Save the Squirrel!

Some time back bushy tailed tree rats were introduced into the UK from the new world. We called them grey squirrels. They do the job of squirrels as far as we are concerned; they look cute and scamper around hiding nuts. A generation thinks that’s what a squirrel is, with no concept of the real thing. They do the job so well that the real thing has all but disappeared.

As branded wines from the new word are now as wide spread as grey squirrels we could be forgiven for thinking that these countries produced a lot of wine; possibly as much as those traditional wine making countries a few short miles across the channel. Not so. Not even close! The island of Sicily alone produces more wine than Australia!

Maybe if we’d always thought of the Grey Squirrel as a “tree rat” we would not have lost so many real squirrels.

Chemical concoctions masquerading as wine have all but replaced real wine made by small growers. We continue to fund the destruction of ancient European vineyards while the new world (including China) continues with uncontrolled expansion. The reason for this is simple; almost 90% of wine sold in the UK is now sold by supermarkets. 30 years ago, when every High Street still had thriving butchers, fishmongers, florists, green grocers and wine merchants, they hardly sold a single bottle.

We cannot reclassify mass produced wine as “pretend wine”, “factory wine” or “tree rat wine”. (I know. I have spent too much time banging on to the relevant EU commissions.) What we can do is recognise, support and enjoy real wine as we now have learnt to do with real food.

Unfortunately for the Red Squirrel we have probably learnt the lesson about accidentally introducing dominant but inferior competition too late.