◆ The road to the “Family of Twelve Wine Tutorial”Organized by 12 of New Zealand’s leading wineries, the goal of “Family of Twelve Wine Tutorial” is not only to showcase the diversity and personality of New Zealand’s wines to the world, but an investment in the future of wine by educating future wine industry leaders. It began in 2018 and I was honoured to be selected to attend the second workshop in 2019.To apply, I had to write short essays on around 10 wine related questions. Some questions were classic, such as: ‘Which NZ wine-producing region has the most promising long-term growth potential?’ and ‘Who do you respect the most among the people involved in the Family of Twelve?’. Others were unusual, like: ‘What would you do if you became the president of the wine industry?’ and ‘If you could choose only one varietal for life, which would it be, and why?’. It was difficult to convey all the creative ideas I had in real-world context and not a fantasy. I talked it over with Andrea Martinisi, a colleague from The Grove who represented New Zealand in the 16th World’s Best Sommelier Competition (and ranked 14th), and I re-wrote them many times. I was so happy to pass the written screening, and when I was selected, Andrea and I were both jumping with joy. Andrea went onto participate in 2020 Wine Tutorial.◆ What is a tutorial-style workshop?The workshop was conducted in a tutorial format. In each of the 8 themes (e.g. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah etc), 12 wines, including premium wines from around the world as well as the Family member wineries, were blind tasted and scored out of 20. Then, in front of the panel leaders and moderators, participants had to present their thoughts and discuss the background, origin and climatic context of the wine. One had to express their opinion and discuss why they were scoring a wine in a certain way before hearing the comments of the panel leader and moderators.Winemakers Blair Walter from Felton Road and Helen Masters from Ata Rangi were panel leaders on the Pinot Noir flights, and Michael Brajkovich MW, the owner/winemaker at Kumeu River, was the panel leader for the Chardonnay flight. By listening to the comments of the best teachers on each theme, I learnt how to better score and allocate points. External moderator Stephen Wong MW’s point-by-point comments were also eye-opening.The other 11 participants were native English speakers. With other participants, panel leaders and moderators having interesting discussions in fluent English, I could easily miss my chance to speak and that’s detrimental… many people told me that in New Zealand and Australia, “If you don’t speak, it’s like you’re dead.” Thankfully, the Wine Tutorial was well organized, and all participants had to give comments on 2 of the 12 wines in 4 of the 8 flights for a minute each. Not giving your opinion, or not speaking, was not an option.We were all given memo pads to write down flash comments, which are a one-minute analysis of the wine covering appearance, aroma, taste, and a summary. We used different coloured pens between the blind tasters’ comments and the panel leader/moderator’s comments. It helped me understand where I was analysing correctly and where I was completely off the mark. It also helped me when it was my turn to comment because I didn’t have enough words to describe the wines compared to native speakers. Commenting in front of everyone is intense, like commenting in a competition, and my face would turn bright red like a boiled octopus!◆ The best experience and "Best Comments Award"Over the three-day workshop we sampled approximately 2,000 wines from 57 wine regions and 84 different producers in 14 countries from England to Italy, and Argentina to Georgia. Objectively tasting premium wines from around the world in terms of quality, reputation, price and availability, with Family of Twelve members, Stephen Wong MW and sommeliers journalists from around Oceania, and discussing and sharing each other’s ideas was a great experience for deepening mutual understanding.On the Shiraz flight, I had to comment on the Penfolds Grange. I said: “It’s an exceptional quality, wonderful wine. I think it’s Penfolds Grange. I give it a high score as a sommelier, but the high alcohol, the jammy, fruity taste and sweetness from American oak, are a little too strong for the Japanese palate. I’m sorry to all the participants from Australia for saying this.” Later at the dinner, some of the participants and winemakers laughed about it and said, “we were happy because we thought Japanese people didn’t express themselves so candidly.”The tutorial format was very effective in conveying the knowledge and experience of the organizers to the participants. At the same time, the participants are not simply observers, they must speak their opinions. I think this is a revolutionary approach for participants to effectively gauge the level of their understanding. I learnt the importance of putting opinions into words to deepen mutual understanding. Even if I wasn’t fluent in in the language, it was wonderful to be able to communicate through wine.Also, it turned out I was able to communicate clearly. The flash comments I wrote during the Wine Tutorial won the “Best Comments Award”, and the prize was a magnum of Ata Rangi Craighall Chardonnay, and a bottle of Felton Road 2010 Pinot Noir.In blind tastings the Pegasus Bay and Neudorf Chardonnays and the Family of Twelve Pinot Noirs expressed their unique identities, holding their own against famous Burgundy appellations and producers. Some of their wines were as good as those from outstanding producers, including the Grand Cru in Burgundy. I feel that many people enjoy wine while talking about its history and terroir in Japan. Even if not at the level of the Judgement of Paris, it’s important to be able to comment and judge wines you know nothing about, and to try beyond the familiar brands and regions, even if you don’t know anything about their history and terroir. Looking to the future, the Japanese wine industry needs to open itself to the diversity the wine world has to offer, remembering the sense of curiosity we had when we were young.Curious and inquisitive, the New Zealand wine industry is constantly evolving and is very open to sharing its wonders with others. Wine is all about ‘people’ ‒ the makers, sellers, and buyers. Blind tastings with fellow New Zealand wine pioneers and influential Masters of Wine, sharing dinner and evening drinks ‒ the Family of Twelve Wine Tutorial may be the most involved workshop in the world! I look forward to the day when the Covid restrictions are eased and the participants from Japan can attend the Wine Tutorial and more Family of Twelve ambassadors are in Japan.We chose a selection of premium wines from the “Family of 12” wineries, and asked Miyuki Morimoto to provide the tasting notes.Felton Road Riesling Bannockburn 2020 (Screw Cap)RRP ¥4,300 Origin: Central Otago, New Zealand Variety: Riesling 100% Alc. 9.4% RS 56g/LThe entry is sweet with lively acid tightening the whole, giving good balance. Ginger-like spices and ripe citrus flavours combine from the middle through to the finish, giving a ginger lemonade-like taste. A healing wine to chill in the fridge and drink at the end of the day. It goes well with hot or spicy seasoning, such as tandoori shrimp or chicken satay.Neudorf Moutere Pinot Gris 2018 (Screw Cap)RRP ¥3,850 Origin: Nelson, New Zealand Variety: Pinot Gris 100% Alc. 13.1%The entry is classic ‘Pinot Gris’, but the texture is oily with mild acid. The Pinot Gris is acid forward, in both its old and new world faces. It shows white fruit, with nashi and white peach, and strong anise and clove notes. It excels in complementary pairings with dishes using saffron, cumin, and garlic, and goes well with paella and coconut-based curries.Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Semillon 2017 (Screw Cap)RRP ¥4,380 Origin: Waipara Valley, North Canterbury, New Zealand Variety: Sauvignon Blanc 70%/Semillon 30% Alc. 14.7%The colour hints at a touch of aged complexity. Aromas of gooseberries, tropical fruits like mango, lemon verbena and struck match gives it a unique personality not found in other Sauvignon Blancs. The textured richness of ripe fruit is tightened by the toasty bitterness of gunpowder. Excellent with Japanese dishes such as grilled cherry salmon and grated wasabi, and firefly squid with rape blossoms.Lawson's Dry Hills Reserve Pinot Noir 2017 (Screw Cap)RRP ¥3,500 Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand Variety: Pinot Noir Alc. 13.8%Showing the benefits of a little age, the expansive and complex nose displays a mix of aromas, including ripe black fruits, aromatic herbs, and savoury-like forest undergrowth. Mild acid and convergent tannins provide backbone, it is multi-layered with an iron-like minerality and savoury finish. This iron-richness and notable barrel nuance make it a great match with roasted venison or charcoal-grilled pork tomahawks.Palliser Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2018 (Screw Cap)RRP¥5,000 Origin: Martinborough, New Zealand Variety: Pinot Noir 100% Alc. 13.5%Aromas of cherries, roses, and a touch of cinnamon. An elegant style with firm acidity that creates a good structure, supple tannins, and smooth texture. In the mouth, the savoury flavour is dominant compared to the aromas, with chrysanthemum/geranium notes. The lively acid makes it a good match with both meat and seafood dishes, so I recommend a plate of surf and turf, with roast chicken topped with crayfish.Ata Rangi Celebre 2018 (Screw Cap)RRP¥5,300 Origin: Martinborough, New Zealand Variety: Merlot 47%/Syrah 41%/Malbec 6%/Cabernet Franc 6% Alc. 13.9%Ripe boysenberry, gamey-meat, refreshing sage, cacao nib bitterness, it is complex with multiple layers of aroma. Featuring a juicy, fruity entry and fine tannins, the Syrah-derived pepper flavours accentuate and balance the whole. While I was working in NZ, I added Celebre to the wine list for customers who wanted something interesting and stunning.Wine Tutorial participants with Family of 12 winemakers and Stephen Wong MW%3Ciframe%20width%3D%22560%22%20height%3D%22315%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fzy72M4YCbNA%22%20title%3D%22YouTube%20video%20player%22%20frameborder%3D%220%22%20allow%3D%22accelerometer%3B%20autoplay%3B%20clipboard-write%3B%20encrypted-media%3B%20gyroscope%3B%20picture-in-picture%22%20allowfullscreen%3E%3C%2Fiframe%3E