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International wine expert points to the finer drops
Arif Suryobuwono , Contributor , Jakarta | Thu, 09/04/2008 10:16 AM | Potpourri
Wine expert and marketer Junel Vermeulen speaks about South African wines at the recent South African Wine Festival, which was held in Jakarta and Bali. (JP/Arif Suryobuwono)
Wine marketers usually come from a sales background. Their knowledge of wine, particularly the ones they sell, usually comes from short-course training programs they have attended.
But Junel Vermeulen, the marketer and speaker for the South African Wine Festival, which ran from Aug. 22 to 24 in Jakarta and Bali, comes from an academic background.
Graduating in 2004 from South Africa's Cape Wine Academy, Vermeulen, who also graduated from Rand Afrikaans University with a bachelor's degree in African languages in 1979, completed her studies in eight years instead of the usual 10.
"I am a teacher," said the marketer for three South African wine estates -- Le Riche, DeWaal and De Krans -- of the job she loves. Vermeulen is now a senior lecturer at the Cape Wine Academy.
When she was offered the job of marketer, she initially hesitated but then accepted it.
"Australian wines are better known than (South African) wines because we were quite isolated for some time," she said. "But we are now catching up."
Vermeulen held workshops on wine appreciation during the festival, which drew the attention of many restaurant and hotel management teams.
"A French wine that has very little aroma should be referred to as a 'shy' wine," she told those who attended one of her seminars at the VIN+ wine shop in Kemang, South Jakarta.
"If a Chardonnay is woody, don't call it woody. Instead, tell your customer that it has butterscotch flavors, spicy notes and that it is oily and buttery.
"And never use the word 'cheap' to refer to wine. Use 'low-priced' instead," she added, which is applicable to wines from South Africa, which has long been known to produce inexpensive and yet stunningly good quality wines.
When describing a 2007 Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc, Vermeulen portrayed it as a light, clean, crisp, fresh and well-balanced wine with subtle, grassy and fruity flavors.
She commented that this wine tasted better than the more expensive 2007 KWV Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2007, which had its fruit concealed by harsh acidity and certain pyrazine flavors.
The word "pyrazine" was brought up during her lecture on Sauvignon Blanc. Vermeulen explained that pyrazine flavors pointed to geranium and green pepper flavors.
A 2004 decanter.com article reported the sacking of Ian Nieuwoudt, winemaker of the 2004 KWV Reserve Sauvignon Blanc for adulterating the Reserve with pyrazine, a natural but illegal flavorant.
On the sidelines of Vermeulen's public lecture at the Ritz Carlton Kuningan, South Jakarta, she praised the 2007 KWV Caf* Culture Pinotage for its distinct smell and delicious mocha, or coffee, flavor.
The wine won the Best South African Red Wine award at the International Wine Challenge in Vietnam in 2007. For those who like coffee but get an upset stomach from drinking it, this wine may be your coffee.
