There’s currently quite some chat in the wine community as to whether the wine industry is out of touch. Whether the idea of ‘education’ and the traditional walk-around wine tasting format (such events are generally held in five-star hotels and smart restaurants) are appropriate to fire up the TikTok generation. The generation which is said to be drinking not only less alcohol but, when they do, favouring creative cocktails over the sharing of a bottle of wine.
But Sydney-based Mark Law, the recently appointed business manager at The Flying Winemaker, makes a good point. How to taste, and vocabularies around taste, are not things we learn in school. So there has to be some development of skills around wine (and indeed we could add skills around tasting coffee, tea, and food itself) if we want to appreciate different flavours, styles and textures. For him, the key word is “experience”: creating an enhanced experience around wine. And never, ever, talk down to people. Yet he is not scared by the idea of sharing knowledge, quick to point out that Influencers and ‘figures with followers’ may not understand wine in the way that professionals do, and thus present a distorted view.
Mark is a former sommelier (Sydney Hilton, Aria restaurant) and wine retail expert (Dan Murphy’s) who holds a WSET Diploma and undertook the intensive Australian AWAC programme (Advanced Wine Assessment Course). He graduated with a degree in the Humanities, and says he “just fell” into wine, after unexpectedly taking up a position as a wine club advisor. Trying different wines in the office, his breakthrough moment was perhaps an aged Clare Valley Riesling. It was smoky, with kerosene and matchstick characters. Wow, wine is not just about fruit?! After-work dinners with colleagues alerted him to the experiential pleasures of pairing wine with food; and today he is a keen believer in “what goes together, grows together”. He takes as an example the sweet and sour dance of a typical German Riesling, which pairs perfectly with the country’s legendary pork knuckle. It is only a short walk from there to Cantonese BBQ pork!
He joined TFW as he wanted to push himself and engage with multiple aspects of the wine industry. He is learning as he goes, aware of the importance of recognising your weaknesses if you are to grow. Share ideas, push boundaries, and stay flexible, says Mark. Indeed it would appear that it is no longer enough to be ‘just’ a winemaker, or a viticulturist, or a wine marketer, say, because the wine industry landscape has become so complex, affected by political, economic, sustainability and ethical factors.
Amongst many other duties, Mark is taking on responsibilities around marketing. If you believe that everyone is your customer, then no-one is your customer, he says. Engage with social media but know what you are trying to achieve, and ensure your presence aligns with your values. TFW enjoys a broad reach in Asia, and there is a vision to expand into Europe or the USA. “But the wine industry is in a tight spot right now,” says Mark, “and these steps have to be slow and steady. But if you are too cautious, you don’t get anywhere”.
WORDS: Annabel Jackson