1) – You – Who Are you?
My name is Terry Kandylis and I used to work in the UK for 10 years before accepting a position with the Lucas group in Australia as their beverage and wine director. Previous workplaces include the 3-Michelin star restaurant The Fat Duck, The Ledbury and my last role in the UK was as the Head Sommelier of the 67 Pall Mall club in London.
Unfortunately, the situation with the Covid-19 put my move to Melbourne on hold and currently spending time in Greece, where I am from and grew up.
2) – What is your story?
My story is that I used to study something completely different before falling in love with the wine world. Jumped from the physics department of Athens university into hospitality and then the rest is history. I moved to the UK as the wine market back in Greece was quite restrained and the options to try wines limited. I never regret a day for my decision and enjoyed every single day at work, because I simply turned my hobby into my profession.
3) – One element that pushes you within, through your passion as a wine athlete?
Determination.
4) – What does Viticulture represent for you?
The hardest and biggest step, The beginning of the cycle. Without proper farming and great grapes, you will never manage to make great wine.
But you can easily make bad wine out of great grapes.
I really value viticulture and I truly respect vignerons that spend their lives to look after their vineyards in the most sustainable and holistic approach, treating the environment with the respect that the current and future generations deserve.
5) – What Classification would you give to theses 4 elements
(1/2/3/4) :
Type of Viticulture – 1
œnologique Approach – 2
Type Of Winemaking – 3
Commercial Approach – 4
As I mentioned above, I value viticulture a lot. More than 70% of the finished product is the efforts that you put in the vineyard whole year-round.
But many people confuse farming with winemaking, especially when they refer to ‘biodynamic’ or ‘natural’ styles.
I will give you a simple example. You can have the best organic & free-range chicken in the world and you give it to an amazing chef to cook it. The finished product will be equally amazing. Then you take the same chicken and you give it to me to cook it for you. I might be lucky and cook it well, or just spoil an amazing ingredient because I am not such a good chef at the end. Same could happen with the grapes. Some people are amazing farmers but their winemaking is sloppy and they spoil the beautiful grapes they had in the beginning, either by bacterial spoilage, overdoing things like oak usage or extraction i.e.
So, winemaking decisions and approach is the second & third respectively most important factor that needs to be decided on how you would like to express your grapes and the famous word of ‘terroir’. And if you do well these above, then you are confident to focus on your commercial approach, because it gives you confidence that the finished wine will support you. But many people neglect the fact that labels, packaging and closures are equally important because that’s your brand. And branding is important in a very competitive world that we are living in.
6) – Sulphur, Is it a real question on its own or just a part of the process?
‘Pan Metron Ariston’ is what my ancient ancestors used to say; meaning everything is great in moderation. I don’t mind Sulfur in winemaking when is done with a way that respects the wine and the consumer. Wines need to travel and without adequate Sulfur levels, unfortunately, it doesn’t travel well. But a smart winemaker monitors his/her additions in a correct manner and timing that allows him to add less, without putting at risk neither of the wine or the consumer. Can mention many winemakers here that maintaining a level of 30-35 ppm is enough to protect their wines and give the chance to consumers to have a similar perspective if they have their wine in Australia or France.
7) – What have you tasted or heard of, as being exciting lately about Portuguese wines?
I am a big fan of the country and have been a few times. I love the diversity and uniqueness of terroirs, varieties and of course the history.
8) – What would you like to discover about wine in Portugal?
I am ashamed to say that I’ve never visited one of my favourite regions in the world, Madeira. So exploring the island of Madeira is what I would like to see next time I visit Portugal.
9) – How or by which means you would like to discover Portuguese Wines?
The best way is to visit, nothing beats that for sure. Meeting the producers and understanding the regions is the best way to discover the wines of the country and her numerous varieties.
10) – Is there any region in Portugal that interests you particularly?
Bairrada, Colares, Madeira are few of my favourite regions. And of course, Douro.
11) – Do you have any advice or demand for Portuguese Winemakers?
To be more confident in their grapes and allow the fruit and the terroir to be shown through their winemaking. To believe more and do less maybe will be my humble advice.
12 ) – Your best souvenir of a Portuguese wine?
Probably the wine that I will never forget, a 1789 Madeira.
Bonus: Man => translator of Terroirs or Wine inventor?
Definitely the former…
