Signature wines.

How important are they for an emerging wine region?

It is no coincidence that the most famous wines of a country or region are particularly suited to the climate and winemaking conditions of said region. Whether a signature wine is defined as an identifiable brand or a more general style is open to discussion. For the purposes of this essay it is assumed that a signature style of a region and individual signature brands are so intrinsically linked that one merely serves to illustrate the point of the other and vice versa.

Within the classic wine regions of Europe, wine styles are defined by the region within which they are grown and produced; indeed, the style, traditions and methods of production are often defined by law. In the newer and emerging regions of the wine world the limits on the vinegrower and winemaker are defined only by the geographical and climatic limitations of the vine varieties themselves. It has often been a happy accident or brave experimentation that has led to the development of a signature wine for a region.

A great example of an emerging region and a pioneering winegrower combining to produce what is now a signature wine is that of England and Nyetimber. The first English vineyard to plant the classic Champagne varieties with a view to making world class sparkling wine, the original owners of Nyetimber had a vision that was not shared by the small industry of the UK at the time. Sparkling wine is now the signature wine of England and Nyetimber is undoubtedly the flagship of the now numerous producers of that style. Until the release of the first Nyetimber sparkling wine (the 1992 vintage) England did not feature on the international wine scene - it is still small in terms of production but is arguably famous beyond its size for the quality of its sparkling wines.

The pioneers at Nyetimber shared a singlemindedness with other producers around the world producing very particular styles confident that what they were doing was the best reflection of their region/country. Also in the late 1980s and early 1990s there were pioneering winemakers in New Zealand going against the received wisdom of the time and rather than planting Muller-Thurgau (once the most widely planted variety in NZ), trying out Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay on the South Island in Marlborough. Former orchards and sheep stations were planted to these varieties and the results were so successful that the most famous, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, took on a cult-like status in some export markets. The marriage of the long, cool growing season of the Marlborough region and Sauvignon Blanc produced a super-fruity, grassy wine style that is now synonymous with NZ.

England is still experiencing an upswing in attention and sales for its sparkling wine, Marlborough on the other hand has seen a massive increase in production of Sauvignon Blanc and has risked damaging its own signature wine by creating a surplus. 2008 vintage saw wineries in Marlborough having to sell off the previous vintage stock in bulk to free up space for the new crop- the first time the price of NZ wine dropped significantly in the export markets. The UK, namely Waitrose supermarket, was able to market its own-label Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at a lesser price, with 'made by Villa Maria' on the label.

Morrisons supermarket, also in the UK, has a range of own-label wines under the 'Signature' range. The wines are marketed as selected for their typicity and quality, examples within the range are Signature Barolo, Signature Chablis, etc. Well-known wine styles from certain classic regions as well as newer ones such as Signature Barossa Shiraz. From a consumer point of view, the signature wine is key to confidence in buying. Recognising a wine name or variety in conjunction with a region or country and feeling able to try a different brand in the knowledge that the style will be similar to others from the same place is important to the consumer.

It is, of course, vital that the wine bearing the signature of region, variety and style is of good quality for that signature to be a positive attribute. It could be argued that White Zinfandel made by Blossom Hill or E&J Gallo is a signature wine of the Central Valley in California. Whilst these are always correct and clean, well-made wines they are distinctive in their sweetness, soft fruit and easy-drinking style for a low price point. This signature style is important to the producers of these wines, but it may have a detrimental effect on other producers of the region who might be making a different style. The risk being that the consumer may not take any other style of wine produced from that region seriously, even if the quality is superior.

Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Central Otago, Carneros and Oregon; Chardonnay from California, Chablis, Meursault and Western Australia; Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra, Bordeaux and Napa Valley; Riesling from the Mosel and Clare Valleys; bubbles from Prosecco, Franciacorta and Champagne. All these varieties and regions are immediately and intrinsically linked to one another. Champagne is arguably the ultimate signature wine; the name of the region is the name of the wine and vice versa and although brands are very important within the region with many being very famous in their own right across the world, not one of them is bigger than the brand of Champagne itself. The simplicity yet rigidity of its identity - one appellation and very strictly controlled production methods ensures a minimum quality in every bottle bearing the name. The consumer has little chance of confusion and also has great trust in the brand. This does not stop the consumer having favourite brands within Champagne, to wit the many millions of euros spent on sponsorship and glossy advertising by the grand marques such as Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Mumm.

Every wine producing region or country must have a signature style and that style is best served when reinforced by high profile key producers who are making classic, reliable and high quality examples of that style. It needn't prevent other wine types being produced but the consumer needs a peg on which to hang his or her hat and an easily identifiable wine makes it easy for them to then go on and explore the region and other producers further.