Early in 2004 we held a party at Ah Well a country property where I was part owner. A cast of thousand were invited, about a hundred turned up.
I dragged out a bottle of Crittenden’s Arnies that I had bought on a whim a few years earlier. I thought no one will have heard of this wine, so it will be a talking point for the wannabee connoisseurs among the guests.
But there was a catch. There is always someone who thinks they are one-up on you. So a certain smarty, nameless getleman but his initials are MW, had a bottle of Pizzini Arneis.
So not exactly one-up but a one-all draw I say. But it was a life-changing moment.
An idea is born and a new word coined
At that time I was still a wage slave, but looking ahead. I wanted a retirement hobby, one that might return a bit of pocket money.
I realised that something dramatic was happening, or about to happen, in the wine industry. This was something I could be involved in, at least vicariously.
For a couple of decades I had been unconsciously exploring unusual varieties. For example in 1980 I fell in love with Aucerot1. In the early 1990s I bought a bottle of the first vintage of Brown Brothers Tempranillo, then being pioneered by viticulturist Mark Walpole.
In my day job I had been working with databases and websites for a while, and I had become interested in a web based business building system called Site Sell2.
The changing wine scene was an ideal topic for me to start my little side hassle. But I needed a name. I do my best thinking between 5am and 6am and that’s when the word was planted in my brain and still remains3.
I had this idea that there were probably about 40 or so “alternative varieties” so it would be a small enough field to explore. A couple of months work, and I’d have them all covered. 240 months later I’m still working on it. And there’s still more to come.
Who has heard of Antao Vaz for example? Yes, it is grown in Australia.
Back in 2004 there were probably only about 100 ‘alternative varieties’ in Australia. My first book, Emerging Varietal Wines in Australia include 99 varieties, but back then in 2006, I included some varieties such as Grenache, Mourvedre, Pinot Gris, Verdelho and Viognier as alternatives.
Anyway, with the help of Site Build-It I was off and running.
I discovered the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show held in Mildura each November. I have been a regular attender and have made many friends over the years.
I discovered De Long Wine Info who make the Wine Grape Varietal Table and some superb wine maps. Due to rising costs of postage I no longer retail the maps They are now available in digital format.
I published a few books on Amazon. They are still available thanks to POD technology.
I made a few dollars here and there for advertising and some generous people sponsor this site.
I give occasional talk and taste sessions in person and over Zoom
But most importantly I now have many new friends in the wine industry, winemakers, marketers, consumers and many more.
Commercial Break - A wine offer to check out.
See this and other offers via Vinodiversity’s Buy Wine Page4
Next Vinodiversity Taste and Talk
We will hold a Zoom Session of Darby’s Taste and Talk at 5pm on this Thursday 18 January. The theme will be
What has happened to the wine industry over the past 20 Years?
I will send a note on Thursday morning with a reminder and the Zoom login details.
Help spread the word….
A truly rare variety. See a brief note about it and other rare varieties on this page
If you are interested in turning a hobby into a business, I suggest you check out Solo-Build It
Apologies to Simon and Garfunkel
I get a small commission if you buy via this link.