Scale the Heights

Reputation, according to Shakespeare, "is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving." But for the hungry and ambitious producer based in Penedès or Stellenbosch, reputation can seem like an almost intractable, inescapable barrier to success.

Indeed, hand-wringing about the stubborn refusal of consumers to take a region – or country – seriously is a familiar refrain across the global wine trade. In a recent interview with Francisco Baettig, the celebrated winemaker blamed Chile's association with value "on a number of strategic mistakes early on that are difficult to undo," reminding us that the country "entered the export market as a producer of affordable, good-quality wines made in large volumes."

He added: "Changing that image is extremely difficult, as consumers and the trade are accustomed to thinking of Chile as a provider of reliable quality rather than true fine wine."



Yet a small (but growing) number of wines from Chile and South Africa, for example, are now priced alongside established fine wine benchmarks, suggesting that individual labels, with enough hard work, can genuinely break free from a region or country's broader reputation. But can a handful of exceptional, high-scoring wines rewrite the narrative – or are they destined to remain anomalies, admired but ultimately isolated?

A new guard

The question could not be more relevant today. From South Africa to southern France, more and more producers are attempting to shift the geography of super-premium wine, pushing boundaries and breaking price records. Those within the trade are often very enthusiastic about these new stars, celebrating the diversity of an increasingly eclectic fine wine landscape. For most consumers, however, overarching reputations remain a useful shorthand, helping to reassure buyers while simplifying an overwhelmingly complex category.

"There are a small number of engaged consumers who recognise the potential in countries such as Chile, but for the majority, it is still challenging to get them to buy premium offerings," says Peter Mitchell MW, wine director at Jeroboams.

"There are regions/styles where the balance between quality and mass market is skewed towards cheap brands. This becomes the overwhelming connotation, so much so that most consumers of premium wine aren't even prepared to give the better examples the time of day."

Nevertheless, progress has been remarkable over the past 25 years. The terms South Africa and icon wine are no longer mutually exclusive: ultra-premium Chenin Blanc such as Demorgenzon's The Divas (retailing at over £90) has helped to challenge broader assumptions about what South African wine should cost – and, by implication, what it is worth.

Angelo Gaja understands the phenomenon: when a wine from a historically undervalued region - in this case, Barbaresco - enters the same price bracket as top-end Barolo, it forces the market to reconsider its biases, especially if high scores and resulting hype do their work. An optimistic Andries Burger, cellar master at Paul Cluver, once told me that "you only need one or two wines at a high price point to start to change consumer perception."

Others believe that it is simply a question of patience. "In the past, South Africa produced mainly budget wine and the quality levels on the top-end really only have come to 'excellence' over the last 10 to 15 years," notes Alexander Waibel, co-owner of Constantia Glen.

"A lot of wine writers and international competitions only started covering South Africa in the last 10 years. As you know, 10 to 15 years is a very short time in the wine industry; the SA marketing body has very limited resources compared to countries like New Zealand or Austria, which certainly could accelerate the development of the high-end market as these two countries have successfully shown."

 

Meanwhile, producers in the Languedoc now market prestige rosés selling for over £80 – a state of affairs unthinkable in the late 20th century. Achieving traction, even within a relatively small pool of consumers, is no small feat for a region historically associated with plonk. Reputations, undoubtedly, cannot be easily overturned. But they can be stretched and challenged – at least at the margins.

The weight of perception

However, for every open-minded buyer willing to take a risk, there are many more whose expectations remain stubbornly low – an attitude, producers often argue, reinforced by the industry's gatekeepers. Nor should we overstate the power of the individual to effect lasting change. Gaja, for example, did not act in isolation. His success coincided with key improvements across the region: better viticulture, greater consistency, and a growing international appetite for Italian fine wine. A single producer may generate some noise, but enduring shifts typically require collective momentum.

For some, the only viable solution is to start from scratch. Erstwhile Rioja producer Artadi took this path, leaving the appellation in pursuit of a more site-driven identity, while a group of leading growers broke from the Cava DO to establish Corpinnat, seeking to redefine Spanish sparkling wine on their own terms. Such moves are not without risk, but they underline a growing frustration with inherited reputations.

More positively, a new generation of collectors appears less beholden to traditional hierarchies. They are, I'm told, more open to discovery and less inclined to equate prestige solely with established names. This shift creates an opening for ambitious producers in Stellenbosch and the Languedoc – not necessarily to overturn entrenched perceptions, but to gradually reframe them, and to add nuance to that overall reputation.



Several years ago, US wine writer Terry Theise observed that "if an appellation or region starts out with a prestigious reputation, then even its quotidian wines shine in the reflected light. But the prestige has to be firmly established. It has never worked the opposite way."

I agree that changing the perception of a region - or indeed an entire nation – is a complex endeavour. It requires consistency, collaboration, time, and no small degree of luck. It demands not just a handful of headline-generating wines, but a critical mass of quality capable of reinforcing the message at every level.

There was a time when top German Riesling was priced higher on London wine lists than Cru Classé Bordeaux. Reputations can be lost – and minds do change. The question is whether today's pioneers can accelerate that shift, or whether some unknown and unforeseen catalyst will eventually do the work for them.