Love your wine? Then shout it out
Morten Fillipsen of Vivino Asia Pacific on why your opinions on wine matter
I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: I don’t know a lot about wines or alcohol in general.
You’d think I’d have upped my game, having written posts like these over the past few months. But no, not really. I suppose it’s because I have a sweet tooth, and I gravitate more towards bubble teas, milkshakes, and all that.
Still.
So the recent 2021 Vivino Community Awards in Hong Kong serves as another reminder for me to at least increase my experience and knowledge about wines. For you too.
But this one could be more enjoyable, I think – because over 400,000 wine drinkers in Hong Kong chose 25 of their favourites, and therefore were the ones who decided on the winners. No “select group of people”, no critics, and no experts here. They could have very well been you or me, and we were given a platform to genuinely share our tastes and preferences. And that’s pretty cool.
“I think it’s very exciting to highlight the voices of our users in the winners,” agrees Morten Fillipsen, head of Asia Pacific for Vivino.
“There’s a notion out there that there’s one way to talk about wine; but throughout this process we’ve wanted to highlight the no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is reviews of our community, and that’s really worked. We have some incredibly creative voices out there!”
Candid and honest ones too. No one has to feel intimidated, and it’s made the awards an open and comfortable experience for wine lovers, wine enthusiasts, and the public.
“It highlighted just how big a variety we have in our community’s tastes,” Morten adds.
“Across geographies, styles and price points, there’s definitely something for everyone there. And that again shines a light on the power of the community versus the voice of a single critic: We’re finding exceptional wines in every corner of the wine-producing world.”
We have to admit, though…
Have you ever been afraid (or even ashamed) to reveal your wine likes and dislikes, and have given way to critics’ choices and words? It’s okay. It’s precisely why a programme like the Vivino Community Awards exists, and is a welcome sight.
“I think this happens a lot in wine, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to address,” Morten says. “No one knows your taste better than you, so you’re the best judge of what’s good.”
And if you’re still unsure, you can use the feature “Match for you” – “a personalised score for every wine, which predicts the likelihood that you’ll enjoy this wine based on your history with Vivino”, he explains.
“I believe this is a big step in helping people be confident in their wine choices.”
So speak up. “I think the wine industry traditionally has had quite some elitism to it, which can intimidate wine lovers with less experience,” he muses.
“We’re here to say that there’s no one way to talk about wine, and no one has a monopoly on taste. By specifically highlighting some of the really creative reviews for the Community Awards, we hope to hammer this point home: Everyone is a valuable critic on Vivino.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about enjoying wine; so I think that by doing away with the elitism, and by giving people a tool to drink better wine, it’s in the interest of the entire industry.”
It’s helped him too
The awards encouraged Morten to rethink some things about wine, and his own wine choices, as well.
“It’s a reminder that loving wine is very much about exploration, and there’s definitely been a few wines added to my bucket list!”
Which of his personal favourite wines made it to the list and won an award?
“There are a lot of stellar wines on that list. Granted, some are more for the bucket list than for a shopping list,” he says.
“One of my absolute favourite wineries is Sine Qua Non from California, and their The Gorgeous Victim Grenache made the #13 spot this year. It’s definitely a special occasion wine, though.”
What’s his favourite destination for wine? “I’d say either Napa Valley in California or Barossa in South Australia. Both have great wineries, great cellar doors to visit, and the hospitality in both places is welcoming.”
Morten’s pick: Sine Qua Non’s The Gorgeous Victim Grenache
His recommended wineries to visit: Napa Valley in California and Barossa in South Australia
How can we use the awards to make our next wine option and purchase?
“Take it as inspiration. These are the favourites across all our users globally, so we can well and truly say that these are great wines. But I’d still advocate using the app, scanning and rating the wines you enjoy, and following the “Match for you” score to get a truly personalised wine list just for you.”
And finally, how can we get better at describing what we’re tasting in our wines?
“There’s room for everybody. We have some users who just write simple keywords as a wine journal, and others who are incredibly creative when they describe the wines,” he observes.
“When you scan a wine, we give you a list of the specific tasting notes that other users have highlighted. But I’d encourage everyone to note what came to their mind when enjoying the wine – there’s no right answer.”
Or a wrong one, either. So let’s get sipping and talking.
For more on the Vivino Community Awards, click here. Find Vivino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
25 to 20
The normal thing to do would be to start at #1. But we should give some love to the wines from #25 to #20 first, don’t you think?
#25 Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne N.V.
#24 Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut Aÿ Champagne N.V.
#23 2016 Antinori Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva
#22 2016 Casalforte Amarone della Valpolicella
#21 Veuve Clicquot Brut (Carte Jaune) Champagne N.V.
#20 2019 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc