Fear of Flying?
April 4, 2009 by Delia
Wine from The Flying Winemaker
For one wine company, a moniker that has generated criticism in the world of wine is nothing to hide. In fact, it has chosen to be up front about how its wines come about, using the very term for its brand name. The wines under The Flying Winemaker label are from Cameron Hughes Wine, which does not own vineyards nor does it ferment wine. In other words, CHW is a virtual wine company. Cameron Hughes and partner Jessica Kogan are its founders.
Each of the wines represents the best varietal from a great region.
Flying winemaker, a term coined by Tony Laithwaite, describes the phenomenon of people who oversee viticultures and winemaking around the world. Critics fear that what results is wine from different regions tasting the same, with no variation depending on terroir and so forth. Others point out that flying winemakers improve Old World wines and raise standards of winemaking. The article, “High Flyers?,” on the site Waitrose, addresses the pros and cons, noting,
The art of the flying winemaker is to modernise a wine, making it fruity, aromatic and ready for early drinking, without the need for much captial [sic] investment. Flying winemakers emphasise hygiene and rational work procedures, plus the use of certain portable additives and treatments.
Last night, I tried the Tempranillo, which originates from Campo de Borja, Spain, and was released in February 2009. Campo de Borja is in northwestern Spain, near the city of Zaragoza. This full-bodied wine had nice tannins–smooth–with a hint of berry and spice. Delicious!
The Flying Winemaker series includes a chardonnay from Margaret River, Australia; zinfandel from Lodi, California; and a cabernet sauvignon from Maipo Valley, Chile.
You can order it at the Cameron Hughes online store, $60 for four. I found the Tempranillo in my supermarket’s wine section.
