04/19/2008
Movia's Aleš Kristancic Featured at First Annual Meeting of Wine Creators
RODA, SPAIN
As reported by Sophie Kevany forwww.decanter.com.

Winemakers and their critics have met for the inaugural edition of WineCreator, an international conference in Ronda, Spain.

Participants in WineCreator, which took place 18-19 April, included conference president Jancis Robinson MW, moderator and Spanish wine critic Victor de la Serna, American importer and critic David Schildknecht, and Portuguese winemaker Dirk van der Niepoort.

In her opening remarks, Robinson said she hoped everyone would take maximum advantage of the opportunity and avoid, 'hot air, platitudes and empty words'.

The theme of the conference was whether wine quality is increasing at the expense of diversity of style. Issues included vineyard management styles, and whether the desire to make icon wines might be a losing proposition for winemakers.

'We have a responsibility to incubate good winemakers,' said American critic David Schildknecht, 'rather than paying excessive attention to top wines most people will never taste.'

Schildknecht also warned winemakers who focus too much on icon wines, rather than good wines, that they risk losing both profits and potential customers.

On the topic of vineyard management, Dirk van der Niepoort said winemakers should not take everything they are told as gospel.

'I was told it would be “impossible” to make wine in the Douro without pesticides,' he said. 'It is possible, but it is more work and a bit more expensive in the beginning.'

Aleš Kristancic, of Slovenian winery Movia, emphasised that winemaking should be about 'what is right for the plant long-term, not what is right for the wine that year.'

Victor de la Serna suggested that the debate over irrigation was masking other problems, like the issue of growing vines in overly rich soils in places like Spain and the Languedoc.

About WineCreator

WineCreator, the First International Meeting of Wine Creators, sprang from the unique concept of creating a debate between wine creators from all over the world and an international panel of experts on the current situation of wine.

This meeting was prompted by the need to discuss the globalisation in terms of quality that has already reached the wine industry. The quality of wines today is quite high because of the generalisation of winemaking techniques and teachings.

For the first time, WineCreator, the First International Meeting of Wine Creators, will bring together the twelve most influential wine creators, chosen by a panel of experts made up of twenty of the most internationally renowned critics. The aim is to create alternatives to the models imposed through routine or through fashions in wine by taking a closer look at the creative, professional and human dimension of the wine creators themselves.

This is designed as an event that will be repeated in different venues, one that will give critics and journalists their first chance to participate in this type of symposium, normally limited to technical circles, and to propose different options for making wines with personality.

WINE CREATORS
Aleš Kristancic
Aleš Kristancic is one of the best-known winemakers in Slovenia. His family business, Movia, has been run by the Kristancics since 1920. It is probably one of the most famous Slovenian wineries of all time, and the only private winery still in operation since the days of Tito’s regime. Today, Ales Kristancic is a great advocate of biodynamics. He also has an original way of looking at work in the winery and interpreting the unique personality of his wines. These include Modri Pinot (Pinot Noir), Veloko Rdece (a montage of mature red wine with long barrel ageing) and Veliko Belo (a montage of mature, elegant white wine). The Puro sparkling wine and the single varietal wines are among the most interesting ones to come out of Slovenia.

Álvaro Palacios
Carlo Ferrini
Denis Dubourdieu
Jean-Claude Berrouet Michel Rolland
Olivier Humbrecht
Paul Draper
Peter Sisseck
Dirk Van Der Niepoort
Stephane Derenoncourt
Riccardo Cotarella

EXPERTS
Jancis Robinson, MW - The Financial Times, www.jancisrobinson.com
José Peñín - Groupo Peñín
Víctor de la Serna - El Mundo
Michael Bettane - Classements des Meilleurs Vins de France
Robert Joseph - Wine Business International (Germany)
Joel B. Payne - Wine Business International (Germany)
Eleonora Scholes - Vinnaya Karta, Gastronomy, www.eleonorascholes.ru
Rodolfo Gerschman - Catadores
Ernesto Gentili - L´Espresso
David Schildknecht - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
John Radford - www.johnradford.com
Pierre Casamayor - La Revue du vins de France
Joshua Greene - Wine & Spirits
Charles Metcalfe*
Bernard Burtschy*
James Halliday*
Peter Moser* - Falstaff Magazine
Michael Fridjhon*- Business Day
Bob Campbell* - Master of Wine
Stephen Tanzer* - International Wine Cellar

* These journalists were part of the experts pannel, but were not able to attend the meeting.

Back

©2007 Domaine Select Wine Estates, Inc.