Beyond the bombast

And that wasn’t unreasonable, given that many of those involved in that industry were, superficially poncey toffs who would mumble about “essence of buffalo turd” as they swirl their plonk around in what they insist is a specially designed glass.

Expand that scenario by a factor of a few hundred and fill a vast convention centre hangar with wine geeks and it should be a nightmare. But things have changed, and it’s not.

This week’s RMB Winex exhibition at the Sandton Convention Centre, while still playing to many of the stereotypes, did a lot of things right. It’s impossible to escape the sense of being overwhelmed by choice, with every single stand offering three or more varietals of vaguely similar vintage and style to what their neighbour has on display, and each insisting – unsurprisingly – that their version is superior.

History, pedigree, the texture of the soil or the angle at which the sunlight hits the vines all mean nothing if you don’t like the way a certain wine tastes, so when confronted with the spoils of the labours of around 30 winemakers, it’s best to either stick to what you know you have a taste for or aim for a specific niche – Viognier, for instance, appears to have made a comeback – that you’d like to explore.

The atmosphere on the exhibition’s opening night was very relaxed and friendly, with fewer (as one stallholder put it) “stiff suits” around and a good number of young professionals – every market’s dream demographic, as they have money now and will probably get more and more of it, making a long-term relationship with a brand, or preferred vintage in this case, a very useful outcome.