By Carmel Melouney
June 01, 2008 03:06am
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THEY might be fictional characters, but Bridget Jones and Kath and Kim are being
blamed for the death of chardonnay.

Once the fashionable tipple of politicians and society doyennes, wine industry
observers say "cardonnay" is now more likely to be associated with Australia's
favourite suburban housewives and the Brit singleton famed for her enormous
knickers.

Leading UK wine writer Oz Clarke blames the decline in British chardonnay sales
(with 7.5 million fewer buys in the past 12 months compared to the previous
year) on the chardonnay-swilling Jones.

"Everyone appreciated it - until Bridget Jones," Mr Clarke said.

"She goes out on the pull, fails, goes back to her miserable bedsit, sits down,
pours herself an enormous glass of chardonnay, sits with mascara running down
her cheeks saying, 'Dear diary, I've failed again, I've poured an enormous glass
of chardonnay and I'm going to put my head in the oven.' Great marketing aid."

Glenn James, Foster's Group White Winemaker, said association with daggy
characters like Bridget and Kath Day-Knight has not helped the wine's profile.

"I hear the expression 'anything but chardonnay' often because the variety is
out of fashion," Mr James said. "Crisp dry white wine is in vogue right now, but
chardonnay is still our most significant white grape."

He believes the tide has turned on chardonnay because it was the most prevalent
style consumed in Australia. "Chardonnay became so dominant it became boring,"
Mr James said.

Foster's chardonnay sales were down 4.7 per cent in the year April, 2007 to
April, 2008 while sauvignon blanc sales increased 45.7 per cent.

Mr James believes sauvignon blanc will stay popular and varieties like pinot
gris, alberino and vermintino will gain momentum.

Professor of wine marketing at the University of South Australia Larry Lockshin
said chardonnay is not "a cool new thing".

"It's not growing, so companies put a lot of emphasis on what's growing," he
said. "Companies jump on the fad bandwagon because growth is good."

Australia's favourite white wine variety is now sauvignon blanc, and New
Zealand's Oyster Bay sauvignon blanc was the top-selling white by value last
year.

Tom Glenwright, sommelier at Sydney's Gazebo Wine Garden, said sauvignon blanc
was very popular, but patrons also enjoyed riesling, pinot gris, verdelho, and
gewurztraminer varieties.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/457gjh