producers and buyers from all over the world, whereas Vinitaly Verona is about showcasing Italian wines to largely European buyers (although they are gearing up to attract more international exhibitors). Sp, if your heart is with Italy, Vinitaly is definitely a fair not be missed but if you want to have a bit of everything, and especially if you are on the lookout for wines from smaller regions, you won’t be disappointed with ProWein. And both fairs are starting to venture beyond their home turf. ProWine has expanded to Shanghai (ProWine CHINA), aiming to bring international wine producers to Chinese buyers, while Vinitaly has organised shows in several major international cities including New York, Moscow, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chengdu, helping Italian wine producers develop new markets. Yet their essential characters still remain the same: ProWein caters for international wine producers while Vinitaly largely serves Italian wine producers.

As for me, I enjoyed both, mainly because as I was able to try lots of wines that are not available in Hong Kong. I loved the well-organised ProWein and the very well-planned and efficient itinerary arranged by my host, Wines of Germany. Vinitaly could certainly borrow some efficiency from ProWein but our host, Vinitaly International, made up for it with additional programmes, especially OperaWine featuring 100 top Italian producers (although at just two hours long it was way too short), and the various fabulous dinners. Allegrini, with its welcoming laser show and stunning outdoor audio-visual presentation, was something I shall never forget.

Thank you both Wines of Germany and Vinitaly International for providing such wonderful learning and experience.

Impressive dinners and evenings at Vinitaly

Italian wine... hidden gems

I always love Italian wine so naturally will not want to miss any tasting opportunities. The most memorable recently was the Vino Veritas portfolio tasting at Colour Living.

The venue is a lifestyle store featuring stylish kitchen and bathroom pieces as home furnishings. I think it’s a pretty cool setting for wine tasting. People will remember it and hopefully remember the wine as well. A few guests certainly will—they were playing with an over-sized bathtub on display, and water suddenly came out...

VinoVeritas is an Italian wine importer founded by Michael Palij MW, who selects the wines personally and recently moved to Hong Kong. There were 17 wines for tasting and I was impressed by the selection—all good quality, very reasonably priced and not short of hidden gems.

I particularly like Vigneti Massa (Walter Massa) from Colli Tortonesi, a five-generation winery in Piedmont. Its ‘Costa del Vento’ white wine made from indigenous Timorasso is concentrated with lively acidity and a savoury palate that could probably age for a few years. According to Jancis Robinson’s Wine Grapes, Timorasso used to be the most praised white variety in Piedmont until it was taken over by the more productive Cortese (used in Gavi) when vineyards were replanted after phylloxera in the early 20th century. It is only in the last few decades that a handful of producers, notably Walter Massa, have started replanting and have doubled its vineyard area from 6ha in 2000. Timorasso, in Jancis’s words, is a "rare, high-quality Piedmontese earning renewed recognition".

Walter Massa also makes red wine. His ‘Bigolla’ Colli Tortonesi Barbera DOC 2003 is still young with generous black fruits and an opulent mouthfeel, very different from the typical Barbera on the market. Apparently, Walter met Michael some time ago at a restaurant and insisted Michael try some of his wine. Michael was impressed and the rest is history. We are lucky to have Walter's wines in Hong Kong.

Ten days later I moved east from Piedmont to Friuli where Roberto Cioaca from Heritage Wines treated us to an intimate lunch at the Piedmontese restaurant La Piola with the winemaker/owner from Masùt da Rive, another family winery with four generations of history, now run by the brothers Fabrizio and Marco Gallo. They inherit and preserve the values of their father, and only make wines that truly respect the environment and express the land. By the way, ‘Masùt’ is the family nickname and ‘da Rive’ means on the hill. They sensibly did not use the family name Gallo on the label to avoid stepping on the US Gallo family’s turf.

Back to the wines, the Ribolla Gialla, an indigenous grape from the region, is refreshing with a crisp acidity and creamy mouthfeel—a pleasant summer drink and a steal at less than $200. Friulano, another native grape which Fabrizio describes as a young cousin of Sauvignon Blanc, indeed has the shadow of Sauvignon Blanc but minus the pungent herbaceousness, which makes it more suitable for pairing with food such as crispy dishes or white meat and less tiring when drunk alone. By the way, it is also known as Sauvignon Vert or Sauvignonasse, a descendant of Sauvignon Blanc.

Masùt da Rive also has other wines, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Nero (aka Pinot Noir), both not particularly the cup of tea of Ali Nicol, publisher of Wine Times HK, who was also at the tasting. Nevertheless, at the end, Ali was happily drinking both. Guess that says something about the wine!

Walter Massa is available from VinoVeritas.
Masùt da Rive is available from Heritage Wines.

Morgenster, the ‘French’ morning star

The Morgenster vertical tasting apparently clashed with another tasting in Hong Kong (but then most tastings do!). Luckily I was not invited to the other one so was very happy and definitely did not regret being able to concentrate on this French-at-heart South African wine.

Located only about 4km from the Atlantic Ocean in Somerset West just south of Stellenbosch, the vineyard benefits from the cool sea breeze resulting in a growing season 2º-3ºC lower than inland. Hence the wines are a touch lower in final alcohol and higher in acidity. Being closer to the ocean also implies more vintage variation, and it does show in the wines we tasted.

The owner, Italian Giulio Bertrand, fell in love with South Africa and especially the setting of Morgenster—meaning ‘morning star’ in Dutch—with its Cape Dutch manor house dating back to 1786. He decided to retire there and make the best Bordeaux outside Bordeaux and the best olive oil outside Italy. Being from the textile industry which has nothing to do with winemaking and olive oil production, he engaged professional help to realise his dream. Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc is the man responsible for his wine.

There are two things that differentiate Morgenster from other South African wineries in the same league. First. Giulio and Pierre have the vision to retain a portion of each year’s production to age in cellar, so there are always at least ten backdated vintages available for sale and customers can appreciate the older wines in perfect condition—not every winery has the luxury to do this because of cash flow.

Secondly, while Pierre goes to Morgenster every April for the vintage, it is Henry Kotze, the winemaker, who takes the wine to Cheval Blanc every October to make the blend. I don’t think too many wineries in the world, let alone South Africa, adopt such a practice. So it can be argued that Morgenster wine is truly a French-at-heart South African wine.

There are two labels available, both Bordeaux blends: Lourens River Valley and the flagship Morgenster which is only made in the best years. We tasted four of each: 2009, 2005, 2003 and 2001. Both 2005s have more weight and sweet ripe fruit characters because it was a hotter year. We were split between the 2003s and the 2001s, both cooler years, which are more ready to drink now. For the Laurens River Valley my preference was the 2001 as the wine revealed different aromas and bouquet every time I took a sip. The 2009, from another cooler year, is definitely still too young but it has the backbone to develop like the 2001. As for the Morgenster, my favourite was the 2003 with finesse yet a firm structure.

Anyway, the point here is not to reach a consensus on which wine or vintage is the best. They are all of high quality and each has its own style so we just have to follow our individual preference. James Yates proudly said that he is a Merlot fan and so loves the Morgenster 2005 which has 86% Merlot in the blend! So don’t blindly take the wine critics’ word; try them for yourself.

Morgenster and Laurens River Valley are available from Victoria Wines.

The graceful lady behind Grace Koshu

Gosh, she must be one of the most elegant lady winemakers I have met! Ayana Misawa, from the fifth generation at Grace Wine in Yamanashi Prefecture, about 100km from Tokyo and north of Mt Fuji, was in town recently to present her wine.

Trained in Japan, Bordeaux and Stellenbosch, and having worked in Argentina, Chile, Australia and France, young Ayana (I reckon she is only in her early 30s) is now the chief winemaker at Grace Wine. However, being one of the very few female winemakers in male dominated Japan, it is not easy. Ayana is determined, certainly confident yet sensitive. I was discussing with someone about the feminine side of wine lately and Ayana is definitely a representative, and probably an inspiration to a lot of like-minded Asian women.

Her spirit is reflected in the wines. They are refined and delicate, yet have character. The Cuveé Misawa Rouge, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot sadly not available in Hong Kong (yet), is the combination of New World fruitiness and Old World restraint minus the high tannin, definitely worth the ￥6,000 per bottle (about HK$500-600 if available here).

Koshu (甲州), an indigenous grape in Japan, is as delicate as the lady herself. Ayana’s father was the pioneer in replacing the pergola trained Koshu with vertical shoot positioning (VSP), resulting in lower yield and much more concentrated fruit. I was surprised to learn that summer temperatures can be as high as 35ºC in Yamanashi, yet Koshu only has about 11-12% alcohol thanks to its naturally low sugar level. Ayana further improves it by fermenting it in stainless steel tanks or old barrels and without lees ageing to make a refreshing vibrant wine. My first impression of Koshu was that it was vaguely reminiscent of Mosel Riesling but Ayana is more right to compare it with Hunter Valley Semillon.

Koshu, with its delicate palate, certainly pairs well with Japanese sashimi. Ayana reckons it would also be a perfect match with Cantonese cuisine. I can see myself enjoying it with poached prawns, steamed bean curd and light stir-fried dishes. We tried two Koshus: Grace Gris de Koshu and Grace Koshu. The latter, with a slightly fuller body, is clearly my favourite.

Grace also has a very well-made barrel fermented Chardonnay and a fruity Kayagatake Rouge (a blend of Muscat Bailey-A, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot). And if you have a sweet tooth, don’t forget its surprisingly fresh Kerner Late Harvest!

By the way, Ayana confirmed that in Japan they do indeed have an individual umbrella over each bunch of grapes to shelter it from rain, and which is closed when the sun comes out. Jees, this can only happen in Japan!

And thanks Gonpachi for the lovely lunch.

Grace Wine is available from Northeast.