National Liquor News July 2018

AUSTRALIA’S LEADING LIQUOR INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

vol. 37 no. 6 - JULY 2018

A new era for Pepper Tree Wines.

The best of four worlds.

GET READY TO BE

spooked THIS ALIA!

CO-HOSTED BY

NETWORKING BARS BY

AWARDS SPONSORS BACARDI-MARTINI AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED

CAMPARI

APEROL SPRITZ LOGO IN POSITIVO CON RAGGI

HALLOWEEN CO-HOSTED BY

WEDNESDAY 31 OCTOBER 2018 RANDWICK RACECOURSE PRE-DRINKS FROM: 6.00PM DRESS: Halloween or Cocktail COST: $270 per seat (ex GST) or $2700 per table (ex GST) BOOK ONLINE TODAY: www.liquorawards.com.au or bookings@liquorawards.com.au

EDITOR’S NOTE

Editor’s Note

W

elcome to the July issue of National Liquor News.

Can you believe it is already the end of the financial year? I know I can’t! I hope that you have all enjoyed great success in your businesses for the first half of 2018 and continue to do so for the remainder of the year.

In this issue we head to South Australia and take a look at the beautiful wine regions of the Barossa Valley and Coonawarra and we learn that these areas have so much more to offer than just Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

As you will have noticed, this year we’ve had a greater focus on occasion based retailing, so in this issue we continue with that theme as we look at retailing trends around Father’s Day. We’ve also put together a selection of hot products to stock for Dad this year.

This month I asked our shopper insights guru Norrelle Goldring to take a look at online liquor retailing and she discusses the role and case for playing in this space regardless of your business’ size.

We’ve been listening to your feedback and have heard that you have a thirst to see more new releases in the magazine, so in this issue (and from now on) you’ll see a greater focus on new release beers and wines hitting the market. We’ve also revamped the way we present our regular wine tasting pages so as to be able to include more wines and more detailed feedback from our judges. It would be great to hear your thoughts on the new look as well as any other suggestions as to what you’d like to see in the magazine.

Last month we celebrated the retirement of Terry Mott, the long-standing CEO of the Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA). As the official trade media partner of ALSA, National Liquor News has had a long history and a close working relationship with Terry during his 11 year tenure at ALSA. During this time he has been a valued contributor to the magazine as well as becoming a great friend. We’d like to thank him for all of his support over the years and wish him all the

pwootton@intermedia.com.au

EDITOR: Deborah Jackson

djackson@intermedia.com.au

GENERAL MANAGER SALES – LIQUOR & HOSPITALITY GROUP: Shane T. Williams stwilliams@intermedia.com.au

GROUP ART DIRECTOR – LIQUOR AND HOSPITALITY: Kea Thorburn

kthorburn@intermedia.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHER: Simon Taylor HEAD OF CIRCULATION: Chris Blacklock cblacklock@intermedia.com.au

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au

IN THIS ISSUE WE HEAD TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL WINE REGIONS OF THE BAROSSA VALLEY AND COONAWARRA. very best for the future. We’d also like to take the opportunity to congratulate Julie Ryan on her appointment as the new CEO of ALSA. There have also been some management changes here at National Liquor News with Paul Wootton taking over from our long-time Publisher James Wells. We’d like to thank James for all of his guidance and support over the years and for helping to shape the magazine into what it is today.

As always, keep your feedback flowing through (djackson@intermedia.com.au).

This is your mag, so let me know what you want to hear and make it work for you.

Cheers, Deb Deborah Jackson, Editor 02 8586 6206 | djackson@intermedia.com.au

FATHER’S DAY RETAILING COONAWARRA WINE REGION THE BAROSSA VALLEY NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS IS THE OFFICIAL TRADE PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN LIQUOR STORES ASSOCIATION (ALSA).

6 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Food and Beverage Media Pty Ltd A division of The Intermedia Group 41 Bridge Road GLEBE NSW Australia 2037 Tel: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 4419

PUBLISHER: Paul Wootton

TOP READS 30 35 40

PUBLISHED BY:

SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1yr (11 issues) for $70.00 (inc GST) 2yrs (22 issues)for $112.00 (inc GST) – Saving 20% 3yrs (33 issues) for $147.00 (inc GST) – Saving 30% To subscribe and to view other overseas rates visit www.intermedia.com.au or Call: 1800 651 422 (Mon – Fri 8:30-5pm AEST) Email: subscriptions@intermedia.com.au

Average Total Distribution: 10,294 AMAA/CAB Yearly Audit Period ending 31 March 2018.

DISCLAIMER

This publication is published by Food and Beverage Media Pty Ltd (the “Publisher”). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information.

The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information. All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication.

Copyright © 2018 - Food and Beverage Media Pty Ltd

V I N TAG E RELEASE

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.

For more information, contact katnook@wingara.com.au

CONTENTS

18

36

40 29

24

Contents July Wine 20 Wine News: All the latest releases and wine news 22 Pepper Tree: A fresh new look for a Hunter Valley favourite 24 Vinexpo Hong Kong: Australia represented as Country of Honour 46 Wine Tasting Review: All the results from our red blends tasting

Retail Focus 18 Beer Promotion: Keeping up to date with what’s hot in brewing 20 New Releases: The latest release wines to hit bottle shop shelves 26 Spirits News: The latest releases, news and promotions from the spirits category

8 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

27 Brewing: All that’s new in the world of beer 28 Shopper Insights: Norrelle Goldring looks at online retailing for liquor 44 Beer Tasting: Our experts review the latest release beers

Associations

Regulars

Features

10 News: The latest liquor industry news for retailers around the country 16 IRI: The latest industry knowledge from IRI 29 Retailer Profile: Ross Wilson owner of Olinda Cellars 50 Shop Talk: Shop Talk chats with Château Tanunda and Chambers Cellars

30 Father’s Day: Retailing around occasions 36 Coonawarra: Much more than Cabernet Sauvignon 40 The Barossa: Exploring the new old world

11 ALSA: Insights from CEO Terry Mott 13 ABA: Insights from Executive Director Fergus Taylor 15 DrinkWise: Insights from CEO Simon Strahan

NEW

FINISHED in

iPA

For smooth, fresh, hoppy notes

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT YOUR PERNOD RICARD AUSTRALIA ACCOUNT MANAGER OR OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE ON 1300 363 153 Enjoy Jameson Responsibly

NEWS

ALSA APPOINTS NEW CEO

CDS COMPENSATION TO BE PAID TO BORDER BUSINESSES Retailers in New South Wales, located within 80kms of the border with Victoria, will be eligible for compensation for losses stemming from the introduction of the NSW Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) in December last year.

Business owners close to the border have reported significant drops in sales and profit losses of up to 30 per cent, which has sparked the compensation announcement from the state government. Michael Waters, Executive Director of the Liquor Stores Association NSW & ACT, said that he welcomed the news, but that he will continue fighting for retailers in other border regions who are suffering losses as a result of the CDS. “This is welcome news, and it’s about time the NSW Government took some responsibility for their actions in pushing through such a bad scheme in the first place,” Waters said.

“The overall effectiveness and success of the CDS has been severely undermined by a combination of poor execution and inadequate communication with industry and the wider public.

Issues concerning the implementation of the CDS have since resulted in significant adverse effects on businesses in the retail liquor sector which has been the source of great frustration and anxiety for the business owners themselves.

“We’ll continue working with the Office of the Small Business Commissioner (OSBC) and the Cross Border Commissioner to ensure that applicable members bordering all neighbouring states and territories can access this compensation fund.”

The NSW Business Chamber has been lobbying for compensation after businesses reported customers were deserting them to buy drinks across the border at non-CDS prices, meaning that they were also taking their associated grocery spend with them.

“Businesses were stuck with absorbing the price rises to maintain price parity, or lifting prices and losing business,” said Andrew Cottrill NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager for the Murray – Riverina Region.

“The NSW Business Chamber has been working closely with affected businesses including making a submission to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) inquiry. IPART recently visited the border to meet with business owners to hear firsthand about the impacts.

“This is a huge win for businesses across the border, as many were struggling with ongoing viability and many had cut back on staffing or hours as a result.”

Under the announced scheme, retailers within 80km of the border who can demonstrate impact on sales or profits resulting from the CDS will be compensated directly to cover these losses.

In its statement about the move, IPART said: “IPART has been asked to assess applications from NSW retailers near the Victorian border for this assistance.

“Eligible businesses must be small to medium independently owned and operated NSW retailers near the Victorian border that take a relatively significant proportion of total sales from packaged beverages (that is multi-packs of more than six containers such as cases of soft drink and beer).”

Applications are due by 31 August 2018 and for further information retailers should contact cds@ipart.nsw.gov.au.

10 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

The Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA), has announced the appointment of Julie Ryan as its new CEO, to replace Terry Mott who will retire at the end of July.

Ryan is an experienced company director with more than 15 years in global executive legal and advocacy roles. She brings with her knowledge of Australia’s drinks landscape having previously worked as the Global General Counsel and Company Secretary for Accolade Wines, and as a director of Winemakers Federation of Australia (WFA). During her seven years at Accolade Wines Ryan supported multiple Australian and international acquisitions, and was responsible for global legal risk management, government relations and brand protection.

ALSA President, Giuseppe Minissale, welcomed Ryan to the association after an extensive search for Mott’s replacement.

Minissale said that the ALSA board was looking forward to working with Ryan to “proactively advocate a compelling, evidence-based agenda that constructively influences the public and political sentiment”.

“The board selection committee was unanimous that the combination of Julie’s commercial acumen, refined negotiation and influencing skills, and advanced stakeholder management experience, made her the ideal candidate for the CEO of ALSA,” Minissale said.

“Julie has demonstrated success in developing and executing strategic plans for the clear communication of complex issues and this will be invaluable to representing all of our members and contributors.”

Commenting on her new role, Ryan said: “I am looking forward to the opportunity to effectively communicate the significant economic and social contribution the retail packaged liquor industry makes to Australia, and to advocating our right to retail liquor responsibly.

“My first priority though is to meet and engage with all of ALSA’s members, suppliers, corporate sponsors and contributors, in order to understand their varied needs.”

Julie Ryan.

CONTRIBUTOR’S

PANEL

CHALLENGING THE MYTHS AROUND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

T

here are signs of some exciting times ahead for ALSA and the industry to work together with Alcohol Beverages Australia (ABA) and demonstrate their commitment to collectively challenge with solid evidence, the myths often pedalled around alcohol consumption.

In the challenging policy and media environment it remains critical for the silent majority of almost 16 million adult drinkers in our communities and for the hundreds of thousands of employees whose jobs are underpinned across the industry, to be represented and heard.

This role is often left to the industry, so it is important to balance the debate and push back against the tide of the incredibly wellfunded temperance advocacy movement and to publicly recognise and promote the benefits and contribution that the people in our industry make to the economy and to our lifestyles and the fabric of the Australian way of life. Some well-known and hugely funded advocacy organisations have a disgraceful record of wasting Australian taxpayers’ hard earned money, without producing any real, beneficial or lasting advances for the Australian community.

After having spent quite a few decades in and around the alcohol beverages industry, it is disappointing to see that the appetite remains strong for some governments to believe they need to simply be seen as ‘doing something’ by reacting to unsubstantiated media hype or deliberate mis-information from the temperance advocacy movement.

The last decade has seen a number of those examples by governments which have failed to achieve the intended outcomes, by focusing only on the industry and not the underlying behavioural problems of a minority of people, including the recently reversed restrictions that were originally placed on NSW licensees in February 2014. The then O’Farrell government ignored the five-year blueprint for NSW liquor policy, that had been developed over the previous two years and had a knee-jerk response to media pressure with a raft of unproven policy responses.

Inexplicably, the NT government appears to be going down a similar path right now,

by reacting without any known or publicly scrutinised evidence, to be planning the demise of the licensed store (grocery and liquor mixed business) category.

The NT government is proposing to phase out those mostly small family operated licensed store class of liquor licence over the next seven years. They have also advised they will place impossible to achieve conditions on them, that would make the majority immediately unviable, and to achieve what?

This is also despite that type of licence being a feature of the licensed liquor outlet landscape across half of the geography of Australia and over 60 per cent of our population incorporating NSW, VIC, the ACT and NT in addition to

other countries like New Zealand, nearly all of Europe, the USA, South America and Asia.

The move also threatens to have a significantly detrimental impact on surrounding small and also mostly family operated local shopping hubs that rely on a mix of businesses to draw their customer base and as one key component operation closes, the viability of the rest are increasingly challenged due to reduced patronage.

ALSA will be working to encourage the NT Government to listen to all of their stakeholders and use publicly available, evidence based advice, to genuinely engage with the industry in the interests of giving all law-abiding Territorians a fair go.

TERRY MOTT, CEO, ALSA As CEO of the Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA), Terry Mott has represented the interests of all free standing liquor store operators at the state, territory and national level and has been in that role for 11.5 years and was concurrently the CEO of the LSA NSW for seven of those years. His career has spanned almost 50 years in sales, marketing, general management and board roles, before moving into the alcohol and industry policy field.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 11

NEWS

L-R Campbell and Greg Hedley.

TWO HEADS BREWERY OWNERS LOOK TO OPEN BOTTLE SHOP The owners of Two Heads Brewery in Bathurst have submitted a development application (DA) to open a boutique liquor store in nearby Orange.

Two Heads opened its doors in April 2016 after brothers Campbell and Greg Hedley decided they wanted to “build something for ourselves combined with a love of good beer”.

Since then, and with the help of Head Brewer Ian Carman, the guys have been producing a range of “approachable” and “tasty” beers that are poured at the brewery as well as at a selection of local pubs. They are also available through BWS stores in the central west of NSW and independent retailers Bucket Boys and Beer Cartel in Sydney.

Campbell Hedley said that the bottle shop idea was the result of a “lightbulb” moment he had while walking through the Orange Arcade.

“The brewery is in Bathurst, but for family reasons, Greg and I both live in nearby Orange.

We both noticed an empty shop right near the exit from Harris Farm in an arcade that had a real

boutique feel to it, and the cogs started turning.

“We’ve met so many fantastic producers in the industry since we started, and we decided a shop that was focussed on supporting independent beer, cider, wine and spirit makers really fitted well with what we, and Two Heads, were all about.”

The DA is still with Orange City Council for approval, but so far the community reaction has been positive and if all goes well the brothers hope to have the doors open to what will be called The Lane Cellars in September.

“Orange and the central west generally has a fantastic food and wine culture, and people are genuinely proud of the product that comes out of the region. When I was delivering the letters notifying nearby businesses of the intention to apply for a license, the mum’s waiting at the dance studio upstairs were particularly excited about the idea of grabbing a bottle of wine to take home after the kids finished dance class,” said Hedley.

“The arcade has become a real fresh food

and produce destination and the bottle shop, with a focus on interesting, local, alternative offerings, is a natural fit.

“We’ve deliberately chosen a small space in a high traffic area, so the key for success for the shop is going to be making sure we carefully select what we stock and make the most of the space available. We’ll also have what we think will be the widest range of good beer west of the Blue Mountains, and we’ve managed to convince David Cumming from Define Wine to come on board as our wine guy, so expect an interesting and eclectic mix of wines to go along with the beers.

“Finally, we hope to involve lots of the local producers in hosting tastings and other experiences for customers.”

The Lane Cellars is a separate venture to the brewery and will be used as a way to introduce a wider range of independent products to customers – but you can still expect to see plenty of Two Heads beers on the shelves.

THE 2018 AUSTRALIAN CRAFT BEER SURVEY LAUNCHES Craft beer retailer, Beer Cartel, has launched the third edition of the Australian Craft Beer Survey, which is designed to better understand the attitudes of Australian craft beer drinkers.

The 2018 survey will build on the two previous studies, which took place in 2016 and 2017 and saw more than 23,000 craft beer drinkers participate. It aims to be the most comprehensive, publicly released research ever undertaken with Australian craft beer drinkers.

Richard Kelsey, Director of Beer Cartel said while the study will measure changes in craft beer habits over the past year it will be particularly interesting to see how three breweries; 4 Pines, Feral Brewing and Pirate Life are viewed. Each was purchased by a large multi-national company at the back-end of 2017.

“Last year the survey found a strong preference for beer produced by independently owned breweries. At the time beer drinkers rated Pirate Life as Australia’s best brewery, with Feral Brewing second. It will be interesting to see if perceptions have changed and if the buy-outs have had any influence on consumer purchase habits,” said Kelsey.

The survey is also looking at the recently-launched Independent Brewers

12 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Association Independence Seal and how it is likely to impact consumer purchase behaviour.

The results of the study will be made public and Beer Cartel is also offering businesses that support the survey the opportunity to get a tailored report.

Beer Cartel said the survey takes five minutes to complete and the retailer is offering a $500 prize to spend on craft beer to encourage people to complete the survey.

CONTRIBUTOR’S

LABELLING IS NOT THE ONLY ANSWER TO PANEL FOETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS

DrinkWise POS.

DrinkWise floor decal.

L

ast month, the Food Regulation Standing Committee released a policy options paper seeking targeted consultation on pregnancy warning labels on packaged alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can harm the developing foetus and result in a range of lifelong physical and/or neurodevelopmental impairments in the child, which are considered as Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).

Through DrinkWise, the industry has adopted the targeted and specific pregnancy pictogram and or text on the majority of its products. This has produced tangible outcomes, such as contributing to increasing awareness among pregnant women to not consume alcohol, and has clearly demonstrated the industry is capable of being an integral component in the campaign to prevent or reduce harms from alcohol consumption in the Australian community.

The results from the most recent National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) show 98.8 per cent of women in Australia either

abstain or drink less alcohol while pregnant, and this trend of abstaining from or reducing alcohol consumption during pregnancy has grown nationally for well over a decade.

The effects of FASD have been welldocumented and evidence has shown it is a multifactorial illness with interdependent maternal risk factors, including age, demographic, education, nutrition, other drug use, socioeconomic status and partner’s alcohol consumption. Evidence-based and targeted harm-reduction strategies and, more specifically, medical practitioner and nurse-led brief interventions, have immense potential to reduce FASD rates through culturally sensitive means and cannot be underestimated as effective intervention measures.

The consultation process is disappointing in that it fails to correctly acknowledge the already high awareness about alcohol consumption during pregnancy. In doing so, it fails to explore the more logical questions it poses in developing a successful FASD strategy.

A logical question to be addressed is why certain women continue to consume alcohol

DrinkWise POS in retail. during pregnancy, albeit mainly moderately, despite health advice from their medical practitioner to the contrary. We also need to ask how measures can be implemented to instigate behavioural change.

This question reinforces the importance of investigating the relationship between the provision of information during pregnancy, the relevance of that information to the individual, and their consequent alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This will enable an improvement in the information they receive and thereby lower the risk and incidence of FASD. This is potentially far more important than continuing to inform this section of the community about an issue they’re already well aware of.

In the limited context of the consultation parameters, voluntary industry self-regulation will allow the well-intentioned objectives of the labelling policy to be achieved, without requiring an administrative burden on government or an unnecessary and damaging increased cost to industry, our millions of customers, and the taxpayer.

FERGUS TAYLOR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ABA Fergus Taylor is the Executive Director of Alcohol Beverages Australia. Fergus has previously worked as a media adviser and chief of staff to senior government ministers and as a strategic stakeholder engagement and media and communications management consultant.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 13

NEWS

ABA WELCOMES GOVERNMENT HEALTH REPORT CARD

PREMIUMISATION DRIVES AMERICAN WHISKEY IN AUSTRALIA The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, America’s national trade association representing the country’s leading producers of distilled spirits, was in Australia last month showcasing some of the finest American distilled spirits.

The Council spoke about how the premiumisation trend in Australia is driving the revival of aged brown spirits. The Council said that as the Australian drinking culture shifts to ‘quality over quantity,’ the desire to drink less and purchase more expensive, exclusive and premium spirits has changed the way consumers treat alcohol.

“Premiumisation continues to drive whiskey sales in Australia with Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey and American Rye Whiskey all enjoying a huge boom. In 2017, US spirits exports to Australia were valued at US$127m, up 12 per cent from 2016 with whiskey accounting for approximately 80 per cent of the total, making Australia the third largest export market for US distilled spirits,” said Robert Maron, Director of International Affairs at the Distilled Spirits Council.

Australia has also witnessed a cocktail renaissance in recent years with mixologists looking to American whiskey due to its versatility and unique mixability. In particular, there is a resurgence of rye whiskey, the predominant whiskey in the US before Prohibition, as mixologists look to the past for inspiration.

“The American whiskey sector is dynamic and there is an American whiskey for every palate; from a sweet Bourbon whiskey with hints of caramel, to a smooth Tennessee whiskey with charcoal notes, to an American rye whiskey with a spicy and peppery finish,” Maron added.

The Council backed a number of small distilleries who are looking to break into the Australian market at the Drinks Industry Show last month. These included Corsair Artisan Distillery, the first craft distillery in Nashville since Prohibition, House Spirits Distillery, the pioneer of America’s craft-distilling resurgence, and Red Eye Louie’s Vodquila, a special blend of ultra-premium vodka and imported super premium tequila.

Australian consumers drink, on average, 19 million glasses of American whiskey a month and total retail sales of American whiskey in Australia have reached US$1.34bn, up 41 per cent from 2005.

14 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Alcohol Beverages Australia (ABA) has welcomed the release of the Federal Government’s Report Card on Australian Health, which has shown a continuation of the long-term positive trends in all the major indicators associated with alcohol consumption.

ABA Executive Director, Fergus Taylor, said the report shows that Australians are getting the message that moderate alcohol consumption can be part of a happy and healthy lifestyle.

“The vast majority of Australians consume alcohol responsibly and it is pleasing to see these important trends are continuing to improve,” he said.

The report highlighted some significant changes in drinking behaviours between 2013 and 2016, with the number of people (14 years and over) consuming alcohol daily dropping from 6.5 per cent to 5.9 per cent; drinking alcohol weekly fell from 37.3 per cent to 35.8 per cent; drinking alcohol less often than weekly went from 34.5 per cent to 35.8 per cent.

In addition the number of 12-17 year olds abstaining from alcohol increased from 72.3 per cent to 81.5 per cent and the age of the full serve of alcohol for 14-24 year olds increased from 15.7 years to 16.1 years.

The ABA said that these favourable trends reaffirm Australians are drinking more responsibly than ever before, and underline the success of targeted Government alcohol policy around intervention and prevention, and effective and successful industry measures like education campaigns to promote sensible and moderate drinking.

Taylor added: “The industry is committed to the promotion of responsible and moderate drinking and today’s result is a comprehensive and independent acknowledgment that we’re on the right track.”

But Taylor said that the industry would not be resting on its laurels or these improvements, and acknowledged that there are still areas that need to be focused on and that these groups would continue to be targeted.

“Where problem areas have been identified, the solutions should be localised and targeted to address alcohol-related harms directly, whether that be through education, intervention and support services, responsible marketing and service or local liquor accords,” Taylor said.

DRINKWISE’S UNMISSABLE MOMENTS

CONTRIBUTOR’S

PANEL

T

he You Won’t Miss a Moment if You DrinkWise initiative conveys a unified moderation message to sports fans, music lovers and festival-goers, encouraging them to drink responsibly and ensure they don’t miss the most memorable moments of an event. The initiative is a partnership between DrinkWise, DrinkWise contributors, sporting codes and events management.

The DrinkWise/AFL partnership has been a prominent part of You Won’t Miss a Moment if You DrinkWise, most recently featuring during the Red Centre AFL game at the end of May in Alice Springs. The Red Centre game, an AFL tradition between Melbourne and the Adelaide Crows, draws on the unifying and common language of the AFL, showcasing indigenous talent while raising awareness and understanding of cultural and social issues in the Northern Territory.

In a Red Centre first, this year the Top End Storm played the Central Australian Redtails in a curtainraiser prior to the match. The Redtails are a community football club which promote healthy living and provide education, guidance and work experience to local indigenous men between 18-25 years of age.

In partnership with DrinkWise, Adelaide superstar Eddie Betts spoke to Channel Seven about the importance of being a role model to young indigenous Australians and how the DrinkWise moderation message can help indigenous people break the cycle of alcohol abuse and allow them to realise their potential.

Betts stars in the latest DrinkWise Unmissable Moments video, which was aired nationally during the game. For his ‘moment’, Betts takes the audience back to the 2017 Preliminary Final when Charlie Cameron took a spectacular mark and kicked a goal that helped Adelaide through to the Grand Final. His story also featured in a special Red Centre edition of the Footy Record magazine, integrating the You Won’t Miss a Moment if You DrinkWise messaging.

The Red Centre games, which featured DrinkWise in-stadia signage, were broadcast live, providing a great opportunity to extend the DrinkWise moderation messages beyond our Red Dust Role Model health and wellbeing programs. DrinkWise continues to seek opportunities to extend our programs and engage with communities, with a program of work focused on alcohol, pregnancy and FASD education for indigenous and non-indigenous communities to be rolled out in 2018. We look forward to providing further information about these exciting programs throughout the year.

SIMON STRAHAN, CEO, DRINKWISE Simon Strahan is the CEO of DrinkWise, an independent, not-for-profit organisation established by the alcohol industry to bring about a healthier and safer drinking culture.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 15

IRI INSIGHTS

IRI LIQUOR KNOWLEDGE IRI PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE LIQUOR INDUSTRY FOR THE QUARTER TO APRIL (06/05/18).

TOTAL OFF-PREMISE LIQUOR • Beer and cider saw the largest level of innovation and range expansion, with 12 per cent more products now ranged in each category in offpremise retailers than the same time last year.

• Four of the five major categories measured by IRI are in growth, with cider the exception.

• Seven of the top 10 growth driving brands and nine of the top 10 growth driving items in total liquor are in the beer category, highlighting again how critical this category is to the current growth in the off-premise market.

*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA 1. Total Beer Mid Strength (+21%) 2. Total Red Bottled (+8%) 3. Total Beer Full Strength (+6%) 4. Total Beer Craft Australian (+16%) 5. Total Beer Premium International (+6%)

MARKET VALUE

$4.4bn (+5.6%) MARKET VOLUME*

51.5m (+1.1%)

CATEGORY BREAKDOWN BEER (39%)

WINE (25%)

SPIRITS (20%)

RTD (13%)

*9 Litre Equiv (000)

BEER CATEGORY OVERVIEW • Beer remains the largest and most valuable category in the off-premise liquor market with 39 per cent dollar share and 37 per cent share of dollar growth.

• Mid strength beer continues to be the largest growth driving segment, accounting for 58 per cent of all growth in the category (off the back of a 17 per cent dollar share of beer).

• Great Northern is the key driver of growth in the mid strength segment, but the successful launch of Iron Jack has cemented this segment as crucial to overall off-premise liquor growth.

Combined, Great Northern Super Crisp, Great Northern Original, and Iron Jack have generated 101 per cent share of dollar growth in beer this quarter.

TOP GROWTH SEGMENTS

CATEGORY VALUE

$1.7bn (+5.5%) CATEGORY VOLUME*

16 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

32.2m (+1.7%)

*9 Litre Equiv (000)

TOP

GROWTH MANUFACTURERS *DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

1. CUB (+6%) 2. Lion (+3%) 3. Asahi Premium Beverages (+17%) 4. Private Label (+20%) 5. Other Manufacturers (+46%)

TOP GROWTH SEGMENTS *DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

1. Mid Strength (+21%) 2. Full Strength (+6%) 3. Craft Australian (+16%) 4. Premium International (+6%) 5. Ginger (+14%)

CIDER (3%)

IRI INSIGHTS

RTD CATEGORY OVERVIEW • Beam Suntory has contributed 12 per cent of dollar growth across glass spirits and RTD in the latest quarter.

• Jim Beam Double Serve, Jim Beam Black Double Serve, and Tanqueray collectively have just over one per cent share of RTD but brought in 38 per cent of category dollar growth this quarter. All of these brands were launched in 2018.

• The top 10 growth SKUs are worth around six per cent of the category but contributed almost all (88 per cent) of RTD dollar growth in the last quarter.

Six of these items were new, all within the Jim Beam brand.

TOP

CATEGORY VALUE

$0.6bn (+3.6%) CATEGORY VOLUME*

5.5m (-1.3%)

• Wine is the only category to see a range reduction in the last year, with one per cent fewer SKUs on sale than the previous year. It is still the most ranged category in off-premise liquor, with almost three times the number of products on shelf than beer.

• Smaller manufacturers are worth 11 per cent of the total wine category but contributed 23 per cent of all growth this quarter versus the same time last year.

• TWE has five of the top 10 growth generating brands in wine, with two private label brands also featuring.

• The category has been boosted by the addition of canned wine earlier in the year. Expect to see more varied formats coming into the market.

1. Beam Suntory (+4%) 2. Campari Australia (+11%) 3. Asahi Premium Beverages (+5%) 4. Brown-Forman (+2%) 5. Diageo (+1%)

*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

1. Canadian Club (+22%) 2. Jim Beam Double Serve (NEW) 3. Jim Beam Black Double Serve (NEW) 4. Wild Turkey 5% (+18%) 5. Jack Daniel’s Double Jack (+15%)

TOP GROWTH BRANDS *DOLLARS GROWTH % YA 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

CATEGORY VALUE

Squealing Pig (+113%) Wolf Blass Eaglehawk (+50%) Yellowtail (+19%) 19 Crimes (+214%) Brown Brothers (+32%)

$1.1bn (+6.6%) CATEGORY VOLUME*

10.2m (+1.1%)

TOP

GROWTH MANUFACTURERS

TOP

GROWTH MANUFACTURERS

*9 Litre Equiv (000)

GLASS SPIRITS CATEGORY OVERVIEW • Pernod Ricard is the largest growth contributor in the latest quarter.

This is driven by the success of the Jameson, Absolut, and Chivas brands, which all feature in the top 10 growth driving brands in Glass Spirits.

• Clear spirits like gin and vodka continue to dominate growth, accounting for 25 per cent share of the category but 43 per cent of the category dollar growth.

• But Bourbon and Scotch have seen great growth also, driven mainly by the success of the Wild Turkey and Chivas brands.

*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

TOP GROWTH BRANDS

*9 Litre Equiv (000)

WINE CATEGORY OVERVIEW

GROWTH MANUFACTURERS

CATEGORY VALUE

*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

1. Treasury Wine Estates (+10%) 2. Other Manufacturers (+15%) 3. Brown Brothers (+18%) 4. Casella Family Brands (+16%) 5. Private Label (+3%)

*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

1. Pernod Ricard (+12%) 2. Bacardi-Martini Australia (+20%) 3. Diageo (+3%) 4. Other Manufacturers (+39%) 5. Campari Australia (+14%)

$0.9bn (+7.3%) CATEGORY VOLUME*

1.7m (+4.7%)

*9 Litre Equiv (000)

TOP GROWTH BRANDS *DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

1. Bombay Sapphire (+40%) 2. Canadian Club (+19%) 3. Tanqueray (+33%) 4. Jameson (+16%) 5. Absolut (+10%)

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 17

BEER PROMOTION

BATCH BREWING ELSIE THE MILK STOUT Nitrogentated in the can, this stout is full bodied and rich, but smooth and creamy as well.

Enjoy any time of the year, but especially in the winter months.

Try with chocolate.

STYLE: Milk Stout ABV: 4.5% RRP: $23-25 per four-pack Batchbrewingco.com.au

STOMPING GROUND GIPPS ST. PALE ALE Gipps St. Pale Ale is full of tropical American hop character and serious personality. Brewed in Melbourne, it is named after the street in Collingwood that Stomping Ground calls home and takes pride of place as their flagship beer. A regular medal winner including gold at the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA), Gipps St. Pale Ale packs a punch while finishing dry, making it refreshing and highly drinkable.

STYLE: Pale Ale ABV: 5.2% RRP: $23.99 per six-pack Stompingground.beer/gipps-st

WHAT’S HOT IN AUSSIE BREWING

VALE BREWING MID COAST A fresh, crisp bright ale, Mid Coast is clear filtered with the balanced, gentle bitterness of all-Australian hops. Mandarin and tangerine characters pay the perfect tribute to the long lasting Aussie summer. A mid strength beer at 30 IBU’s that is absolutely packed with flavour.

STYLE: Bright Ale ABV: 3.5% RRP: $18.99 per six-pack Valebrewing.com.au

DOSS BLOCKOS THE COLOUR OF BEER East 9th Brewing’s latest project, Doss Blockos The Colour Of Beer, is the first beer that is officially the colour of... well, beer. To arrive at the colour, the East 9th guys collaborated with Australian street art legends, Ironlak.

Ironlak provide millions of spray-paint cans to the world’s best graffiti and fine artists each year. The beer itself is generous on the tropical notes (delivered by a combination of three hop varieties), without being too heavy on the bitterness.

STYLE: Pale Ale ABV: 4.4% RRP: $17.99 per four-pack E9thbrewing.com/doss-blockos

k c o t s o t s Beer

18 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

BEER PROMOTION

FOX HAT FULL MONGREL

SAUCE BREWING BUBBLE & SQUEAK

Black and viscous like sump oil, the nitro charge gives the appearance of a blown head gasket. Bangs of dark roasted malt goodness. Coffee, cacao and slightly burnt. Rounded out with earthy fruit spice.

Voluptuously full-bodied, mouth coating sweetness that’s balanced with 100 IBU’s and a boozy warming sensation.

New England IPA’s are the latest and greatest thing in the craft beer world, commanding high RRP’s with demand outstripping supply. Bubble & Squeak from Sauce Brewing Co is being billed as one of Australia’s best. Hazy, silky mouthfeel, and an abundance of hops delivering a tropical delight, without the bitterness usually associated with IPA’s.

Originally a single batch release, it has proven so popular it is now one of their regular brews. Best drunk fresh, each batch sells out quickly in both wholesale and retail. But don’t take our word for it, check out this recent review: “One of the best New England Style IPA’s in Australia,” GABS 2018.

STYLE: Russian Imperial Stout ABV: 10% RRP: $29.99 per four-pack Foxhatbrewing.com.au

BATCH BREWING PASH THE MAGIC DRAGON

STONE & WOOD STONE BEER

A kettle sour ale with passionfruit and dragonfruit. At 4.5% Pash the Magic Dragon is very sessionable and is a great beer for typical white wine drinkers to try as it has a sharp tartness with fruit on the palate and nose.

STYLE: Sour Ale ABV: 4.5% RRP: $23-25 per four-pack Batchbrewingco.com.au

Each year under the night sky, Stone & Wood honours the ancient technique of its brewing ancestors with the ritual of adding wood fired stones to the kettle to caramelise the brew. Brewed for when the days are short and the nights are cold, the 2018 Stone Beer is a decadently dark porter. With aromas and flavours of roast barley, hints of coffee and dark chocolate, this winter release finishes with a firm bitterness from the kettle hops and black malts.

STYLE: Wood Fired Porter ABV: 7.5% RRP: $25 per four-pack Stoneandwood.com.au

STYLE: New England IPA ABV: 6.5% RRP: $35 per four-pack Sauce.beer/

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 19

WINE NEWS

TYRRELL’S CELEBRATES 160 YEARS

Chief Winemaker, Dan Swincer

JACOB’S CREEK APPOINTS NEW CHIEF WINEMAKER Jacob’s Creek’s Group Red Winemaker, Dan Swincer, has been promoted to the role of Chief Winemaker.

Swincer has been with Jacob’s Creek since 2006 and since 2015 has held the Group Red Winemaker role, as well as being the Chief Winemaker for St Hugo.

Pernod Ricard Winemakers’ Global Operations Director, Brett McKinnon, welcomed Swincer into the role, saying: “Dan has held a series of winemaking roles, Dan has confirmed his place as a leading Australian winemaker, working with his team to create award-winning wines that are the best possible expression of the fruit from each vintage.

“Dan is a truly progressive and talented winemaker who is very well positioned to take our Australian wines to markets around the globe.”

As well as his roles at Jacob’s Creek, Swincer’s resume also includes being voted by the Wine Society as Young Winemaker of the year in 2011, and in 2015 he was one of 12 wine professionals to be selected as a scholar in the highly acclaimed Len Evans Tutorial.

“Jacob’s Creek is such an influential winery here in Australia and throughout the world, where it plays an important role in showcasing Australian wines to the world. It will be an honour to continue to grow this legacy,” said Swincer.

He added: “The role as Chief Winemaker is a tremendous opportunity an exciting challenge, and I look forward to continuing to work with the incredible team at Jacob’s Creek.”

Swincer will continue in his role as Chief Winemaker at St Hugo, with an announcement to be made in due course about a replacement.

Tyrrell’s, one of Australia’s pre-eminent and oldest family-owned and operated wineries is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year.

Established in 1858 and with vineyards extending from their historic home in the Hunter Valley to Heathcote, the business is today headed up by fourth generation family member Bruce Tyrrell and his son, fifth generation family member, Chris Tyrrell.

To add to the celebration, the 160th anniversary just so happens to coincide with the 47th vintage of Vat 47 Hunter Chardonnay and the 150th vintage of the Old Patch vineyard, home to the oldest producing vines in NSW. To mark the anniversary and to demonstrate how the best of the Hunter Valley has the ability to age gracefully, Tyrrell’s has released two commemorative museum wines: 2005 Vat 1 Hunter Semillon, the most awarded wine in Tyrrell’s history, and 2007 Vat 9 Hunter Shiraz. These were launched at a special event, held at the winery in May, with more than 250 members in attendance. A parcel of these wines has also been allocated to trade customers.

Chris Tyrrell said that 160 years of family business is an amazing thing.

“We are lucky enough to make wine from vines planted by our great great grandfather in a time when they had no electricity or any of the luxuries we have today. It is an honour to work with these wonderful assets.”

For Bruce, he says that Hunter wine “runs through the veins of the family”.

He says: “We have been amongst the very few people lucky enough to work with something that is truly unique in the world of wine: Hunter Semillon and have become close to the perfection of its style. In another 160 years my wish is that the family is still here on our original land making wines that are of great quality and distinctive to the Hunter Valley.”

With the fifth generation, Jane, John and Chris, involved in the business, Tyrrell’s will continue to drive family as being pinnacle to the ethos of the company.

“The closeness of our operation, and the family nature of it, means we can consistently make wines that are relevant to the drinking public,” said Jane Tyrrell.

NEW RELEASES ANGULLONG FOSSIL HILL BARBERA VIN: 2017 RRP: $26

BROWN BROTHERS 1889 TEMPRANILLO VIN: 2017 RRP $18.30

Medium bodied and elegant, with herb, dark berry and earthen flavours. There is a pleasant grip of balanced tannin on the long finish, with the oak adding complexity and character. This will integrate further with time in the bottle.

This vintage shows a vibrant purple colour with red berries and spices on the nose.

It is medium bodied and soft on the palate.

Perfect for drinking over the next three years.

20 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

DEE VINE ESTATE NERICON CABERNET SAUVIGNON VIN: 2017 RRP: $14.99

DEE VINE ESTATE NERICON CHARDONNAY VIN: 2018 RRP: $14.99

This Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from the Nericon Vineyard Reserve Parcels, with beautiful dark fruit aromas on the nose. Your palate is rewarded with tastes of fine tannins with notes of blackcurrant and plum complemented by American oak.

Nericon Chardonnay displays pale straw hues. The palate is medium bodied exhibiting white peach and nectarine. The bright acidity and fresh fruit flavours create a wellstructured palate.

Complemented by French oak and a crisp finish.

CELLARMASTERS’ ORGANIC WINE SALES UP 400% Cellarmaster has launched Organic Wine Reservation – a quarterly subscription to organic wines as it looks to keep up with a nearly 400 per cent increase in organic wine sales over the last 12 months.

And while organic wines are becoming increasingly popular, Cellarmasters said that its recent survey of 1300 wine drinkers revealed that almost 40 per cent of organic wine drinkers state they struggle to find organic wines.

“Food and wine go hand in hand, and with more Aussies buying organic groceries, it makes sense that they want to go green with their reds, whites and rosés as well,” said Joe Armstrong, Head of Wine at Cellarmasters.

“We wanted to make it easy and affordable for those who want to drink green with our quarterly, automated delivery of organic wines. The wines in every case have been handpicked by our panel of experts, and for just $120 per case (six wines), including delivery, I’d like to think it’s great value.”

Organic wine is made from grapes grown without the addition of synthesised chemical fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. Organic certifying bodies also place restrictions on the amount of sulphur dioxide that can be added to the wine and the chemical fining agents used in the winemaking process.

According to winemaker David Paxton, owner of Paxton Wines in McLaren Vane, a leader in organic and biodynamic viticulture and winemaking, the first thing many wine drinkers comment on after taking a sip of organic wine is its clarity and purity of flavour.

“Organic-biodynamic farming allows us to capture the natural beauty of the grapes, which you can taste in the clear flavours of the wine,” he said.

TREASURY WINE ESTATES PARTNERS WITH SONOS Treasury Wines Estates (TWE) has partnered with Sonos on a consumer promotion designed to enhance the wine and music entertainment occasion.

The campaign, which launched on 11 June will run until 7 August or until stocks last. It is supported by an integrated marketing campaign headlined by a partnership with Spotify.

The campaign is led by Penfolds Max’s and gives consumers the chance to save $150 on a Sonos One Smart Speaker when spending $80 or more on participating wines.

GUNDOG ESTATE RARE GAME SHIRAZ VIN: 2017 RRP: $60 Showing great complexity and poise, the wine offers a bold array of dark fruit flavours, charry French oak and spice, carried over a pure line of natural acidity and savoury tannin. Expect this Shiraz to age gracefully over the next five to 15 years.

TWE Deputy CMO Angus Lilley said the promotion celebrates various wine drinking occasions.

“Few things are matched better than good wine and music, Sonos One is hands-free, giving you the freedom to listen to your favourite music all while preparing dinner, entertaining friends or enjoying a glass of Shiraz.”

The national campaign is offered to Australian liquor retailers including online as well as off-premise licensed venues, including cellar doors.

INNOCENT BYSTANDER CHARDONNAY VIN: 2017 RRP: $25 Fresh pear, lemon, poached apple, florals and marzipan on the nose. Crisp, fresh and dry with a stone fruit core and citrusy, pithy texture palate.

IRVINE ESTATE EDEN VALLEY SHIRAZ VIN: 2017 RRP: $30

IRVINE SPRING HILL RIESLING VIN: 2018 RRP: $24

Fresh red cherry, blackberry and some hints of mint on the nose. The fresh red fruit carries onto the palate. Nicely balanced with fine tannin and a smooth finish.

Intense lime and grapefruit zest with hints of honeysuckle on the nose. A soft palate with great mineral texture and citrus length.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 21

WINE NEWS

A FRESH NEW LOOK FOR A HUNTER VALLEY FAVOURITE PEPPER TREE WINES IS CELEBRATING THE DIVERSITY OF ITS FOUR REGIONS WITH FRESH NEW BRANDING.

P

epper Tree Wines has released new branding across its varietal range with the fresh new look also setting the tone for a new website (www.peppertreewines.com.au), which was launched in late June.

The new look was inspired by the diversity of the soil from the four regions that the internationally recognised, 27-year-old winery has vineyards; the Hunter Valley and Orange in central west NSW, and the Coonawarra and Wrattonbully in South Australia.

The new-look varietal range is just the first stage of the rebranding, with new labels for the limited release range to follow.

Pepper Tree Wines owner John Davis said the changes demonstrate Pepper Tree’s commitment to the future and said that there is no chance of Pepper Tree slowing down.

“We’re extremely proud of what’s been achieved at Pepper Tree but we are certainly not resting on our laurels,” he said.

“We are looking forward as Pepper Tree gains momentum, evolves and grows. Having four regions to draw on really gives us the best of four worlds.

“Our new look is reflective of us in 2018, illustrating that while we are attached to our roots, we are progressive enough to develop and foster change. It’s simple yet effective, providing a glimpse of our traditions and paving a way for a solid future of winemaking.”

This year marks 30 years of viticulture for Davis, who invested in his first vineyard in 1982 in the Hunter Valley after graduating with first-class honours in science and a PhD in geology.

This was followed by the purchase of more land in Orange and the Limestone Coast.

Davis is well-known in the industry as an astute viticulturist with an unerring eye for matching soil types with the most suitable grape varieties.

“Some might think the link between geology and viticulture is tenuous, but from my experience this could not be further from the truth,” he said.

Meanwhile, the new Pepper Tree Super Premium ‘PJP’ Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon will be unveiled in July.

From the 2016 South Australian vintage, the PJP is a big red that encapsulates the quality of Wrattonbully. It has affectionately been named ‘PJP’ in honour of the three men who inspired it – Pepper Tree owner John Davis, winemaker Peter Bissell and viticulturist Peter Balnaves from the Limestone Coast.

Skilfully blended by Pepper Tree Head Winemaker Gwyn Olsen (Gourmet Traveller Young Winemaker of the Year 2014), PJP is a labour of love that’s a culmination of belief in the site, work in the vineyard and craft in the winery.

22 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

SYDNEY

BRISBANE

TOWNSVILLE

B E A PA RT O F AU S T R A L I A’ S LARGEST LIQUOR CO-OP OP ER AT I N G FRO M TH REE W E L L E QUI P P E D DI S TRI BUTI ON C E N TRE S, EACH C O MPLEMEN TED W I TH E X P E RI E N C E D S UP P ORT S TA FF

NSW

Andy Clement

0427 846 902

|

For more information QLD Craig Stephenson

0434 575 589

|

www.ilg.com.au

VINEXPO HONG KONG

WE CHEWED IT UP, AND SPAT IT OUT, AND DID IT OUR WAY MELISSA PARKER ATTENDED VINEXPO IN HONG KONG ON BEHALF OF NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS WHERE AUSTRALIA WAS THE COUNTRY OF HONOUR.

WINE AUSTRALIA AT VINEXPO HONG KONG 2018 Vinexpo Hong Kong 2018 was a big deal for the Australian wine industry.

Wine Australia invested a significant $1.9 million from the $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package into the biggest Australian wine representation at an overseas trade event to date.

Australia was the Country of Honour and Vinexpo was celebrating its 20th anniversary. The wines were flowing, the crowds were big and the Australian wine industry legend attendance was in high ratio. China is a huge export opportunity for Australia and we grabbed the opportunity to make a huge statement with the sheer enormity of our more than 800sqm Wine Australia stand.

Visitor first impressions to the Wine Australia Vinexpo Hong Kong 2018 stand was Australia’s new campaign – Australian Wine – Made our Way – literally up in neon white lights. The campaign talks about ‘taking risks, making mistakes and educated guesses’, ‘prodding the rules and pushing the boundaries’.

All in order to be the most ‘diverse and thrilling’ wine scene in the world.

The new marketing campaign successfully gets to the heart of the Australian wine story. Yes we do have a unique offering and way of selling ourselves.

Our ‘way’ is thrown into stark relief at world wine trade fairs such as this one where the countries of the world are vying for the share of throat of the burgeoning foreign market – in this case – China.

“We saw this as a great opportunity to launch the new branding that talks about what makes Australian wine unique. We are confident. We respect tradition but we are willing to innovate and do things differently. We are not shackled by too many rules. We have a willingness to experiment. It sends a strong message and has been well received,” said Andreas Clark, CEO, Wine Australia.

Picture this… the Wine Australia stand full to capacity this year with a record breaking 150 wineries and 51 regions represented all tasting six wines each because they were the rules – many would have happily showcased more. They were pouring wines for anyone who showed an interest. The atmosphere was inclusive, lively and welcoming. The wines were celebrated, savoured, discussed.

The aisles were full of the bustling global wine trade getting a taste of Australia’s wide and diverse vinous offering.

Up a few levels to a global competitor somewhere in Europe and we are presented with a very different scene. Where are the wines? Do you have an appointment? Yes we are doing things our way and it is paying off.

“We are hitting the market on mass. It has a real head turning effect.

Country of Honour has put us up as the place to be and the foot traffic over the last few days has proven that. It’s a one stop shop for people to meet the exporters and taste the wines,” said Clark.

Export figures released in March revealed Australian wine export into China, Hong Kong and Macau is topping over a billion dollars. It was with great foresight and hard work from the team at Wine Australia that the stars aligned to make the most of this significant and timely trade event.

“Our big and bold statement here at Vinexpo in Hong Kong sends a strong statement. People compare the presence from two years ago to where we are now and it shows we are here on mass and it has had a head turning effect,” says Clark.

24 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Ross Brown from Brown Brothers.

The Wine Australia stand.

Wine Australia’s Aroma Wall.

Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources.

VINEXPO HONG KONG

RETAILING IN CHINA WHILE IN HONG KONG, NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SPOKE WITH ANDREW KEMENY, WHO LAUNCHED HIS OWN RETAILING BUSINESS CALLED CELLARMASTERS (NOT WOOLWORTHS) IN HONG KONG. HERE HE DISCUSSES THE QUIRKS OF RETAILING WINE IN CHINA. Q WHAT DEFINES THE CHINESE LIQUOR RETAIL LANDSCAPE AND MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM YOUR AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS? The Chinese market is far more convoluted than the Australian trade, with so many suppliers able to easily import without tax restrictions the number of wine companies and SKUs in the market make it a confusing landscape for consumers.

In Hong Kong the wine market is more mature than China. Volume is trending away from restaurants and bars towards retail as consumers are now educated and confident enough to select their own wines. Mark up in Hong Kong restaurants is high, much more than in Australia, so consumers are using their wine dollar to buy bottles and premium wine in retail and finding occasions to enjoy wine at home or BYO in restaurants which is a change in culture from five to 10 years ago.

In Australia our (Kemeny’s) traditional retail presence is as strong as our online. In Hong Kong real estate costs are so high it makes sense for us to build our business model online. Interestingly, while known for its embrace of all things technological, the digital direct marketing industry in Hong Kong is not as advanced as China so presents a good opportunity to trade without a physical space.

The on-premise trade in Hong Kong is also a difficult space to play, not just with regards to competition between distributors and importers, but again because of the cost of real estate. It is not uncommon for a successful restaurant to close down or move premises due to astounding rent increases that landlords impose when they know their tenant is successful. This makes keeping track of accounts and updating databases fraught as venues can be trading one month and be closed the next.

The sale of bulk wine and containers into China is a fast moving price driven exercise often yielding little margin with high volume required to make dealing worthwhile. This channel is difficult to infiltrate and heavily relationship driven requiring regular contact and visits to the mainland. Fortunately over the last seven years we have built a great network of customers and friends throughout China.

Growth in China retail is thought to be in convenience-based ranging, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K outlets which have very small gondoliers, a high cost to play and often restrictive

terms around consignment – some requiring the supplier to collect their unsold goods from individual stores if sales targets are not met and the chain de-ranges the SKU. However, a successful brand in this convenience space has a huge potential for success as this sector of retail has an extremely high number of stores and reaches much further across China than any other retail type.

Overall the key to trading in Hong Kong and China is to keep your costs low and build strong relationships. There is significant room to grow in the underutilised online space – and with China as the last emerging market for wine in the world – it’s an exciting time to be finding ways to trade into the mainland and be a part of the volume growth and changing trends.

Q WHAT COULD AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS LEARN FROM THE CHINESE MARKET? There are some interesting trends to note in retail, from extremely luxurious fine wine outlets to venues that provide fine wine storage along with VIP lounges where customers can bring friends and enjoy their wine. Most of these venues also trade fine wine to their customers.

Supermarkets similar to Australia are trying various planograms and experimenting with brand blocking verses regional ranging, however, interestingly given it is often so hot in Hong Kong, they have little space attributed to cold storage for wines, and certainly no space for cool rooms and chilled beer case storage. It’s not uncommon for air conditioners to be set at around 15-17°C so the product is not sold warm.

While discounting in the supermarket chains is not as extreme as we see it in Australia, the sentiment of independent retailers, everyday restaurants and sommeliers is the same in that any brand ranged in the supermarkets, be it a sub brand or spinoff brand, will not be looked at in on-premise. So brands entering the market need to have a channel specific strategy. This is also what influences people to import small batches of exclusive or little known brands, thus increasing the complexity of the market.

Q WHAT TYPES OF WINE/STYLES ARE THE CHINESE MAINLY ATTRACTED TO BUYING? Similar to the wine trade in Australia back in the 1960s and 1970s. As a population we drank very cheap, sweet fortified wines after dinner, which

were Australia’s major production. With an influx of German, Greek and Italian immigrants who brought with them vine cuttings and the culture of producing and drinking dry style table wines, they gradually influenced the industry, culture and wider population.

By 2000, Australia was one of the biggest wine producers in the world. In 40-50 years, the culture and production of wine in Australia changed dramatically in style and volume, this without social media, brand managers and marketing campaigns as we know them today.

In China, as their taste/palate for wine, becomes more affluent, we will see similar changes in China, just at a much faster rate given the explosion of wealth, sheer population size, modern technology, communication and digital marketing. Expect big changes in the next five to 10 years.

The Chinese consumer decision-making process when making a wine purchase is first and foremost based on brand recognition. A well-known brand has benefits of face, expertise, indicates education experience and wealth etc.

Second is country of origin, brand France has done a very good marketing job on the Asian population and they truly believe French wine to be the best in the world, without exception. Penfolds has done an amazing job building the Australian brand throughout China, although flooding them with so much Rawson’s Retreat and Wolf Blass in forced bundle buys will have severe ramifications in the near future if changes are not made soon.

It is encouraging to see a slight trend away from French towards new world wines. The new world wine style of forward fruit is a better match for the Asian palate, so this should see steady growth for this category. The brands attending Vinexpo Hong Kong at the Wine Australia stand in May certainly had excellent feedback from the attendees and it’s not surprising that the feature of Grenache across ‘International Grenache Day’ was very well received.

Presentation is possibly more important than the product in the bottle, so there are many cases of cheap bulk wine being presented in heavyweight bottles, with luxurious thick stock labels and corks hand dipped in wax. Traditional presentation is preferred over modern designs and gift boxing can make or break a deal. And while I believe in screw cap over cork, Australia will have a better chance of competing in China if they seal their stock in cork – at least the reds.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 25

SPIRITS

ADELAIDE HILLS DISTILLERY RELEASES ‘SUNSET’ GIN NEW $253 MILLION DISTILLERY FOR THE MACALLAN REVEALED International premium spirits company Edrington has revealed its new $253 million distillery and visitor experience for The Macallan.

Edrington is investing a total of $902 million in the brand, with the new distillery as the centrepiece – allowing production of The Macallan to increase by approximately a third. Other focuses of the investment include warehousing, particularly in The Macallan’s signature sherryseasoned oak casks.

The distillery is designed by an internationally acclaimed architect, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, who were selected after an international competition.

The striking piece of contemporary architecture is cut into the slope of the land, taking its cues from ancient Scottish hills and maximising the aesthetic beauty of the building while minimising the visual impact on the Speyside landscape, which has been classified as an ‘Area of Great Landscape Value’.

In particular, the roof of the structure is one of the most complicated timber structures in the world, comprising 1,800 single beams, 2,500 different roof elements, and 380,000 individual components, almost none of which are equal or the same.

“The Macallan estate truly is a special place; a place we have come to love and respect hugely,” said Graham Stirk, Senior Partner and Lead Architect for Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.

“The vision was always ambitious, but this enabled us to challenge our own thinking to create something so dramatic and awe-inspiring.”

The new distillery is located on the Easter Elchies Estate in Speyside.

The project was announced in 2012 and the build began in December 2014, with the first whisky running through the stills in December of last year. The visitor experience opened its doors to the public on 2 June.

“As The Macallan has grown globally it has been very important that we make sure we can sustain demand for this wonderful amber liquid,” added Ken Grier, The Macallan’s Creative Director.

MR BLACK MOVES TO SOUTHTRADE SouthTrade International will begin exclusive distribution of Australian craft spirit brand Mr Black, representing its Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur and Coffee Amaro expressions.

Mr Black was previously distributed by Vanguard Luxury Brands; the new deal with SouthTrade became effective from 1 July.

“We are looking forward to joining the SouthTrade family and are confident this move will allow Mr Black to develop further as the world leader in premium coffee liqueurs,” says Tom Baker, founder of Mr Black.

“We make coffee by night and distil botanicals during the day, and we’re excited to continue our mission to take Australian craft coffee into the night.

“With the SouthTrade team’s knowledge and expertise, we plan to expand Mr Black through a broader distribution footprint, drinks strategy and further innovation.

“We would like to thank James France and the Vanguard team for all of their passion and hard work carried out during the first phase of the Mr Black journey.”

SouthTrade International Managing Director Ray Noble is also delighted with the deal.

“With the explosion of the Espresso Martini and SouthTrade’s proven success in the coffee liqueur category, we are delighted that Mr Black has made the decision to partner with SouthTrade,” says Noble.

“Mr Black is definitely the new ‘up and coming’ brand which is rapidly

26 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Adelaide Hills Distillery has announced the newest addition to its range of spirits: a pink gin inspired by remote Australian sunsets.

The first of its style for the distillery, 78 Degrees Sunset Gin incorporates both native Australian and European ingredients.

78 Degrees Sunset Gin encapsulates the distinctive taste of all Adelaide Hills Distillery products, boasting flavours of Strawberry Gum, Bush Apple, Juniper and Rosella, and exhibits fresh red berries with hints of pine and eucalyptus.

The ingredients also display hues seen in unique Australian sunsets, changing from vibrant pink colours to soft purplish tones with further botanical integration adding depth and complexity.

Tobias Kline, Co-founder of Adelaide Hills Distillery, said: “The last few years we’ve seen a real shift towards quality products so we were excited to embark on this journey of making a craft pink gin and strengthening our spirit offering in this category.

“We’ve continued to keep sustainability at the forefront and as with all our spirits, crafted 78 Degrees Sunset Gin with minimal environmental impact by using our renowned 78 degree distillation process which involves individually vaporising every ingredient to achieve consistency and create a gin that is alike that of rosé wine rather than being overtly juniper heavy.”

Nikki Daven, Adelaide Hills Distiller Brand Manager at SouthTrade, said: “It’s a great opportunity to speak to trends towards lighter style drinking options, with a spirit that is locally produced and encapsulates the botanical flavoured profile of craft gins, from an award-winning distillery.”

78 Degrees Sunset Gin is available nationally from 1 July and retails for $74.99.

gaining a following with bartenders, baristas and consumers alike.

“With innovation and craft at the forefront of their story, we believe that Mr Black’s goals marry seamlessly with SouthTrade’s vision to drive long-term success and awareness for the Australian craft spirit category.

“With the likes of Starward, Adelaide Hills Distillery and now Mr Black, SouthTrade continues to build a strong reputation in the industry as a supporter of local spirits and an innovator in the drinks education space.”

Ray Noble and Tom Baker.

BREWING

WILLIE SMITH’S BONE DRY LAUNCHED IN CANS

BATCH BREWING INCREASES PRODUCTION OF ELSIE A year since launching its Elsie The Milk Stout in 440ml nitro cans, Batch Brewing, in Sydney’s inner west, says it’s had to increase production due to its popularity.

According to co-owner Andrew Fineran, the nitro cans bring the take-home option for the stout up to par with the experience of having Elsie on Tap in the brewery – but the process of putting nitrogen into cans is not to be taken lightly.

“We are one of the only breweries in Australia to put nitrogen into package and I get why not a lot of people do it now.

“Essentially, we put liquid nitrogen into the can and it evaporates and expands 700 times in the process. That makes the can nice and firm while the nitrogen absorbs in the beer. The end result is a really nice, creamy texture from the small nitrogen bubbles that escape when you drink the beer. It’s all about getting that nice creamy texture,” he said.

The beer, which is currently available in Sydney metro and occasionally into Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth through Redwood logistics, has proven to be popular year-round – despite being a stout.

“We expected a drop off over the summer, but to be honest it kept going and now we’ve had to increase our production for the SKU again. It’s a great winter time drink, but you know what… it really works in the summer as well,” said Fineran.

With its creamy, chocolatey characters, Elsie is suited to many palates, and Fineran says that he has also seen it appealing to many non-beer drinkers.

“Elsie is a creamy, smooth stout that would suit many palates. It’s great for any time of the year, but during winter it’s perfect for those cold nights (instead of a red wine). And, try it with chocolate.”

Elsie retails for $23-$25 for a 440ml four-pack.

LION TO LAUNCH FULL STRENGTH IRON JACK Lion is building on its hugely successful launch of Iron Jack by releasing a full strength version of the beer.

The launch of the mid strength Iron Jack in 2017, was lauded as the most successful beer release in a decade, after selling more than 16 million litres in its first eight months.

Lion’s Contemporary Portfolio Manager, Amy Darvill said: “Iron Jack is a brand inspired by Australia’s legendary outdoorsmen and the traditional values they portray like loyalty, strength and generosity.

“It’s about recognising that the role of the modern Aussie male is evolving, but those old school traits are still as important now as they used to be.”

Iron Jack Full Strength Lager will be 4.2 per cent ABV and features pale malts with a ‘light dose’ of Saaz hops. The beer is preservative free and has 30 per cent fewer carbs than regular full strength beers.

The launch of Iron Jack Full Strength will be supported by a new brand campaign and TVC set to launch later in 2018. It will be available nationally from 16 July in 330ml bottles and 375ml cans.

Willie Smith’s has launched its popular Bone Dry cider into cans, the first canning by the Tasmanian cider maker.

Bone Dry officially launched at Dark Mofo, which took place in June, with the cans subsequently rolling out across Australia in June and July, with a $26.99 RRP for a four-pack.

“We wanted to do something different to celebrate the Tasmanian winter and darkness and so the Willie Smith’s Bone Dry can is a great expression of the Tasmanian winter – cold, dark and dry,” said Willie Smith’s Owner Sam Reid.

“Affectionately called #bigwillie after the burning man at the Mid-Winter Festival, this is our first foray into cans.

“It taps into the growth of the drier style ciders and gives consumers an alternative to some of the other mainstream ‘hard’ ciders on the market.

“We think it drinks better out of the can than it does on tap or out of the bottle and so we’re excited to see where this goes.”

Willie Smith’s is following the launch of Bone Dry in cans by making its Traditional Cider also available in a 355ml can, which will also have a $26.99 RRP for a four-pack.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 27

SHOPPER INSIGHTS

Online liquor retailing NOT JUST FOR THE BIG BOYS AND THE ONLINE PUREPLAYS NORRELLE GOLDRING LOOKS AT THE ROLE AND CASE FOR ONLINE LIQUOR RETAILING, REGARDLESS OF ORGANISATION SIZE.

D

uring the first dotcom bubble in 2000 I briefly worked at Wine Planet, one of the Australian liquor industry’s first online pureplays, and one for which CUB received flak from the major bricks and mortar retailers due to its stake in the company. So what’s changed since then?

To begin with, the bricks and mortar big boys are now some of the biggest in the online space, Dan Murphy’s and BWS in particular.

The size of online liquor sales has been growing steadily. According to a KPMG 2017 Global Online Consumer Report, alcohol was the third most purchased category online after ‘women’s apparel’ and ‘books and music’ – beating out online sales of men’s apparel and electronics. KPMG indicates that bricks and mortar retailers have opportunities in the online space due to consumer familiarity with and trust in them.

In Australia, according to IBISWorld’s Online Beer, Wine and Liquor Sales Report released in January this year, online liquor sales were worth $446 million, or approximately four per cent of total liquor in the current year. This is in line with online grocery sales, which are currently around four per cent of total grocery. Industry revenue is expected to increase by 11 per cent in the five years through 2017-18, and forecast to grow by eight per cent each year through to 2022-2023. (Note that as the size of an industry increases typically the growth rate slows in percentage terms as the growth is coming off a higher base the bigger it gets).

NAB’s April 2018 Online Retail Sales Index backs this up, stating that online grocery and liquor are growing at 18.9 per cent, vs 14.1 per cent 12 months ago.

IBISWorld attributes the forecasted growth is partially due to ‘operator improvements in sales systems and delivery methods’. BWS’ 1.5 hour delivery using Sherpa is an example of this.

With 142 businesses stated as being in the online liquor sales space, it feels quite small (but that may just be the online pureplays). At any rate there’s plenty of room for more players, particularly independents. Banner groups such as Liquor Legends, Cellarbrations and Liquor Stax don’t typically appear to do e-commerce at the group level, but their independent member bottle shops may; The Crafty Club is an example of this. Although there is an opportunity at the group level as a sale can be attributed to the store fulfilling the order closest to the customer’s specific catchment area. (Harvey Norman have tried this with their franchised stores, for instance). There are also regional opportunities if the shipping costs can be figured out. Craft beer lovers in Wagga Wagga for instance may currently buy from Plonk in Canberra.

Online pureplays include outfits such as BoozeBud, Jimmy Brings (inner city, but may expand), Hops to Home, Vinomofo, Cracka Wines, Naked Wines, and The Booze Exchange. MyBottleShop.com.au bill themselves as ‘Australia’s #1 online drinks shop’, although it’s not clear by what measure (sales volume?).

Bricks and mortar retailers operating in beer online include Beer Cartel, International Beer Shop, and SlowBeer (one of the first to go online meaningfully in the craft beer space).

Shoppers buy online because they’re looking for range size, convenience, price and product quality (freshness). Typically the current retailer offers above are split into either what I would term ‘core range convenience’, or niche, premium, rare and hard to find products. Those doing the core range convenience also look at speed and convenience of

28 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

delivery (such as crowdsourced deliveries), and price.

Positioning options for bricks and mortar retailers considering e-commerce include: • Category specialisation: Bourbon, Japanese whisky, saké, soju • Rare and/or interesting/niche/premium specialisation • Basic core range: Good price, convenient and fast low/no cost delivery options (eg free delivery over certain spend levels, typically $50-$100).

A note on premium: While online sales might not be for cashed up punters looking to hide cash by buying premium products (they can’t get cash discounts online), it has a role as a service channel for these consumers.

(Cash is dying. According to the RBA’s Consumer Payments report in 2016, the cash transaction rate had dwindled from dominance in 2007 at 69 per cent to minority status at 37 per cent just seven years later, and continues to decline. Australia is one of the world’s top 10 most cashless countries.)

From my personal consumption experience, I still think the evening ‘I’ve run out of wine’ occasion is an opportunity, outside of typical business hours and when the physical liquor stores have shut. There’s an opportunity for retailers to think about the drinking occasions and work to those. If you look at pairing with dinner, for instance, commercial opportunities include add on/partnership with pizza companies and meal delivery platforms such as Menulog for instance. Local independents could buddy up with the local pizza, Chinese, Thai, Indian, and Italian takeaway joints.

Even if you elect not to go the e-commerce route, a website is still virtually mandatory. Aldi don’t yet sell online in Australia (they do in the UK) but they use their website to demonstrates range, promote their special buys, and for branding. Liquor retailers can also use their websites to promote their physical store catalogue tie-ins.

ABOUT NORRELLE GOLDRING Norrelle has 20 years’ experience in the liquor industry and in retail, category, channel and customer strategy, marketing and research, working in and with global retailers, manufacturers and research houses. Contact Norrelle on 0411735190 or email norrellegoldring@hotmail.com

RETAILER PROFILE

OLINDA CELLARS WE TALK SHOP WITH ROSS WILSON THE OWNER AND DIRECTOR OF OLINDA CELLARS IN VICTORIA WHO HAS TURNED HIS PASSION FOR WINE INTO A SUCCESSFUL RETAIL BUSINESS. Q HOW DID YOU GET INTO LIQUOR RETAILING? One of my first jobs out of school was full time at the local Woolworths (then Safeway) in the liquor department. I had very little exposure to alcohol, in particular wine, but was immediately interested in learning why one wine was more valuable than another, where they came from and what the category was all about? After three years and having worked my way up to the role of area manager for the region I vowed to one day open a store in the area where I grew up as it was lacking a quality retailer. Twelve years later Olinda Cellars opened its doors to the public.

Q WHAT’S THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND YOUR STORE? I am very focused on supporting family owned and operated vignerons and producers. I like to know where, why and how products are made and the best way to find this out is to speak first hand to the people who live and breathe it. I love relaying this information to my customers, it gives them a sense of place. I try where I can to only stock wines with a maximum production of 5000 cases annually as well as mixing things up seasonally. We focus on dark beers in winter and ales in summer but there’s always a broad selection available for those looking for the obscure. We also pride ourselves in not just providing great customer service, but also great customer relations. We want to know our customers, know their names and their lifestyle. It’s a privilege to be able to recommend a product that will enhance our customers’ needs and to be able to carry stock to their cars or offer to gift wrap items for them.

Being on the doorstep of the Yarra Valley we have

a large local and regional focus. Supporting the local community whether it’s urban or rural is a vital part of any business.

Q HOW DO YOU STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE WITH NEW RELEASES? This is always a challenge but it’s one that I revel in.

It gives me exposure to the industry and a myriad of products but we’re very diligent about what makes it onto our shelves. For example, if I have an opening for a $30 Shiraz from the Yarra valley, I’ll take a trip to cellar doors or research producers based on their specifications and benchmark around six to 10 wines in a blind tasting and then stock the wine the best represents its value and regionality. That is the fun part of the business for me.

Q WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS AN INDEPENDENT LIQUOR RETAILER? The competition in the market is almost overwhelming, which is one of the great hurdles for us. The retail liquor industry is quite cutthroat and extremely price competitive, we just have to find products that are unique and almost exclusive to us. Certainly locally there is no point stocking all the same items as the local stores.

All independent retailers and producers should make a point of dropping in and getting to know your locals.

Often it is the mum or dad who has kids at the local school or club. We’re confident in selling products we believe in, it’s not just our business, it’s our livelihood and we often go above and beyond to secure returning clientele. There’s a great saying in the industry, ‘I’ll only sell you a bad wine once, but I’ll sell you a good wine many times over’.

“There’s a great saying in the industry, ‘I’ll only sell you a bad wine once, but I’ll sell you a good wine many times over’.”

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 29

FATHER’S DAY

A TOAST TO DAD WHEN IT COMES TO OCCASION-BASED SHOPPING, FATHER’S DAY PRESENTS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR RETAILERS; BUT HOW CAN THEY PREPARE FOR THE OCCASION AND WHAT’S HOT FOR THIS YEAR, NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS, INVESTIGATES.

1. THE BALVENIE 12 For dads who like gifts that are a little more unique and undiscovered, The Balvenie 12 is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Double Wood process with a limited edition anniversary canister for this year only. It a piece of whisky history and also happens to be made by William Grant & Sons that was named ‘Scotch Whisky Producer of the Year’ at the prestigious International Spirits Challenge awards, 2017.

Distributed by William Grant & Sons.

2. GLENFIDDICH 12 2

W

hen it comes to shopping for dad on Father’s Day, liquor (primarily whisk(e)y, red wine, and beer) is the third most popular gift choice, according to a Father’s Day Shopping Behaviour Quantitative Study completed by GfK.

SO HOW CAN RETAILER’S BEST PREPARE AND PROFIT FROM THE OCCASION? If retailers are aware of the patterns and behaviours of gift givers in the lead-up to Father’s Day then there are a lot of opportunities to both prepare for this major gift giving occasion and subsequently to make the most out of it.

According to GfK’s study, the vast majority of shoppers plan in late August or the week before Father’s Day, with most purchasing occurring just before the actual day. But this does not mean that retailers can’t start raising awareness earlier. The research showed that shoppers look for ideas and inspiration, citing more in-store and physical displays as good triggers for purchasing behaviour.

In fact, 89 per cent of liquor purchases for Father’s Day are made in-store rather than online, so the opportunity for retailers to engage with gift givers and guide them through purchase choices is huge. For the majority of people buying Father’s Day gifts, the process of gift giving is about togetherness, according to the study, which adds that people are seeking tradition and history, not just commerciality, which does fit well with lots of liquor brands that have stories and a history that is likely to connect with many buyers.

Additionally the study found that with those buying liquor they have confidence in the reasons for their purchase because they know that it is something that their Father will like, it’s something that he will use and that it is meaningful to him.

Father’s Day is also about giving a physical gift, with the study finding that is the preferred option over vouchers or experiences for 70 per cent of gift givers. Also, the gifts that are being bought are generally a bit bigger than usual in either size, elaborateness or expense plus they are more thoughtful and are usually based on something that dad wants rather than needs, which again plays perfectly into the liquor purchase area.

So if retailers understand the type of gifts that people are looking to give for Father’s Day, it then becomes about different ideas about what are the hot gifts this year, so here are a few ideas…

30 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

1

Some shoppers may not be as familiar with the category as their dad is, so it’s important they have confidence and assurance the whisky gift they’re buying will be well received. Glenfiddich 12, as the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky, offers such assurance and is an affordable trade up from blended Scotch for something a little more special on Father’s Day. Distributed by William Grant & Sons.

3. COOPERS VINTAGE ALE Coopers’ 2018 Vintage Ale is the 18th release in the limited edition seasonal series that was launched in 1998.

This season’s release has a new-look rondel label (ale label), bringing it into the same style label as Coopers’ other ales. Using Aramis hops from France and malt from Kangaroo Island, this beer promises to have a full bodied balance of flavours.

Distributed by Coopers

3

4

4. THE MCGUIGAN HAND MADE SHIRAZ 2015 Following the success of its flagship wine The Philosophy, McGuigan is releasing its Hand Made Shiraz as a limited edition. The 2015 vintage is a blend of highquality fruit from Langhorne Creek, sourced from a premium single vineyard site.

Distributed by Australian Vintage Limited.

GIVE DAD SOMETHING SPECIAL THIS FATHER’S DAY Limited stock available from August 1.

Contact your Coopers or Premium Beverages Representative to secure your order.

FATHER’S DAY

5 5. CHIVAS REGAL EXTRA Chivas Regal Extra takes the unequalled Chivas House style and Master Blender’s craft to a whole new level. The secret to its exceptional taste lies in selectively blending whiskies matured in first fill Oloroso Sherry Casks. Each Oloroso Sherry Cask is seasoned in Andalucía, Spain before travelling to Scotland to mature the single malts used in this extraordinary blended Scotch whisky.

Distributed by Pernod Ricard Australia.

7 7. FAUSTINO Spanish wine consumption is increasing in Australia and with over 150 years of winemaking experience, Spanish powerhouse, Faustino, is a leading producer of high quality wines with a global reach and reputation. Retailers can feature either the Crianza, Faustino I Gran Reserva for deserving dads.

Distributed by Kollaras & Co.

6 6. FARNESE EDIZIONE 1.5LTR GIFT BOX From famous Italian Abruzzi producer Farnese, who in the last two years have been named Italian winemaker of the year by Luca Maroni, and Italian winery of the year at the Melbourne International Wine Competition, this is a blend of five grape varietals from two different regions and has received a perfect score (99/99) for three vintages in a row.

Distributed by Combined Wines.

8 8. MICHTER’S BOURBON

9

The Michter’s team has a cost-be-damned approach to making whiskey with attention given to every step in the production process, including details like yeast selection, fermentation temperatures, distillation, wood selection and drying of staves through to barrelling proof, air flow conditions in the barrel rickhouse and identifying the peak maturation for bottling and filtration protocol.

Distributed by Vanguard Luxury Brands.

9. JAMESON CASKMATES 10 10. CHIVAS REGAL 18 Chivas Regal 18 Year Old Gold Signature has been produced from whiskies hand selected for their opulent richness and matured for at least 18 years. The result is a uniquely deep, multi-layered and luxurious blend. The visual expression of Chivas 18 on every touch point is based on a harmonious balance of alluring depth and sensorial tactility.

Distributed by Pernod Ricard Australia.

32 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

The Jameson Caskmates range has been finished in beer-seasoned barrels for a truly unique flavour.

Where Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition takes on the richer tasting notes of chocolate, coffee and butterscotch expected from the beer style, Jameson Caskmates IPA edition has become famous its floral, citrus and hoppy notes. Playing to the growth of the Jameson brand, the trends of premiumisation in whiskey and the rise of craft beer, Caskmates offers something new and exciting for beer and whiskey shoppers alike.

Distributed by Pernod Ricard Australia.

FATHER’S DAY

11. BAROSSA VALLEY ESTATE SHIRAZ OR CABERNET SAUVIGNON

11

Father’s Day is an opportunity to introduce dad to the vibrant fruit flavours and pure varietal expressions of Barossa Valley Estate wines. From the heart of the Barossa Valley, these wines offer the alluring exotic spice of Barossa Valley Estate Shiraz, or the seductive blackcurrant richness of Cabernet Sauvignon - wines that made the Barossa great.

Distributed by Delegat.

12

13. AVIATION GIN

13

Aviation is the original small batch New Western Style Dry Gin, made in Portland, Oregon. Leading US mixologist Ryan Magarian, its creator, describes it as a “botanical democracy” of juniper, cardamom, coriander, lavender, anise seed, sarsaparilla, and dried orange peel. With its retro bottle and being owned by Deadpool movie star Ryan Reynolds, Aviation gin has rapidly been gaining momentum in the Australian market.

Distributed by Vanguard Luxury Brands.

12. 2015 SCOTCHMANS HILL SHIRAZ The Bellarine Peninsula has always been recognised for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but food friendly, cool maritime climate Shiraz is fast cementing itself as a dark horse variety of the region. This stellar Shiraz wine displays cool climate characters of dark fruits, plums and black cherries. Drinking beautifully now and will cellar well over the next 10 to 15 years.

Distributed by Scotchmans Hill.

14. OYSTER BAY PINOT NOIR

15

15. KATNOOK ODYSSEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON The 2013 Katnook Odyssey is the 20th vintage release of this internationally awarded and iconic Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. Handcrafted only in outstanding vintages and with meticulous attention to detail, Katnook Odyssey is renowned for its power and finesse. A seamless blend of intense fruit and extended oak maturation, this wine will age gracefully for many years.

Distributed by Wingara Wine Group.

34 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Enjoyed by wine lovers and Fathers around the world, Oyster Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir expresses aromatic cherry, bright red berry and juicy black plum with a smooth and seductive texture. It’s a perfect way to enjoy a celebration with dad.

Distributed by Delegat.

16

14

16. MIASA SAFFRON LIQUEUR This chameleon liqueur is great for any dad enjoying the cocktail at home trend, as it can be used to give cocktails a great boost.

The delicate oriental saffron lifts the flavour profiles in a gin and tonic beautifully and adds an exotic dark yellow tinge.

Distributed by Kollaras & Co.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN WINE REGIONS:

Coonawarra & Barossa

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 35

Katnook Estate Stables & Vineyard.

COONAWARRA

Coonawarra To Cabernet and beyond!

THERE IS MUCH MORE TO COONAWARRA THAN JUST CABERNET SAUVIGNON AND EXPORT MARKETS, AS ANDREW GRAHAM DISCOVERS.

36 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Katnook Estate Historic Buildings.

COONAWARRA

F

rom the outside, Coonawarra seems like just another sleepy Australian town.

It’s a place that people drive through on the way to somewhere else, with vines seen out the window en route to Mount Gambier or Adelaide.

If you stop and talk to producers, however, you can feel that Coonawarra is starting to hum.

Fuelled by a Chinese market that loves classic Australian red wine, the region is selling all the Cabernet Sauvignon they can get their hands on.

HAIL TO THE KING It’s not always recognised, but Coonawarra’s wine history dates all the way back to the 1890s.

Wine pioneer John Riddoch arrived in the area back in 1961, making his money via a trading post in the goldfields. Motivated to establish Coonawarra as a regional agricultural centre, he originally planted 140 acres of vines and eventually crafted his first vintage in 1895.

Riddoch famously kicked off what became the Wynns Coonawarra Estate winery, with the distinctive gabled building crafted in 1896.

That same year Riddoch made his wine in the ‘woolshed’ building that is now the barrel hall of Katnook Estate and later gave Redman Wines founder Bill Redman a job.

But Riddoch’s real legacy is over 350 acres of vineyards planted to the varieties he found ideally suited to the area, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, with small plots of Pinot Noir and Malbec.

Despite the vineyards thus having a focus on several different varieties, one grape has gone on to rule the rest – Cabernet Sauvignon.

Coonawarra has become synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon, to the point where the region has just held Australia’s third ever Cabernet Symposium. Cabernet is king.

It’s a popularity that extends from producer to consumer, as Katnook Marketing Manager Annelie Mitchell explains.

“Clearly for Coonawarra and the majority of the wine drinking world, Cabernet is king,” she said.

It’s a sentiment echoed across the region, and Steven Raidis of Raidis Estate sees that first hand.

“The big demand domestically and internationally is Cabernet from Coonawarra,” he said.

“We could sell two to one of Cabernet Sauvignon versus all other varieties.”

Over at Wynns Coonawarra Estate, Cabernet is more important than ever. Not only is the winery the region’s largest producer, but Wynns also has devoted the most resources to the grape (in both vineyard and winery) with a particular focus on clones and tannin development.

There’s a tacit understanding in the region that Wynns sets the tone for Coonawarra – when Wynns is healthy, so is the region as a whole. And things are going strong at this stalwart winery.

Indeed Wynnsday is just around the corner (as ever, the first Wednesday in August), and this year sees a return of some old favourites, with the return of the John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon and a wine from the Messenger vineyard.

Wynns Senior Winemaker, Sue Hodder believes the 2018 Wynnsday release is noteworthy on all levels.

“Firstly, we see a return of John Riddoch Cabernet from the 2015 vintage. Our clear philosophy is that we only release this Langtons classified ‘Exceptional’ wine in high quality vintages (and) from the very best parcels. The 2015 John Riddoch epitomises these values,” she said.

“Secondly, we have a lot of new insights, stories and findings after tasting 60 vintages of the Wynns Black Label Cabernet in July of 2017. The 2016 is a great example of this historic label in a new era.”

HERE COMES THE QUEEN If Cabernet is the king of Coonawarra, then surely Shiraz is the queen.

As Katnook’s Mitchell notes, Coonawarra Shiraz has a real following too.

“Thanks to an Australian obsession with Shiraz, this varietal also does well, especially for those looking for a cooler climate style compared to some other South Australian wine regions,” she said.

For Raidis, Shiraz is the sleeping giant. “We don’t have enough Shiraz,” he said. “Of all the grapes in Coonawarra, Shiraz is one of the hardest to source more fruit.”

But it’s a peculiar sort of popularity too.

“Shiraz sells really well at cellar door, where people love the cool climate peppery style... but elsewhere; it’s a surprisingly harder sell.”

For Penley Estate, Shiraz represents the future.

In 2015 Ang and Bec Tolley took over Penley from brother Kym, effectively reinventing this established winery in the process. The impressively packaged Wild Ferment Shiraz has been one of the new releases unleashed as part of the makeover, selling out fast.

Penley’s Global Sales Manager Colm Mooney explains more: “We firmly believe that Coonawarra can be the home of more contemporary styles as well as serious Cabernet.

“We are using more small batch fermenters, larger format oak, natural fermentation and this year we are experimenting with a concrete egg.”

BEYOND THE NORM

External Katnook Cellar Door.

“Clearly for Coonawarra and the majority of the wine drinking world, Cabernet is king,” Annelie Mitchell, Katnook Estate.

Tim Heath, Winemaker, Katnook Estate.

Katnook cellar door tasting.

Penley isn’t alone in the push to varieties beyond Cabernet Sauvignon.

Indeed the pull of the fastest growing category in the wine industry has lured a few winemakers to go beyond their usual mode too, as Dan Redman of Redman Wines explains.

“We have couple of projects on the go this year including a very limited release rosé,” he said.

“We jumped on the bandwagon and figured

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 37

COONAWARRA

Leconfield winery at night.

if no one likes it we can drink it ourselves.”

For Leconfield, that pull has also encouraged the winery to produce the first ever Leconfield rosé, using the estate’s old vine Merlot to create a crisp, salmon coloured style.

Actually, Merlot has proved a focal point at Leconfield, with a pair of new clones (R8 and Q45-14) showing promise.

Recent success has come for a variety usually relegated to the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ role too with the 2016 Leconfield Petit Verdot winning two trophies, and the 2017 vintage just about to be released. The future, however, could come from another bridesmaid variety, with the estate’s 36-year-old Cabernet Franc vines now harnessed into a varietal wine that is wonderfully approachable. Or indeed the venerable Leconfield Old Vine Riesling, which continues to deliver surprisingly serious drinking.

Crossing back to Katnook too and amongst the swag of recent releases there is a varietal Tannat and Petit Verdot, with plantings of Malbec, Tempranillo and Pinot Grigio for the future.

Of course, white wines are anything but a natural choice in Coonawarra, with most winemakers relegating whites to an ‘afterthought’. All of which makes Steven Raidis’ focus on Pinot Gris as a hero variety seem crazy.

But Raidis has realised that textural Gris can work, with an array of releases exploring skin contact and oak maturation. This year sees a new PG Project Oak 2016 that involved a puncheon of Pinot Gris fermented in barrel and matured for 18 months on lees.

THE FUTURE COONAWARRA STYLE Despite this move towards alternate varieties, the reality is that Cabernet and Cabernetbased blends are ‘still the one’ – to borrow a botched Channel Nine catchphrase, with worldwide appeal. Sam Brand of Jim Brand Wines knows it well.

Brand has taken over the family business (of sorts) and found great success internationally,

38 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

particularly in the Chinese market. But no matter what happens, Coonawarra’s Cabernet focus is inescapable.

“Aside from the obvious interest from China, we have had a lot of interest from the US asking for Coonawarra wines directly, which is a welcome change,” he said.

“Cabernet will be always the first sell to fit the niche on agents’ portfolio or in stores.”

In domestic retail it’s a similar sentiment, as Bert Werden of WineStar explains.

“As a wine lover I have seen some fine examples of Shiraz and Merlot off Coonawarra’s terra rossa as well as Riesling and Chardonnay,” he said.

“From a retail or accountants view point it is Cabernet then daylight. Fish where the fish are.”

Perhaps the answer to what’s next is not actually about different grapes but a different style.

Brand puts it well: “I don’t think the answer is a raft of new labels and/or funky varietals to chase the trends.

“There is a lot of work being done to make the existing wines more accessible and perhaps more palatable earlier.”

Daniel Redman and Tim Bailey (Leconfield), for example, last year released a wine under the Punch Down Boys label that typifies what could be the future of Coonawarra reds.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with some whole bunch Shiraz and Cabernet Franc, it was deliberately released early to capture a lively, more approachable style of Coonawarra red. It has been well received too, as Redman explains.

“Feedback has been great,” he said.

“It is a lot of fun making wine with your mate (Tim Bailey) and not taking yourselves too seriously.”

Raidis is also tinkering with style too. He’s crafted a wine called ‘The Red Project 2017’ featuring co-fermented Cabernet, Shiraz and Merlot matured in used Russian oak and built in a style that Raidis describes as a “leaner style with a great acid line that drives the wine”.

Such juicier, less sturdy wines might not necessarily be the future of Coonawarra, however, as Redman notes: “The short answer is no (approachable wines aren’t the future).

“The wines out of 2017 aren’t super structured so it was the perfect year to make an early release minimal intervention wine.

“But if this is a way to help people start slurping Cabernet that is a good thing.”

NAILING THE CABERNET BRIEF Indeed for many producers, the future isn’t about early release/easy drinking wines but instead about aiming for the stars and making the best wine possible.

Redman, for example, is just about to release a super-premium red called the William Wilson (in homage of the Coonawarra founder) made in collaboration with Balnaves of Coonawarra. Similarly, Leconfield is also about to unveil the 2014 Leconfield ‘The Sydney’ Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Natalie Cleghorn, the Yalumba Coonawarra winemaker behind the Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon, believes that if you nail the brief, even the most serious wines can be great drinks from the start.

“In my opinion, the best Coonawarra Cabernets are structured, expressive with sublime tannins,” she said.

“These wines can be enjoyed upon release and into maturity.”

Historically the approach to viticulture in Coonawarra has been almost archaic – this is the home of minimal pruning after all. But that is changing rapidly, with all elements of the process examined, as Cleghorn explains.

“The picking window (for example) is an important step.

“Coonawarra can often expresses itself in a ‘green/eucalypt’ spectrum, while you do not want generic overripe Cabernet, I am mindful of ensuring that I pick when we are just out of this ‘green’ window but still with a lovely crunch of balanced acidity.

COONAWARRA “Finding the right balance of fruit and tannins is imperative once in the winery.

Depending on what the growing season has given, you need to be very mindful of not overworking or on the flip side, not underworking the extraction.”

CHANGING FACES

Leconfield Coonawarra Vineyards.

Finally, there is a common thread among the winemakers pushing the Coonawarra agenda – and it is generational change. Winemakers like Steven Raidis, Daniel Redman, Tim Bailey and Sam Brand are at the forefront of the Coonawarra evolution and it’s no surprise that all represent the next generation of producers.

As Brand explains, it’s an exciting time.

“Growing up in Coonawarra it’s great to see the next generation making their presence felt and influencing the direction of the marketing and as a whole just trying to make Coonawarra more accessible,” he said.

“The region really does have a lot to offer.”

Leconfield cellar door.

Paul Gordonon harvester at Leconfield vineyard.

Leconfield barrels, Coonawarra.

2014 Cabernet Sauvignon The Leconfield Coonawarra estate was established in 1974 by noted oenologist, Sydney Hamilton who at the age of 76 and a winemaking career spanning nearly 60 years, still yearned to make a classic Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.

Selecting Coonawarra as the region to fulfil his ambitious dream, Sydney began to plant his vineyard and built his winery naming it Leconfield, after an English ancestor, Lord Leconfield.

This wine pays homage to Sydney’ s dream.

+ 61 (0)8 8323 8830

www.leconfieldwines.com

info@leconfieldwines.com

15454 Riddoch Highway Coonawar ra

Chateau Tanunda’s view across the Barossa.

THE BAROSSA

The new old world

WITH ITS ANCIENT SOIL AND HISTORIC VINEYARDS THE BAROSSA IS AN OLD WORLD WINE REGION IN A NEW WORLD COUNTRY AND ANDY YOUNG TAKES A LOOK AT HOW THE REGION IS PERFORMING AND WHAT YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO FROM THE 2018 VINTAGE.

40 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

THE BAROSSA

T

he Barossa is a key Australian wine region, important to the industry as a whole and important to many retailers with the sales opportunities and revenues that wines from the region bring.

It’s a region that brings to life Australian wine in a unique way, from its powerhouse Shiraz to its elegant Riesling as well as Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon and Chardonnay, the Barossa justifiably has the tag of one of the world’s great wine regions.

When Adelaide was named recently as one of the world’s ‘Great Wine Capitals’, the Barossa was an integral part of that process. It’s with good reason as well that the Barossa is so well regarded, not just in Australia but around the world: Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace are two wines that are some of Australia’s most premium and sought after, and both are Barossa Shiraz.

Since 1842, wine has been a way of life in Barossa and today the region is home to more than 550 grape-growing families, supplying grapes to more than 170 wine

aged in the same French oak barrels but producing very different flavour profiles.

“The diversity of the soil is what creates the distinct differences.”

Geber adds, “A true discovery of the Barossa, these wines are comparable to some of the best single vineyard styles in the world. The Ebenezer District Shiraz was recently judged the best 2016 Barossa Shiraz by wine writer Huon Hooke, with the 2016 vintage regarded as the best since 1998.”

THE 2018 VINTAGE So while we already know what to expect from the 2016 vintage, what can we look forward to from the 2018 vintage? Many of the region’s winemakers welcomed the ‘Indian summer’ that was experienced with above average temperatures in March and early April, as Trina Smith the Winemaker at Jacob’s Creek explains, “In the Barossa there were higher than average winter rainfalls, but less than average spring and summer rainfalls. January and February were warm and dry, which led to slightly lower crops than anticipated.

“We at Château Tanunda will always be heavyweight boxers but we will be an elegant heavyweight boxer like Mohammed Ali,” John Geber, Owner, Château Tanunda. companies. Many of those families are now in the sixth generation and still working the same plot of land and utilising the wonderful soil that the region offers.

One winery that is making the most of the terroir that the Barossa offers is Château Tanunda, which is a showcase of the Barossa’s genuine wine culture over three centuries, having been built in 1890.

Privately owned by the Geber family and sold in 45 countries, Château Tanunda is an icon of the Barossa, and as such has produced a range which highlights the diversity of the region’s soil which is among the oldest and most diverse in the world. The Terroirs of the Barossa range, showcases the unique nature of the Barossa’s terroir, as the winery’s owner John Geber explains, “We take grapes from the Ebenezer district, Eden Valley, the Maranaga district and Greenock, all districts that make up the Barossa. These are four different wines, all the same variety, made by the same winemaker, with the same gentle basket-pressed process, and

“However, the ‘Indian summer’ of March and early April was well received with average temperatures and only a small amount of rain in the Barossa and Eden Valley. It was perfect for ending the 2018 vintage.

“Highlights include some lovely vibrant flavours and colour in the Shiraz parcels from the Barossa Valley. The Chardonnay from Eden Valley is maintaining its acid, and showcasing the characteristic citrus and grapefruit notes.”

Yalumba’s Head of Winemaking, Louisa Rose was similarly excited by how both the reds and whites are looking for this year’s vintage, saying, “Flavours and colours in reds are wonderful, and natural acids in the Eden Valley whites surprisingly high, with early standout varieties this year including Riesling, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet.”

Torbreck’s Chief Winemaker, Ian Hongell said that the cold and dry start to winter, followed by above average rain in July and August, plus further rainfall as the temperatures started to warm up

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 41

THE BAROSSA

Understanding white wines from the Barossa.

View of Barossa Hills.

A vineyard picnic at Jacob’s Creek.

“Shiraz is very important to us as the Barossa is Jacob’s Creek’s home. There were also some lovely diverse Grenache and Tempranillo coming out of the Barossa in 2018,” Trina Smith, Winemaker, Jacob’s Creek.

had “resulted in good canopy growth and bunch formation”, which set the vineyards up well for the summer months. The lack of further significant heatwaves meant that the season progressed well.

He adds, “The Torbreck 2018 vintage commenced on 12 February, harvesting Semillon from the Philippou vineyard in the western edge of Rowland Flat. By the beginning of April, our other white varieties of Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier had all been picked. Good flavours were achieved across the sites and show great vibrancy and texture.

“Yields have been slightly down due to the drier conditions over summer, however the slow ripening from the mild temperatures has allowed for great colour and flavour development.”

The optimism for a strong 2018 vintage continues at Château Tanunda as well with what Geber describes as “one of the most exceptional long Indian summers in recent memory”. Adding, “Warm days and cool nights. Deep red colours and great balance in the wines. With vintage ending on 2 May the patient pickers can expect great flavours”.

KEY VARIETALS It’s easy to point to the key drivers from the region as being Barossa Valley Shiraz and Eden Valley Riesling

42 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

and there is no doubting the quality and importance of these wines. The 2018 Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA) and IRI State of the Industry Report, highlighted Shiraz as the second highest growth varietal in 2017 – secondly only to rosé. Over the course of 2017 the Shiraz segment grew by five per cent, adding $27m, so it remains a massively important grape for Australian retailers, but Smith says that the winemakers are always looking to introduce good quality wines.

“Shiraz is very important to us as the Barossa is Jacob’s Creek’s home. There were also some lovely diverse Grenache and Tempranillo coming out of the Barossa in 2018. For whites, Eden Valley is very important to us, for both Riesling and Chardonnay, but in regard to new white varietals at present we are more looking into the Adelaide Hills. We are always experimenting and looking for different varieties in varying regions.”

A similar sentiment comes from Geber, who says “we are highlighting that the Barossa is much more than Shiraz. We have some of the oldest and rarest producing vineyards in the world. The 1858 Field Blend, for example, we believe could be the oldest field blend in the world, made up of Mourvèdre, Grenache and Malbec. As far as we know, the Malbec could be the oldest Malbec in the world”.

THE BAROSSA EXCEPTIONAL ELEGANCE Wines from the Barossa are as elegant and powerful as ever and remain hugely important to retailers, especially with the ALSA-IRI Report highlighting that wines priced $20-$29.99 are showing the strongest growth of all the price brackets.

Geber explains, “This is a critical [price] point to be involved in.

When you compare our Barossa quality/price ratio, we compete equally with the best of Napa and Bordeaux which are at least twice our price. With greater consumer awareness of responsible drinking retailers can encourage consumers to drink one great bottle of Grand Barossa rather than two average cheaper wines”.

In summing what makes the region so special, Geber adds, “Barossa has much variation and is a mini wine world in a region.

We at Château Tanunda will always be heavyweight boxers but we will be an elegant heavyweight boxer like Mohammed Ali – we have weight and exceptional elegance”.

“When you compare our Barossa quality/price ratio, we compete equally with the best of Napa and Bordeaux which are at least twice our price,” John Geber, Owner, Château Tanunda.

Chateau Tanunda’s vines.

BEER TASTING

TINA PANOUTSOS

NEAL CAMERON

JUSTIN FOX

MICHAEL CAPALDO

GRAHAM WRIGHT CHARLIE WHITTING

TAM ALLENBY

IN THIS ISSUE OUR PANELISTS TASTE THE LATEST NEW RELEASE BEER AND CIDER, HERE ARE THE RESULTS.

EAST 9TH BREWING DOSS BLOCKOS: THE COLOUR OF BEER UNLIMITED PALE ALE 4.4% ABV, 330ml can Very pale, almost a gold/ amber in colour, with a good head. Aromas of fresh citrusy hops balanced by a soft and gentle creamy malt. Not a bad start! And this malt gentleness carries onto to the palate: soft gentle malt, great length, gentle hops – with a clean, crisp finish. Good balance. It’s a tad simple, but is quite enjoyable.

Style: Pale ale E9thbrewing.com

JAMES SQUIRE JACK OF SPADES PORTER 5% ABV, 345ml The black colour and offwhite foam conjure thoughts of coffee, roasted barley, dark chocolate and richness – well this porter delivers and delivers well. A light roasted character is followed up by a hint of smoky ash in the aroma and follows through to the palate with a light astringency. The finish is well rounded and balanced by moderate malt sweetness and bitterness. Very delicate overall.

Style: Porter Jamessquire.com.au

COASTAL BREWING CO BLACK HEAD MILK STOUT

FOX HAT FULL MONGREL RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT

4.7% ABV, 375ml can A thick brown head coats the glass, and a slightly peaty nose segues through to a smokey and seemingly peat-driven malt base. The hops are restrained, which is true for style and allows a thick malt backbone with mild sweetness to follow through and deliver a complex range of dark roasted flavours. A great winter warmer!

Style: Milk stout Thecoastalbrewingcompany. com

10% ABV, 375ml can Black, black, black with a dark creamy head. On the nose: soft rich, roasted malt, slight herbal hop lift and loads of bitter coffee and soy sauce flavours. Intriguing. On the palate: initially creamy sweet malt and the high roast, bitter coffee flavours kick in. And this flows right to end, leaving you with a lingering strong, cold espresso coffee flavour. And the texture is sublimely rich. Wow! This is quite some journey.

Style: Russian imperial stout Foxhatbrewing.com.au

HIX IRISH STOUT

BENTSPOKE DRIFTER SERIES RED NUT IPA

5% ABV, 500ml A thick black colour greets the senses and the aroma of coffee, malt and roast malt set the scene for a somewhat strange yet gracefully complex beer. The body is medium dry and has a lovely astringent and acrid bite, yet remains balanced throughout. A very good example of style, and overall, it’s delicious!

Style: Irish stout Hickinbotham.biz

44 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

7% ABV, 375ml can This beer is a gem that can be summed as: big red, big head, big flavour. Rich and malty, with a great colour, and an expressive hoppy nose, not to mention a good dose of high roast malt. This carries onto the palate as well, and that roasted malt just lingers on and on. Another great job from the brewers at BentSpoke.

Style: Red IPA Bentspokebrewing.com.au

RED HILL HARVEST IPA

RED HILL HARVEST ESB

5.5% ABV, 330ml A hazy, citrusy IPA with traditional US hop character in melon and lime, but also full of dank pine hop notes with a nod to a more retro palate.

The drinker seems to chase the first few sips for flavour, but once half way through the bottle the flavours settle your senses and envelop your mouth with a feeling of spicy, citrus bliss.

Style: IPA Redhillbrewery.com.au

6% ABV, 330ml ESB is an old-fashioned style of beer that concentrates on the malt and subdues the hops – very much at odds with what’s currently popular.

So, they must be done well to be a star. We’re looking for complex rounded malt character and layers of yeast character. There’s no doubt that Red Hill has the lineage and experience to do this, but in this example, there’s not a lot of yeast character, the malt is somewhat simple and the supporting hop is just a little too shy to make its presence felt.

Style: ESB Redhillbrewery.com.au

BATCH BREWING TANK 6 IMPERIAL STOUT

SAUCE BREWING PISS-WEAK SAUCE SESSION IPA

9.8% ABV, 640ml A wonderfully thick and rich head presents in the glass.

Once the head fades away the aroma penetrates to the very core of your olfactory senses, offering toffee, coffee, tobacco, plum, licorice and dark candy aromas and flavours. For 9.8% ABV this beer is incredibly well balanced and is an excellent example of a high alcohol dark beer.

Style: Imperial stout Batchbrewingco.com.au

3.5% ABV, 375ml can A craft drinker’s mid-strength to the core, this beer has a deep haze reminiscent of a NEIPA but with the balance to match its middling alcohol percentage. The hop balance is slightly towards the bitter side and the malt is a touch dry and grainy, though hop flavour and aroma are fresh and tick all the boxes for what we like to see in a midstrength IPA. Style: Session IPA Sauce.beer

BEER TASTING

ENDEAVOUR ARGYLE ALE VINTAGE 2018 BARLEY WINE 8.7% ABV, 640ml This is the colour of a best bitter, dark amber tending towards orange, with little head to speak of. The aroma is sweet, like dried apricots or preserved fruits. Caramel and spicy notes also leap out, and all these flavours continue to dominate the palate. It’s deliciously sweet but that spiciness stops things becoming saccharine, as well as mellowing the warmth from that high alcohol content. Only 500 bottles (now 499) bottles were made, so gets your hands on it if you can!

Style: Barley wine Endeavourbeer.com

BALTER IIPA 8.6% ABV, 500ml can Pours quite a light colour in the glass, with a very floral, pineapple, aroma reminiscent of grapefruit. Knocking it back, there’s only a light balancing malt – not too sweet, allowing the hops to shine – and a residual bitterness. It hides the alcohol ridiculously well, and beware of the 500ml can, you could find yourself at the bottom of it a little too soon. With an Untappd rating currently sitting at a massive 4.14, it’s clear that punters can’t get enough of this juicy little number – pity it’s all sold out by now!

Style: Double IPA Balter.com.au

4 PINES STOUT 5.1% ABV, 330ml As the 4 Pines team continues its endeavour for this beer to be certified for consumption in space, we’ll continue to enjoy it right here on Earth.

Pitch black with a tan head, the aroma is dominated by the more aggressive side of the roast spectrum, charred malt over dark coffee and bitter cocoa. Early chocolate and caramel sweetness on the palate brings balance and allows the intensity of the roasted malt to merge back into a medium perceived bitterness. The stout finishes with a dry acidity and just the right amount of bubbles for an experience in zero gravity.

Style: Dry Irish stout 4pinesbeer.com.au

FOX HAT PHAT MONGREL OATMEAL STOUT 6.5% ABV, 375ml can Pitch black with a bone foam, the nose is assaulted with roast malt, chocolate, cocoa and dribs of aniseed.

It’s an enticing meld that holds throughout the beer, occasionally subsiding to let a hop note poke out – more grass than fruit. The palate delivers more of the same blend, with liquorice and dry roast taking the lead over an assertive bitterness that hangs a little over a dry tail. Hop flavour lends an earthy note that supports the cacophony of flavours, tying everything together and leaving you wanting more.

Style: American stout Foxhatbrewing.com.au

SAILORS GRAVE LEMON MERINGUE CREAM SOUR

BRIDGE ROAD BREWERS ROBUST PORTER

4.8% ABV, 355ml can This little number from the experimental brewers at Sailors Grave has a clean and clear look to it, pale and with no head to speak of.

On the nose, the first sniff reveals lemon and an almost strawberry-like sweetness.

Taking a gulp was an exercise in nostalgia – this beer tastes like a Splice ice cream – and is a real flavour journey. It starts off with a citrus hit of acidity that’s mellowed out by a rounded creaminess and vanilla sweetness. It almost feels like it ‘flips’ in your mouth. This really is a peculiarly pleasant beer.

Style: Sour Sailorsgravebrewing.com

5.2% ABV, 330ml A wall of chocolate flavours on the nose, very heavy and intense. Other flavours struggle to get noticed, but a hint of coffee and roasted smoke aromas also peek through. It’s a dark chocolate aroma and taste, though, so it’s not sweet or creamy – instead there’s a pleasant bitterness that doesn’t let you go, long after you’ve swallowed. And while there’s a malty weight to the flavour, the mouthfeel isn’t too heavy. This number would certainly warm your cockles during the winter months, or by the campfire.

Style: Robust porter Bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

LA SIRÈNE CITRAY SOUR 4.5% ABV, 330ml can La Sirene’s second can release is a harmonious marriage of farmhouse and acidity, wrapped up in portable aluminium. A bold tartness moves quickly from abrupt to mellow, as a prolific orange aromatic settles in and brings the beer into balance. The citrus sways from orange to a limoncello note, back to orange zest then onto grapefruit in an almost continual transition of sensation. The can neck promises an orange, citrus and sour focus and the beer delivers on all three counts. A zippy brew that will perfectly fit between your summer pale ales to help reset and refresh.

Style: Sour farmhouse ale Lasirene.com.au

PRANCING PONY MAGIC CARPET MIDNIGHT RIDE STOUT 9% ABV, 330ml Deep, dark and mysterious, a rich and creamy beige foam sits atop this beautiful black beauty. A slightly roasted, coffee-like aroma combines with dark chocolate undertones on the palate and lingers with a smooth, warming complexity. A subtle sweet butterscotch note rounds out the slight ashen astringency and provides a savouring balance that keeps you coming back for more.

Style: Imperial stout Prancingponybrewery.com.au

STONE & WOOD PILOT BATCH: WILDERNESS HONEY CREAM ALE 5.3% ABV, 500ml Pours a clear, bright yellow.

The nose is all spices, and very intriguing – think cloves, cinnamon, ginger, etc. – just urging you to take a sip. The spiciness continues onto the palate, with a tingling effervescence backed by the aforementioned clove and ginger notes. There’s an essence of honey and smoke in the aftertaste, as well as some strawberry sweetness. It finishes nice and dry, sending you back for more, and the whole journey begins again. A very surprising but tasty beer.

Style: Cream ale Stoneandwood.com.au

COASTAL BREWING COMPANY SEVEN MILE IPA 6.6% ABV, 375ml can The problem with making and reviewing beers for a living is that faults figure too highly; the average punter will be much less critical and rightly so. But here’s a beer that is impenetrably competent, an IPA from the IPA textbook with a brewer that’s got the hang of things.

Hop aroma is almost a caricature US profile, resiny and citrus and it sits atop a clean malt body with the quiet confidence of a public schoolboy. A beer that could easily become a daily pleasure.

Style: American IPA Thecoastalbrewingcompany. com

This tasting was originally conducted for the Winter Issue 45 of Beer & Brewer.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 45

WINE TASTING

THE RED BLENDS TASTING

THE PANEL

1. Amy Hayes, PR & Media Manager, McWilliam’s Wines

3. Christine Ricketts, Wine Education Manager, The Wine Quarter

6. Michael Quirk, Wine Educator, Hunter Fine Wine Company

2. Andrew Stubbs, Vine – Providore of Fine Wine

4. Daryl Fisher, General Manager, Fisher Fine Wine

7. Reneé Foster, Communications & Marketing Manager, Moppity Vineyards

5. Deborah Jackson, Editor, National Liquor News

THE PANEL’S PICKS

95

Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz Barossa Valley VIN: 2031 LUC: $45.15

“I loved this Cabernet dominant blend with balance, poise and grippy tannins and structure” Andrew Stubbs

46 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

93

Shingleback Local Heroes Shiraz Grenache McLaren Vale VIN: 2016 LUC: $15.05

“Enjoyable aromas of blackberry, vanilla and mocha. Medium body and grippy tannins” Amy Hayes

90

Cumulus Rolling Cabernet Merlot Central Ranges VIN: 2015 LUC: $11.72

“Deep and youthful with developed notes.

Leather and dried fruits with firm tannins. Still so youthful but with excellent aging potential” Christine Ricketts

WINE TASTING LUC $18 AND OVER

95

91

“Bright lifted, cocoa dusted fruits, medium bodied and elegant style. Quite complex with tobacco notes, lovely palate weight with the flavours building on the finish” – Reneé Foster

“A bold, dark style with blackberry jam, liquorice and spice. Dark and brooding with good tannin and acid. Needs time” – Reneé Foster

“Old oak, violets, cloves, blackcurrant, soft tannins and very elegant. Great balance, length and clarity” – Michael Quirk

“Lots of oak, soft long lasting tannins but I found it to be lacking fruit” – Michael Quirk

McGuigan Philosophy Cabernet Shiraz South Australia VIN: 2014 LUC: $75.25

94

Katnook Estate The Caledonian Cabernet Shiraz Coonawarra VIN: 2015 LUC: $36.40 “Very fruit forward but a lovely length. Could use some more time” – Christine Ricketts “Beautifully balanced with lifted spices, savoury red fruits and grippy tannins. Yum!” – Andrew Stubbs

93

Yalumba FDR1A Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz Eden Valley VIN: 2013 LUC: $31.93 “Dark fruit and mocha oak aromas. Bright cherry mingling with lovely vanilla flavours. Very smart and enjoyable wine” – Amy Hayes

Pepper Tree Strandlines Cabernet Shiraz Wrattonbully VIN: 2014 LUC: $40.31

90

Wynns Coonawarra Estate V&A Lane Cabernet Shiraz Coonawarra VIN: 2016 LUC: $41.98 “Dark fruits, a bit green, cedar, fruit cake. Good weight and balance” – Daryl Fisher “Rich and textured with dark fruits and a long and smoky finish” – Deborah Jackson

89

St. Hugo Cabernet Shiraz Coonawarra/Barossa Valley VIN: 2013 LUC: $27.85 “Vibrant lifted red fruit nose. Clean and bright with integrated tannins. A really moreish wine with good length and freshness for age” – Reneé Foster

“Jammy, blackcurrants, chocolate, fine tannins and amazing balance” – Daryl Fisher

“An elegant wine with lovely red fruit flavours, fine tannins, great structure and length” – Deborah Jackson

92

88

“Funky, mushroom, barnyard floor. Good plummy fruit, spicy, short finish” – Daryl Fisher

“Balanced fruit and oak with a long finish. A lovely, elegant wine” – Christine Ricketts

“Mouth filling and complex. Lovely fruit flavours dance across the palate with a long satisfying finish” – Amy Hayes

“Lovely and aromatic with sweet red fruits and spices, mouth-watering acidity and good balance” – Deborah Jackson

Tyrrell’s Wines Vat 8 Shiraz Cabernet Hunter Valley VIN: 2014 LUC: $46.23

Yalumba Hand Picked Shiraz Viognier Eden Valley VIN: 2015 LUC: $24.73

“There were plenty of very lovely wines on offer showing some really elegant flavours and characters. Most were much more on the medium bodied side but still had some great complexity and layering – an attribute that makes drinking blends such a joy” Amy Hayes, McWilliam’s Wines NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 47

WINE TASTING LUC $12 TO $18

93

90

“Enjoyable aromas of blackberry, vanilla and mocha. Medium body and grippy tannins” – Amy Hayes

“Full nose of mocha and spice. Medium bodied wine with mouth filling black fruit characters” – Amy Hayes

“Blackberry, cassis, jammy, green, rich, good balance, firm dry finish, a bit of coffee” – Daryl Fisher

“Blackberry, dark fruits, violets, spicy. Rich fruit, luscious, sweet fruit” – Daryl Fisher

Shingleback Local Heroes Shiraz Grenache McLaren Vale VIN: 2016 LUC: $15.05

92

Fox Creek Jim’s Script McLaren Vale VIN: 2015 LUC: $17.61

“Nice fruit, very warming, an elegant wine” – Christine Ricketts “Beautiful cassis, red cherries, plum and some chocolate notes. Palate is balanced, persistent with great structure” – Andrew Stubbs

91

Pepper Tree Classics Cabernet Merlot Petit Verdot Wrattonbully VIN: 2016 LUC: $16.66 “Bouquet of vibrant red cherries, spices and some interesting herbal notes” – Andrew Stubbs “Shows promise and is elegant rather than bold.

Great value” – Christine Ricketts

91

Cockfighter’s Ghost The Legend Cabernet Shiraz Merlot McLaren Vale/Wrattonbully VIN: 2015 LUC: $14.87 “Good fruit, nice tannins with some grip, starting to feel balanced” – Michael Quirk “Blackcurrants and spice on the nose.

Blackberry crumble on the palate. Dark and juicy, good depth of fruit and weight. Nice length” – Reneé Foster

Leconfield Cabernet Merlot Coonawarra VIN: 2016 LUC: $16.88

89

Leasingham Bin 56 Cabernet Malbec Clare Valley VIN: 2015 LUC: $17.05 “Aromas of dark cherries, smoky meats, earth and spices. The palate is meaty, well balanced with defined fruit weight and generously moreish” – Andrew Stubbs “I was unsure about the nose but the tasting shows great promise” – Christine Ricketts

88

Tahbilk Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre Central Victoria VIN: 2016 LUC: $16.13 “Lovely nose of violets. Enjoyable palate with moreish fruit character. Vibrant wine with great structure and finish” – Amy Hayes “Red berry fruit, strawberry, cassis, juicy fruit, plummy, pepper” – Daryl Fisher

88

Château Tanunda Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre Barossa Valley VIN: 2016 LUC: $16.13 “Complex nose, deep dark fruits on the palate.

Lovely richness and spice. Generous on the palate but a touch hot on the finish” – Reneé Foster “Violets, good berry fruit with carry through.

Good grip on the finish” – Michael Quirk

“Loved the Cabernet dominant blends with balance, poise and grippy tannins and structure” Andrew Stubbs, Vine 48 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

WINE TASTING LUC: $12 AND UNDER

89

86

“Seductive aromas of dark cherries and spiciness. Palate displays elegant cherries and some cold tea elements. An easy to drink style” – Andrew Stubbs

“Charry barbecue nose, mid weight, silky palate, red and black fruits, roasted meats, good finish but a touch drying” – Reneé Foster

Killerby K Cabernet Merlot Great Southern Region VIN: 2016 LUC: $10.21

“Mouth filling and very well balanced. A good pizza wine” – Christine Ricketts

88

Jacob’s Creek Classic Cabernet Merlot South Eastern Australia VIN: 2017 LUC: $7.81

Jacob’s Creek Barossa Signature Shiraz Cabernet Barossa Valley VIN: 2014 LUC: $9.76

“Fuller in the mouth with a good mouthfeel and soft, balanced tannins” – Michael Quirk

85

Ferngrove White Label Cabernet Merlot Frankland River VIN: 2016 LUC: $9.68

“A very pleasant, fresh, fruity and easy to drink wine” – Christine Ricketts

“Prunes, blackberries, red berry character with firm acids but not much length” – Daryl Fisher

“Spiced perfume fruits and hints of oak. Lifted aromas of red currants and red cherries” – Deborah Jackson

“Lovely dark and blue fruit spectrum with nice tannin structure and medium finish” – Amy Hayes

88

85

“Nice fruit, easy to drink. Well integrated” – Amy Hayes

“A bouquet of lifted red florals, cherries and spices. Palate with some chocolate, savoury red currant and spices. Gentle and quaffable in style” – Andrew Stubbs

McGuigan Reserve Shiraz Cabernet South Australia VIN: 2016 LUC: $7.92

“Dark fruits, grassy, plums, cedar characters.

Balanced but not too much length” – Daryl Fisher

87

Gulfstream Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Barossa Valley VIN: 2016 LUC: $9.68 “A simple and easy drinking wine with soft acid, dominant fine tannins and red fruit” – Christine Ricketts “Lifted bouquet of violets, blackcurrants with lots of character. Palate is generously weighted with blackcurrant, plum and well structured” – Andrew Stubbs

Tyrrell’s Wines Old Winery Cabernet Merlot Hunter Valley VIN: 2017 LUC: $8.60

“Mouth filling firm tannins but lacking a bit of fruit dominance” – Christine Ricketts

85

Bibliotheque Military History Cabernet Merlot Margaret River VIN: 2015 LUC: $9.68 “Complex nose, Asian spice, barbecue meats, soft palate, red and black fruits, medium bodied” – Reneé Foster “A savoury barbecue nose with a hint of eucalypt. Good berry notes and firm tannins” – Deborah Jackson

“At the lower end of the price bracket the wines were too alcoholic and I noticed a lot of Brettanomyces, but overall there were some lovely wines with elegant, careful handling, letting the fruit show and less heavy handed oak” Reneé Foster, Moppity Vineyards NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JULY 2018 | 49

SHOP TALK

Shop Talk WE TALK SHOP WITH KEVIN WILLIS FROM CHAMBERS CELLARS AND MATTHEW FITZ-GERALD FROM CHÂTEAU TANUNDA.

Meet...

KEVIN WILLIS Wine Category Manager, Chambers Cellars

MATTHEW FITZ-GERALD Kevin Willis, Chambers Cellars and Matthew Fitz-Gerald, Château Tanunda.

Q ABOUT US: KEVIN: My role at Chambers Cellars is looking after the wine category and as Marketing Manager. I have been working in the liquor industry for more than 35 years and have held management positions within BWS and Liquorland as well as owning my own store for six years. My passion has always been buying and selling wine and this role is a good fit for what I have done in the past and am loving the challenges it brings.

MATTHEW: I have been in the wine trade, at the sales (pointy) end, for over 20 years now. Much has changed since I started with the large pure wine companies then channelling myself into the family owned wine businesses from New Zealand and Australia. The passion just seems so much stronger and real than the former. The people that are involved and the stories are the reasons I love this industry so much. Here I am working with Château Tanunda, from Barossa Valley proudly owned by the Geber family, which is quite a story, incredible history with an amazing portfolio of wines. My role as Global Sales Manager is to make our wines more accessible from a local, national and global level which is a very exciting opportunity.

Global Sales Manager, Château Tanunda

wine as the export sucks up any excess. We have also seen a shift in customers’ buying habits as they are drinking less but quality is the key. Young consumers of today are even more knowledgeable than past generations so the challenge for us is to capture this market through innovation and a strong offer executed at store level.

MATTHEW: It’s a very competitive and dynamic market that we work in so it is hard but fair. Our market position is always temporary so we have to be nimble. More than ever we are experiencing a consumer shift towards seeking out quality wines, and consumers prepared to spend a little more for the experience – the industry calls this premiumisation. This is certainly a welcome trend for wine producers that have a range of wines that are equipped to cater to this consumer.

Other market pressures are coming from the extraordinary growth in Australian wine exports to China, growing at 63 per cent in value to last year.

This is putting huge pressure on supply, resulting in a shortage of fruit in particular red wine, and wine grape prices are going up as a result. How long this trajectory will continue is anyone’s guess but it presents a great opportunity for Australian wine to expose our regionality and quality wines to a thirsty and very large market.

Q HOW ARE YOU FINDING THE CURRENT MARKET? KEVIN: Liquor retailing has always been competitive however the behaviour of big box liquor retailers to either maintain or increase market share at any cost is creating havoc for all concerned. In the end consumers will suffer as either the quality of the wine will drop or their choice will become governed by what they want to sell you. Unlike spirits or beer, wine is a primary industry and is made up of a lot of farmers who put their hearts and soul into making and selling what they produce, it’s that simple.

I have also been told by numerous sources that in the near future we will see a shortage of red

50 | JULY 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Q WHAT DEALS OR PROMOTIONS ARE WORKING FOR YOU AT THE MOMENT? KEVIN: We are a convenience based business so our customers are on their way home or to an event and they come into our stores to collect that special bottle or two. We target offers that capture this market and achieve this through in-store ticketing together with store presentations. We also cater for beacon brands that customers know and love or just stock that unique limited release line that is hard to get from other liquor stores.

MATTHEW: We are promoting our Old Vines expressions range, a range of wines that sits very comfortably at the top end of our portfolio

that gives salutations to the classic old vines that Barossa is famous for. We are in the process of launching our new luxury gift pack range to the market very soon. Our most important range is the Grand Barossa brand, and is selling very well through the independent channel with pulsed promotions on a ‘two for $40’ we are really starting to see solid consumer pull through. Recently, our Terroirs Ebenezer Shiraz 2016 was awarded Best Barossa Shiraz for 2016 vintage by Huon Hooke, so this wine is receiving some welcome activity.

Q WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WORKING WITH EACH OTHER? KEVIN: We work together to meet the needs of both businesses, instead we have a joke together, we go into the ring and go a few rounds then have a coffee to chew the fat. I can speak for Matthew and myself that at the end of the day it is never personal. I also respect his expertise and his abilities to successfully meet a role such as his.

MATTHEW: There are many things that I enjoy about working with the people at Chambers Cellars.

With 38 stores they are a significant NSW independent retailer that comes with a solid and reputable history of working positively with Australian wine brands. They should not be ignored for that reason.

I like their no nonsense, honest approach for reviewing and promoting wines, which makes presenting NPD for consideration quite a simple process. I understand they can’t take every wine that comes across their desk but if the wine tastes good, sits in the right price point, comes with a few awards and a bit of margin then chances are they will give it a go.

I particularly enjoy working with Kevin because he is a good guy, he understands how hard this business is and accordingly respects the buyer/ seller relationship. He also returns my phone calls.

I think this is a culture that Steve Chambers has nurtured within his business for many years.

Want to promote your brand to the biggest online liquor and hospitality audience?

Then support your sales team by showcasing your ‘sizzle’ on

generates over...

* * 69,880 144,450 page views per month sessions per month

* 53,742 unique users per month

2 minutes, 29 seconds time on site

* Google Analytics October 2017

Influence the influencers by communicating to those who make the buying decisions.

Book your digital trade campaign with: Shane T Williams | M: 0431857765 | E: stwilliams@intermedia.com.au