- Services
- Classification
This is the first opportunity to determine the quality of each batch of wine and allocate it to a final product. It’s important to look beyond sheer flavour and impact. How is the overall balance and length? Does the wine have the style and structure to suit its expected release date?
- Classification
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- Blending
I find this the most challenging and rewarding activity. Recognition of wine quality is one thing, but how different batches – even barrels – combine and complement each other is a mystery that’s a great pleasure to see evolve. See my article in my WBM column From the tasting bench about classification.
- Blending
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- Quality control
“I’ve heard a few bad comments about this wine at Cellar Door. Is there a problem?
“Some bottles of this wine seem to be more developed than others.”
“Our Cabernet has been getting low scores in wine shows, but our contract winemaker says the wine’s OK. What do you think?”
These are just three wine quality issues of the many examples that have come my way.
- Quality control
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- Benchmarking
How do the wines of region x or company y stack up against successful examples in the market place? I have worked with wine companies in four states and winemaker organisations in King Valley, Rutherglen, Tasmania, Orange, Cowra and Bendigo. (see Benchmarking)
- Benchmarking
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- Disputes and expert witness
We are used to agreements and contracts in almost all operations in the wine industry. Nearly always they work and the parties are happy. Occasionally they don’t. I have acted as expert witness in claims and cases involving failed closures, disputes over contract winemaking, disagreements between producers and distributors and damaged shipments including frozen wine.
- Disputes and expert witness