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The 2007 Mercian Wine Challenge was held in the wonderful surroundings of the British Horological Institute’s headquarters at Upton Hall near Newark. Surrounded by new and veteran clocks, each with their own distinctive chimes – almost making the house seem alive; seven judges, led by David Bird M.W. launched into the wines, beginning with the reds. Traditionally most challenges begin with dry white wines then move through the various classes ending with the reds. The T&CVA experimented with the ‘red start’ a couple of years ago and found it more effective for a number of reasons including:
(a) It is easier eliminate the taste of tannins than the more aromatic flavours of some of the white wines,
(b) Fresh palates are more able to appreciate the complexities of red wines and
(c) The large size of the white classes in any English or Welsh challenge can be psychologically daunting.
At the end of the tasting the ‘red start’ was deemed successful and three exhausting hours later, the deliberations were complete.
The regional challenges are necessarily pressured. The judging must be fair and seen to be fair but the challenges are one-day events, which places a time restraint on evaluation. This means that concentration on the task in hand is essential but that sufficient time must be given to the retasting of wines and discussion of their merits where the range of scores is too wide. Conferring during the initial tasting is not allowed since a ‘strong’ judge could influence other judges. It is always wise to err on the side of fairness rather punctuality. This explains why lunch was later than anticipated for the thirty other members of the MVA and their guests who had assembled in the hall, preparing to give their opinions on the wines and to sample the magnificent spread laid out by Upton Hall’s staff.

David Bird gave especial praise this year to the reds; ‘lovely, delicious’ was how he described one of them. He expressed concern about the overuse of sulphur saying that wines do need to breathe (like other living organisms!) and a little oxygen does no harm. Certainly wines that are over-sulphured will lose marks in tastings.

David is not a great believer in global warming, but accepts that the climate is changing to the advantage of our producers. He took the opportunity to criticise the government for concentrating on ‘alcohol units per head’, which includes beer and spirits, while failing to emphasise that wine is good for you. He stressed that we are in a golden age of wine and he and his wife are setting an example by drinking a bottle a day. As he concluded, “what is more healthy than a meal of freshly cooked vegetables with spaghetti and frascati? English frascati of course!”

Cup

Section

Winner

Wine/Maker

THE ATTINGHAM CHALLENGE CUP Mercian Wine of the Year THREE CHOIRS VINEYARD Siegerrebe 2006
THE RENISHAW TROPHYBest Dry White WineTHREE CHOIRS VINEYARD Siegerrebe 2006
THE WROXETER ROMAN TROPHYBest Medium-Dry White Wine THREE CHOIRS VINEYARD Willowbrook 2006
THE SEVERN VALLEY TROPHYBest Non-Dry White Wine WROXETER ROMAN VINEYARD Shropshire Gold 2006
THE WELLAND VALLEY TROPHYBest Rosé Wine WROXETER ROMAN VINEYARD Wrekin Rosé 2006
THE HEART OF ENGLAND TROPHY-Best Red WineTHREE CHOIRS VINEYARD Pinot Noir 2006
THE EGLANTINE TROPHYBest Sparkling Wine THREE CHOIRS VINEYARD Vintage Reserve 2004
THE TANNERS TROPHYBest New Vintage Wine THREE CHOIRS VINEYARD Siegerrebe 2006
THE VINE HOUSE TROPHYBest Older Vintage Wine THREE CHOIRS VINEYARD Vintage Reserve 2004
THE LEVENTHORPE TROPHYBest Commercial Winemaker THREE CHOIRS VINEYARD MARTIN FOWKE
THE MORVILLE TROPHYBest Small Producer SPRING COTTAGE VINEYARDGeoff Card
THE EAST MIDLANDS TROPHYBest East Midlands Wine CHEVELSWARDE VINEYARD Red John Daltry