workshop

This is the page, where we would like to invite you to several activities, such as site visits, or seminars about cellar techniques etc.

Please give us feedback about what you are interested, or perhaps you would like to invite your colleagues to a visit in your vineyard or cellar and discuss topics on site--just mail us to admin@merlotforum.co.za

We are looking forward to your input!

Workshop 14.7.2009 at Yonder Hill: Tasting of "green" Merlot

Despite a sevenfold increase in SA Merlot production -and notabene sales - since 1990, we observe an increasingly unenthusiastic tenor in the wine press about SA Merlot wines. More specifically, there is this notion of a notorious "green taste" that springs up time and again, recently culminating in the report of the Merlot panel at the Trophy Wine Show 2009, baldly saying "…We were disappointed in the Merlots, as we were told we might be before the event, very hard and green …" *.

We wanted to find out what makes judges come to this conclusion, and we tasted ourselves through wines that have been labelled "green" at such occasions, with the aim to pinpoint the "green determinants".

In a preliminary step, we started a survey amongst our members about how they define "green" in wine. The answers were collected and used for the compilation of a tasting scorecard specifically designed for the assessment of so-called "green" flavours and taste. Download a more precise description of this step and the resulting tasting sheet here:
What does "Green" mean in the Wine Language? (pdf, 64 KB)

And the results of the tasting are available here:

Results "green" Merlot tasting 14.7.09 (pdf, 100 KB)

Have a look at it and give us your feedback to admin@merlotforum.co.za , and we will publish it on this site. We are looking forward to your contribution!