The explosion of wine-related material in social media has been somewhat overwhelming during the last couple of years. Everyone and anyone with an interest in the more noble grapes seems to have an urge to tell everybody else about it too. The quality varies wildly – some stuff is more or less rubbish, some amazingly brilliant and some, like wine web TV show Rött eller Vitt (red or white), show great potential.
Hosted by a website of the same name, the somewhat nervous and slightly amateurish vibe of the Rött eller Vitt show is more than compensated for by some great insight, regular visits to credible Stockholm wine watering holes and interesting trendy interviewees.
The show is made by reputable production company Mastroc and so far it has been entirely privately funded.
The first season kicked off with a slightly uneven selection of themes, as we go from Rioja to rosé wines, from South Africa to Loire, but given time it feels like it will all fall in place in the long run. I got curious about the fall season, so I looked up the people behind the show and had a lunchtime glass of rosé with hostess Anna Månströmer.
How did you get involved in this production – are you a big wine drinker yourself?
No, not really. I have been working with the production company on various other projects and I was hired as an independent moderator to weigh up the words of the wine experts. My wine interest and experience are somewhat limited, but ever-growing. I have been spending a lot of time in the USA visiting some vineyards, especially in Napa, California. That’s also where my preference in wine lies.
What can we expect from the coming season?
I think it’s better to ask my colleague Christer von Segebaden this question since I’m not part of the projecting of the programs. I know we are talking about going abroad and also seeing a little more of the wine scene around Sweden.
What is the broader aim for Rött eller Vitt and who is your average viewer?
I’d say the aim is to attract both wine enthusiasts, people who are passionate wine connoisseurs as well as those who don’t have the burning flame yet. People who like good food, good wine, who travel and who’d like to know more, to get some great tips. Basically, someone just like me.
As our conversation slowly drifts on to other topics, I realize I need to canvass the opinions of Christer von Segebaden, the driving force behind the project, to form a truly rounded opinion. His replies are as swift as they are enlightening.
How many followers do you have andwho do you think your average viewer is?
Good question! We really don’t know how many we need to keep going, but we think that we need at least 10,000 viewers. We are not quite there yet but we are well on our way. I’d say our average viewer is between 45 and 65 years old, with a higher education and have an interest in food and travel.
One of the questions you have asked people on the show is what three bottles would they choose if they only had three days left to live – what would your answer be?
Easy. First Le Montrachet 1995, Etienne Sauzet, Secondly Chateau Cos d’Estournel 1988 and then Chambolle Musigny Les Amoreuses 2000 Robert Groffier.
What is the single best bottle you have ever had so far?
1948 La Tache, DRC.
You claim to be totally independent on the show, is there really no influence from producers or importers in your programs?
No, there really is not. Björn (Svensson, the founder of Rött eller Vitt) has a wine importing firm but he definitely doesn’t want us to promote his wines in the show. Jan Holmström who chooses wines for each TV show picked some of Björn’s wines anyway, and Björn was not happy about it. We choose what we like, that’s the deal. We are privately funded so far but will try to get commercial ads in, to expand and grow.
Any specific wine tip for our readers before the last days of summer are over?
Drink champagne! It makes you happy, good-looking, and healthy. Choose a quality producer like Philiponnat for example. It goes very well with cheese of all kinds.
Both the Rött eller Vitt founder Björn Svensson and project manager and host Christer von Segebaden have quite a past in the wine business as merchants, importers and consultants, but the show declares itself totally independent. With wine journalist and expert Jan Holmström’s informed reportage on areas and grapes, terroir and history, the episodes burst with interesting wine facts. Holmström (editor of Mitt Nya Kök and head of Allt om Mat’s wine team) with more than 30 years in the wine business, knows how to tell a good story and even though his somewhat nervously cockiness cracks me up every now and then, I stay put with an eager ear to his stories. His selection of wines at the end of each episode picks out four wines from the current theme in an escalating price range, all selected by his professional palette. So far, so good when it comes to those selections, as the viewer gets a chance to try something from every theme, adjusted to their own wallet (all wines can be found on the shelf or ordered in specially at Systembolaget).
As I look forward to the coming fall season of Rött eller Vitt, I asked Anna to give our readers a selection of her four choices from the Systembolaget shelf. Anna claims again that she is no expert on wine, but her growing interest and developing taste are bringing her new experiences, and here is what she thinks you should try before the summer of 2014 is finally over.
McManis Viognier (nr 6290) 89 kr
M de Minuty Rosé (nr 2590) 105 kr
Peñascal Rosé Tempranillo (nr 2951) 65 kr
Briccotondo Barbera (nr 2773) 79 kr
Words and images: Pär Strömberg
