Is Allan Mullins the nicest guy in SA wine? He’s certainly one of the finest tasters. One of my smallest regrets in life is never having served on a WINE magazine tasting panel. Now that the print edition has folded and entrepreneurs swoop down from the blasted thorn trees to nibble on those tasty carcasses called “category tastings”, it’s too late, as the captain of the Titanic said to John Jacob Astor IV.
Allan Mullins, master of bubbles and so much more
I had been offered an historic berth on the last tasting – the 10th Amorim Cap Classique Challenge chaired by Allan – but when the magazine melted, the tasting was rescheduled at the last minute. Tricky when you’re trying to earn a pizza crust in Jozi, some distance from the flesh pots of Pinelands.
The chance to taste with Allan (and the category itself) were the appeal and his chairman’s comments at the awards lunch were classic. Allan had served on all panels except #9 when he was excluded in a fit of cultural cringe that periodically engulfs SA wine. At least Bubbles Ferreira had the guts to call the replacement of Allan by not one, but two French winemakers, “a bad decision which we’ll take on the chin.”
Allan’s depth of experience was invaluable to the excellent results achieved. His bouquets: “every year, quality has increased”; “there are now far fewer lean and green wines”; “in the past, some wines had been left on the lees for too long which was not the case this year” and the brickbat: “sometimes the use of wood is too enthusiastic.” For Allan is not an “increasing degrees of fabulous” wine critic.
In need of funds to pay substantial medical bills, the industry has rallied around Allan and tomorrow night there’s a benefit dinner at Spier. For those dining on pizza crusts up north, there’s a silent auction that closes on September 19 with some splendid lots on offer. September is auction month, with Nederburg in the middle and CWG at the end, but this is an auction that will make a huge difference in the life of a nice guy who has done so much for SA wine.
