We recently held our bi-annual BIG tasting in Bridge of Allan and for the first time in Edinburgh. Over the course of the weekend 400 or so people tasted 60 odd wines from our suppliers Boutinot, FMV, Thorman Hunt, The Wine Treasury, MMD and Liberty.

We tasted Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc, the new label from Kevin Judd a few weeks previous and it was unanimously dismissed by the team as being over the top and too sweet. Big Mike (Liberty rep) suggested he show it anyway as ‘punters’ love it and so he did, but only able to be sold by the case of 12 - that way it never has to actually hit our shelves.

They tasted it and loved it and ordered it and so we sold it and now I feel a wee bit dirty … This wine is overt and sweet and of course in a line up tasting such a wee small amount it stands out, but could you finish a glass, let alone a bottle? Which made me question 2 things: is that how I judge a wine? could I drink a whole bottle solo? And why do we list a wine because people will drink it? or because it is a great example of that grape from that part of the world …

I feel really disappointed that by showing Greywacke, we have managed not to get to the bottom of the real information about what people really like … NZ SB is of course still the very obvious first choice for many.

The Artemis Cabernet from Stag’s Leap came a close second …