There were a number of interesting presentations at VieVinum over the past few days. One was surely that of Josef Schuller and Lynne Sherriff, both Masters of Wine, on the stickier side of fermented grape juice. The pair was joined by a host of producers from various parts of the world. From the crowd, Tim Atkin MW suggested that the estates form a Sweet Wine Alliance to promote this 'vanishing category'. This was what Vinobile in Jerez was trying to do over the past few years, but that fair closed its doors when European funding ran out. Jerez, though, is probably not the best place to hold such an event as the average consumer associates Sherry with drier fortified wines. Guests spoke of four styles of sweet wines: late harvest, botrytis, desiccated grapes and those fortified by alcohol, to which I might add ice wine. Revolving programmes in different parts of the world, much like the Riesling Symposium has done, moving from Washington to Australia and then Europe, with Germany the first stop, hint at the direction to be followed. Interestingly, all would love to do it, but hope that taxpayers will foot the bill. Don't we all want someone else to pay for our pleasures? My two favourites that day were a 2008 Riesling Beerenauslese from the Weil's Gräfenberg vineyard and the 2005 Suduiraut from Sauternes, hard won victories on Austrian soil! Comments