We have been joined by Ross of Buffwine. We had the chance to try out his Mambo Italiano event and really enjoyed ourselves, So much so we have asked Ross to share his Buffwine passion with us.
Stepping out into the public eye this year has given me a refreshed perspective on wine. Throughout my wine career, I’d previously hosted a great number of events for companies that I’ve worked for, or for client events, but this has been my first event foray as myself and “Buffwine”. I’ve loved having the opportunity to stand in front of people and talk about wine, and present what I believe is important about it. Wine will always be a luxury in people’s lives, as nobody really needs it, but I truly believe it gives the world more than just something frivolous to enjoy.
I take wine seriously, as communicating to others about wine is how I make a living, but I also feel strongly about people just enjoying it, without reverting to a strange “fancy” rhetoric when talking about it. Talking a language that people understand is at the heart of all communication, so I do find it bizarre when people start referencing tropical fruits they probably couldn’t even identify in a line up, when talking about wine. Lychees seem to be the most common culprits!
One of the most frequently asked questions at the events so far has been, “What’s your favourite wine?” Its never been a question that Ive had an easy answer to, as the most important element of a wine to me, personally, is where it comes from. In countries like France, Italy and Spain, who between them produce 50% of the worlds’ wine, the geography of wine is integral to how it is permitted to be made and ultimately, what it tastes like. Geography is therefore what gives wine its identity. My favourite wines are therefore wines that have strong identity: Barbera from Piedmont; Sangiovese from Tuscany; Chardonnay from Burgundy; Monastrell from Yecla; Malbec from Argentina are just a few examples. As a very general guide, the closer the grapes are grown to the equator, the more ripe and flavourful the wine will be. Don’t be put off if you find a wine you don’t like, that’s part of the fun of learning about it. The more you can understand why you don’t like it should also help you understand what it is you do enjoy about wine. The world would be a very dull place if all wine tasted the same and everybody liked the same wine!
I have a recurring nightmare of what will happen to the world of wine if we collectively stop asking, or caring, where wine comes from. It’s what gave wine it’s identity in the first place, followed by its integrity. It doesn’t mean we need to like all wine, far from it, but the more we understand about wine and where it comes from, the more we are protecting it, and all the reasons we love it, for future generations to enjoy too. After all, in the world of today, is it not meaningful
identity that we all crave anyway? The next bottle of wine you pick up, just ask the figurative question of it – where is it from?
No matter what your experience of wine is, Buffwine events are created to be enjoyed by all. No pinkies out, no “whispers of frozen nettle stem”, just a friendly atmosphere to enjoy wine in. The only thing that I hope you learn is that you enjoy wine a little bit more than you did before.
I very much hope to see you soon.
