Making wine is not for the faint hearted! You can prepare as best you can, have everything ready to go and just at the point when everything seems to be going swimmingly, Mother Nature intervenes in the blink of an eye, often with devastating effect. Late spring frosts across Europe have been awful; Extreme drought has been all too common in California, Australia and South Africa; golf ball-sized hail stones can rip through a vineyard in a matter of minutes destroying both grapes and vines; and torrential rain, at the wrong time, can lead to a rapid change of plans and the five star vintage ruined. An unexpected natural disaster is only ever just around the corner.

It is however these unexpected challenges which seem to bring the best out in some winemakers. In a perfect vintage, the pressure is on the winemaker to not mess up that which nature has delivered on a plate. Any winemaker would of course jump at the opportunity to make a wine in the ‘vintage of the century’, that has the potential to age for decades, impress critics and consumers alike and help to raise the profile of their winery. But in the more challenging years when conditions are far from perfect, this is when the best winemakers earn their stripes resulting in wines that stand out against their peers.

An often unexplored side of vintage variation is rosé wine, particularly with those at the premium end of the market. When consumers, and those in the trade, think of rosé, it is often assumed that they should be consumed when they are young and at their freshest, however when made in a different style, perhaps with some oak ageing, they can age and develop just as well as whites and reds. In the South of France, Gérard Bertrand’s goal is to do just that in Clos du Temple – create a rosé wine that carves out a niche in the market, competing one the same level as some of the world’s finest wines. First made in 2018, each of the three vintages produced so far have varied in style, and continue to do so as they spend more time in the bottle. Having recently tasted all three alongside each other it is clear that Bertrand is achieving his goal; creating a premium rosé that doesn’t have to be enjoyed young but can provide a different experience when aged.

Look out for the new release of Jim Barry’s The Armagh Shiraz 2017 which comes from eight acres of vines grown in the shallow gravelly heart of the McCrae Wood vineyard in the Clare Valley. The parcel of vines for The Armagh was planted on its own rootstock, during the drought of 1968/1969 with the first vintage release not until the 1985 vintage. Every vintage of these cherished old vines is unique and the 2017 is looking fantastic from a later, cooler harvest, but this won’t be physically available until spring 2022 nor ready to drink for a few years. We do however have two fabulously different vintages in stock for immediate enjoyment – The Armagh 2012 from a lower yielding vintage, as a result of the very wet 2011 season, however the quality is exceptional and now approaching 10 years of age it is entering its prime (98 Pts – James Suckling); By contrast The Armagh 2013, due to the exceptionally hot summer is packed with power and incredible intensity with lots of dark fruit and mocha flavours (96 Pts – James Suckling).

Finally, one wine region that experiences significant vintage variation is the Douro in northern Portugal. Vintage ports are only released in the best vintages, which works out on average to be about three times every decade. At Barros, whilst the vintage does play a part, the vagaries of vintage are less pronounced due to the long ageing in casks and careful blending develop the complex flavours and incredible length. Barros 10yo and 20yo tawnies are without doubt some of the finest on the market but it is for their Colheita ports that they really stand out. The 2005 Colheita (Best Fortified Trophy, Wine Merchant Top 100, 2018) still has flashes of red berry fruit but with a dried fig and hazelnut character. The 1996 was a big volume vintage by Douro standards which would hint at less intensity on the wines, but the Barros 1996 Colheita (17.5 pts Jancis Robinson) is beautifully soft and velvety with rich dried fruit and a wonderfully long finish. For the ultimate treat for your customers you must try the 1978 Colheita which at over 40 years of age is concentrated and powerful with classic spice and nutty texture all beautifully supported by balanced acidity and a flavour that goes on forever.

Vintage variation should be expected, embraced and celebrated as great wines can be made no matter what Mother Nature throws at us. We are blessed to have a selection of wines from all over the world, however, due to the nature of the business we don’t pick and choose which vintages we will buy and support, we work in partnership with our producers to make sure that every year, the wines that have been carefully nurtured in the vineyard and cellar are given every opportunity to be enjoyed by consumers everywhere. There is an obsession to compare one vintage against another however the diversity of the wines within a vintage and the anomalies of the weather between vintages lead to many unexpected surprises.

– Christo Lockhart, Hallgarten Sales Manager, London

Things change, Steve Daniel writes. Life changes. I think we have all being given a brutal taste of this in the last 18 months. We adapt, change and ultimately learn to live with it. The world of wine is less dramatic, but like everything else it is not immune to change.

What we take as an absolute given at this moment might not be the case in the future.

At the turn of the last century German wine was the most revered and expensive in the world, and Château Petrus was just another Bordeaux Château until the 1960s. If you did not have Muscadet on your wine list or on your shelves in 1990 you would have either been fired or declared clinically insane.

How many people still have Muscadet on their absolute must-have list? A small number, I imagine. But what happened to it? In 1991 there was a devastating frost, supply dried up, prices sky-rocketed and the industry had to find an alternative. New Zealand Sauvignon, and the New World in general, arrived to mop up the demand. And where is Muscadet now?

If 20 years ago I had said that one of the most popular red wines, and an absolute essential on any rack, would be Argentinean Malbec most be people would have laughed!

I remember tasting Picpoul de Pinet in the Languedoc in the 1990s and saying what a brilliant wine it was to a producer, and that I was going to buy it. The producer laughed at me and said: “you are crazy no one buys Picpoul”. Well, now everyone buys Picpoul.

So, things change. These changes are usually precipitated by an event or a series of events.

With crystal ball in hand, where are we today and what events might mark a change to our drinking habits?

Within the wine trade it usually starts with natural events such as drought or frost, or hail, or fire which has an impact on supply and ultimately has an economic impact. Or the impact could be more gradual due to changing tastes of consumers, or the changing style of a wine due to climatic changes.

So what are the areas of concern and interest right now? I am going to focus more on white wines here…

New Zealand Sauvignon – the current go to wine on every retailers’ shelf and every wine list in the country. Due to unprecedented demand and short vintages in succession we are now looking down the barrel of shortages and price hikes (sounds a little like Muscadet in 91!). So what should we be drinking instead? My money is on South Africa. For me the Cape produces world-class Sauvignon Blanc from its cooler coastal regions. Lots of the vibrant fruit, similar to what you get from Marlborough, but with a more classic steely back bone closer in style to Sancerre pre-global warming. It is great value and we should all be doing the beleaguered growers and the winemakers of the Cape a favour. They have had to deal with drought and a COVID crisis that is as bad as anywhere on the planet. So, make sure you add Cape Sauvignon to your list!

Burgundy has been decimated by frost and hail, and there will be shortages and price hikes particularly on the household names like Puligny and Meursault. If you are looking for absolute quality, have some cash in the bank but still want to save a few pounds, South Africa delivers once again. Some of the most impressive Chardonnay I have tasted recently from anywhere in the world – and at any price – have come from the Cape. Richard Kershaw and Sam O’Keefe make stellar examples that you simply have to try.

California can also make beautiful examples of Chardonnay, particularly in the cooler areas like the Santa Rita Hills. For a taste of what they can offer, try the iconic Sanford wines.  Australia is also making beautifully elegant wines in cooler areas, such as in Mornington Peninsula and Western Australia. Names to look out for are Paringa, Oceans Eight and Larry Cherubino.

All these wineries also make spectacular Pinot Noir. If you are looking for value Pinot as an alternative to Burgundy, then Chile is the answer particularly, particularly those from the cool rolling hills of Leyda. The area reminds me of Santa Barbara, as do the wines.

With global warming some of the old, classic white wine growing areas are not making wines like they used to. I think the most obvious examples to me are Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume and Chablis. The reason the world fell in love with these wines was their freshness and minerality. My personal opinion is that the wines are now much riper and have lost some of their “Va Va Voom” or Vif as the French say.

Rather than being safe and looking for alternative sources of Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, I think it is far more interesting to look for wines that maybe share the original style you were looking for, rather than the grape.

Areas that make wonderful wines that have that life, minerality and acidity might not be totally obvious. The North West of Spain and Portugal is a treasure trove for fresh, vibrant whites. I believe most people have now tried Albarino but there are so many interesting wines being produced in the region; try a Treixadura from Ribeiro, an Avesso, or a Loureiro from Vinho Verde. Godello is an excellent alternative to Macon. The wines are amazing and offer real value.

My personal go-to for white wines is Greece. I believe Greece is making some of the freshest, most interesting white wines on the planet right now. They are never going to be at the house wine level or even first price varietal, but pound-for-pound and excitement per mouthful they can compete with anywhere in the world. If you haven’t already, you must try these grapes: Assyrtiko, Vidiano, Malagousia, Kidonitsa , Monemvasia – all of which show why Greece is the word.

I believe the coastal regions around the Mediterranean are making great wines – Vermentino from Sardinia is amazing, as is the same grape often called Rolle in the South of France. I don’t need to mention Picpoul which still offers great value and reliability, and is now a mainstay on shelves and wine lists. Croatia makes wonderful wine from Malvasia, Posip and Vugava and the first ever Assyrtiko is now being produced in Lebanon. It’s vibrant, fresh and amazing value you will soon see more of it in Lebanon and around the world. Lebanon also makes amazing wines from indigenous grapes, like Obeidy.

For me, islands make the best wines. I have already mentioned Greece and Sardinia, but Tenerife, Majorca and Cyprus also make world class examples of mineral-driven white wines. The cooling effect of the proximity to the sea with the salty tang it imparts, the amazing terroirs and local grapes all add up to an exciting package.

Talking of islands, Blighty is making some great bracing white wines. I have often heard Bacchus referred to as the UK’s answer to Sauvignon Blanc – why can’t this be the next world-beating white wine? Or, with global warming, will we soon have Marlborough Sauvignon from Wiltshire?

Oh and I almost forgot, I think Muscadet is well worth re-visiting. Fresh, Crisp, mineral and offering great value! Surely it’s time Muscadet made a comeback… It’s been over 30 years now!

There is a vinous treasure trove out there, and sometimes shortages and adversity make us reach out to try new things. There has never been a greater need to do this than now. Diversity is the key. It makes for more interesting and unique wine lists, more exciting wine shelves and happier customers.