Wine Roulette (22 Aug)

Roulette was invented by the French in the 18^th century, and legend has it, that a particularly deadly form of the game was invented by the Russians, in the 19^th century. “Russian Roulette” was first written up in the press in the 20^th century. The ball went back into the French court, and in the 20^th century they came up with a new version, which you are reading about in the 21^st Century. The new version is called “Wine Roulette.”  

Like the original version of the French game, it involves financial risk, but this time with a twist. If the player wins, they don’t advance their financial position. Like any good gambling game, the odds favour the house, but in this case, it is not just unlikely the house will lose, it’s virtually impossible for the house not to win. Who ever dreamed up this game was a genius, but the credit can’t go to one individual person. The game developed by “progression” – almost an accident if you will.

There are a number of mini-stories within the main story that go to make up the story of the game.

Recently an old topic was resurrected on Wine Spectator Forum; one of the members asked “What is the most overpriced region in the world according to you?” Burgundy was the clear winner but there was strong support for Napa, Bordeaux and the Tuscan regions. If you asked the same question on any wine forum today, the answer is unlikely to change.

When it comes to Burgundy, everyone knows that good Pinot is hideously expensive, and it is the most fickle grape variety to grow and perfect. Chasing a brilliant Pinot is like looking for life’s perfect partner. You know they are out there but difficult to track down. There are bound to be many promising starts that wind up being bitter disappointments, some of which can hit the hip pocket badly. But the elusive chase is willingly undertaken by those who have been bitten by the Pinot bug; a bug that has significant side effects that inflicts a disease that is difficult, if not impossible to cure.

It is akin to an addiction. The buzz when a good one is found is worth all the heartache, pain and expense. Addicts are expected to pay a high price for their addiction, so it’s no shock to them how much it costs to feed the habit. 

Burgundy is also famous for its top-quality Chardonnay, and those wines are not exactly inexpensive either.

Burgundy has its addictive capacity to thank for its lofty position in the game of Wine Roulette, but Bordeaux’s position is not as simple as an addiction; its way more complicated.

Bordeaux; known around the world for their sublime Cabernet (and blends) and perhaps even more sublime sweet dessert wines. Yes, it is easy to get inexpensive wines from Bordeaux, but “inexpensive” and “high-quality” tend to be mutually exclusive terms when it comes to wines, not only from this region, but much of France.

History, tradition, law, mystique, limited quantity and status; all these and many more factors are why top labels of Bordeaux are rarely inexpensive. One of the other main reasons is the ability for some of these wines to age for very long periods and to metamorphose into something truly wonderful.

A proven history of sublime wines from Bordeaux is one of the foundation pillars underpinning the Wine Roulette game. There is nothing like opening a very fine wine and having a truly sublime experience.

Throughout modern history it is believed, as surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, that the best wines in the world come from France. Dissuading wine-lovers of this notion is about as difficult as proving the world was round, prior to the circumnavigation of the globe by Magellan. 

On 24 May 1976 an unexpected event occurred that caused a minor tremor amongst wine aficionados. A tasting was put on by a British wine merchant Steven Spurrier, in the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris. Spurrier thought the Californian wine industry was making some pretty good stuff and wanted to try and sell it in France. (Talk about wanting to sell ice to Eskimos.) Anyway, Spurrier figured the only way he would gain unbiased acceptance of these Californian wines, would be to compare them with the top wines of France in a blind tasting.

He pitted top White Burgundy and Bordeaux red wines against Californian Chardonnay and Cabernet and guess which wines won the tasting? Merde! The American stuff triumphed.

Maybe, just possibly the earth was not flat after all: no it was just a fluke and didn’t really mean anything. Or did it?  The tastings with the same vintages of red wines were repeated in 1986 and 2006. Ouch! The Yanks beat the Frogs at their own game again!

Over the years, I have been to countless dinners where thousands of dollars of fine wine has been opened, tasted and sometimes even consumed with gusto. At these dinners, there are occasional sublime moments, some enjoyable bottles and many disappointments. At most of the dinners I attend, the wines are served double blind; the greatest leveller of them all as the only person who knows the identity of the wine is the person who brought it.

In these circumstances, just like at the 1976 event, the people tasting and drinking the wine have to judge what is in the glass without any preconceived ideas. The comments are 95% honest (well one person does know what they are drinking), and when the cover is lifted from the wine, on many occasions there are gasps. Occasionally those gaps are of a positive nature, but far too frequently they are of shock. Comments like, “not a good result for a $300 wine” are frequent and tend to be said with monotonous regularity, especially in relation to French wines.

These dinners, where the wines are served blind, are a true test of a wines quality, because no matter how hard the average person tries, once they know what the label says, there is some influence, even if it is subconscious. I have seen Grange poured into an inexpensive bottle and presented to people. When asked what they thought of the wine they have said “it’s ok, nothing special.” Conversely, I have seen inexpensive, but “respectable drink-now” wine decanted into a Grange bottle and presented to people. There is much ohing and ahing, with comments being made in hushed voices and respectful tones because they (think they) are drinking Grange.

Another reason this game of Wine Roulette has become so expensive is because of speculation. Now that statement might sound like I have flipped my lid, but it is not as silly as it sounds. Most small-time gamblers play the game for fun, the enjoyment and the thrill, or adrenalin rush; very few do it intentionally to try and make bundle of money. Making money has become an obsession in the last few decades in many countries, and it has happened with an intensity we have never seen before. This has led to an increase in the demand for top French wines which are purchased not to drink, but to later sell and make a profit.

As the wealth of the populous increases, so does the price of this investment wine, but it does it at an exponential rate. It’s not just the investors trying to get rich; the Chateau owners are making as much as possible, resulting in the wine becoming even more expensive. The more expensive the wine becomes, the bigger the gamble in the Wine Roulette game.

Demand for these top wines is also being fuelled by the rich and famous, many of whom have so much money they don’t care how much a bottle costs, as long as they have the status of drinking “a label wine.” This is also helps increase the cost of a seat at the Wine Roulette.

Now getting back to those dinners mentioned earlier. At many of the ones I have attended, there have been some very experienced palates, and not just with Australian experience. Some of the guys have an excellent depth of experience with French wines too.

It as amazing how often French wines, especially some of the more modern Bordeaux wines, and those from a very warm year, are thought to be Australian and shock horror; elegant Australian wines that are thought to be French.

The earth may be flat after all.

When some dedicated French wine aficionados, who have not attended the tasting but see the results, they frequently offer “reasons” for the poor showing of some of the wines. It was a poor year, an off bottle, the storage may not have been good before you bought it etc.  Like all gamblers, those addicted to Wine Roulette can explain away almost anything to justify the belief in their habit, and the need to continue the search for the “big win.”

From a personal perspective, I am not a gambling man, but don’t mind playing with other people’s money. (However there are never any complaints about my contribution to the secondary game of “Heads and Tails”; Sparkling Shiraz to start and some excellent liqueur Tokay or Muscat to finish.)

The game of Wine Roulette will continue to become more expensive to play and the greater the cost, the more it hurts to lose. For those that like a good chance of winning, avoid the (expensive regions) Wine Roulette game and drink Australian wines; the odds are in your favour.

Feel free to submit your comments!

Copyright © Ric Einstein 2007