BAROSSA GRAPE & WINE ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL REPORT
2014/15
BAROSSA AS AUSTRALIA’ S LEADING REGIONAL EXPERIENCE
Establish hierarchy of engagement
Barossa Grounds Generational Farming
Tactical & responsive vehicles in place New Consumer Creation Lead on behalf of community - Domestic - Greater China - North America
Supply Strategy - consistent yield - profitable - value chain
EAST COAST INFLUENCERS
BWS HONG KONG & CHINA
OUR OWN BACKYARD
OUR BRIGHT FUTURE
OUR COLLECTIVE VOICE
OUR PROMISE KEPT
SHARED PLATFORM DIGITAL & ONLINE
Dashboard in place to filter & measure foundation principles Potential to endlessly evolve
BAROSSA TRUST MARK Engagement and support from Participants
Engaged Community without borders - direct to consumers - start conversations
National Reach
Our audience becomes our stakeholders - real time engagement
Consumers supporting products that carry the Trust Mark International Reach
OUR STORY: BAROSSA CHAPTERS A strong identity underpinned by a strong community
First 3 years – Brand Building - Big Ideas / Chapters Next 3 years – Strategic Implementation - Members / Stakeholders / Markets How Far Can We Radiate? Amplification - New Audiences / New Platforms / New Technology
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 3
Barossa Grape & Wine Association Established in 2008, the Barossa Grape & Wine Association’s (BGWA) vision is to position the Barossa as a world class region of fine wine endeavour based on a unique story of generations, inheritance and hallowed ground. Wine Mission
Winemakers and winegrape growers continue to grow Australia’s most vibrant and highly valued region by working collaboratively to produce and market wines of excellence, renowned for exceeding consumer expectations and derived through practices that are both environmentally and economically sustainable.
Wine Sector Values Commitment to: •
Maintain and nurture our culture and heritage.
•
Ongoing positive positioning of Brand Barossa.
•
Superior quality and best practices.
•
Environmental and economic sustainability.
•
Research and innovation.
•
Diversity of our region and its products.
•
Collaborate with our stakeholders to achieve common goals.
•
Our community and our people.
BGWA Board 2014/15
Linda Bowes (Chairman) Stefan Jury, Hunt & Hunt Lawyers Matt Alexander (Deputy Chairman) James March (Chief Executive Officer)
BGWA Staff L-R below
Nicki Robins Viticultural Development Officer
Grape Growing Representatives Nigel Blieschke Adrian Hoffmann Tim McCarthy James Rosenzweig
Ashleigh Fox Office Manager
Winemaking Representatives Jan Angas <500 tonnes Fiona Donald >5000 Tonnes Matthew McCulloch >500 Tonnes Brett McKinnon >10,000 tonnes
Annemaree Clementson Communications and Marketing Projects (part-time)
James March Chief Executive Officer
Annabel Mugford Strategic Operations Brian Waples Finance Manager (part-time) not pictured
4 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
Chairman’s Report Charles Darwin said, “In the long history of humankind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” Eight years ago, one of the core tenets around the formation of BGWA was greater unity; a united voice to address issues beyond the scope of an individual. In 2012 I reported how far BGWA had come in closing out previous divisions and developing shared goals of a more vibrant and highly valued Barossa wine industry. This year the divide in terms of plans and budgets closed completely with implementation of restructured operations around the four strategic pillars (Our Bright Future; Our Own Backyard; Our Collective Voice; Our Promise Kept) instead of a wine plan and a grape plan. I outlined this proposal in last year’s Annual Report. The change has been hugely successful. Firstly, it streamlined activities to align our strategic plan with internal operations – essential to achieve the outcomes we want. Secondly, and equally as important, members involved with projects and working groups under the new format are moving beyond the farm gate, or the winery crusher as the case may be, to take a whole of chain perspective. Feedback indicates there is real momentum behind the collaborative process. The shift is cultural. It is changing attitudes and practices resulting in bigger picture thinking, more informed decision-making and improved communication based on greater understanding. The resultant open exchange of ideas, of information, of questions and lessons learned will enable us to innovate in a way others who remain as silos around individual benefit cannot. We will continue to entrench that culture across the association without losing any of the specific interest groups that members value. Harvest 2015 “Very compressed, pretty smooth and high quality” is how the 2015 harvest process was described to me. The total of 54,364 tonnes (Barossa Valley 44,706 tonnes, Eden Valley 9,658 tonnes) recorded by the SA Winegrape Crush Survey 2015 was 7.5% of the state crush of 716,574. Total value of Barossa grapes is estimated at $95.3 million, which is 20% of the state crush value. All of the major Barossa grape varieties recorded an increase in average price paid. In terms of quality, there are high expectations of vintage 2015, which will lend further weight to our suite of promotional activities.
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 5
Exports While the lower tonnage of recent years has impacted on the volume of wine available for export, prices for Barossa GI wine have increased since 2012 and our ongoing focus on positioning and targeted premium promotion of brand Barossa is paying dividends. Supply / Demand Better knowledge and understanding of demand opportunity and supply reality is key to growing grape and wine sales. During the year we commissioned Wine Australia to undertake an in-depth analysis of future supply / demand requirements to be presented at a Summit in November 2015. This will give members the very latest, comprehensive regional information available from which they can base individual planting and market development decisions. Better data input, better decisions made. Better decisions, more profit, improved sustainability. Water The year’s many achievements are highlighted throughout the Annual Report. One I will mention here is the association’s lobbying efforts around water. We were relieved when the Minister for the Environment agreed to an immediate review of the Water Allocation Plan instead of waiting for a further five years. That review is now underway and BGWA is actively participating with our NRM Board. Our aim is to ensure social and economic objectives receive proper attention and, together with environmental imperatives, deliver a realistic triple bottom line approach to water resource management, one that is sufficiently flexible to meet the climate change needs of our region and the evolution of best practice with advances in technology and innovation. Finances Lower harvests in recent years have meant less levy collected and this is having a cumulative effect. However, it is being well managed by your board and executive. This financial year saw a small deficit of $5,252 without any noticeable effect on services or programs delivered. The balance sheet stands solid with members’ equity at year-end of $1,154,521 compared with $1,159,773 in 2014. Acknowledgements In closing, sincere thanks go to my fellow board members for the dedication and expertise they bring to the table and to all our committee members and chairs for the significant contribution they make to association affairs. This year two grower members are retiring from service – Board and Grape Barossa committee members, Adrian Hoffmann and James Rosenzweig. Adrian has served for six years and James for five. They have actively and passionately prosecuted the case for improved grower profitability, better grower / winemaker relations, and for outcomes that benefit the Barossa, and on behalf of all members I thank them for the substantial contribu-
tion they have made. Tireless advocate and promoter of Barossa wines, Geoff Schrapel, is retiring from Wine Barossa after eight years of dedicated service. Anyone that has known and worked with Geoff will no doubt concur that his infectious enthusiasm and pursuit of the regional good is always on display. Momentum spirals activity. And Barossa has momentum! CEO James March and our staff team have done a remarkable job amidst sometimes frenetic action to keep on track, to think and act strategically and take wins from every opportunity. Outlook The Barossa is on a very positive trajectory and there is every reason to believe that this will continue into 2016 and beyond. No doubt challenges will present – we have yet to see the outcome of the Federal Government’s inquiry into wine tax for example, but I am confident the collaborative culture we have seen develop so strongly will be able to handle whatever comes our way – opportunities and challenges. We’ve worked hard to be one step ahead of the game and we’ve succeeded. Our job now is to keep the momentum going, to raise the stakes and to prosper.
The Barossa is on a very positive trajectory and there is every reason to believe that this will continue into 2016 and beyond.
Linda Bowes, Chairman
6 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
Chief Executive’s Report The impact that the ‘Barossa. Be Consumed’ campaign had in encouraging domestic visitors to the region cannot be underestimated. The very visible and tangible effect of increased activity at Cellar Doors and the flow on effects to other sectors of the Barossa has been universal in its benefit. BGWA has welcomed that outcome, and played a pivotal role in initiating the campaign’s development. The domestic market is a critically important one for Barossa wine sales, however we have actively sought out new growth opportunities beyond our borders in international markets. The last three years has seen a sustained investment and focus on the strategic pillar of Our Bright Future – growing demand for our wines on a global scale. We have maintained an appropriate weighting on other areas to complement this hive of activity, but we are constantly asking ourselves the question – how do we make sure that wine emanating from the Barossa finds its way into the homes and people’s dining experiences in countries all over the world? A refreshed and dynamic brand and regional narrative is an excellent starting point. Organisations working toward alignment under a common vision, and the innate confidence that improved circumstances can bring, have also played their part. We have strived to make sure that the regional strategy is well understood and continues to create value and deliver benefit for all our members regardless of size or scale. At a local level it is easier to track some of the more immediate benefits of our collaborative effort, but to maintain and grow our presence in the ever competitive international marketplace we need to create new audiences and seek additional opportunities as they present themselves.
We have strived to make sure that the regional strategy is well understood and continues to create value and deliver benefit for all our members regardless of size or scale.
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 7
If we hadn’t invested over time in a rigorous governance model, of operational tactics that were implemented with alacrity and a high degree of professionalism, then we may not have been able to unlock both opportunistic gains that have come our way or the precious rare-air and oxygen for strategic thinking. Without continually evolving our offer or seeking to encourage a new generation of Barossa wine enthusiasts, we risk missing opportunities as our competitors occupy our shelf space and share of mind in purchasing decisions. We must continually invest in our brand positioning, seek alignment and scale with our members and stakeholders and maintain the rigor of our governance and financial management, so that when opportunities come our way as a result we stand ready to maximise them to their full potential. Declining overall yields and the changing varietal mix have been impacting on the Barossa’s total crush for the last few years. With a reduction in tonnage comes less volume available for export and reduced income, and so we have operated in a constrained financial environment while expectations and demands on our performance delivery have never been greater. I sincerely feel we have risen to the challenge by having our foundation strategies at the core of what we deliver. We achieved the result of a small operating deficit of $5,252 in 2014/15 while maintaining our cashflow. The more recent and unfolding issue of vintage compression means that Our Own Backyard may well be elevated in the next phase of strategic delivery, as we examine new infrastructure requirements and supply issues with Shiraz as our hero variety. Activity in the vineyards and Barossa Grounds by no means lost focus throughout the year. The demonstration vineyards are a critical step forward in having a place where we can share knowledge with visible and recorded outcomes, the breakfast sessions are always focused on topics of particular relevance to grape growers, and the Pruning Expo and our ongoing focus on Eutypa management and Phylloxera prevention are testament to this. The financial year was characterised though by a number of significant events and activities that were delivered in international markets as a reflection of Our Bright Future focus. Our ongoing investment into the Barossa Wine School promotional program in Hong Kong and mainland China still offers the region a competitive advantage as the only Australian regional wine program overseas. Following the previous year’s significant investment in Wine Australia’s SAVOUR event in Adelaide and our own backyard, it was time to tell our compelling stories at the Vancouver International Wine Festival, at ProWein in Düsseldorf, to captains of industry at Australia House in London, and of course, inviting an international audience to bid on a catalogue of some of our finest wines at the Barossa Wine Chapters Auction during the Barossa Vintage Festival in April.
The Auction was a huge undertaking as we transformed the event from the old format of a long live auction over breakfast, to an energetic live auction over lunch complemented by a dynamic online Auction in partnership with Langton’s, building in a more significant charitable element as we auctioned off seats at the table with local winemakers. The event is a major positioning exercise for the Barossa and we invested in setting the foundation so that we could build on this first year as part of a longer term vision to deliver the Auction as a truly world class attraction. It was very pleasing to see a demonstrable return from the investment in the Barossa Wine School program as the successful bidders on a number of lots, including the imperial of Penfolds Grange, were Barossa Wine School alumni from Hong Kong and China who had travelled specifically to attend the Auction and the Vintage Festival. Delivering the Barossa Wine Chapters Auction was a huge undertaking for the entire team at BGWA and they all performed an outstanding job. I’d like to particularly acknowledge the leadership of Annabel Mugford throughout this initiative. We formed a number of key partnerships to help deliver the program, including Langton’s, New Style Media, Qantas, Barons of Barossa and Wolf Blass Visitor Centre, and most importantly, the wineries who dug deep into their cellars and put forward an outstanding collection to draw the attention of bidders. At the 2014 AGM we launched the Members toolkit and I continue to see great examples of these tools being used to great effect. Whether it’s the introduction of the Barossa Old Vine Charter nomenclature on wine labels, the widespread use of the Topographical Map as a conversation piece, or tastings being themed according to the Barossa Chaptersand the Barossa Grounds, this collateral has been designed for use by all members. When we reach the point of full adoption, we will have a very significant advantage of scale working in our favour and I would encourage everyone to continue to check in with what support the BGWA can offer in this regard. The Annual Report covers in more detail many of the activities and highlights achieved throughout the financial year. These results are a testament to the dedication and support of a number of people including the Board, so ably chaired by Linda Bowes, and the members of all our committees, especially Grape and Wine Barossa. The BGWA staff are a fantastic group who continually strive for excellence in all they do, and have an amazing commitment to best practice in everything that comes from our office. To Annabel, Annemaree, Ashleigh, Brian and Nicki, thank you all for your support and commitment to our vision. I thank members for their ongoing support and encouragement as we continue to take the Barossa message to the world. James March, Chief Executive
8 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
Grape Barossa Report What a year. . . it appears to be common for there to be some form of natural hiccup in the lead-up to harvest but grower/ winemaker communication and expertise have produced a solid vintage.
•
The BGWA has been quietly evolving for the past 12 months rolling out our four pillar regional plan so we can hold our position in the market place and add value to the supply chain. With a limited budget our staff and volunteers are to be commended in their efforts, as without them many projects would not be completed to the degree of excellence we currently see.
BGWA Viticultural Development Officer, Nicki Robins, in partnership with the Barossa VitiTech Group, had some great results with a range of best-practice projects in 2014/15. These are covered in another report, but included: • Establishment of three demonstration vineyard sites at Vine Vale, Light Pass and Ebenezer, under the “Premium, Profitable, Sustainable Barossa Growers” project. • The “Creating Resilient Landscapes in the Barossa” environmental project. • BGWA Grower Breakfasts. • The BGWA Water Management Workshop. • The Phylloxera Outbreak Simulation. • “GrowCare Barossa” disease and pest information service. • The Barossa Grounds project. • The BGWA “Grower Services to Industry” award was presented to young viticulturist and dairy farmer, Jamie Nietschke at the “Declaration of Vintage” ceremony. Congratulations Jamie.
For Grape Barossa our meeting structure has been relaxed in the past 12 months, with several meetings also including the Barossa VitiTech Group (BVTG) for the first time, with the intent of building a more streamlined organization. We have come a long way bringing grower/winemaker relationships to the front of growers’ businesses and, together with mother-nature, creating demand for the region’s wine. Barossa is seen as the role model for the Australian wine industry; this is the “culture” of our region and I am keen to maintain this regional advantage. Grape Barossa has to play a grower advocacy role, with information flow to all stakeholders so that we plan our supply and demand on finished wine and maintain sustainable grower / winemaker businesses. We cannot do that without our winemaking community being at the table. The year that was — Our Own Backyard, Grape Barossa The must-attend for me, whilst State-based, was the recently held WGCSA Growers Summit at Adelaide Oval. 39 growers from the Barossa attended, as well as BGWA representatives. The “Grapes For Sale” register on the BGWA website was unused last season. Let’s take that a step further and work together with winemakers to now make that a trend. Grower Advocacy, Capacity Building, and Leadership Development: BGWA continued the momentum of the Barossa’s Next Crop leadership program for young grape growers, through: • Next Crop graduates taking leadership roles within family businesses and on local committees. • Eight ‘mentorees’ with mentor Peter Fuller started the inaugural and Australian-first, “Barossa Mentoring Circle” for young grape growers and viticulturists. • BGWA’s annual networking dinner for “Young People in Barossa Viticulture” was strongly attended.
Grower consultation: James March and Nicki Robins continued to hold one-on-one meetings with Barossa growers, to ascertain grower issues and highlight BGWA strategy and activities.
Finally a big thanks to all those involved in the BGWA activities, as this team effort is what makes our region great. James Rosenzweig, Chairman Grape Barossa Grape Barossa Committee 2014/15 Alistair Dinnison Tim McCarthy Ashleigh Fox (BGWA) Michael McCarthy Daniel Habermann Anne Moroney John Hahn Trent Reilly Adrian Hoffmann Nicki Robins (BGWA) Brendyn Hueppauff Trina Thompson James March (BGWA)
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 9
Wine Barossa Report To set the scene in 2014 – 2015, despite constrained budgets as a result of the fourth consecutive lower than average harvest, the Barossa still represented 3% of Australian wine exports by volume and, more importantly, 7.4% by value (source: Wine Australia).
Source: Wine Australia Wine Export Approval System 2014 – 15 The BGWA 2014/15 Operational Plan continued marketing the Barossa wine region and its wine, with the goal of increasing the market value of wine made from Barossa grown grapes through more effective marketing in the region’s top five export destinations; China, USA, UK, Canada and Hong Kong, with a particular emphasis on China and Hong Kong through the Barossa Wine School program. As shown in the table above, China is the largest market by value and volume for Barossa wine and has the third highest value/9 litre equivalent at $128.79, after Hong Kong and Singapore, fully justifying the BGWA marketing focus on these key Asian markets. Importantly this value has increased by over 16% since 2012 when the China value/9 litre equivalent was $110.34, even with the introduction of austerity measures in China. Key highlights of the Wine Barossa program are: • Barossa Wine School, which is now in its third year of operation and is building momentum and outcomes for the Barossa and the individual wineries who choose to be actively involved in the program (full overview on Page 20). • Barossa Wine Chapters Auction; the exciting evolution of the traditional Barossa wine auction to the dynamic Barossa Wine Chapters Auction (BWCA) (full overview on Page 22). • Barossa China Ready Program which has developed a Barossa/Chinese network and valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges in doing business between the Barossa and China. • An active in-bound and in-market visitation program.
Please see more details on the Operational Plan and outcomes on Pages 13-15. Finally, a huge thank you to everybody involved in the development and delivery of the 2014/15 Operational Plan, which continues to ensure the Barossa remains Australia’s best-known wine region and internationally recognised as one of the world’s finest wine producing regions. Matthew McCulloch, Chairman Wine Barossa Wine Barossa Committee 2014/15 Bernard Hickin Linda Parbs Kevin Miller Howard Duncan Sam Holmes Helen McCarthy Richard Sheedy James March (BGWA) Ben Chipman Annabel Mugford (BGWA) Geoff Schrapel
10 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
BGWA Activities The BGWA continues to innovate and lead by being involved in activities, events and projects that align with the four pillar strategy of Our Own Backyard, Our Bright Future, Our Promise Kept and Our Collective Voice.
Our Own Backyard Capability Development
Support the business and marketing capabilities of the Barossa grape and wine community through the co-ordination and delivery of targeted workshops. Progress 2014/15 • Governance Essentials workshop held 20 November with 21 attendees. • Expressions of interested sought for Chinese Communication styles workshop. Not run due to lack of interest. • Barossa – China Wine Forum held 27 April attended by 60 people (see page 14). • Wine Affiliate survey conducted to better understand member’s interest in: Barossa Wine School, target sales markets, domestic activities. This information will now be used as the database for opportunities in these areas. • Meeting held with Natasha Rastegar (Wine Intelligence) on how to build a better understanding amongst BGWA membership as to the value of consumer insights and the relevance to their business. • Industry Capability Development proposal developed “Creating Consumer Value through a whole-of-chain approach” and discussions being held with SAWIA and DSD about possible funding support.
Grower Advocacy, Capacity Building, and Leadership Development The BGWA continued the momentum of the Barossa’s Next Crop leadership program for young grape growers, through: • Next Crop graduates taking leadership roles within family businesses and on local committees Grape Barossa, Barossa VitiTech Group, Ag Bureaus, and BGWA project working groups. • Engaging eight ‘mentorees’ with mentor Peter Fuller in the inaugural Wine Australia-funded “Barossa Mentoring Circle” for young grape growers and viticulturists – the first of its kind in Australia. • Strong attendance at the BGWA’s annual networking dinner in July 2014 for “Young People in Barossa Viticulture”, where participants in the Barossa Mentoring Circle talked about their experience in the program, and how it has influenced their business and personal goals.
Barossa Mentoring Circle for young grape growers and viticulturists – the first of its kind in Australia
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 11
65 people attended the workshop, featuring SARDI senior viticultural scientist Dr Michael McCarthy; local growers Daniel Habermann and Dan Falkenberg; agronomist Adam Pietsch; and representatives of BGWA, RDA and Natural Resources, Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges.
Premium, Profitable, Sustainable Barossa Growers
BGWA Grower Breakfasts
In 2014/15, the BGWA received $32,000 funding from Wine Australia to run the ‘demonstration vineyards project’, which runs under the “Creating Resilient Landscapes in the Barossa” initiative.
In July 2014, 55 people attended an information session focusing on grafting and re-planting vineyards. Guest speakers included viticulturist Tony Hoare, and Adelaide University virus specialist Nuredin Habili.
Nicki Robins, in partnership with Barossa growers, winemakers and the Barossa VitiTech Group, established three trial sites at Vine Vale, Light Pass and Ebenezer.
In February 2015, 35 Barossa growers, viticulturists and winemakers attended the demonstration vineyard trial site at Light Pass.
Each demonstration vineyard has a ‘best practice’ Trial, next to the grower’s current practice Control. The aim is to show how improving soil health and other best practice viticulture can help growers produce more consistent yields and potentially improve wine grape quality; prepare for a changing climate/ increase resilience, reduce inputs such as water, fertiliser, diesel and chemicals - and improve profitability.
This field visit showed significant water savings, improving soil health, and fruit quality/grade improvements as a result of mulch addition, catch wires, and canopy health assessment for irrigation versus a calendar schedule.
The trial sites have extended to Krondorf, Gomersal and Eden Valley in 2015/16.
BGWA Water Management Workshop
On 8 October 2014, the BGWA held a workshop focused on water budgeting, irrigation scheduling and soil moisture monitoring tools, to help Barossa growers utilize increasingly limited water resources more efficiently and cost-effectively – and improve fruit quality.
The BGWA received strong feedback on the relevance and timeliness of the workshop, and the availability of Natural Resources to clarify water allocation planning issues. 20 growers were surveyed by phone in June 2015 to ascertain take-up of soil moisture monitoring tools and preparation for the changing climate.
Creating Resilient Landscapes in the Barossa A “Creating Resilient Landscapes in the Barossa” vineyard tour/workshop in October 2014 showcased grower case studies and presentations by the Barossa Bushgardens and Natural Resources, Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges. In June 2015, the BGWA received $33,000 from NRM to run a BGWA/NRM project “restoration of native vegetation from Kaiserstuhl to the North Para River”. The pilot is currently engaging landholders in the Bethany, Rowland Flat and Krondorf areas, to establish corridors of vegetation along the creeks to the North Para, and therefore improve biodiversity and the health of the river.
12 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
Phylloxera Outbreak Simulation/Plan
Salinity Research in Eden Valley & Koonunga
1. adopt a regional position that will become part of a Barossa Phylloxera Outbreak Management Plan should such a scenario occur, and
Barossa Cellar Circle
BGWA in partnership with the Phylloxera Board of SA, Biosecurity SA and the BVTG, held a phylloxera outbreak simulation exercise with key decision-makers/participants in the Barossa wine industry, in order to:
2. raise awareness of the need for improved farmgate hygiene protocols in Barossa vineyards to help prevent an outbreak of phylloxera in the region. 60 people attended the simulation, and the BGWA will deliver a Barossa Phylloxera Outbreak Management Plan when two imminent technologies are confirmed, i.e.: - growers’ individual sampling method to DNA-test whether phylloxera is present in their vineyard. - ‘geo-fencing’ (alerts on mobile devices when entering Phylloxera Restricted/ Exclusion Zones).
The Eden Valley Wine Grape Growers’ ‘salinity project’ moved into its second year, with many trial sites set up. PIRSA soil scientist David Woodard ran a series of grower field days on results gained from this project – and a similar project being run by the Koonunga Ag Bureau. The fifth annual Cellar Circle Awards were held in Nov 2014, with Barossa Cellar Door of the year awarded to Whistler Wines. On 30 June 2015 management of the Cellar Circle committee was transferred to Tourism Barossa Inc.
Grant Applications •
BGWA successful application for $33,000 AMLR NRM Board funding for “Restoration of native vegetation from Kaiserstuhl to the North Para” project (2015 - 2017).
•
BGWA successful application for $6,000 AMLR NRM Board funding for “Environmental champions of the Barossa Grounds” video project (2015/16).
The BGWA ,in partnership with SA plant pathologist Peter Magarey and Western Electronic Design, continued the “GrowCare Barossa” disease and pest information service.
•
BGWA successful application for $34,000 AGWA Regional Program funding for BGWA demonstration vineyards project continuation in 2015/16.
Five GrowCare ‘alerts’ were emailed to Barossa growers from 18 September 2014 to 8 January 2015 on the best vineyard management options for prevention against pests and diseases downy mildew, powdery mildew and botrytis – as well as advice on reducing the risk of frost.
•
BGWA successful application for $10,000 PIRSA funding to continue the Barossa Grounds project.
“GrowCare Barossa” Cropwatch
Barossa Pruning Expo
Over 140 people attended the 2015 Barossa Pruning Expo. The event, organised by BGWA and the Barossa VitiTech Group, focussed on management and remedial pruning of Eutypaaffected vineyards. The workshops featured Australia’s leading Eutypa scientist Dr Mark Sosnowski on the findings of his latest research as well as local grower case studies on tackling Eutypa. The pruning competition attracted entrants from Barossa, Clare Valley, and Great Western in Victoria.
140 attendees at the 2015 Barossa Pruning Expo
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 13
Our Bright Future Barossa Wine School – China – Year 2
BGWA currently partners with Ease Scent Wines to deliver the Barossa Wine School in mainland China in Mandarin. The primary objective is to support the education providers in delivering a quality educational program to mainland China consumers, and wine trade, media and educators. The secondary objective is to create Barossa ambassadors in mainland China who can be activated in the future. Progress 2014/15 • Productive meetings held with both Ease Scent Wines (China) with agreement for continuation of BWS for 2015. • BWS Level 1 video-streamed to 27 Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities around China and 500+ students participating. • Barossa Dirt WeChat established as a tool to connect with BWS China Alumni. • Productive meeting held with Wine Australia regarding partnering on delivery of BWS in China with A+ Educators. • Delivered overview of Barossa Wine School to seven A+ Educators in Beijing and five A+ Educators in Shanghai. • BWS Level 2 topics updated. • Five A+ Australian Wine Educators visited Barossa in March to undertake BWS training. All successfully passed the BWS Level 1 Educator exam. Discussions to be held now with the educators regarding conduction BWS Level 1 sessions. • Several discussions held with Wine Australia about how to work with A+ Australian Wine School in China. These discussions are informing the plan for BWS in 2015/16. • Anson Mui, BWS Master, hosted nine other Chinese guests in the Barossa for the Barossa Vintage Festival and the Barossa Wine Chapters Auction and were successful bidders in the auction. This is an example of activation of the BWS alumni.
Barossa Wine School – Hong Kong – Year 2/3 Barossa Wine School BGWA currently partners with AWSEC to deliver the BWS in Hong Kong in English and Cantonese. The primary objective is to support the education providers in delivering a quality educational program to Hong Kong consumers, and wine trade, media and educators. The secondary objective is to create Barossa ambassadors in Hong Kong who can be activated in the future. Progress 2014/15 • BWS Level 3 visit conducted successfully in September hosting 14 students. • BWS Scholarship winner, Alice Ho, published six articles about the Barossa in the HK Economic Times. • BWS Level 3 exam conducted in Hong Kong on 26 October with 10 people sitting the exam and nine people passing. • BWS Level 3 exam conducted Hong Kong on 13 December with six people sitting the exam and all passing. • Productive meetings held with AWSEC with new agreement for BWS delivery in 2015. • Barossa Dirt Facebook is the key tool for connection with Alumni. • BWS sessions being held in Hong Kong. 54 students have successfully completed Level 1 and 18 students have successfully completed Level 2. • Planning commencing for BWS Level 3 visit in September.
Ensure that the BWS is delivered to world’s best practice standards via regular review of delivery processes and methods in partnership with education providers and monitoring of feedback from students looking for improvement and innovations. Progress 2014/15 • Review conducted – report written with recommendations made that informed the negotiations with Ease Scent Wines and AWSEC. • Action plan developed from review and being delivered. • Negotiations commenced with TAFE SA to potentially run the Barossa Wine School in South Australia.
14 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
Barossa China Ready Program
This program is being delivered with support through PIRSA’s China AgriBusiness Initiative. It has two aims: 1. Develop a framework to initiate a network of Barossa winemakers, experienced China market practitioners and existing and potential Chinese investors with commercial interests in the Barossa. 2. Build China market capability and capacity within BGWA and its membership. Progress 2014/15 • Consultant contracted and commenced 2 February. • Database initiated. • Meeting with PIRSA on 11 February to finalise detail of network and forum. • Barossa – China Wine Forum held on 27 April with 60 people attending from across wineries, Chinese investors and relevant support associations. Post-forum survey sent to participants. • “Introduction to Barossa Wine School” successfully held in collaboration with the Australian Chinese Youth Association, University of Adelaide Wine Club and Gill Gordon-Smith (TAFE and WSET lecturer). 50 university undergraduate and postgraduate students participated, with positive feedback. • Consultant report delivered to BGWA on 9 June, 2015. To be reviewed internally prior to sending onto PIRSA.
Domestic Consumer and Trade Engagement
Establishing the position that Barossa wine has a “seat at all tables” around Australia, through targeted activities and consistent branding and messaging. 1. Activate domestic trade/consumer engagement activities: • Direct involvement: Restaurant Australia, Barossa Rare & Distinguished Wine Auction (April 2015). • Co-ordination (user pays): Aussie Wine Month Regional Tasting (May 2015). • Indirect involvement (branding support): Good Food and Wine Shows, SoMeT#14, Adelaide Cellar Door Festival, Adelaide Food and Wine Festival. 2. Further develop the www.barossa.com consumer database and engage with consumers with offerings from BGWA/Tourism Barossa and Barossa Food. 3. Roll out Barossa Brand Toolkit. Progress 2014/15 • 20 wineries listed on Restaurant Australia website. •
Hosted five media as part of a Qantas famil in July.
•
#SoMeTAu14 delivered and hailed as a successful forum with good coverage and positive sentiment for the Barossa as a region.
•
Branding support supplied for the Good Food and Wine Show Perth and Brisbane.
•
As of 30/6, 619 people subscribed to the Barossa online community e-newsletter.
•
Email blast sent out to database regarding the Barossa Gourmet Weekend.
•
Email blast sent out to database regarding the Barossa Vintage Festival.
•
Email blast sent out to database regarding the Barossa Wine Chapters Auction.
•
BGWA Member Toolkit launched at BGWA AGM in September. Currently 39 businesses have accessed.
•
Barossa Wine Chapters Auction; 60 wineries contributing 277 lots. (Aim was for 50 wineries contributing 200 lots). Lunch ticket sales 409. Auction successfully delivered to high acclaim. 100% clearance rate for live auction and 80% clearance rate for online auction. Langton’s say this is above average clearance rates. Currently working on financial outcomes.
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 15
North America – Second Life
Support Barossa producers attending the Vancouver International Wine Festival in February 2015 through: • Regional branding, Barossa Wine Chapters Auction catalogue promotion, Barossa Old Vine Heritage Tasting for consumers, trade visits, media engagement and hospitality. Progress 2014/15 Barossa Regional Branding and SA State Branding used. • Old Vine Charter tasting negotiated and confirmed. Successfully delivered to 120 paying media, trade and consumers. •
Media engagement and profile with Anthony Gismondi, The Vancouver Sun - news articles and radio interviews.
•
Epicurean Way (collaborative activity with McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Clare Valley) installation and tasting at consumer and trade tastings.
Market Monitoring
Monitor opportunities in other markets through hosting/coordinating inbound groups and leveraging planned travel to visit other markets. Progress 2014/15 • Hosted Wine Australia UK/Europe group of 11 people in October for two days, collaborating with a total of 11 wine producers. •
Hosted Wine Australia Global group visit of six people in October as a joint activity with Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale for one day in October.
•
Hosted Off Licence News organised visit from the UK of nine people in February 2015.
•
Attended ProWein. Conducted six media tastings using the Peter Lehmann Private Cellar wines and the Barossa Wine Chapters Auction Catalogue as the focus.
16 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
2014 Barossa Wine Show
The 2014 Barossa Wine Show was held from 14 to 18 September and received 593 entries from 108 exhibitors. The presentation dinner was held at Wolf Blass Visitor Centre on Thursday 18 September attracting 416 guests. This was a great evening for the Barossa, showcasing the exhibitors, sponsors and community support.
Medal Tally 58 Gold 91 Silver 196 Bronze In June 2014 the Barossa Wine Show hosted a wine assessment course in conjunction with the AWRI. From 12 participants six were selected based on their performance and participation to go through to Associate Judging positions within the show. Jennie Mack from ASWEC was welcomed as the guest International Judge who made an outstanding contribution with her global perspective. Retiring Chairman of Judges, Nick Stock announced that Matt Harrop will be the new Barossa Wine Show Chairman of Judges for the next three years. The best wines of show were: • Most Outstanding Barossa White Table Wine, Premium Classes Peter Lehmann Wines 2014 Wigan Eden Valley Riesling • Most Outstanding Barossa Red Table Wine, Premium Classes Dandelion Vineyards 2012 Red Queen of the Eden Valley Shiraz • Most Outstanding Barossa Table Wine, Premium Classes Dandelion Vineyards 2012 Red Queen of the Eden Valley Shiraz • Most Successful Exhibitor – Small Producer: Loom Wine • Most Successful Exhibitor – Medium Producer: Turkey Flat Vineyards • Most Successful Exhibitor – Large Producer: Saltram Wine Estate
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 17
Our Promise Kept Barossa Trust Mark Marketing Advisory Group (BTMMAG) Progress 2014/15 • The BTMMAG met five times, with Chantal MacClelland appointed as Chair and Jan Angas as Deputy Chair. • BTM Licensee launch held in September at the Jam Factory in Adelaide and presented with the BTM statuettes. • Information uploaded to barossa.com and digital media channels. • A branding workshop was held in December for 12 BTM licensees. • A funding request for consumer research and test marketing was developed in consultation with Uni SA’s Ehrenberg-Bass Institute and submitted to PIRSA in September. • Current focus is promoting the Barossa Trust Mark and licensees through the Cellar Door Festival, Off Licence News visit from the UK and inclusion in the Barossa Wine Chapters Auction catalogue. • Successful grant application from the BTM to PIRSA for $40K to be spent on marketing initiatives. • Communications kit completed for licensees. • Review forum of Board and BTMMAG on 5 May to actively plan for next stage of development and awareness building. • Second round intake of applicants opened for commencement 1 July 2015. 2014 Licencees (Wine) • Elderton Wines – Command Shiraz • Gibson Wines – Australian Old Vine Collection Barossa Shiraz • Glen Eldon Wines – Dry Bore Shiraz • Henschke – Hill of Grace Shiraz • Jacob’s Creek – Centenary Hill Shiraz • Jacob’s Creek – Steingarten Riesling • Langmeil Winery – Valley Floor Shiraz • Peter Lehmann Wines – Margaret Semillon • Rockford Wines – Basket Press Shiraz • Schild Estate – Moorooroo Limited Release Shiraz • Seppeltsfield Wines – Para 100 Year Old Vintage Tawny • St Hallett Wines – Old Block Shiraz 2015 Licencees (Wine) • Poonawatta Estate – the 1880 Shiraz • Torbreck – RunRig Shiraz • Bethany Wines – GR Shiraz • Cirillo Estate Wines – 1850 Ancestor Vine Grenache • Chateau Tanunda – the Chateau 100 Year Old Vines Shiraz • Turkey Flat – Turkey Flat Shiraz
18 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
Our Collective Voice Marketing and Communications Strategy and Plan
Deliver a Marketing and Communications Plan that encompasses both traditional and digital media strategies, including actively growing Barossa Dirt as the primary voice for the Barossa Grape and Wine community. Progress 2014/15 Website MOU signed by BGWA, Tourism Barossa (TBI) and Barossa Food (BF). • Responsive website quote received and presented to TBI and BF boards. Brief for scoping presented to BGWA, TBI and BF management. Sent out to identified possible project managers and project manager appointed by end of June. • BGWA Digital Strategy drafted. • 34 images supplied for articles YTD. • Tasting organized for Sophie Otton for article in Le Pan, Hong Kong. • “Day in the Barossa” organised with Anthony Madigan, Free Run Press for WBM article. • AGM conducted. • Barossa Wine Show delivered. • Generations Lunch working group met six times and delivered the lunch in December. The lunch was sold out with 300 attendees and was cost neutral. • Barossa Touring Map updated and republished. 110,000 copies printed. • BGWA e-updates delivered fortnightly.
WEBSITES
Increase in website visitors from previous year
barossa.com
12.72%
barossadirt.com
201.75%
/barossadirt 55% increase in
followers over 12 months
@barossadirt barossavintages.com #BarossaWS14
30.04%
IMAGE GALLERIES
150% increase in image views
over 12 months on Flickr
75% increase in followers over 12 months on Pinterest
VIDEO viewers from 46 countries tuned into Barossa Dirt Vimeo
260,979 accounts reached 2,315,781 impressions
@barossadirt 195% increase in
followers over 12 months
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 19
Key Relationship Management
Represent BGWA at committees, forums and events. Progress 2014/15 • Annabel Mugford represented BGWA on the #SoMeTAu14 Working Group. •
Annabel Mugford appointed to RDA Barossa Committee.
•
James March and Annabel Mugford attended the WFA Outlook Conference.
•
James March and Annabel Mugford attended the RDA Barossa Cluster Workshop.
•
James March and Annemaree Clementson attended the PIRSA Regional Marketing Workshop.
•
James March, Annabel Mugford and Nicki Robins attended the AGWA Strategic Planning Workshops.
•
Nicki Robins attended the Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board of SA Regional Partners workshop.
•
Annabel Mugford represented BGWA on the Barossa Vintage Festival Committee.
•
Annabel Mugford attended the Wine Australia Regional Roadshow.
•
James March represented Barossa on the SAWIA Executive Committee
•
James March State representative WFA Small Winemakers Membership Committee.
•
Nicki Robins attended the AGWA Regional Program Partners Workshop.
20 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
Barossa Wine School The Barossa Wine School (BWS) is a certificate program that was developed in 2012 by the Barossa Grape & Wine Association (BGWA). Currently it is delivered in partnership with the Asia Wine Service and Education Centre (AWSEC) in Hong Kong and EaseScent Wines in mainland China. Background
The world wine market place is cluttered with promotional activities that do not leave ongoing legacies. Wine education is the next frontier in “promotions”; investing in trade, media and consumers’ own personal knowledge of wine, creating ongoing ambassadors who are proud of their knowledge, and use this to seek out particular wines. An education program also develops a network of engaged trade, media and consumers who can be activated in the future, thereby breaking through the promotional clutter. The Barossa Wine School is a certificate program that was developed in 2012 by the Barossa Grape & Wine Association to maximize this opportunity. It is a regional wine education program with comprehensive curriculum and materials developed to support Education Providers in delivering Barossa specific wine education in key markets around the world. There are three BWS levels, with the intention being that once someone has become a Barossa Master, they will then be equipped to deliver Level 1, creating ongoing amplification.
Level 1 – Barossa Enthusiast; an introduction to the Barossa and Barossa Wines (Two hours). Level 2 – Barossa Specialist; A comprehensive review of Barossa Wines (Eight hours). Level 3 – Barossa Master; An intensive study tour and immersion in the Barossa (six days).
Progress to Date Level 1 Delivery • In 2012 and 2013 the first editions of BWS Level 1 curriculum and materials were developed and education partnerships were created in Hong Kong (AWSEC) and China (EaseScent Wines) allowing for delivery of BWS Level 1 in both Hong Kong and China. Outcomes to 31 October 2015: • Hong Kong – 237 students have successfully completed Level 1. • China – 947 students have successfully completed Level 1.
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 21
Level 1 delivered via live video streaming, to 500+ people in 27 cities around China. Level 2 Delivery • Following intensive in-region training of Hong Kong based educators, Level 2 curriculum and materials were developed and have been delivered in Hong Kong through AWSEC since 2013. BGWA has recently updated these materials and is currently translating Level 2 curriculum and materials in to Mandarin and have certified an EaseScent Wines educator (Ofilos Wu) to deliver Level 2 in China. Outcomes to 31 October 2015. • Hong Kong – 87 students have successfully completed Level 2. Level 3 Delivery BWS Level 3 has been delivered in the Barossa three times; in September 2013, 2014 and 2015 to align with the Barossa Wine Show, to a total of 40 students, all recruited through the AWSEC program in Hong Kong.
Over three years, 40 BWS students have visited Barossa to complete Level 3: Barossa Master
Commercial Outcomes
Commercial outcomes from BWS are many and varied: • Wines being used in the wine schools as part of the tasting programs. • Winemakers presenting to wine school classes and creating relationships with attending trade, media and consumers. • Wines recommended and purchased after being tasted in the wine school classes. • Published media articles, in both traditional and social media, on the wines, wineries and Barossa. • New distribution relationships and channels established. • Visitation by BWS participants to the Barossa and South Australia. In addition, the Barossa Wine School alumni are in regular contact with BGWA via Barossa Dirt Facebook, Instagram and
WeChat, and are a lively and dynamic group who celebrate their knowledge and access to Barossa wines in their own unique ways. BGWA leverages these relationships when travelling in market and also when looking for market insights. All Barossa wineries are encouraged to do this also. The following quote from a recent Barossa Wine School graduate, gives a glimpse into the impact that the Barossa Wine School program can have. “The Barossa Wine School has given me a different perspective on how people can work together for a better tomorrow”. Patrick Wong, BWS Master 2015
Inaugural Barossa Wine School Scholarship awarded to Alice Ho, Food & Wine Editor, Hong Kong Economic Times.
22 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
Barossa Wine Chapters Auction
The 2015 Barossa Wine Chapters Auction, which offered some of Australia’s oldest and rarest wines, saw spirited bidding resulting in many records being broken. Supported by Langton’s, the auction opened online for bidding in early April and culminated in the live auction and lunch on Friday 17 April in the Barossa. At the live auction and lunch with Andrew Caillard, MW, spurring the bidding along as auctioneer, 410 attendees bidded on large format wine, rare experiences and exclusive back vintage releases all directly from the Barossa winemaker and vignerons cellars. Caillard, a veteran of over 20 years of international auction, declared:
“ I have rarely – if ever – seen such ferocious and determined bidding from the floor”. At a time when all of the world’s international wine regions are trying to establish and then further their fine wine credentials, this was a first for an Australian wine region, and one that clearly sets a high bar for others to follow.
Strong buyer interest and highly competitive bidding led to high clearance rates of 100% in the room and 80% clearance online, and a string of buoyant auction prices largely achieving over the top end of catalogue estimates. Barossa’s strong representation on Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine and overall currency say much about how Barossa’s wines are perceived by the fine wine market. BGWA chief executive, James March commented: “The entire Barossa grape and wine community should be wholly encouraged by the fantastic results that were achieved on the day. The atmosphere was electric as the spirited bidding received rounds of spontaneous applause as the hammer fell on each lot. You couldn’t help but feel there was a real sense of confidence in the pedigree of the lots being presented and this flowed through to the prices achieved, which exceeded everyone’s expectations. These results will not only further our support of the Barossa Vintage Festival, but with a percentage of proceeds being directed towards nominated charities, the region’s spirit of generosity has left a strong foundation to build on. I felt incredibly proud and privileged to have been a part of another winning chapter in the Barossa story,” he concluded.
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 23
Top prices in the live auction – including buyer’s premium •
•
•
2009 HENSCHKE Hill of Grace Shiraz, Eden Valley, Imperial – $12,815 (equates to $1,601 per 750mls. Last auction price December 2014 – $536 per 750mls). JACOB’S CREEK Steingarten Riesling 6 Bottle Mixed Set, Eden Valley – $1048 (equates $175 per bottle, average auction bottle price – $33). 1962 PENFOLDS Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet-Kalimna Shiraz – $7,689. A record result for this wine at Langton’s auction (last auction price December 2014 – $4,660).
•
2009 PENFOLDS Bin 95 Grange Shiraz, South Australia, imperial – $53,590 (equates to $6,698 per 750mls, average auction price for 750mls – $582).
•
PETER LEHMANN PERSONAL CELLAR 12 Bottle Mixed Set, Barossa Valley – $7,689 ($641 per bottle).
•
ROCKFORD Basket Press Shiraz 6 Magnum Set, Barossa Valley – $6,058 (equates to $1,009 per magnum, average auction price for magnum -$300).
•
SEPPELTSFIELD 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny WWI Anthology Aged Tawny Port, Barossa – $6,058, a record price. Last price, 2014 – $5,126.
•
2006 TORBRECK The Laird Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Double magnum – $6058 (equates to $757 per 750mls. Last auction price August 2014 -$583 per 750mls).
•
1998 WOLF BLASS WINES Black Label, South Australia, magnum -$1,281 (last auction price for 750ml – $118).
Top 5 Prices Online – including buyer’s premium •
2010 HENTLEY FARM Clos Otto Shiraz, Barossa Valley, double magnum – $1,488, more than double top catalogue estimate.
410 guests attended the live auction on April 17. •
1967 PENFOLDS Bin 7 Cabernet Shiraz, Coonawarra / Kalimna – $2,144, a record price for Langton’s auctions. Last price -$1,607, December, 2014.
•
PETER LEHMANN Stonewell Shiraz 10 Bottle Vertical 2001-2010, Barossa -$1,282, equates to $128 per bottle. Average bottle price across vintages approximately - $88.
•
ROCKFORD Framed first edition Rockford poster autographed by Robert O’Callaghan, Barossa Valley – $940. Top catalogue estimate -$250.
•
1998 TURKEY FLAT Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley, magnum -$270; 750mls price at auction -$58.
100% clearance rate on live auction lots.
24 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
Barossa Grounds Project The Barossa Grounds Project was initiated in 2008 to study, record and communicate the diverse range of climatic, soil and topographic influences that make Barossa Shiraz so complex and unique. Interpreting the Barossa Grounds report
The BGWA received $10,000 funding from PIRSA to progress this ground-breaking project, which sets out to record the knowledge about Barossa ‘terroir’ that has existed in growers’ and winemakers ‘heads’ for Barossa’s 170 years of grapegrowing and winemaking history. The first step was to produce a ‘consumer-focussed interpretation’ (brochure) of the technical Barossa Grounds report produced by PIRSA’s GIS team and the Barossa VitiTech Group in 2013/14. The BGWA organized workshops with Barossa winemakers and viticulturists in June 2015, facilitated by wine educator and author Patrick Iland, to confirm area names and associated descriptors. The BGWA has also produced hard copy maps with soil, temperature, rainfall and topographic influences on the taste of Barossa Shiraz. The next stage will be to create maps with transparent layers, banners, electronic maps utilising pdf layers – and possibly 3D models of the Barossa Grounds.
Barossa Grounds sensory analysis
Patrick Iland’s summary of Adelaide University’s statistics of the sensory analysis of the Barossa Grounds tastings of 80 single vineyard Shiraz wines in 2009, 2010 and 2011 have concluded: “The statistics showed that the wines from the Barossa Valley are different to those of Eden Valley. Trends indicated that the Southern Barossa Valley (Lyndoch and Williamstown) were consistently placed in different clusters than wines from the Northern Barossa Valley. Winemaker experience suggests that the (northern) Western Ridge wines (around Greenock and Seppeltsfield) have greater intensity than wines from other sub-regions, and that the wines from along the Eastern Edge (Eastern Foothills) also have distinguishing characters.”
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 25
International interest in the Barossa Grounds Project
The Barossa Grounds Project continues to attract the attention of international and local media, trade and educators: • In June 2015, Wolf Blass’ “Estates of the Barossa” (wines from St Johns Ebenezer Road, Dorrien, Moculta and Lyndoch) were presented at an international symposium in Germany which hosted 150 participants including sommeliers, trade and winemakers, and featured wines expressing terroir differences from Portugal, Italy, Austria, South Africa and Australia. • Andrew Jefford, MW, published a story on the Barossa Grounds Project in the January 2015 issue of Decanter magazine, where he said the BGWA/PIRSA Barossa Grounds report was: “compellingly interesting, and a more coherent and systematic account of terroir than any I have ever seen emanate from Burgundy, from Bordeaux or from any other European fine-wine region”. • Dr Thomas Girgensohn’s book “Barossa Shiraz” won the Best Wine Book Award (World) and the Best New World Wine Book Award (World) in the 2015 Gourmand Awards. • 38 people took part in the Barossa Grounds Tour, which was a key event in the Barossa Vintage Festival program, with around 25% from overseas (China and the UK), 30% from interstate, and 45% local and Adelaide.
Adelaide University research incorporating the Barossa Grounds
In 2014/15, Adelaide University researcher Dr Cassandra Collins received funding to explore how grapevine genomics and metabolomics underpin wine quality and terroir. Dr Collins has engaged 25 vineyard owners involved in the Barossa Grounds Project to take part in this study.
The Barossa Grounds Project continues to attract the attention of international and local media, trade and educators.
26 | BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015
BGWA Activities Media Famil. with QANTAS & TBI
Barossa Mentoring Circle GrowCare Barossa Project
Young People in Barossa Viticulture Dinner
Barossa Trust Mark Launch
Barossa Grounds Workshop
Hosted Trade Visit GrowCare Barossa
Barossa Wine Show July 2014
#SoMeT Conference
Grower Breakfast
Aug
GrowCare Barossa Project Barossa Grounds Tasting
Sep
Taste of Spring EV Riesling BGWA AGM Barossa Grounds Tasting Barossa Wine School Level 3 Barossa Visit
Oct Hosted Trade Visit Asia BWS Exam & Graduation
Governance Workshop Creating Resilient Landscapes Workshop
Barossa Generations Lunch
Nov
Dec GrowCare Barossa
Phylloxera Outbreak Workshop Barossa Cellar Circle Water Awards Management Workshop
BGWA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/2015| 27
Joint Submission with RDA Barossa to Senate Inq. into Aust. Wine Industry
Barossa Submission to AGWA’s 5 Year Strategic Plan
Declaration of Vintage
Introduction to the Barossa Int’l University Student Visit
Grant Applications
Jan 2015
Barossa China Ready Forum
Feb
Barossa Wine School Educator Visit
BGWA Operational Plan Vancouver Int. Wine Fest Barossa Old Vine Heritage Seminar
ProWein Trade & Media Engagement Grower
Breakfast
Apr
Mar
Barossa Wine Chapters Auction Barossa Grounds Tour Community Happiness Workshop
SA Club London Annual Dinner Barossa Focus
May
Jun Barossa Pruning Expo
Ebenezer Salinity Project Workshop
Barossa Grape & Wine Association 1 John Street Tanunda, South Australia, 5352
Tel: 08 8563 0650 E: bgwa@barossa.com W: barossa.com/barossa-grape-and-wine-association/about-bgwa W: barossadirt.com W: barossavintages.com
The Barossa Grape & Wine Association would like to acknowledge our valued partners for their long term support and commitment to the region.
This information has been made available to assist on the understanding the Barossa Grape & Wine Association (BGWA) is not rendering professional advice. The information is not legally binding and is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice. The information is based on the BGWAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding regarding the requirements of the market at the time. The BGWA does not accept responsibility for the results of any actions taken on the basis of this information, nor for the accuracy or completeness of any material contained in it. The BGWA expressly disclaim all and any liability and responsibility to any person in respect of the consequences of anything done in respect of reliance, whether wholly or in part, upon this information. Š Barossa Grape & Wine Association, November 2015.