Vibrant, Sappy and Complex
|
|
Watch for the Sparkling Jimmy Watson Winner
Friday, 27th August, 2004
- Chris Shanahan
The Jimmy Watson trophy gets everyone excited. Long may it live. But is it really in the best interests of the Melbourne Show, the Watson family, the industry or consumers to continue awarding Australia’s most important wine Trophy to an unfinished wine?
In 1962 Jimmy Watson, wine merchant, died. At his funeral, a hat passed amongst Watson's loyal followers, raising funds to sponsor an annual 'Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy' for the best one-year-old red wine at Melbourne's Wine Show.
There are those who still remember Jimmy with fondness -- none more so than his son Alan as he presides over the Jimmy Watson Wine Bar founded by his father all those years ago.
But somewhere along the way, the trophy took on a life of its own -- a farcical, commercial life far removed from the world Jimmy Watson inhabited during his lifetime.
Alan Watson remembers his father as a wine pioneer -- a man who cheerfully weathered the sneers of some fellow Australians for nothing more than encouraging the consumption of table wine with food. In those days wine was just plonk.
Bill Chambers, maker of superb Rutherglen fortifieds and long-term Chair of judges at the Melbourne wine show, once told me that he recalled Watson's Wine bar in the late 1950s. There were bottles everywhere as a leather-apronned Jimmy, a great showman, worked with two rubber tubes to bottle a hogshead of red before lunch -- an enviable feat in Chamber's view, and one Jimmy Watson was proud of.
In those days Bill Chambers worked up in the Clare Valley with the Stanley Wine Company. He remembers Melbourne Wine Merchant, Doug Seabrook, buying hogsheads of raw young Clare Valley reds, many of which were sold on to Watson. By all accounts it was these vigorous young reds, and not only those from Clare, that interested him most of all.
In an interview some years back, Alan Watson told me that his father's business was not originally a watering hole as it is today, but a bottle shop where the owner selected and bottled everything himself. But Watson's great enthusiasm attracted a ring of disciples who soon began bringing food to the shop and adopting a liberal interpretation of licensing laws that permitted patrons to taste wine before purchasing.
The clientele, enthralled by Watson, showman and extrovert, came from all walks of life. But with Melbourne University just up the road from Watson's Lygon Street premises, academics and students swelled his ranks of followers. Eagerly they swallowed his message.
"Dad tried to move the trade into another era," reminisced Alan Watson. "He wanted wine to be seen as an everyday occurrence, something to be consumed with meals." He also urged patience, encouraging customers to cellar the immature, purple, one-year-old reds that were the bulk of his trade.
Jimmy Watson was an educator of old and young alike according to Bill Chambers. "Students, professors, everyone brought their tucker down the road before heading up to Watson's to drink wine. But he was a showman and I can't remember him drinking much himself."
Watson's senior disciples, mostly academics and business men, gravitated to an upstairs room, eventually dubbed 'The House of Lords' by him. It was these most ardent and articulate followers who passed the hat at Jimmy Watson's funeral, thus perpetuating his name in the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy to be awarded to the robust, year-old reds he so loved.
For the next ten years the Jimmy Watson Trophy -- now a household word amongst wine drinkers -- was unknown to wine consumers and of only minor interest to wine companies.
Bill Chambers judged in Melbourne from the early 1960's. He recalls little fuss over the Watson Trophy until the Berri Co-operative won it in 1973. Then recalls Chambers, an overwhelmed, tired and emotional Brian Barry, needed help boarding the plane with the Murray River's first major trophy in hand.
Perhaps we can link the Trophy's rise to fame more with Wolf Blass's hat trick. He won it in 1974, 1975 and 1976 with his 1973, 1974 and 1975 Black Label. Wolf trumpeted his success loudly -- even mentioning it on the neck label of his sparkling wine at the time.
Increasingly since then, to win the trophy is to harvest a windfall. For the hype surrounding each year's winner virtually guarantees the wine's commercial success.
While no amount of hosing down seems to quell trade or public clamouring for the winner, the fact is that the winning wine is not the finished product.
Even the most meticulously honest winery blending a 'representative' sample across a range of barrels can't say with certainty that what the judges tasted and what goes into bottle are the same wine.
Perhaps some day a wine maker with Jimmy Watson's sense of humour might win the trophy, convert the wine to sparkling burgundy and offer it as the Trophy winner. That may sound absurd, but it's very little different in principle to what happens now.
chris.shanahan@ozemail.com.au
|
2
0
1
4
2
0
1
3
2
0
1
2
2
0
1
1
2
0
1
0
2
0
0
9
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
4
|
Supermarkets, Waffle, Plain Speaking, Grange 2008Wednesday, 10th July, 2013
Bordeaux En Primeur and 6000 TastersThursday, 2nd May, 2013
Mataro Girls Make a DebutFriday, 1st March, 2013
Reflections on the Art of Wine Copywriting - Part 1
Wednesday, 23rd January, 2013
The Origin of Penfolds Koonunga HillThursday, 17th January, 2013
The Amazing 'Golden Scrumpy' Cider of David FranzTuesday, 27th November, 2012
New Glug Release P.B. Burgoyne MoscatoTuesday, 27th November, 2012
A Millergram - Diana Genders recalls the 2008 VintageThursday, 4th October 2012
A Millergram - Put a Cork in ItWednesday, 12th September, 2012
Goodbye Wytt Morro 1922 - 2012Wednesday, 5th September, 2012
A Millergram - "New Discovery - The Eighth Teaching of Harry Brown"Monday, 20th August, 2012
An Appropriate Juxtaposition On The Perils Of Wine InvestmentTuesday, 29th May, 2012
The New Grange Release – A Fully Priced WineSunday, 6th May, 2012
Wine and Martin Gardner - A Sceptical ScienceTuesday, 17th April, 2012
Restrictions, Competition, Deregulation and ConsumersSunday, 26th February, 2012
Expanding The Wine MarketSunday, 19th February, 2012
Rosemount Turning To AmmoniumMonday, 6th February, 2012
All Good Cons Come To An EndMonday, 6th February, 2012
Terroir Expands to Carrots and OystersThursday, 2nd February, 2012
The Rise of Alcoholic Apple JuiceMonday, 23rd January, 2012
Goodbye Fosters as Beer Giant Takes OverSunday, 15th January, 2012
What Someone Else Can Drink TonightTuesday, 10th January, 2012
Cease and Desist - Coles to WoolworthsMonday, 2nd January, 2011
Observations from a Few Weeks in the Golden WestMonday, 2nd January, 2011
How Do You Make the First One?Sunday, 18th December, 2011
Screw Caps versus Corks - Well Fancy That!Sunday, 18th December, 2011
A Big Wine For ChinaSunday, 18th December, 2011
A Pinot Noir BreakthroughSunday, 11th December, 2011
Comparative Advertising Can Be BrutalSunday, 27th November, 2011
They Wouldn't Do It Would They? Sunday, 27th November, 2011
Replanting a Barossa Vineyard Poses Questions About the FutureSunday, 16th October, 2011
A Day to Remember - 3rd October, 2011Sunday, 16th October, 2011
A Beer Giant Buys FostersWednesday, 5th October, 2011
An Industry Living In HopeThursday, 22nd September, 2011
Just Another DrinkSunday, 11th September, 2011
A No Brainer or No Brains? Wednesday, 17th August, 2011
El Bulli, Fragrances and Wine InnovationSunday, 31st July, 2011
And You Laugh at Wine Wankers!Sunday, 31st July, 2011
Australia Looks on in EnvySunday, 24th July, 2011
Helping Thine Neighbour - Or Time to Move OnThursday, 23rd June, 2011
New Terroir in France - Plant a Good SlopeWednesday, 15th June, 2011
Blending and Blendered WinesWednesday, 25th May, 2011
Becoming a Wine MerchantSunday, 1st May, 2011
Fake Jacobs Creek - A Test Run for the Real ThingWednesday, 20th April, 2011
Good Food for the Family - Woolworths vs ColesSaturday, 26th March, 2011
Oddbins U.K. - The Crowd Moves OnMonday, 14th March, 2011
Progress Revealing the Relationships of Wine Grape VarietiesMonday, 7th March, 2011
A Smarter Way for Restaurants to Sell WineSaturday, 29th January, 2011
Sommeliers an Endangered SpeciesWednesday, 20th October, 2010
The Mystery of Bio-DynamicsSunday, 3rd October, 2010
The Complexity of Wine Gives It a Marketing AdvantageFriday, 10th September, 2010
Reflections on Wine UK Retailing and Australia’s RoleFriday, 3rd September, 2010
Population Growth Places Pressure on Wine RegionsTuesday, 31st August, 2010
What Else besides Warming is Making Grapes Ripen Earlier?Thursday, 5th August, 2010
Brother Richard Reports Aldi BargainWednesday, 28th July, 2010
Early Ripening and Climate ChangeFriday, 9th July, 2010
Red Heads Confusion at Winepeople.com.auTuesday, 6th July, 2010
Decanter Gives the Barossa a KickMonday, 21st June 2010
Seppelstfield Changes Hands - AgainFriday, 11th June, 2010
Abusing the Good Name of WoolworthsMonday, 7th June, 2010
Bordeaux - Bubble Trouble or Flying HigherFriday, 14th May 2010
Get Out of Business says a Former President of the Winemakers FederationWednesday, 12th May 2010
Corrections and Opinions on a Financial Times Wine ArticleFriday, 7th May 2010
Checking Out the Back Label CopyFriday, 30th April 2010
Cocktails at the Connaught, LondonTuesday, 27th April 2010
Unusual Labelling and Outright Fraud - An Update on the Wine TradeMonday, 19th April 2010
Catching Up with AFWETuesday, 13th April 2010
What a Load of Crap - Just Drink the StuffTuesday, 6th April 2010
The Brian Miller View - Y Should TheyWednesday, 24th March 2010
Australia Trade DayMonday, 8th March 2010
The English Press is Very Quiet About the 2010 MichelinThursday, 29th January, 2010
Vinderella and The BenevolentThursday, 29th January, 2010
Martinborough Just Loves Te MunaThursday, 3rd December, 2009
More Wine Snobs and Know-Alls DetectedWednesday, 25th November, 2009
The Two Buck Chardonnay
Wednesday, 4th November, 2009
Favourite RestaurantsTuesday, 27th October, 2009
Is it Brett or Terroir - The Brian Miller View?Tuesday, 27th October, 2009
Governments Picking WinnersTuesday, 13th October, 2009
More About the 2009 Champagne HarvestMonday, 21st September, 2009
Champagne - At All Costs Protect the ImageSaturday, 12th September, 2009
Leave it Alone Will YaThursday, 3rd September, 2009
A Lunch with John Duval - Ex Grange CustodianSaturday, 1st August, 2009
Power People in the World of WineSunday, 28th June, 2009
Oh Dear! Customers Slip the Boot InWednesday, 24th June, 2009
A New Critter Label - Hello KittyWednesday, 17th June, 2009
Making, Selling, Grange and Other Wine BusinessSunday, 7th June, 2009
Advanced Mumbo-jumbo Aplenty in the World of WineFriday, 22nd May, 2009
An Interview with Mark LloydWednesday, 6th May, 2009
2009 Vintage May Be A CrackerSaturday, 11th April, 2009
Hermann Thumm of Chateaux YaldaraWednesday, 11th March, 2009
Winestate Wines of the Year - Surprises and Gimbletts Do WellWednesday, 11th March, 2009
The Gimbletts Shine a Light on a Difficult ProblemFriday, 13th February, 2009
A South Coast SurpriseTuesday, 10th February, 2009
Cork and Other ClosuresMonday, 26th January, 2009
Further News on the 'Drop of the Gods'Sunday, 9th November, 2008
The Missing Trophy at the Barossa Wine ShowMonday, 13th October, 2008
Robert M Parker Meets His MatchMonday, 13th October, 2008
On One Hand Terroir Gets Bigger - On the Other it's Taken AwaySaturday, 6th September, 2008
A New Meaning to Making the NumbersFriday, 29th August, 2008
Oh to be a Tree ShrewSunday, 17th August, 2008
Who Wants a Winery?Wednesday, 13th August, 2008
France the Birthplace of Sophisticated Wine Falls to RoséWednesday, 30th July, 2008
Evil Aluminium Takes OverWednesday, 30th July, 2008
Where is the Harry Potter of Wine?Wednesday, 30th July, 2008
Thoughts About Buying, Selling and Drinking Wines From Reading "Micro Economics and Behaviour" by Robert H. Frank
Sunday, 20th July, 2008
A Brilliant 30 Years - New Zealand Sauvignon BlancSunday, 6th July, 2008
Where You See The Word Art Substitute WineTuesday, 1st July, 2008
Simplistic Wines from BordeauxTuesday, 1st July, 2008
Brands of EmptinessSunday, 22nd June, 2008
Specific Site or Blending? Sunday, 22nd June, 2008
Thoughts from Reading the 2008 Gault-MillauFriday, 2nd May, 2008
On Cats Piss and Fruit BombsFriday, 2nd May, 2008
Troubling Advice from London SommeliersSaturday, 26th April, 2008
Front Labels Help Sell WineSaturday, 26th April, 2008
Whatever Happened to the d' in d'Yquem?Friday, 11th April, 2008
Alarming Ageing of Great White BurgundiesFriday, 4th April, 2008
Thoughts from a London Gastro-Pub CrawlFriday, 28th March, 2008
Sparkling Wines that "Blew Us Judges Away"Monday, 11th February, 2008
Alternative Closures to CorkMonday, 17th December, 2007
Alcopops and SmirnoffTuesday, 11th December, 2007
A Message for Pinot Noir DrinkersSunday, 9th December, 2007
Bo a Perfect 10 Out of 10Thursday, 6th December, 2007
Troubles at National Leisure and GamingThursday, 22nd November, 2007
What About a Little Genetic Tweaking to Improve FlavourSaturday, 3rd November, 2007
Martha Stewart WinesSaturday, 27th October, 2007
An Update on the Unfathomable Idea - TerroirWednesday, 3rd October, 2007
Free Up Liquor Licenses in SydneyFriday, 21st September, 2007
Unusual Admirers of MateusMonday, 6th August, 2007
Rosé - the Giant Wine Fraud ExpandsTuesday, 17th July, 2007
Retailing in Port AugustaSunday, 10th June, 2007
How Many of These Have You Tried?Tuesday, 22nd May, 2007
New Packaging for Wine - It Will HappenMonday, 14th May, 2007
Retailing Becomes "The Artist Of His Own Life"Wednesday, 2nd May, 2007
All Crushed Apart from Brandies and BundySunday, 22nd April, 2007
Now We Have Fortified TerroirSunday, 22nd April, 2007
Marketing, Old Whale Bones and WineThursday, 5th April, 2007
A Case of Begging the QuestionTuesday, 27th March, 2007
The Origin of White Wine VarietiesThursday, 15th March, 2007
France Rules in the U.K. Wine Press - O.K.Monday, 12th March, 2007
When You Get To Close to the JobTuesday, 6th March, 2007
The Wine Glut Creates Problems But Do We Have Another ProblemThursday, 1st March, 2007
Climate Change is UnderwayThursday, 22nd February, 2006
The Wine Wankers Club Adds Another MemberThursday, 22nd February, 2006
Tasting with Robert M. Parker, JrWednesday, 15th November, 2006
The Making of Rolf Binder HeinrichMonday, 14th August, 2006
Can't Tell Your Brett from Oak FlavoursTuesday, 18th July, 2006
Starting Your Own BusinessTuesday, 27th June, 2006
I Find a Canberra Connection Running Georges in AdelaideWednesday, 26th April, 2006
Robert M. Parker Jr. Wins Our Australian Wine AwardThursday, 26th January, 2006
A Note About the WinnerThursday, 26th January, 2006
Australian Wine Patron of the Year AwardMonday, 16th January, 2006
The Crystal Wine EnhancerWednesday, 21st December, 2005
Major UK Trend to WineTuesday, 20th December, 2005
From Vintage to VinegarMonday, 12th December, 2005
Waiting for ParkerSunday, 11th December, 2005
A Problem with Penfolds RWTMonday, 5th December, 2005
Financial Troubles but the Wine's a WinnerFriday, 2nd December, 2005
Personally, I prefer the '27Friday, 2nd December, 2005
Sharp Differences of Opinion Over Mount MaryMonday, 14th November, 2005
Dasher the Dog Shows HowMonday, 14th November, 2005
...midnight's all a glimmerMonday, 14th November, 2005
The Parker InfluenceFriday, 11th November, 2005
The Good King Tut Was In To the RedThursday, 27th October, 2005
A Look at Langtons Classification from 1991 to 2005Monday, 17th October, 2005
Langtons Classification - We Learn How It's DoneWednesday, 12th October, 2005
Bowen, Balthazar and the Barossa ShowFriday, 23th September, 2005
About Oak Barrels and A.P.JohnsTuesday, 13th September, 2005
An Own Brand VictoryFriday, 9th September, 2005
An International Gong for the Experienced Four Year OldFriday, 9th September, 2005
A Winemaker's Thoughts on Stelvin ClosuresMonday, 5th September, 2005
The New Taste of WineFriday, 2nd September, 2005
Parker and the Swiss ChasselasTuesday, 9th August, 2005
Drinking From Special Wine GlassesThursday, 4th August, 2005
En Primeur Update: A Jonathan is AppalledThursday, 14th July, 2005
A Lunch with Philip WhiteMonday, 27th June, 2005
A Little Madness or a Sign of the Times?Wednesday, 22nd June, 2005
Does the Truth Lie in Numbers?Sunday, 8th May, 2005
We Catch Up With Winemaker Colin ForbesSunday, 8th May, 2005
A Little Bit of Madness for Whisky AfficionadosFriday, 1st April 2005
The Black Hill and the Sydney Opera HouseMonday, 28th February 2005
Glug Talks to a Major Importer of High End Australian BoutiquesSaturday, 5th February, 2005
Is Cabernet Like Cola or More Like Milk?Tuesday, 18th January, 2005
Expensive European Wines - Are They Worth It?Tuesday, 7th December, 2004
Do We Need Rosé?Wednesday, 17th November, 2004
Yering Station In Distinguished CompanyFriday, 29th October, 2004
Will there be Closure on Battle for the Bottle?Saturday, 23th October, 2004
Red Herrings in Cowra ShowTuesday, 19th October, 2004
Tyrell Gives Cork The FlickTuesday, 19th October, 2004
Koonunga Screw Cap Ups The Ante In Cork Taint WarTuesday, 9th September, 2004
Watch for the Sparkling Jimmy Watson WinnerFriday, 27th August, 2004
On Lust, Envy & GreedFriday, 27th August, 2004
Notes on Australian Winemakers and the Australian CharacterFriday, 20th August, 2004
What the English are DrinkingFriday, 20th August, 2004
Rieslings, Ready for Their LaurelsFriday, 20th August, 2004
Aussies on TopThursday, 19th August, 2004
High Fruit, High Alcohol; A Lesson From HistoryWednesday, 23rd June, 2004
|
|
RSS Feed