Australia’s Larry Cherubino, owner of Larry Cherubino Wines, on what factors make a wine good value
How does James Halliday judge value? What methods does he employ?
Halliday has a number of methods to rate wines, one of these being a red star rating that denotes ‘Special Value’. This he defines as, “Wines considered to offer special value for money within the context of their glass symbol status.” Of the 17 wines that scored 95 points or above, 15 of these also received a red star rating.
Overall, out of the 35 wines of ours that were rated, 80% were red star wines, higher than any other producer.
Does he ever judge value on wines that are built to last – ie. they increase their value with age?
Yes, many of our wines that received the special value rating are wines to cellar for 5+ years.
What does best value wine mean to you?
It means a lot as it is something you are always striving for, especially from your growers. We pay a premium for excellent quality fruit and this is the result. Even our expensive wines received this rating so it is quite affirming – great quality and great value. Riesling in particular is relatively inexpensive to produce but has great ageing potential if the quality is good.
As a winemaker how do you achieve good value?
Good value is quality and it starts in the vineyard. You need to identify which parcels are going to end up in which wine and not stray from the brief. This means watching and waiting for the right time to pick and nurturing the vineyard. Creating good value wine costs a lot of money!
How important is it amongst the many things that a wine has to deliver to the customer?
It is everything, it is what keeps them coming back and helps you sustain, drive and grow your business. My name is on everything I make so I need to be proud of what is in the bottle and stand by it.
Apart from your own wines, of course, what wines would you say are great value for wine buyers?
I love Italian wines and find them great value and full of personality.
Are there some wines that will never be seen as great value, simply because they cost too much to produce?
I think wines that cost thousands of dollars can never be considered good value. We understand why they might be worth this much (the care that has gone into the vines, fruit and the winemaking) and appreciate them especially if they have that otherworldly character, but perhaps look elsewhere if you want value for money. It’s all about ‘bang for your buck’!
Do you think that consumers look for quality or value first in a wine?
Good question, the holy union is when both come together I always search for it. We all love a good buy don’t we. I think the vast majority of wine drinkers don’t want to have to spend too much day to day and they shouldn’t have to. They want both.
How do you buy wine as a consumer?
It has to be interesting and recommend by somebody I trust. Or I buy something I have come across and enjoyed. Not that different to any other consumer I guess!
What bottle did you drink last night? Was it good value? If so why?
Mas De Libian, Vin De Petanque 2015.
I enjoyed drinking it, not much thought required, young and vibrant. Yes, it was good value because it was also inexpensive.
What advice would you give to other wine producers on producing ‘best value’ wine?
Focus on the vines and the fruit, cuts out a lot of messing about in the winery. Never forget the end point.
Is it just as easy for a small wine producer to make ‘best value’ wine as it is for a wine producer with large scale?
I would say it’s more difficult for smaller producers as it costs more time, resources so ultimately money. It is hard, we are small, and don’t have the economy, we have our own vines so we concentrate on getting the best to bottle with little fuss, we also have to think hard about oak use and time in oak – oak is important and expensive.
But for us it is obviously quality over quantity!
Do you ever concede on quality in order to improve a wine’s value?
No. We pride ourselves on over-delivering quality. It is the value.
How do you communicate value to the wine consumer?
Maintaining quality year after year.
How do you do this?
Now that’s a secret… but I’ll tell you. It’s a high quality combination of flavour, personality and balance crammed into a bottle. Simple as that!
