Alex Harper has beaten a talented group of would-be hacks to the Young Wine Writer of the Year award. Her piece, A surprise encounter with 007 – tasting wines with new eyes, offers us a fresh way of thinking about wine.

“Consider the senses,” says Alex, before describing how a very old La Guida Manzanilla Pasada sherry straight from the barrel reminded her “of walking the dog in the early morning, the smell of rich nutty earth strong in my nose and the invigoratingly fresh autumnal air exciting the senses as the sun begins to warm the sky.”

Alex capers through the other senses, before drawing witty pen portraits of various wines, my favourite being the Vinho Verde: “‘light bodied with lots of clean, fresh lime and a touch of fizz. She is a young girl, innocent and excitable as she flits around chattering and giggling.”

More often seen pacing the streets of London, escorting fine wines to restaurants on behalf of Bancroft Wines, Alex admits that writing has always been a hobby. “My husband gave me a ‘How to be a journalist short course’, but I was too busy doing my diploma,’ she smiles. Yet to begin her own blog, you can find her words on the Bancroft Wine blog and catch up with her on twitter @AlexHarperWine

In the beginning

Alex grew up with wine.  While her father was the enthusiastic explorer, enjoying all he could discover, her mother was the one with the sensitive palate. Careers advice from her father came in the form of ‘Find something you are interested in’.

So she did. Straight after graduating it was off to Bordeauc for a three-week harvest stint, before spending three years in the South African wine industry. Next up came several memorable years with Novum’s man of magic, Steve Daniel, before joining Bancroft Wines

As part of her prize, Alex with be on her way Down Under in the Spring for a fortnight, Alex also wins £1000 and a year’s sub to the Circle of Wine Writers.

Now in its 12th year, the prize is sponsored by Pavilion Books, the Circle of Wine Writer and Wine Australia.  Peter Richards, one of Saturday Kitchen’s wine experts and co-founder of the Susie & Peter Wine School, was the first winner. 

This year’s runners up offered a diverse image of wine, from hip hop with Nik Byrne, through Barbara Drew’s ode to fortified wine, to Amanda Drew’s atmospheric tale of harvest from the point of view of a sweat-stained Bolivian in the 38° mid-morning heat of Mendoza

Make mine an English 

English wine provided the spur for the wine world’s newest entrants to feature on the shortlist. Philosophy graduate, Naomi Bedford has been with Majestic for just four months. Finding herself inspired to be selling English wine, Naomi took the opportunity to take a step back and review the unique predicament the UK wine industry finds itself in.

While this year’s weather might serve to put a dampener on the enthusiasm generated by this summer’s events, Naomi points to the issue of public image as another hurdle, before noting ‘Competition results show that English wine needn’t be an inferior choice.’

While acknowledging that marketing will no doubt help English wine’s positioning, Naomi looks on the green side, concluding “If the English wine industry plays into the hands of consumer’s environmental concerns, it might stand more than half a chance of thwarting the clouds that threaten in.”

Catch Naomi’s whole entry on her blog, Grape to Grasp