WHO WE ARE: Savvy nong plonk

Wednesday May 9, 2007 04:08 PM

Who We Are

A column about Australia by David Dale, published in The Sun-Herald 19/7/2009
Try saying the phrase "shiraz socialist" five times fast after a couple of glasses of pinot noir. The inherent pronunciation difficulties may explain why certain politicians persist with the phrase "chardonnay socialist" as their preferred term of abuse, even though it reveals their utter ignorance of what most Australians actually drink.

The implication within "chardonnay socialist" is that the accused pretends to have working class sympathies but actually has elitist tastes. It was coined in the 1980s, when chardonnay was an expensive novelty favoured by businessmen desperate to display their wealth. The theory was that true Aussies drink beer or, at worst, cask plonk containing no identifiable grape. Anyone who drinks differently must be unAustralian.

Unbeknownst to conservative politicians, the insult had lost its sting by the early noughties, when Queen Adelaide chardonnay was revealed as the beverage of choice for millions of people who met all other definitions of real, normal, average, decent, patriotic Aussies.

Is chardonnay still part of our national identity? Disturbing rumours about changes in our drinking habits provoked this column to check the latest data from the Bureau of Statistics and the research organisation AC Nielsen. Here's what emerged ...

Wine consumption: The average Australian over the age of 15 drinks 28.3 litres of wine a year (up from 28.1 in 2006). That's the equivalent of five glasses a week, of which three would be white and two would be red.

Favourite styles: The most-planted white grape in this country is still chardonnay, while the most planted red grape is shiraz. But most-planted is not the same as most-purchased, which turns out like this ...

The national reds: Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz, Pepperjack Shiraz.

The national bubblies: Yellowglen Yellow Sparkling, Jacob's Creek Chardonnay Pinot.

The national whites: Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Giesen Sauvignon Blanc.

Hang on a minute. Oyster Bay and Giesen are both from New Zealand. So in this year's wine purchases, Australians are propping up an enemy economy by replacing elitist chardys with foreign savvys (as the New Zealanders insist on calling them).

It's a national disaster. Apparently we're so jaded by the Barossa, the Hunter and the Margaret River that we seek novelties an ocean away. Don't panic. Help is on its way. Oddly enough, the good news, like the bad news, comes from across the Tasman - but not over that way, down that way.

Tasmania is about to launch an attack on the mainland with a view to reclaiming control of our wine tastes. Next month a travelling roadshow called Tasmania Unbottled 2009, representing 30 of our south island's bravest winemakers, will invade Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The Tasmanians know it will take a while to wean us off weedy kiwi sauvignon blancs, so their first weapon of choice will be bubbles, followed by a blitzkrieg of pinot noirs (for more information, go here) .

To support them (and the economy), our politicians will need to create a new term of abuse for those who are drinking against the national interest. How about "savvy-wankers"?

Go to Comments to discuss how we can fight back against kiwi plonk. And to discuss whether most Australians are too stupid to function in the 21st century, go to last week's column.

David Dale is the author of Who We Are -- A snapshot of Australia today (Allen and Unwin). For daily updates on Australian attitudes, bookmark blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare.

COMMENTS

I can vouch for the Janz Cuvee. I often have a glass with breakfast, or brunch, or lunch (you get the picture) when dining out in town!! It's a local, it's bubbly and it's delicious!!

by 2paw on July 18, 2009 at 09:49 PM

Good luck to Tassie wines, their cooler climate could produce interesting Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays. New Zealand white wines are not plonk, they're more sophisticated and expensive than the bulk that Australia ships overseas these days selling for 4 Euros in the supermarket. Australia is going the way of South Africa going for bulk, not premium wines. The better more expensive wines are available only at licensed bottle shops.

by peter on July 19, 2009 at 12:26 AM

Hello there if you must quote German terms, pls spell zem correctly: its blitzkrieg, ie - not ei.

DD replies: Danke. Fixed now.

by daniela on July 19, 2009 at 12:42 AM

Nice article from a country with nice wines.
I have just come back to France from Australia after visiting some wonderful wineries around 6 months ago (from the Barossa, to Murrumbatemen, to the Hunter region).
I tasted some very good wines in my travels but the thing that really came as a surprise to me is HOW people class what wine they like. I heard many people saying they liked Chardonnay, or Merlot, or Pinot Noir, etc,... instead of saying what REGION they liked. I think that many people Down Under think that a Shiraz will taste the same no matter where it is grown. What came more as a surprise was that many people did not even know where exactly these fabulous regions were located! (I can't even imagine this happening in France - so important the region is to identifying a wine and its own culture).
Overall my experience with Aussies wine was tr�s agr�able. I think that too many growers however concentrate on delivering an oaky flavor, and in turn many wines seemed to carry a similar, but very subtle, oak taste (for reds only).
New Zealand wines were extremely refreshing. A wonderful variety with some exceptional surprises from small wineries.
Good to see that wine consumption is on the way up after some poor beer experiences. Now if I can just find some prawns for my summer BBQ like I found in Sydney ;-)

by Remy on July 19, 2009 at 01:06 AM

Somehow I feel dumber after reading this tripe...

by bobbydazzler on July 19, 2009 at 01:10 AM

There's some really good stuff coming from Tassie, Clover Hill is one of the best sparkling wines I've ever had.

by Daisy on July 19, 2009 at 03:26 AM

I am a kiwi. I live in NZ. I drink a lot of wine.
I have never heard the word 'savvy'.
Oh, and you're a pathetic racist.

by Kiwi on July 19, 2009 at 05:50 AM

I find your classification of New Zealand as Australia's 'enemy' totally disgusting. You've been happy enough to fight beside us, to value your NZ employees as hard workers, but enjoy our much better quality savignon blanc? Poor sports as usual.

DD replies: And New Zealanders have a great sense of humour, too.

by Beverly on July 19, 2009 at 05:53 AM

I have just returned from a trip to Tasmania and we sampled some magnificent Pinot Noir 2005, 2006 from the Rosevears Estate in the Tamar Region. We compared that wine to a Marlborough Oyster Bay 2006 Pinot Noir when we came back to Brisbane, and I can say the Tasmanian wine was smooth with velvet fluency, and full of rich berry fruit flavours. The Marlborough on the other hand was flat wine without true flavour, raspy on the palette and had no bouquet.
The Tamar Ridge Wines at Kayena offered a magnificent 2007 Pinot Rose and Devil's Corner Cuvee for those who like sparkly wine. The Golders vineyard Chardonnay 2006 from Pipers Brook was a winner.
I look forward to the upcoming challenge from the Tasmanian wine growers.
Ailsa

by Ailsa on July 19, 2009 at 06:22 AM

I am one who does not but wine as a patriot. I buy wine I like and also look for value. Off the top of my head in the last few months, I have I had bought wine from Aus, NZ, Spain, France, Chile, Italy. I think even Argentina.

I oppose the "wine equalization tax" as much as I oppose USA/EU sanctions against our agricultural exports.

Australian wines do NOT deserve favorable treatment in the marketplace.

by a don on July 19, 2009 at 07:42 AM

Just wait in a couple of years your national reds may be from NZ as well.

by Kiwi2 on July 19, 2009 at 07:46 AM

We value kiwis as employees? You gotta be kidding. 'Working for centrlink', most of them.

And DD is spot on about their sense of humour. Bitter lot, the kiwis.

Nice plonk tho.

by trev on July 19, 2009 at 07:47 AM

David Dale is a fine patriotic Ozzie who does not deserve to be attacked for exposing yet another Kiwi strategy in the ongoing plan to conquer Australia. All this talk of palette and bouquet misses the main point, which is national sovereignty. The solution is obvious; if we could do it in East Timor, where they hardly speak English or have any substantial wine industry, making NZ the next state of Australia should be easy. The wine growing regions could be taken first in case we get bogged down in other parts. Eden Park would make a good base for the Blackhawks and if there was some collateral damage to the pitch it would be very unfortunate.

by Bazza on July 19, 2009 at 07:57 AM

N.Z. Sauvignon Blanc has become the bogan wine of choice, it is simply another in a long line of wines dating back to Barossa Pearl.

by Stephen on July 19, 2009 at 08:00 AM

If I want a good, big red, I go for an Aussie red, if I want a good white, I go for a NZ wine.
Traitor, don't think so.
I actually find it quite depressing going into a bottle shop here and very close to all wines being Aussies, some NZs, and maybe a token bottle of Chilean or South African.
I spent 10 years in London, and it was FANTASTIC being able to experience wines from all over the world.
It would do everyone here good to be a bit more adventurous with their wine choices.

by Ingrid on July 19, 2009 at 08:08 AM

When I drink wine I try and support good aussie wineries. I also love wines from France and Italy and enjoy them especially when I'm in those countries. It think recognising regions rather than grapes so much is something our industry and consumers need to catch on to.
I have been turned off NZ wines by the arrogance of NZers I encountered when living in London. The insistence that NZ wines were the 'best in the world' was just too weird for me.
On the subject of beer, I'm looking forward to the day when we change from offering the option of 50 different types of lager and instead start catching on the greatness of wheat beer.

by J on July 19, 2009 at 08:52 AM

I don't buy things because of where they were made. Buying Australian because it's Australian simply breeds mediocrity and complacency - look at our car industry. No-onemakes Champagne like the French, but there are some bvery enjoyable Australian bubblies, at good prices. And NZ makes some very drinkable sauvignon blanc, but it's mostly not to my taste. I'm with Ingrid - the choice in Australian wine shops s appalling, yet there are many good wines from Argentina, South Africa etc we should be enjoying. Australia is not the last word in wine.
Now I must go and pull the cork on that Barossa Shiraz to have with my steak tonight.........!!

by Declan on July 19, 2009 at 09:12 AM

I'm a Kiwi who has drunk lots of wine over the last 45 years and have developed preferences. Cab - Oz, Coonawarra and Margaret River and any Chile reserva as well, Shiraz - Oz, esp Barossa but also McLaren Vale. Pinot Noir, Marlborough - incredible value, but also some Oz. Riesling, most anywhere in NZ, Oz too dry with metallic aftertaste, Sauvignon Blanc, NZ Marlborough, Chardonnay, Oz are huge value. I drink other varieties too, but those are my developed preferences. Mmm - 'traitors' might make a good label, sell a few bottles for students' parties!

by Tom on July 19, 2009 at 09:37 AM

"I am a kiwi. I live in NZ. I drink a lot of wine.
I have never heard the word 'savvy'.
Oh, and you're a pathetic racist.
by Kiwi on July 19, 2009 at 05:50 AM"

Racist?????? I really like most kiwis but some of you are so stupid...
Great wines come from NZ, the Atarangi Pinot Noir is heaven, so are the Savvy's and Pinot Gris. I also love Margaret River Shiraz, with their chocolaty hints, Claire Valley Rieslings..
I hope Tassie does continues to produce good Pinot's but cheaper than what they are noe, and already produce a brilliant sparkling by Clover Hill

by dean on July 19, 2009 at 09:54 AM

Some people have mentioned that they like wines based on regional tastes (ie Barossa, Hunter, Marlborough NZ, or regions of France, etc). I always find it amusing when someone says they love the Barossa red they are drinking, when in fact, the grapes comes from Griffith or Mildura! I used to work in a winery in the Hunter and I can tell you that only about a quarter of the wine we sold was actually from grapes grown locally in our vineyard. The majority came from our vineyards around Griffith and some from around Orange and also Mudgee. We also purchased grapes from independent vineyards. If you prefer to purchase based on region, you need to make sure you read the labels, as they can be very deceptive. A bottle of wine marketed by a Hunter winery, may in fact be from Griffith and if the wine is a mixed variety, you could have wine from two regions in the same bottle. Some wineries will make it obvious, others will not. It can get very confusing.

by Dean on July 19, 2009 at 10:12 AM

Okay, we'll stop drinking your reds and "propping" up the Australian economy. And lets band foreign beer imports. And while we're at it, why don't we start dismantling free trade? Drink it because it's good and you like it not because of where it comes from.

by sit ubu sit on July 19, 2009 at 11:04 AM

Perhaps Australians could be a little more patriotic about their wines if they could work out their geography ... Young Davie
needs to learn a few Bass-ics like the stretch of sea between the mainland and Tasmania ... "the good news, like the bad news, comes from across the Tasman - but not over that way, down that way". Any which way but accurate! Maybe SMH needs a few more good hard-working Kiwi sub-editors.

DD asks: So you're telling us that Tasmania is not in the Tasman Sea?

by Trev, son of Trev on July 19, 2009 at 11:10 AM

Best wine I have had recently is "Nanny Goat 2008 Pinot Noir" from Central Ortago in NZ. Kiwi's make some decent wines.
Many South African red wines are very smooth to drink. Australian wines in the same class seems to at least 3 times more expensive.
Many Aussie wines, particularly, for South Australia, tend to be very harsh on the throat.
I'm sure we have some great wines in Oz but they tend to be in the $50+ price range. I'm too poor to drink these on a regular basis.

by sfx on July 19, 2009 at 11:32 AM

For me I like to drink the wine that goes best with the food I am eating and buy the wines from a region that makes that wine the best - I am a regionalist more than a nationalist. Life is too short to pigeon hole my tastebuds into wines from one country. So yes Savvy from Marlborough, simply because Oyster bay and Giesen are just avge savvies and there are 100+ more that are simply stunning. For Pinot Noir I would forget Marlborough and go to Tassie, Central Otago, or Martinborough. Shiraz - any of the main South Australian Regions. For a Rhone style Syrah - Hawkes Bay, or maybe even Rhone! Cabernet and blends, South Africa, South Oz. Merlot - Victoria and some expensive Hawkes Bay versions.
Chardonnay - gee there are some expensive stunning examples in Oz, together with a heap of lowcost drab. Riesling and Gewurz - I prefer Kiwi or Alsace. Just personal preferences and thats what makes tasting wine so enjoyable.

by G-Mac on July 19, 2009 at 12:28 PM

Perhaps a solution would be to remove the varietal from all labels. That way you simply end up with red or white wines (and blends), and no varietal will get singled out as inferior simply because it's been over-produced and hyped for commercial gain (as happened with chardonnay).
Remy and Ingrid make good points. The difference between regions should override the difference between varietals, and if we had access to more international wines here, Australians might appreciate that better.
It's obviously ludicrously subjective to state Kiwi wines or Aussie wines are superior, but Kiwi bottleshops are stocked with wine from all over the world giving them much broader palates. Unfortunately, Aussies are too quickly swayed by marketing hype� how long till the backlash against the coming Tasmanian Pinot Noirs onslaught, I wonder...

by GT on July 19, 2009 at 12:57 PM

Red is the only way to go....make sure it is 100%
Australian and not diluted with cheap foreign
stuff....and of course Shiraz..mainly NSW...
Victoria ...SA or....Wa

by Malcolm on July 19, 2009 at 04:26 PM

As an Australian, I am absolutely ashamed that Oyster Bay Sauv Blanc is our national white. What a rubbish wine!

by Kels on July 19, 2009 at 05:48 PM

So over Aussie patriotism. Why buy Aussie wine just because of its origins.Wine shoudl be bought for quality and taste. I would rather my money go to a deserving winemaker, regardless of where they are from. We are lucky we have great wines here in Oz but on a quality to price basis I do find Australian wines expensive. Some NZ wines are wonderful and we should learn from them. Consumers will vote with their feet and they are doing so.

by Alex on July 19, 2009 at 08:39 PM

When in France I actually found it frustrating that the bottles were labelled according to region rather than the variety. I know what sort of grape varieties I like and here region can add small differences but, as has been mentioned, grapes are sourced from all over Australia so you can't rely on where it's from.
The other thing is, of course, that France is smaller and their growing season is significantly shorter. The "grand cru" label often depends on how much northern sun your vineyard gets, resulting in better setting of sugar. In Australia, this doesn't matter. We get heaps of sunshine. The main difference is whether the coolness of the climate slows down the ripening process.
I want to come out and declare myself an unfashionable chardonnay drinker who loves oak in my wine. I was especially interested to discover the moves by French winemakers to remove oak from the process and move towards steel vat fementation... because it's cheaper. It made me wonder how much of the trend towards sauvingon blanc (which I hate) and unoaked chardonnay was driven by cost cutting?

by Karen on July 19, 2009 at 09:02 PM

I'm an Aussie living in kiwiland. Enemy economy? I guess that's kind of funny. Well, perhaps if I read the article and actually laughed at something. Now that I read back, there were some lame ocker references and the use of the word wanker. Overall though, if you were really going to examine why the kiwi whites are popular, the article never got there, provided no explanation, and was overall pretty sad.

DD remarks: I was looking to readers to provide the explanation. That's the way this forum works each week.

by Kris Kunze on July 19, 2009 at 10:04 PM

Dean, I can back that up 100%. I used to live in Griffith and had friends in the trucking business. Tanker after tanker of irrigation area wine was sent to the Hunter. A lot of it came from small family wineries. Rough hardly described most of it, but blend it with other stuff (from God knows where), stick a posh Hunter label on it and suddenly all those wine snobs who would never touch anything from the MIA would be raving. I assume it still goes on in the Hunter, it certainly does in other wineries further north in NSW.

by meg on July 20, 2009 at 01:54 PM

I'm an aged person (75+) who has
guided around, you Aussies here in USA.
Been there, loved Australia.
Love Australia...best place on the Planet except for Buenos Aires, Argentina.
FmainSr Tulsa Ok USA.

DD replies: What is your point?

by Frank on July 23, 2009 at 07:17 AM

Clearly Frank's been hitting the Savvy a little too hard...

by Wendell on July 23, 2009 at 12:58 PM

The Sun-Herald

Who We Are

WHO WE ARE: Savvy nong plonk

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