AUSTRALIA’S LEADING LIQUOR INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
THE WINE ON EVERYONE’S LIPS
vol. 37 no. 5 - JUNE 2018
Highly sought after with remarkable cellarbility 96 Points James Halliday Halliday Wine Companion
ww ww. w.se sepp se p ellt. pp t.co com.au au
Sparkling Wine of the Year under $30 Tyson Stelzer*
SE PPE LT’S 2018 LUXU RY CO LLE CT ION R E LE A S E
- U N EA RT H G R E AT N E S S Introducing the Seppelt 2018 Luxury Collection release – a showcase of Seppelt’s excellence and most celebrated styles. Seppelt - a history of award-winning wines since 1851.
Contact your Treasury Wine Estates representative on 13 48 93.
*Australian Spa p rkl rkling ing Wi Wine e Rep Report 20 2 18
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
CM
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 Terry Mott and Deb Jackson.
PUBLISHED BY:
Food and Beverage Media Pty Ltd 41 Bridge Road GLEBE NSW Australia 2037 Tel: 02 9660 2113 Fax: 02 9660 4419
PUBLISHER: James Wells
james@intermedia.com.au
EDITOR: Deborah Jackson
djackson@intermedia.com.au
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Tam Allenby tallenby@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
HEAD OF CIRCULATION: Chris Blacklock cblacklock@intermedia.com.au
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Jacqui Cooper
jacqui@intermedia.com.au
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
W
elcome to the June issue of National Liquor News. I’m going to kick start this month with a bit of legislation talk. A topic that has come up a few times to me over the past month is that the Northern Territory Government is considering one of the proposed NT Liquor Act Review measures that said ‘Takeaway liquor only be permitted to be sold from a standalone business in which the primary focus of the business is the sale of alcohol’. If this measure goes ahead it will almost certainly mean many smaller stores will have to shut their doors. In this issue, ALSA CEO Terry Mott addresses this and calls on the NT Government to take this opportunity to make a real impact on problem drinking behaviour in the NT by engaging with the industry and making decisions based on credible, evidence-based information. For our retailer profile we decided to speak with a store owner from the Northern Territory and we also asked him questions about the challenges he faces being a retailer in the area and what his biggest concerns are with regards to the NT Liquor Act Review. You can read what Russell Willing, the owner of Berry Springs IGA X-Press in the NT had to say on page 30. Last month LSA NSW/ACT held its annual Working on Your Business Forum & Expo delivering key retailing insights and strategies to a turnout of around 200 liquor store owners and workers. You can read a summary of the key talking points on page 13 but one point that really stood out to me on the day, and one that I wanted to explore further, was around impulse purchasing. A statistic that was presented during the forum was that in retail food impulse purchasing is as
high as 45 per cent of total sales, but in liquor retail it is often as low as 10 per cent. So in this issue I asked Norrelle Goldring to take a look at impulse purchasing behaviour and to offer some insights into ways liquor retailers might be able to capture more impulse spend in their stores. You can read her article on page 24. Also in this issue we’ve got our monthly wine tasting panel, which this month tasted Shiraz. After a brief hiatus in the May issue and due to popular demand we have again collaborated with our sister publication, Beer & Brewer to publish our monthly beer tasting panel. It would be great to hear your feedback on this and hear whether you are finding the beer tasting panel useful in your business, as I know it can sometimes be challenging to stay up-todate with all the new release beers constantly hitting the market. Speaking of beer, Chris McNamara, who was most recently the Acting CEO of the Independent Brewers Association (IBA), last month announced that he would be leaving the association. Chris has been a regular contributor to National Liquor News and a great advocate for Australia’s brewing industry. We’d like to thank him for all of his support over the years and wish him well for his future endeavours. 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
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS IS THE OFFICIAL TRADE PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN LIQUOR STORES ASSOCIATION (ALSA).
6 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
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
NEW More hops, more taste, more character
CONTENTS
38
31
30
24 48
Contents June Wine 20 24 31 44 45
42 Wine News: All the latest releases and wine news Seppelt: The Luxury Collection debuts Family Wineries: Bound by blood and passionate about wine New Releases: The latest release wines to hit bottle shop shelves Wine Tasting Review: All the results from our Shiraz tasting
Brews 28 38
Spirits 26 27
8 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
The Balvenie: Celebrating 25 years of The Balvenie DoubleWood Spirits News: The latest releases, news and promotions from the spirits category
Retail Focus 13
Brewing: What’s new in the world of beer? Imported & International Beer: There are more options than ever for the discerning beer drinker
Beer Tasting: Our panel of experts reviews the latest release beers
24
LSA NSW/ACT: A review of the 2018 Working on Your Business Forum & Expo Shopper Insights: Norrelle Goldring discusses methods of increasing impulse spend
30
50
Retailer Profile: Russell Willing the owner of Berry Springs IGA X-Press in the Northern Territory Shop Talk: Shop Talk chats with Proximo Australia and Chambers Cellars
Regulars 10 14 16 18 48
News: The latest liquor industry news for retailers around the country IRI: The latest industry insights from IRI Contributors: We share insights from the experts People: All the latest industry appointments Events: An exclusive peek at last month’s launches and events
MALBEC GREAT SOUTHERN, W.A. Most often, we talk about wines to pair with food, however at Ferngrove we talk about pairing a glass of Malbec with the backdrop of a roaring fire – there’s something about the smell of the smoke, the crackle and pop of the fire, the orange glow of the flames reflected in a glass of Malbec that soothes the soul. “Ferngrove Great Southern Malbec exhibits the true character of its grape variety – velvety-textured, richly coloured and truly delicious to drink. A wine perfect for every-day consumption or as a great fireside addition with friends”.
CRAIG GRAFTON - CHIEF WINEMAKER
Live the life we love
WWW.FERNGROVE.COM.AU
NEWS
HOUSE OF FINE WINE EXCEEDS VILLA MARIA EXPECTATIONS
SPIRITS CATEGORY CONTINUES ITS GROWTH TREND The Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA) and IRI 2018 State of the Industry Report, has detailed another year of value and volume growth for the spirits category. The dollar growth of the category has been consistent over the last few years, having been at around three to four per cent for at least three consecutive years, according to the report. In 2017 the dollar growth of the spirits category was 3.4 per cent, which was slightly down on the 3.7 per cent of growth the category saw in 2016, but this still amounted to $119m in additional revenue. This additional growth brings the total value of the category to $3.7bn, up from $3.5bn in 2016. In terms of volume the ALSA-IRI report highlights 1.7 per cent growth in 2017, which again is slightly down on last year, with 2016 seeing two per cent growth. The report explains which sectors have helped to maintain the strong performance in the spirits category, saying: “Consistency of performance owes to ongoing double-digit gains in malt Scotch, gin, Irish whiskey and spiced rum. “The same goes for robust single-digit growth in vodka and Canadian whisky.” The double-digit gains of gin are highlighted in the report, which states that for the third consecutive year light spirits outgrew dark spirits at 6.6 per cent and two per cent respectively. In explaining this, the report says: “Light spirits amounted to 27 per cent dollar share but more than half of all dollar growth (+$62m). “Gin and vodka accounted for 47 per cent of all glass spirits growth in 2017, with gin seeing a 17.4 per cent year-on-year dollar uplift. Gin’s worldwide resurgence is being propelled by an explosion of boutique offerings produced with local (alternative) botanicals.” Gin saw a 17.4 per cent value growth in 2017, up from 16.4 per cent in 2016, with the report saying that this “reflects the supply-side push in Australia”, adding “vodka’s growth was comparatively modest at four per cent, and slower than in 2016 (6.0 per cent), but still added over $23m in 2017”. The report also delves deeper into the spirits category, detailing that while the top five selling glass spirits brands generate 26 per cent of all the category’s value, four of those top five declined for the second successive year. The report said: “These established brands are challenged by a new generation of explorative drinkers who are more actively seeking out artisanal/craft expressions.” The ALSA-IRI report specifies what has been happening in Australia’s off-premise industry over the last 12 months highlighting the value of the market, the jobs the industry supports, the number of packaged liquor licences and the taxes that the industry generates. According to the report the annual retail liquor sales in Australia total $17.5bn, which generates indirect Commonwealth alcohol excise and WET taxes of $6.2bn, before GST revenue, company taxes and personal income taxes and before State and Territory Payroll Tax or Liquor Licence fees. The report also details more brand-specific activity and detail regarding the spirits category and the other key industry drinks categories. The report comes in a long and short version; the long report is available to ALSA members, while the shorter report is available to everyone and is on the ALSA website.
FOR MORE INDUSTRY NEWS FOLLOW US ON 10 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
A year after the House of Fine Wine distribution company was created with Société Jacques Bollinger and Henschke, Villa Maria has confirmed that the new group has performed above expectations. House of Fine Wine was created in May 2017 following the sale of Fine Wine Partners to Accolade and saw the three family-owned and multi-generational wineries come together to develop a dedicated distribution business for the Australian market. Villa Maria chief operating officer, Richard Thomas, said that the secret to the success of the business has been the widespread acceptance from the trade. “The House of Fine Wine launch has certainly been more successful than we expected, and as successful as we hoped,” Thomas said. “It has been incredibly exciting, as we have had a fantastic reception from the trade in Australia and really welcomed particularly by the on-premise and independent retail groups, but also by the major retailers. It is a really good partnership between three strong companies – Villa Maria, Champagne Bollinger and Henschke – if you put those three brands together, you have a really good story to tell your customers and you have great wines. “We are completely aligned with how we look at the world – we are all family owned businesses and looking at the next 100 years and not quarterly performance, but obviously we all like to sell wine. We have a great team on the ground and we have been very lucky to recruit really well. “One of the pieces we have found to be very strong is bringing the WSET training into our business and enabling us to train the trade as part of the offering that House of Fine Wine brings them, I think that is unique currently in Australia. We are getting very good traction with this training program, we really believe in it and to be honest we are also learning a lot and hope to take these learnings into other markets.”
CHECK OUT THESHOUT.COM.AU
NEWS
GLOBAL ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION REVERSES DECLINE IN 2017 Total global alcohol consumption grew slightly in 2017, increasing by 3.5m nine-litre cases versus 2016, according to data just released by the IWSR. Though 2017’s growth is very modest at 0.01 per cent, it follows a decline of -1.25 per cent in 2016, which is a positive turnaround for the industry as a whole. Wine contributed to the largest gain in global volume, followed by cider. Spirits declined marginally as did beer and mixed drinks consumption. Speaking about the trends, The IWSR said: “After a static year in 2016, still wine staged a comeback in 2017, gaining 12m cases (+0.5 per cent). Italy, Russia and the US were the top growth markets for still wine, while the UK and France saw the largest declines. “These mature wine markets are losing out to generational shifts in drinks choices; cider and sparkling wine growth in the UK counteracted the decline of still wine, and in France beer consumption rose strongly.” The report added: “The fastest-growing regions for spirits were Asia-Pacific and the Americas. The continued growth of baijiu in China is the main contributor to the Asia-Pacific volumes, but whisky also performed well in the region, adding 2.7m cases between 2016 and 2017 (+1.2 per cent).
“Similarly, whisky grew by 2.7m cases in the Americas (+3.2 per cent), and vodka adding 1.7m cases (+1.8 per cent). Agave-based spirits were the best-performing category in the region by percentage growth, growing 5.3 per cent, adding 1.4m cases. “The CIS was the only region to see a decline in spirits consumption, falling -7.6 per cent (25.2m cases), due to the decrease of vodka consumption in Russia and Ukraine. Government pressures and generational shifts contribute to these ongoing declines.” In percentage terms, agave-based spirits were the fastest-growing category globally (+5.2 per cent), followed by gin and genever (+4.5 per cent) and whisky (+2 per cent). Beer returned to growth in the Americas, led by Mexico and Argentina, despite continued declines in the US. Positive results in the Americas along with strong growth in Africa, the Middle East and Europe helped to slow the global decline of beer consumption. Though cider growth in Europe has slowed, momentum in Africa and the Middle East helped spur a 2.5 per cent global volume increase. The mixed drinks market declined by minus one per cent, led by a slowdown in Asia-Pacific and further category negative trends in the CIS and the Americas.
IRON JACK BECOMES AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST BEER LAUNCH IN A DECADE Lion is claiming more success with its launch of Iron Jack, declaring the beer to be the most successful beer launched in Australia in the last 10 years. Since launching in September last year, Iron Jack has sold over 15 million litres, which included 9.8 million litres in the first six months; this is more volume over that first six months than any other beer launched in Australia in the last decade. Lion’s Contemporary Portfolio Manager, Amy Darvill, said: “When we launched Iron Jack, we wanted to make a beer for hard working, down to earth Aussie blokes. Blokes who love their dogs and the outdoors. Their initial reaction to the beer has been really encouraging.” In comparing IRI pack data Iron Jack sold 9.8 million litres in the first six months; Australia’s other hugely successful beer launch in recent times has been Great Northern Super Crisp, and the IRI pack data for that beer showed three million litres sold in the first six months after launching in February 2015. Darvill said this is a direct result of where Iron Jack has focused its investment. “We made an early decision to make sure we supported our customers with good trial mechanics to get the beer in people’s hands, because we know once this happens the beer stands up on its own,” she said. Darvill added that Lion has doubled the media spend behind Iron Jack in
order to further drive awareness of the brand. “We’ve had a really great launch but we know it’s only early days and we need to keep up the positive momentum. “Our original media strategy was to start regional and work our way in towards metro areas. But given the strong start we’ve significantly increased our media spend to include all capital cities, as well as still supporting regional areas.” Lion is claiming that Iron Jack will have one of the largest media spends of any beer in Australia over this year, with a large scale TV, Radio and Billboard campaign which began in March.
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 11
NEWS
KAUFLAND’S LAUNCH LIKELY TO DRIVE DISCOUNTING The impact of the launch of German discounting retailer, Kaufland, is being underestimated by Australian retailers and investors according to Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley analysts Monique Rooney, Thomas Kierath and John Lee, said that discounter disruption has only just begun in Australia and so the supermarket industry in this country is ripe for further discounter disruption with Kaufland entering the market soon. “Very high labour costs, high store rentals, low competitive intensity and high existing margin structures all enable another discounter in Australia,” they said. “Kaufland’s entry to Australia likely limits market growth, reduces the prospects for considerable margin expansion and leads to a sector price-to-earnings de-rating. “We view the nearer term impacts as greater competition for product, supply, new stores and talent. “While discounter penetration has risen in recent years, it is still well below global averages and historical levels in Australia. We think that as discounters gain share, industry sales growth will remain low and prospects for considerable margin expansion are unlikely. As Kaufland enters Australia we think the market will reassess long term margin assumptions,” the analysts said. “While little if any supermarket inflation is evident today, valuations have risen on the expectation of faster inflation led supermarket category growth. We think that this will be short lived so, as the market focuses on Kaufland’s entry, valuations will fall.” The Morgan Stanley trio also explained how it expects Kaufland to operate in Australia. “Kaufland operates a little like Walmart / Costco by terming itself as a wholesaler that can offer very low prices by operating at scale with few overhead costs. Approximately 70 per cent of the offer is a ‘price’ offer where it will match/beat the lowest existing price in the market with 30 per cent of prices at higher prices that support profitability. Typically it aligns prices to other discounters in the market (ie Aldi/Lidl).” Australia represents Kaufland’s first expansion outside of Europe and the analysts claim reasons for the move include: Australia being a relatively high growth market; existing margin structures here are high by global standards; discount penetration is low and that Kaufland has historically followed Aldi into new markets with success. Kaufland has reportedly already bought sites in Melbourne and Adelaide for new outlets and has told suppliers to prepare for the opening of its first stores this year.
12 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
EDG WINS LATEST LEG IN BID TO OPEN DAN MURPHY’S IN COOGEE In May 2015 Endeavour Drinks Group (EDG) lodged a development consent with Randwick City Council to develop the ground floor area of the former Randwick Rugby Club premises on Brook Street in Coogee, into a Dan Murphy’s store. Since then both sides have been locked in a development dispute, which has seen the New South Wales Land & Environment Court recently uphold Woolworths appeal and allow the development to go ahead. In giving her reasons for the decision, Senior Commissioner of the Land & Environment Court, Susan Dixon, listed several findings including those related to the social impact of the new store. Both sides put forward experts to give social planning evidence, with Professor Roberta Ryan speaking on behalf of EDG, and Dr Alison Ziller for the Council. Commissioner Dixon wrote: “Professor Ryan is of the expert opinion that the proposed development is not likely to give rise to an increase in alcohol related violence. Professor Ryan has also considered the public submissions made by the residents of the unit complex above the premises which support for the proposal. She notes these positive social impacts of the development. Put simply these local residents are pleased that there will be no parties or noise impact from the use as liquor would not be permitted to be consumed on the premises and the proposal relates to take away liquor and not a nightclub or on premises licence. “Dr Ziller takes the opposite view. She is of the opinion that the approval of the store at this site would be inconsistent with prohibited use of alcohol in the immediate area. She is concerned that the supply of liquor will facilitate pre-fuelling and secondary supply in the Alcohol Free Zone (AFZs) and Alcohol Prohibited Zones (APZs) or in areas nearby. However, in expressing these views she concedes that AFZs and APZ are only effective if they are enforced and that they are not effective in themselves. In this case she accepts that the police have raised no complaint about the application for the Dan Murphy in this location.” She added: “On balance I prefer Professor Ryan’s social impact evidence to that of Dr Ziller in this case. I have formed that view because I think Professor Ryan’s assessment is more objective and balanced. She factored into her assessment of the social impact of the development the particular circumstances of this case including the support for the development expressed by the local police and the residents in the complex above the proposed development.” In her conclusion, Commissioner Dixon said: “For the reasons stated I find that there is no satisfactory reason on the evidence to refuse this application on the grounds of traffic, social impact or town planning.” The ruling was welcomed by EDG, with the General Manager Corporate Services, Shane Tremble saying that the next step for the group will be to close the nearby BWS store and then move that licence to the Dan Murphy’s location. “If our licence transfer application is successful, the new Dan Murphy’s store will replace the large BWS store that has been trading around the corner on Coogee Bay Rd for over 40 years. Our current BWS store has long been part of the Coogee community and has an unblemished record of responsible service,” Tremble said. Randwick City Council’s Mayor, Lindsay Shurey said: “It’s disappointing that the Land and Environment Court have gone against the wishes of locals as well as the evidence of Council’s experts and upheld an appeal that will potentially see a Dan Murphy’s in Coogee. “With three other liquor stores in the vicinity, this new addition will add nothing to the area but traffic congestion, anti-social behaviour and litter. It’s not in keeping with the residential nature of the street and many locals have actively voiced their discontent with this proposal.”
LSA NSW & ACT
LSA NSW & ACT HITS THE MARK WITH ANNUAL FORUM THE LSA NSW & ACT WORKING ON YOUR BUSINESS FORUM AND EXPO CONTINUES TO DEVELOP PROFESSIONALISM IN THE INDUSTRY.
L
ast month, the Liquor Stores Association NSW & ACT (LSA) held its annual Working on Your Business Forum and Expo, delivering key insights and strategies to a turnout of around 200 liquor retailers. LSA Executive Director, Michael Waters said: “I’d like to thank all members who invested the time to attend this important annual event. From the feedback received already, the content was well received, informative and thought provoking.” The itinerary included presentations on a wide variety of topics including store security, online retailing and succession planning. There were also insights into people, culture and alignment, as well as workplace health and safety. Peter Hall, who has more than 30 years of experience with training in the retail and service industries, was once again the Event Facilitator. Throughout the course of the sessions, Hall delivered some ‘Points to Ponder’, with some particularly interesting insights around impulse purchases. He said that food impulse purchasing is as high as 45 per cent, but in liquor retail impulse purchasing is often as low as 10 per cent of total sales. This spurred an interest to us, so in this issue of National Liquor News our shopper insights guru Norrelle Goldring has some insights into how you might be able to increase impulse sales (page 24). Nic Morris from Human Tribe spoke about the importance in investing in your team. She said that the four things that high performing businesses in Australia invest in that low performing businesses do not are: strategic planning, better employment contracts, the training of their managers and supervisors, and the on-boarding of their managers, supervisors and team members. Dominique Lamb from the National Retailers Association (NRA) spoke about workplace health and safety issues, with a particular focus on the national union for workers in retail, the SDA’s new campaign ‘Nobody Deserves a Serve’. She said that from December 2016 to February 2017 the SDA conducted an online survey about abuse and violence experienced at work by retail and fast food workers. Of the more than 6000 respondents, over 85 per cent had been subjected to verbal abuse from a customer in the last 12 months, with most of this abuse taking place at the cashier.
Next up the audience heard from Endeavour Drinks Group’s (EDG) Darrel Brecknell and Dave Smith from Black Box Security. Brecknell delivered statistics on armed robbery, assault, break and enter and retail theft – most of which were either seen to be decreasing or stabilising aside from retail theft. He then spoke about some of EDG’s Risk Mitigation Projects to protect against retail theft, which included Lexcapping major theft lines. It was interesting to learn that nationally Jack Daniel’s 1L and Johnnie Walker 700ml top the list for retail theft. Paul Greenberg from the National Online Retailers Association (NORA) gave an extremely engaging presentation on the paradox of online retail, referring to it as ‘Old Wine in a New Bottle’. He spoke about it being a 100 per cent necessity for retailers in today’s market to be digital in some way. But he said that doesn’t mean that they have to offer home delivery, referring to IKEA – arguably one of the biggest homeware retailers, which has only recently implemented a delivery model. Lastly, Renae Korsman from DFK Crosbie spoke about asset protection and succession planning, giving case studies on how businesses were able to increase their profit by re-evaluating their trading structures. The LSA NSW & ACT Working on Your Business Forum and Expo sits alongside the Retail Liquor Industry Awards and The Regulatory Panel as LSA’s three major annual events. Waters said: “Although each event is different, they each serve a very specific purpose in supporting the needs and interests of our growing, diverse membership. “First and foremost, the LSA exists to represent the needs and interests of the retail liquor industry to all levels of government, to seek legislative outcomes that improve the business viability, or at least reduce the impact of new regulation. However, we also work tirelessly to provide members with a broad range of services to keep them ‘in the know’; provide access to information, advice and guidance; equip them with the right tools and resources; help their businesses run more effectively and efficiently; and to continue to develop professionalism in the industry – which is precisely what Working ‘On’ Your Business is about. “At the end of the day our members are driving this bus – it’s their event, and they tell us what topics they want to see and hear and we make it happen… it’s not rocket science.”
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 13
IRI INSIGHTS
IRI LIQUOR KNOWLEDGE IRI PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE LIQUOR INDUSTRY TO APRIL (01/04/18).
TOTAL OFF-PREMISE LIQUOR • There has been an increase in range of +2.0 per cent, coming from a higher level of innovation and products in beer (+12 per cent). • Innovation in the liquor channel was worth $375m in the last year, equivalent to 43 per cent of all growth. Over 4,000 new SKUs were added to the channel over the course of the year. • Smaller manufacturers currently have just four per cent share but contributed $113m to the total liquor market this year, demonstrating the continuing trend of smaller operators winning.
*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA 1. Total Beer Mid-Strength (+21%) 2. Total RTD Dark Spirits (+6%) 3. Total Bottled Red Wine (+5%) 4. Total Beer Craft Australian (+14%) 5. Total Beer Full Strength (+3%)
MARKET VALUE
$17.8bn (+5.2%) MARKET VOLUME
209m (+2.1%)
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN BEER (37%)
WINE (26%)
SPIRITS (21%)
RTD (13%)
*9 Litre Equiv (000)
BEER CATEGORY OVERVIEW • Lager remains the most popular style. Growth has intensified for Pacific Ale and India Pale Ale, but Pale Ale and Summer Ale have lost some momentum. • There were almost 1,500 new SKUs in beer this year, adding $128m worth of growth. • Expect to see continued success from Coopers Session Ale, which recorded sales of over $2m since launch at the start of March.
TOP GROWTH SEGMENTS
CATEGORY VALUE
$6.6bn (+5.5%) CATEGORY VOLUME
129m (+2.5%)
*9 Litre Equiv (000)
14 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
TOP
GROWTH MANUFACTURERS *DOLLARS GROWTH % YA
1. CUB (+8%) 2. Asahi Premium Beverages (+16%) 3. Other Manufacturers (+43%) 4. Private Label (+11%) 5. Gage Roads Brewing (+50%)
TOP GROWTH BRANDS *DOLLARS GROWTH % YA
1. Great Northern Super Crisp (+73%) 2. Great Northern Original (+73%) 3. Iron Jack (NEW) 4. Furphy (+186%) 5. Corona Extra (+7%)
CIDER (3%)
IRI INSIGHTS
CIDER CATEGORY OVERVIEW • There were over 250 new SKUs in cider this year, adding $26m worth of growth. It’s promising that in a relatively flat category, innovation is still a feature. • 5 Seeds Lower Sugar was the most successful brand launch of the year in cider, contributing over $2m to the category, further supporting the growth of apple cider. • Expect to see more craft and specialist cider brands coming through, offering local flavours and healthier options such as reduced sugar.
TOP
GROWTH BRANDS
TOP
GROWTH MANUFACTURERS
TOP
GROWTH MANUFACTURERS
$0.5bn (-0.8%) CATEGORY VOLUME
8m (-0.8%)
*9 Litre Equiv (000)
CATEGORY VALUE
*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA
1. Orchard Thieves Cider Apple Bottle 330mlx6 (NEW) 2. Mercury Hard Cider Can 375mlx10 (+316%) 3. Pure Blonde Cider Crisp Apple Bottle 355ml carton (+61%) 4. Pure Blonde Cider Crisp Apple Can 375mlx10 (NEW) 5. Somersby Cider Cloudy Apple Can 375mlx10 (NEW)
*DOLLARS SHARE OF TOTAL MARKET 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Pure Blonde (5.3%) Mercury Hard Cider (5.6%) Orchard Thieves (1.5%) 5 Seeds (0.6%) Private Label Brand (0.5%)
*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Squealing Pig (+68%) Mumm Cordon Rouge NV (+15%) Yellow Tail (+9%) Private Label Brand (NEW) Kim Crawford Regional Reserve (+64%)
$4.6bn (+4.4%) CATEGORY VOLUME
42m (+0.7%)
*9 Litre Equiv (000)
SPIRITS CATEGORY OVERVIEW • There were more than 400 new SKUs in spirits this year, adding $43m worth of growth. • The most successful NPD launch in the last year was Loch Lomond Scotch which added almost $2m to the category. • The resurgence of aperitifs and lower-ABV spirits has been characterised by the strong performance of Campari (and specifically Aperol), as well as new launches such as Finbar O’Leary’s in the liqueur space.
TOP
GROWTH BRANDS
CATEGORY VALUE
WINE CATEGORY OVERVIEW • There were almost 1,700 new SKUs in wine this year, adding $113m worth of growth. • The most successful brand launch this year was a private label brand, which contributed over $7m to the category from just one SKU. • Expect to see more retailer exclusive NPD in-store, with seven of the top 10 new brand launches in the last quarter retailer controlled. • Rosé, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Prosecco, and Champagne are the top five growth driving varietals, worth 27 per cent of the wine category but 81 per cent of growth.
TOP
GROWTH SKUS
CATEGORY VALUE
*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA
1. Other Manufacturers (+15%) 2. Private Label (+4%) 3. Brown Brothers (+12%) 4. Pernod Ricard (+4%) 5. Treasury Wine Estates (+2%)
*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA
1. Diageo (+3%) 2. Campari Australia (+14%) 3. Pernod Ricard (+7%) 4. Bacardi-Martini Australia (+12%) 5. Beam Suntory (+4%)
$3.7bn (+5.9%) CATEGORY VOLUME
7m (+3.9%)
*9 Litre Equiv (000)
TOP GROWTH BRANDS *DOLLARS GROWTH % YA
1. Jameson (+20%) 2. Tanqueray (+33%) 3. Bombay Sapphire (+22%) 4. Haig Dimple (+25%) 5. Wild Turkey 86.8 (+12%)
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 15
EDUCATION IS BETTER THAN REGULATION IN THE NT
LET’S RELY ON FACT INSTEAD OF FICTION AND MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS
There is an opportunity for the Northern Territory Government to have a real impact on alcohol abuse by some sectors of their population and their burgeoning tourism visitors. We understand that the government is now considering at least one NT Liquor Act Review measure that was proposed without any evidence base. ‘Takeaway liquor only be permitted to be sold from a standalone business in which the primary focus of the business is the sale of alcohol.’ That regulatory proposal would force licensed stores to convert part of their existing hybrid food, grocery and liquor outlet in local shopping hubs, to have a separate takeaway packaged licensed area. This would in many cases force smaller stores to close up their entire business, without any resultant change in drinking behaviour. If it was intended as a harm reduction measure, there is no evidence to support the inference that alcohol sold from licensed mixed businesses is any more harmful than standalone liquor stores or the many drive through bottle shops attached to hotel licenses in the NT. If implemented, the regulation is likely to destabilise local shopping precincts in many regional towns. To service their local communities, those businesses depend on having a balance of sales generated from the blend of grocery and alcohol beverages. LSA NT has proposed a jointly run campaign to educate new licensees of their obligations and responsibilities and a community education program to support the Banned Drinkers Register (BDR) by promoting acceptable and legal behaviour on and around licensed outlets. The proposed campaign needs to take into account that there are many new licensee entrants, where English is not their first language. We know from the Federal Government’s own AIHW reports that Australians prefer education and do not support reductions in opening hours or the number of liquor outlets. While there are some unique issues in the NT, the vast majority of responsible drinking and law abiding Territorians and tourists need to be treated as adults and given choice of where to shop. The 675 Territorians directly employed in the 95 licensed packaged liquor stores (including licensed corner stores) in the NT, also deserve consideration for their livelihoods. ALSA’s local members in the LSA NT, stand ready to support a government education campaign for members, their staff and the wider community. However, to make this work the NT Government needs to genuinely engage with the industry in the interests of giving all law abiding Territorians a fair go.
In the past month we have seen three studies released by different research groups which have sensationalised their findings to create hysteria and negative sentiment towards alcohol. The studies targeted three different issues; a Lancet Journal report erroneously recommended lower drinking guidelines; another attempted to link alcohol with Pre-Menstrual Stress (PMS); and a third tried desperately to blame advertising for underage drinking, the common thread was all three relied on dubious and cherry-picked evidence and carefully crafted media releases. Analysis of these the reports found flaws in the methodology or findings in each one, which were unfortunately missed by the mainstream media which reports these studies in good faith based on the press releases they receive. The public deserves information that’s transparent, so people can make informed decisions about their consumption. The Lancet Journal called for a lowering of drinking guidelines, but its own evidence showed a person who drinks 30 standard drinks per week has the same life expectancy as someone who doesn’t drink at all. The researchers admitted they didn’t include non-drinkers in the study, which skewed the results to focus only on how increasing consumption from light to moderate can impact a person’s life expectancy. Further, neither the PMS study nor the advertising study were able to show a causal link between alcohol consumption and PMS or alcohol advertising and underage drinking, yet the media spin for both reports laid the blame on alcohol. The PMS study authors even acknowledged there was ambiguity as to whether alcohol may cause PMS or if sufferers instead turned to alcohol for comfort to relieve symptoms. ABA provided balance to the reporting of these alleged research pieces and has written to federal and state health ministers urging them to demand scientific rigour in the evidence used to evaluate alcohol issues. The processes being used to develop the National Alcohol Strategy and the Australian drinking guidelines can only be considered credible if they’re built around transparent and accurate information. When you’re next talking to your a local state or federal member, tell them you’re sick of questionable research criticising the way you live and ask them to demand evidence-based research only in the public debate around alcohol issues and its regulation. Then you can make your own decisions about drinking based on fact instead of fiction.
TERRY MOTT
FERGUS TAYLOR
CEO ALSA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ABA
16 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
ATTRACTING INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS WITH WINE TOURISM
HOW IMPORTANT IS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?
International promotion of Australian wine and winery experiences will reach new heights in 2018/19, as the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package (the $50m Package) enters its second year of implementation. The focus in 2018/19 will be big, bold, head turning campaigns that grab attention and take overseas consumers and potential visitors on a journey to experience what Australia – and Australian wine – is today. Wine is a central plank to Tourism Australia’s attraction strategy and, last year, visits to Australian wineries by international tourists surpassed one million. The top three countries of origin for international winery visitors are China, the UK and the USA, which are also our top three export markets for Australian wine. Historically, there has been a lot of interest in visiting Australia from potential tourists in the USA but this hasn’t always translated into visits. Wine Australia’s co-investment with Tourism Australia on a $36 million campaign launched at the 2018 ‘Super Bowl’ kick started a broad and ambitious strategy to change this. The campaign has already shown some impressive results, with more than 100 million viewers tuning in during the big game and Tourism Australia reporting record numbers of USA visitors to its website. On the home front, the strategy to lure big spending international tourists continues with $10 million of the $50m Package invested in international wine tourism grants (competitive and state-based programs). The first of the approved projects, announced on 4 May, featured a range of innovative projects designed to highlight the appeal of Australian wine regions to the international market. The overarching goal of the grant programs is to encourage overseas visitors to add diverse and unique wine experiences to their itineraries that will provide a direct economic benefit for wine tourism and wine regions, and enhance the reputation of Australia’s food, wine and tourism in international markets. So, what does this mean for the Australian wine sector and the national economy? For one thing, the international demand for Australian wine at premium price points should continue to gain momentum but ultimately, the key indicators on which the $50m Package will be measured are a seven to eight per cent per annum value growth across all export markets and 40,000 more international tourists visiting our wine regions by 2020, injecting an additional $170 million into the national economy. To learn more about the $50m Package, visit erwsp.wineaustralia.com or contact enquiries@wineaustralia.com.
In a retailing environment which is becoming more and more professional, there has never been a more appropriate time to have a conversation about professional development. Broadly speaking, professional development is any activity that develops your business skills and gets you thinking about the way you manage your business. These activities could be as diverse as attending an industry forum, event or study tour, through to enrolling in some form of training. A great strength of a small business owner is their passion and drive. If this can be matched with a greater understanding of the market in which they operate or a more professional approach to the way they run their business, then they are in a more sustainable position for the future. As your industry association, ALSA takes its responsibility in this area seriously and has developed a range of professional development activities and programs designed specifically for liquor retailers. ALSATrain, the online training solution has been developed over many years with specific retail industry content and information. The program (www. alsatrain.com.au) has 10 modules of relevant topics for today’s liquor retailer. Each participant who successfully completes a module receives a certificate of completion. ALSA Retail Insights (www.alsaretailinsights. com.au) was developed with the vision of being able to put information in front of business owners and managers that will help them make decisions affecting their business across a broad range of topics from social media to customer engagement. The program even covers retail maths with a series of calculators to assist in margin management and pricing strategies. This program, visited by more than 30,000 retailers since its inception, is supported by a range of our supplier partners and has received very positive feedback from both retailers and suppliers. Currently there are 12 modules included in the program and these cover a range of topics relevant to the operation of any liquor store. Seminars, forums and study tours are another valuable aspect of professional development. ALSA and the State Liquor Stores Associations run a series of content rich programs which are put together by retailers, for retailers. They have sessions looking at relevant and current issues affecting your business. ALSA also runs a successful study tour program, with groups travelling overseas to bring back learnings from as far afield as London and the US. Professional development should be an essential element of any retail business. The environment in which we operate is changing so quickly that it is very difficult for an individual to keep up with these changes on their own.
ANDREAS CLARK
MAL HIGGS
CEO WINE AUSTRALIA
PROJECT MANAGER ALSA RETAIL INSIGHTS
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 17
PEOPLE
HUMAN RESOURCES
AMBER KING (L) SUE LAURITZ (R) Directors, BrightSide
HOW WELL ARE YOU PREPARING FOR A JOB INTERVIEW? Our candidates often ask for advice when it comes to job interviews. This can range from how to dress through to what to expect in relation to interview questions. Common sense goes a long way however we still hear stories of situations that could have been avoided had the candidate taken some time to prepare. Learn about the business online and “in market” We still hear stories of candidates who, when asked at interview, are unable to clearly articulate what the business does or why they’re interested in the position. How can you put your best foot forward if you don’t know the business, their values and their brands? Research the company online, you can learn a great deal about a company from its website. Take advantage of your trusted industry networks to do your own discreet research. Understanding recent business performance, highlights and challenges, can make all the difference at the interview. Do some basic interview research! Find out as much as you can before the interview. Know who it is you’ll be meeting and their relationship to the role you’re applying for. LinkedIn is a powerful tool and can provide you with some useful insights. There might be an overlap in terms of companies you’ve worked for or shared connections. Understand the dress code. If you’re not sure, dress up. It’s better to be over rather than underdressed. Presenting a professional image is paramount. Research where the interview is to be held. Check directions beforehand. Allow plenty of time for travel and parking. You’ll be on the back foot if you arrive late. Review the Position Description (PD) thoroughly If there is no PD, ask for one. If one doesn’t exist find out as much as you can via the recruiter or person who has invited you in for an interview. Be ready to have some key examples against the core competencies required in the role. Also write down your key achievements so these are top of mind in the interview. Where possible articulate what you’ve done with metrics ie increased sales by X%. If it’s a senior role expect to field questions around leadership, influencing skills, commercials and judgement. Be fresh and ready for interview Get a good nights’ sleep and have your outfit ready the night before! If the interview time doesn’t suit because it’s too tight between other commitments try to seek an alternate day/time. The last thing you want is to be stressed that you might arrive late or have limited time. For all things sales and marketing please go to www. brightside.careers or call Sue Lauritz on 0403 063 128 or Amber King on 0404 023 944.
18 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
Shifting Rank CHRIS GRIGORIOU ILG CHAIRMAN The Board of the Independent Liquor Group (ILG) Co-operative is delighted to announce the appointment of its new Chairman, Chris Grigoriou. The Grigoriou Family of Fairfield West Cellars has been an ILG member for 19 years, with Chris joining the Board in 2013 and serving as Deputy Chair since 2015. In his Board address, Chris said, “I am humbled by the trust and confidence from my fellow directors. I feel privileged by this appointment and extremely excited to take the lead in realising the vision we have set ourselves to achieve henceforth. I’d also like to take this opportunity to personally thank Neville Blair whose guidance and leadership have and will keep me inspired in this new undertaking.”
DAMIEN BOTTERO ILG DEPUTY CHAIR The Independent Liquor Group has appointed Damien Bottero as its new Deputy Chair. The Bottero Family of Pittwater Cellars both long time members of ILG, with 37 years of membership. “I am delighted to have witnessed this in my time, a changing of guards involving second generation custodians of long time co-operative members,” says ILG CEO Paul Esposito. “It distinctly demonstrates what ILG is all about, the longevity of its members and preserving the family culture,” he added. Bottero thanked the Board for their support. “This is a big step for me and I am looking forward to the challenges that come with this position. The experience gained over the past four years has certainly motivated me for greater aspirations and provided depth in understanding the complexity of our industry and appreciating the efforts, we as a Board strive, to deliver beneficial outcomes to our fellow ILG members,” he said.
HUGH LEECH MELBOURNE GIN COMPANY NATIONAL BRAND AMBASSADOR The Melbourne Gin Company (MGC) has appointed Hugh Leech as its new National Brand Ambassador. Leech began his
professional journey at Melbourne’s Gin Palace, where he worked from 2013 to 2017. During these four years, Leech gained an extensive knowledge of gin as a spirit category and mastered his skills in cocktail creation. Following his time at Gin Palace, he joined Only Bitters and The Bitters Lab team. As a consultant and trade representative, he helped to promote brand expertise among hospitality professionals in Melbourne. In addition, Leech is one of the four partners behind Marionette Liqueurs, a new Australian producer championing local fruit and farmers in staple cocktail liqueurs. In this capacity he is heavily involved in product development. Andrew Marks, distiller and creator of The Melbourne Gin Company, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Hugh to our team and believe that he will play an important role in the business. We aim to maintain strong relationships with the professional community and help everyday people fall in love with MGC. With his experience and passion for the industry, Hugh has everything to support us on this path.”
CAMERON FERGUSON AUSTRALIAN VINTAGE LIMITED CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Australian Vintage Limited (AVL) has created two new senior executive roles as part of an evolution of its leadership structure. The company has promoted Cameron Ferguson, formerly General Manager Australasia and North America to the expanded position of Chief Operating Officer for the region. At the same time, Julian Dyer, who was previously General Manager for the UK and Europe, has also been appointed Chief Operating Officer in the territory. The changes are intended to streamline AVL’s global sales, marketing and packaging operations as the business continues to focus on product development and innovation. The appointments underpin the company’s continued growth strategy by enabling it to bring new products to market faster, developing wines with consumer appeal at every price point. Ferguson said: “I am thrilled to have taken on the broader remit across the region. We have a highly committed team and I’m dedicated to continuing to empower them to accelerate our considerable momentum while delivering quality and consistency across the portfolio. The changes will also enable us to be more nimble and responsive to our trading partners around the world by truly aligning sales, marketing and supply chain to our customers’ needs.”
ROSIE DAVENPORT AUSTRALIAN VINTAGE LIMITED COMMUNICATIONS & PR OFFICER Australian Vintage Limited (AVL) has strengthened its senior team with the appointment of Rosie Davenport to head-up its communications and public relations. Based in Sydney, Davenport joins the business as Public Relations & Communications Officer, having spent 17 years as a journalist and editor before moving into communications. An experienced media consultant, she has worked for high-profile drinks brands in the UK and internationally, providing strategic PR and communications guidance. During her journalism career, she has held a series of senior editorial roles on influential UK-based wine publications, including Group Editor of Harpers Wine & Spirit and Off Licence News. Neil McGuigan, CEO at AVL, said: “It is wonderful to welcome Rosie to our team. I’ve known Rosie for over 17 years and have always been impressed both with her skills as an outstanding journalist and her in-depth global wine knowledge. She has the potential to bring more consumers into the category and I am very excited to have her join our business. I’m confident Rosie will generate excitement not just for AVL, but for the entire Australian wine industry.”
MICHELLE GEBER CHÂTEAU TANUNDA MANAGING DIRECTOR The Geber Family Group of Companies has announced the appointment of Michelle Geber, currently General Manager of Château Tanunda, to the role of Managing Director, reporting to the board. Under Geber ownership, the last 20 years has seen a remarkable investment and restoration period with significant developments in the sunken garden and croquet lawn, maturation cellars, basket press winery and a dynamic strategy of purchasing key vineyards, which has launched the winery onto the international stage to considerable acclaim. “Like many family businesses - ours is undergoing a generational change.” said John Geber. “The opportunities for luxury, family owned Australian wine in key Asian and Australian markets is well known. We’ve recently appointed key sales and marketing personnel to capitalise on our export growth as well as exciting new domestic opportunities, with a dedicated management team the focus is entirely on delivering these new strategies under Michelle’s leadership.”
ALEXIS ROITMAN IBA CEO The Independent Brewers Association (IBA) has announced a new phase of development with the appointment of its first CEO, Alexis Roitman. Roitman is an industry affairs professional with 15 years’ experience in peak industry associations in Australia. She has worked in senior leadership roles within numerous state and national industry groups, as well as consulting on industry affairs as Managing Director of Canvass, the agency she established in 2008. Originally trained as a corporate lawyer, she has also worked in financial and corporate affairs in London for global PR firm, Hill & Knowlton, and in public affairs research with global market research firm, Ipsos. She has been a strong supporter of independent brewers in Australia for many years, taking a keen interest in the development of the sector from the earliest days. In 2015 she obtained BJCP certification and regularly sits on competition judging panels. IBA Chair Ben Kooyman said, “Alexis brings to the CEO role a unique combination of skills and experience in industry advocacy and representation, with a clear passion for our sector. On behalf of the Board, I welcome her to the IBA and look forward to working with her in the years ahead.
JAMES IRVINE FOUR PILLARS CREATIVE DIRECTOR – GIN DRINKS Australia’s most awarded bartender of recent years, James Irvine of the Swillhouse group, has joined Yarra Valley-based gin distillery Four Pillars as its first ever Creative Director – Gin Drinks. Irvine’s new role at Four Pillars will encompass many elements of the Ambassadorial role held by Sammy Ng until his departure to Singapore to become Four Pillars’ first Asia-based Ambassador. The role will include educational elements, on and off-premise training, bartending shifts and getting started on creating the ultimate Four Pillars Drinks Lab which will be up and running some time in 2019. Irvine will be Sydney-based but the role will have a national and international remit as he helps create spectacular drinks for the trade and punters wherever better gin needs to be consumed. Four Pillars co-founder and Trade Director Stuart Gregor is naturally excited to be working with someone he has long admired. “We’ve known each other for a few years and once we knew Sammy was heading to Singapore, James was our clear favourite for the job. The fact he is a pretty handy bartender, great bloke, incredible communicator and the only member of the trade shorter than me, are all terrific attributes for sure.”
WINE NEWS
L-R: Jeff, Doug, Greg, David and Andrew McWilliam.
MCWILLIAM’S CONFIRMS APPOINTMENT OF NEW CEO MCWILLIAM’S WINES GROUP (MWG) HAS ANNOUNCED THAT CURRENT CEO JEFF MCWILLIAM WILL BE STEPPING ASIDE FROM THE ROLE, EFFECTIVE 23 JULY 2018.
J
eff McWilliam took up an interim CEO position in 2016 under recommendation from the McWilliam’s Wines Group (MWG) board of directors to help guide the company through a significant restructure plan and a cultural change and he told National Liquor News, that with that change now managed it was the right time to bring in a CEO who could take the business forward in an FMCG and sales sense. “Back in 2015 we put together a significant restructure plan for the business and we had what we felt was a very well planned and stepped out three year journey,” McWilliam told National Liquor News. “And the board and I thought at the time that it was very important that a family member stepped into the business and took it through that change. “We knew that there was going to be a lot of disruption, we knew we had to bring the family in on the journey and so it was decided that I was the best person to do that. It just so happened that my background lent itself to the types of things that we had planned, including moving production operations from Western Sydney down to the winery, reshaping our whole supply chain and our whole operational footprint, and then moving our head office from Chullora into central Sydney.” That aspect of the cultural change for the business was always the plan and remit for McWilliam’s time as CEO and with that change in place, the company looked to the future with the sales and marketing of its wine and wanted to bring in someone with more FMCG knowledge and experience to lead that charge. “We genuinely feel like we’ve done all the heavy lifting and resetting the business in the right direction, getting the foundations and now the next three to five years is about driving the business forward from an FMCG, branding, marketing and sales point of view,” McWilliam told National Liquor News. After an extensive search MWG has appointed David Pitt as CEO. Pitt’s career has seen him work at multinationals including Campbells
Arnott’s and Red Bull and most recently he has held both the Sales Director and General Manager roles for Parmalat Australia. McWilliam said that it was Pitt’s proven track record that made him the right person for the role and for the group. “We were able to sit down with David and go through what he has achieved in each of his roles and what he has been consistently able to deliver for those businesses, and it was that proven track record, the key relationships he has with retailers and the fact that he has been in that space and he has done the job, which was really key for us. “I and our Chairman Jim Brayne looked at both of our strengths and we feel that David’s appointment is really complementing and strengthening the leadership of the business. It’s just that Jim and I will support David from the board, and I will still have a key role to play in the industry representing our family and the winery.” Speaking about his appointment, Pitt said: “I’m extremely pleased to be joining such an iconic Australian familyowned organisation in the McWilliam’s Wines Group. I have a long and proud history in the liquor industry and to be returning at the helm of such an icon is a challenge I’m excited to be taking on.” With the new CEO coming into the role from 23 July, McWilliam is starting to look to what his future will hold. “I will stay intimately involved in the business. What a lot of people forget is that I am an owner of the business, and I have been the family representative for some time. When I stepped into the Chair role in 2013, it was very much the first step in our generational succession and I was very fortunate to be selected as the family member to hold that mantle. “There is still plenty for me to do, I’m enjoying spending time in our international markets and engaging with our customers and distributors. So I will sit down with David and we will work out how I do that respectfully and not step on his toes. And I will also continue to be our representative on the industry bodies and boards, so that will be the focus for me once we’ve worked through an extensive and comprehensive handover to David.”
“I will stay intimately involved in the business. What a lot of people forget is that I am an owner of the business, and I have been the family representative for some time,” Jeff McWilliam.
20 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
David Pitt
WINE NEWS
JACOB’S CREEK ADDS CHARDONNAY TO DOUBLE BARREL RANGE Jacob’s Creek has released the first white wine in its Double Barrel range – a Chardonnay which has been crafted in aged Scotch whisky barrels. In creating the Double Barrel Chardonnay, Jacob’s Creek Winemaker Trina Smith split the juice in half, with the first half being fermented in whisky barrels, then matured in wine barrels while the second half is fermented in wine barrels and matured in whisky barrels. Smith said that this process provides two different flavour profiles, which are then blended together to create a finish which she describes as “both unique and unexpected”. “Double Barrel Chardonnay breaks conventions and challenges all the expectations you have of Chardonnay because it is made so differently,” Smith said. “We chose to make our first Double Barrel white from Chardonnay because the variety works so well in oak. But Scotch whisky barrels are very different from French oak wine barrels. With Scotch whisky barrels, the oak is significantly coarser while the staves are narrower and charred black with intense heat; the overall effect is increased oxygen ingression. This yielded characteristics we hadn’t seen before in Chardonnay. “It’s not like any Chardonnay you have ever tasted. It has delicious intense ripe citrus flavours with complex aromas of toasted malt, cut apples and peanut brittle. The palate is fresh and vibrant – tightly defined with a firm structure due to the influence of the whisky barrel, and softened by a delicate creamy texture on the back palate.” This is the first white launched under the Double Barrel range, which already has a Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon available. The Chardonnay has a $24.99 RRP and is available now from all liquor retailers.
MCWILLIAM’S TO DISTRIBUTE COOMBE FARM FROM JUNE McWilliam’s Wine Group (MWG) has become the official distribution partner for Yarra Valley winery, Coombe Farm Wines, with a deal beginning from 1 June. Coombe Farm is renowned for its small batch, estate grown, cool climate wines and will bring its Coombe Farm Estate and Tribute Series wines to the MWG portfolio. “Coombe Farm is a fantastic new addition to our current portfolio not only for their beautifully expressive table wines but also for their next level sparklings,” said Jeff McWilliam. “MWG has an impressive portfolio of premium sparkling wines and the opportunity to add an Australian sparkling with the pedigree and style like that of Coombe Farm’s Blanc de Blancs elevates this collection to an exciting new level.” Grant Cummin, Executive Director of Coombe Farm said he was enthusiastic about partnering with MWG and to be working with one of the leading advocates and supporters of cool climate wines in Australia. “We are really pleased to be working with one of the finest wine groups in Australia in McWilliam’s,” Cummin said. “Great effort has been undertaken at Coombe Farm over the past decade to achieve our aspirations of making excellent cool climate wines. We are proud to be a part of the McWilliam’s portfolio and look forward to customers nationally enjoying what our wines have to offer,” he added.
WINE NEWS
HUNTER VALLEY WINE AWARDS WINNERS NAMED The winners of the 12th annual Hunter Valley Legends & Wine Industry Awards were named last month, at a glamourous event held at the newly renovated Ben Ean, Lindeman’s Estate. This year’s prestigious Wine Legend award was presented to Greg Walls, a 40 year stalwart of the industry. Walls established the Hunter Valley Wine Society in 1975, later evolving to Wine Selectors, which has helped to take Hunter Valley wines all over Australia. The Tourism Legend award went to Robert and Sally Molines, who have supported the wine industry with their restaurants for more than 45 years, most recently at their one-hatted restaurant Bistro Molines at Tallavera Grove in Mount View. In the evening’s other awards, Stuart Hordern of Brokenwood Wines was named Winemaker of the Year; Neil Stevens of Glen Oak Wines was named Viticulturist of the Year; Aaron Mercer of Tamburlaine Wines was named as the Rising Star of the Year; Margan Wines won Cellar Door of the Year and the 2018 Hunter Valley Wine Industry Heritage Award was given to Drayton’s Bellevue Wine Label. Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association Vice President, Brian McGuigan congratulated all the winners, noting their contributions to an industry which had reaped international recognition as a premier wine and food destination because of the hard work of its many passionate custodians. “The Hunter Valley is the oldest and most visited wine region in Australia by overseas tourists and its incredible wines have found their way into the homes of many others, thanks to the hard work and vision of all our winners,” McGuigan said.
NATURAL WINE CO EXPANDS RANGE The Natural Wine Co. is a collective of wine community professionals who initially banded together to fill a niche for an organic, preservative free, fruit driven Shiraz. Since releasing this initial 2014 Shiraz the restaurateur, distributor, vigneron, winemaker and banker continued working together to deliver a range of wines including a Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc and a Shiraz. The winegrowing behind The Natural Wine Co. sits with a very experienced organic grower, Jason O’Dea. The vineyards, which have been grown organically for many years are located at Canowindra in the Central Range of NSW. “There has been much discussion of what constitutes a ‘natural wine’. Our interpretation is that it must be organic, with the winemaker acting as the conduit; wild fermentation and very little influence other than coxing the best out of the fruit. The wine must be a reflection of the region and vineyard, not the winemaker,” said O’Dea. The 2017 The Natural Wine Co. Organic Rosé is made from Sangiovese harvested in the cool of the night on 18 March 2017. Only free run juice was used with exotic yeasts for fermentation. The wine was then fined with vegan friendly agents prior to bottling. The Sauvignon Blanc grapes were grown on the organic Kelvin Grove vineyard in Cowra. The fruit was harvested in three parcels to broaden the flavour spectrum of the finished wine. Each component was fermented separately prior to blending and bottling. The last of this new trio is the 2017 The Natural Wine Co. Organic Shiraz. Made from organic grapes picked on 27 March, the fruit was crushed and de-stemmed and then transferred to small stainless steel open fermenters. The wine was matured for a brief period in French and American oak, helping to frame the bright, fresh fruit flavours. Preservatives for this Shiraz, in keeping with the company’s initial directive, were avoided.
BROWN BROTHERS PROSECCO SPRITZ RATED A HIT
The 2018 Wine Legend award winner, Greg Walls.
22 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
Family-owned wine company Brown Brothers launched a new addition to its already popular Prosecco portfolio recently, and it’s proving to be a big hit. The Brown Brothers Prosecco Spritz is a refreshing twist on Prosecco, featuring a blend of Brown Brothers Prosecco with orange and aromatic bitters, which is ready to pour. Caroline Brown, fourth generation of the Brown Brothers family business, said: “The new Prosecco Spritz is blended to perfection and so simple to serve. Just add some ice and a slice of orange. The fresh flavours of this twist on Prosecco, means that I can enjoy the taste of summer all year round.” This is the first release of the drink which jumps on the increasingly popular aperitif trend and has a light palate and is 8.5 per cent ABV, so it is described as being “best to drink young while at its delicate best”. The Prosecco Spirtz launched last month and is available now for all leading retailers nationally.
WINE NEWS
SEPPELT DEBUTS THE LUXURY COLLECTION
THE SEPPELT LUXURY COLLECTION IS LED BY THE FLAGSHIP 2016 ST PETERS GRAMPIANS SHIRAZ.
Seppelt Winemaker, Adam Carnaby.
F
or the first time, Seppelt will release its most coveted still and sparkling wines in unison as one tier, titled The Seppelt Luxury Collection. Nine wines make up this year’s Collection release, all of which are expressive and true to their region and style. Led by the flagship 2016 St Peters Grampians Shiraz, the Collection also includes the anticipated release of the 2018 Drumborg Vineyard Henty Riesling and the NV Original Sparkling Shiraz – an Australian wine style Seppelt helped to pioneer. Adam Carnaby, Seppelt’s Winemaker, told National Liquor News that The Seppelt Luxury Collection is the pinnacle of the brand’s offering. “The 2018 Seppelt Luxury Collection wines are a hallmark of the quality and strength of wine styles we continue to strive for,” said Carnaby. “Our flagship St Peters Shiraz and Drumborg Vineyard wines are only crafted in exceptional years. These wines have a rich and iconic history that as winemakers we’re proud to uphold. Therefore, we are vigilant with our sourcing to secure only the best parcels of fruit, ensuring the quality of these wines is never compromised.” The introduction of The Luxury Collection provides consumers with clarity around the leading Seppelt wines and guidance around when to expect new vintages each year. “These wines exemplify the pinnacle of our offering at Seppelt and really demonstrate the diversity in varieties we craft. From our sparkling expressions to our signature table wines, the Collection offers consumers something for every occasion and a quality selection of wines with remarkable cellarability.” The release of The 2018 Seppelt Luxury Collection coincides with updated packaging and the introduction of a signature new look across the complete Seppelt portfolio. A new logo and premium packaging updates have been applied across the complete range. Going forward, the Collection will continue to be released annually, with the wines included being vintage dependant.
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 23
SHOPPER INSIGHTS
MAXIMISING IMPULSE IN OFFPREMISE NORRELLE GOLDRING OFFERS UP SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO ENCOURAGE MORE IMPULSE PURCHASING IN LIQUOR RETAIL.
N
ational Liquor News Editor Deb Jackson mentioned to me the other day a statistic she’d recently heard at a conference, that ‘food impulse purchasing is as high as 45 per cent, but in liquor retail impulse purchasing is often as low as 10 per cent of total sales’. She wondered why, and what could be done about it. Some thoughts on this below.
HOW DOES FOOD SHOPPING DIFFER FROM LIQUOR SHOPPING? To begin with, the shopping trip types are different in supermarkets versus in liquor stores, and this impacts both basket size and planning. In supermarkets the vast majority of trips are either ‘stock up’ or ‘top up’ trips (including ‘dinner tonight’), involving anywhere from six to 40 items and time spent in-store ranging from 10 minutes to an hour. Supermarket shopping is often regarded by as a chore and combined with the longer dwell times some shoppers consider it justified to reward themselves with a treat (or buying something to prevent the kids pestering them, if kids are on the shopping trip). When shoppers are on stock up and top up trips they are exposed to multiple aisles and areas of the store and thus when traversing aisles they pass categories, products, and gondola end displays where they may be ‘reminded’ to buy an item that wasn’t on their (written or mental) shopping list, but may be a product they don’t want to run out of or of which their home stocks are running low. Compare this to liquor where, unless they are hosting an event requiring a stock up across multiple categories, or they are buying wine by the mixed case, typically shoppers are on ‘destination’ shopping trips for something specific. They typically buy one to two items, seeing only the parts of the store on the way to and from their chosen category and the checkout, and they are in the store for less than
24 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
five minutes (depending on the queue at the checkout). Shopper studies I’ve done in the past indicate that not only are liquor stores thought of as the adult equivalent of ‘lolly shops’, meaning they are not thought of as a chore and the products in them are considered as treats, shoppers aren’t in the store long enough to feel like they are justified in further rewarding themselves. So this means a ‘treat’ occasion is unlikely as an impulse purchase. In addition, there’s a rough equation shoppers do between the value of the impulse item and their total spend. So a $1.60 chocolate bar as a treat on a $90 supermarket shopping basket isn’t much, but a $5 item on a single item on top of a $20 purchase in a bottle shop may be… particularly if it involves spending over a particular currency denomination. (Although mitigated somewhat by tap and go, shoppers are inclined to think in price breaks based on the currency notes: $5, $10, $20, $50).
WHAT ACTUALLY IS IMPULSE? True impulse is when a shopper had not planned to buy the category (let alone a specific brand or product) before they entered the store. (Note that impulse is not the same as upselling or cross selling). In supermarkets, studies I’ve done indicate that fewer than 10 per cent of the sales for many individual categories are true impulse. However, because supermarket shoppers are often buying a large number of items as discussed above, it’s likely that several in the basket will be impulse-based on the prompt/ remind dynamic mentioned earlier. In liquor, because the majority of trips are destination, mission-based and therefore often ‘blinkered’, and shoppers are only exposed to a small portion of the store, the opportunities for impulse are fewer. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO INCREASE IMPULSE SALES? So if it’s not treat or reward, what are the impulse opportunities? Base it around the trip type and occasion. Examples include: • Complementary category displays and POS materials, for example shelf wobblers and fins, and ambient product displays, of mixers next to the spirits shelves. • Occasion-based displays, for example ‘party zones’ and bundles including beer, wine, snacks. Other occasion-based displays such as ‘dinner out’, ‘date night’ etc in the major pathways between the door, the fridges/ cool room and the checkout. Season-based displays such as ‘winter warmers’. • His and hers displays, for example ‘something for him’ (craft beer six-pack) ranged next to the sparkling wine. ‘Something for her’ wine single serves ranged next to major beer brands and at the checkout. • Displays at the checkout are a given… snacks, mixers, confectionery, nuts. If you have the space a small fridge with cheese and smallgoods, merchandised with crackers.
ABOUT NORRELLE GOLDRING Norrelle has 20 years’ experience in retail, category, channel and customer strategy, marketing and research, working in and with global retailers, manufacturers and research houses. She’s been involved in the liquor industry for nearly 25 years, including roles at Diageo and Coca-Cola. Contact Norrelle on 0411735190 or email norrellegoldring@hotmail.com
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
SPIRITS
THE BALVENIE CELEBRATES MALT MASTER
DAVID C. STEWART MBE AS THE BALVENIE DOUBLEWOOD MARKS ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY THE BRAND WILL CELEBRATE ITS MALT MASTER WHO WAS A PIONEER OF DOUBLE-CASK MATURATION.
O
ver the next 12 months, The Balvenie will highlight the pioneering work of Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its most famous expression – The Balvenie DoubleWood Aged 12 Years. The Speyside distillery is having a year of celebrations to mark the milestone which will pay tribute to not just Stewart but also the many distillery craftsmen and women who made DoubleWood the expression it is today. The Balvenie DoubleWood Aged 12 Years traces its origins back to 1982, when Stewart began experimenting with double-cask maturation, or ‘wood finishing’, by transferring 12-yearold Balvenie into Oloroso Sherry Casks. Now commonplace in whisky production, wood finishing involves taking mature liquid from one cask and finishing it for a number of months in another – a process that further develops its character, flavour and depth. The success of Stewart’s trials led to the release of The Balvenie Classic in 1983. Buoyed by the response this garnered, in 1993 The Balvenie released DoubleWood Aged 12 Years, a whisky that begins its journey in traditional whisky casks for 12 years, before being transferred into Spanish Sherry oak for a further nine months for final maturation, adding a layer of depth and
fullness not to be obtained from other maturation methods. Development of this technique, along with years of dedicated service to the Scotch whisky industry, earned Stewart his MBE from Queen Elizabeth II in 2016. Commenting on the anniversary, Stewart says: “DoubleWood’s creation and subsequent success is an achievement of major personal pride for me. It makes me very happy to know that a technique I helped pioneer all those years ago has now become a common practice in the whisky industry. But DoubleWood wouldn’t be the whisky it is today without the hard work and dedication of all the distillery craftsmen who have contributed to its development over the years. The 25th anniversary celebrations give us all a perfect opportunity to come together and raise a dram to this wonderful liquid.” The year of celebrations includes The Balvenie releasing a limited 25th anniversary edition of DoubleWood Aged 12 Years, with redesigned commemorative packaging containing information about David’s pioneering work. Further 25th anniversary events and activities will continue throughout the year, including the release of three short films looking back and exploring key moments in DoubleWood’s rich history as well as looking ahead to the future of the expression.
26 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
“DOUBLEWOOD’S CREATION AND SUBSEQUENT SUCCESS IS AN ACHIEVEMENT OF MAJOR PERSONAL PRIDE FOR ME. IT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY TO KNOW THAT A TECHNIQUE I HELPED PIONEER ALL THOSE YEARS AGO HAS NOW BECOME A COMMON PRACTICE IN THE WHISKY INDUSTRY,” DAVID C. STEWART MBE.
SPIRITS
GORDON’S ADDS PINK GIN TO ITS AUSTRALIA RANGE Gordon’s has confirmed that its Premium Pink Gin is now available to independent retailers, following a successful launch in the UK and Europe last year. Gin is currently the fastest growing spirits category in Australia, with the 2018 ALSA-IRI State of the Industry report highlighting a 17.4 per cent year-on-year value growth for the category. Jodi McLeod, Diageo Marketing Manager, said: “With the continued growth of the gin category and as the world’s best-selling international gin, we’re excited to finally welcome Gordon’s Premium Pink to Australian drinkers. “This has been the biggest gin innovation launch of the last decade in Great Britain and Europe. Gordon’s Premium Pink Gin has recruited new drinkers into both the spirits category and specifically gin, and we expect it to be a trend-setting choice in Australia as well. Not only does Gordon’s Premium Pink taste delicious, its inherent beauty when served in a cocktail makes it picture perfect for drinkers who capture their favourite Instagram moments.” The liquid balances “the refreshing taste of Gordon’s London Dry Gin with the natural sweetness of raspberries and strawberries, a tang of red currant and the subtle flavour of junipers, served up in a softly pink hue that turns to blush when served up in a cocktail”. Already available at BWS and Dan Murphy’s, its Australian availability has now been extended to the independents and the 37.5 per cent ABV gin has a $48 RRP for a 700ml bottle.
WEST WINDS GIN MAKES A CROWDFUNDING MOVE Popular Western Australian gin, West Winds, has launched a crowd-funding page as it looks to raise capital to help with domestic and international growth. Investments start at $500 and go up to $10,000 for retail investors and the company is offering share packages with a total of between two and 14 million ordinary shares ultimately available at 25 cents a share. In terms of what the monies raised through this initiative will be used for the company has listed the following: • Provide working capital for bottles and packaging, gin distillation and production costs, excise, new product rollout and supporting costs; • Provide working capital to pay Australian government excise that is due on sales of spirits made in Australia; • Invest into marketing to increase awareness of our gins domestically; • Expand our international sales strategy and targeted marketing in key areas with our distribution partners. On the fundraising page, the company added: “The West Winds Gin is all about two things: our gin and our customers. Therefore, raising capital through equity crowdfunding was the natural choice as we wanted to give family, friends and supporters the opportunity to join us on this journey. “If you’re not familiar with our story, we’re a merry crew who, since 2010, having been making damn fine gin in Western Australia. We sought new frontiers using Australian botanicals, with a selection of other more traditional ingredients. “Over the seven years we’ve crafted different gins that have won double gold three times at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition and Australian Champion Gin three times. We seek perfection and practice precision but we’re adventurous enough to bend the rules along the way, resulting in a range of gins to rival the finest in the world.” The offer is scheduled to run until 17 July, 2018 and at the time of publishing $593,000 had so far been invested in the company.
ARCHIE ROSE TO BUILD SECOND DISTILLERY Archie Rose Distilling Co. is constructing a new distillery and bond store in Botany, just four kilometres south of its current Rosebery location, which is due to be completed by mid-2019. As well as increasing the distilling capacity for Archie Rose, the new distillery will enable the team to turn the current Rosebery distillery into a dedicated research and development (R&D) facility. The new bond store will see the company bring its existing whisky stock into a centralised location, which means it can be better monitored during its maturation and will further enable additional capacity for gin, whisky and vodka production. Archie Rose Founder, Will Edwards, said: “Not only will it allow us to bring all our casks, packaging, raw materials and team back under one roof, but it provides us with the opportunity to re-conceive and design every aspect of the distillery specifically to suit our unique production methods. For example, customising the mill and brew house to be able to handle our six-malt, high Archie Rose Founder Will Edwards. specialty roasted malt mash bill as well as malted rye, and a modified gin still to further increase the clarity of our individually distilled botanical distillates. “The Botany expansion also allows us to consider sustainability in not just our processes (as we have done since day one) but also our production equipment, to use less water, power and gas, and capture and reuse as much energy as possible throughout the distilling process. “Finally, and arguably most excitingly, once the Botany site is completed we’ll dedicate our current Rosebery distillery entirely to R&D, limited release trials and the weirder innovation projects we are constantly undertaking and love to work on. It’s a pretty huge pilot distillery for an R&D program, but it’s reflective of how important innovation is to us as distillers, and we’re incredibly excited to share the good, not so good and just plain weird things that will no doubt come out of that site.” Archie Rose will use a $500,000 Coles Nurture Fund, interest-free loan to help with the move. Coles Managing Director John Durkan congratulated Archie Rose on the innovative, environmentally conscious approach to Australian spirit production, saying: “Australia currently imports a large volume of spirits and I’m delighted we can support small Australian business to bring consumers unique, energy efficient spirits made using Australian native ingredients,” he said.
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 27
BREWING
IBA LAUNCHES ITS INDEPENDENT BEER SEAL
THE 2018 AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL BEER AWARDS WINNERS Beerland’s Ken Arrowsmith with his award.
This article was submitted by Alexis Roitman the new CEO of the Independent Brewers Association (IBA). Australian consumers care about the provenance of their beer. Beer Cartel’s 2017 survey showed that 99 per cent of consumers are happy to buy from an Australian independent brewery, but only 23 per cent want to buy the ‘craft beer’ products of the large multinational brewers. As an industry, independent brewers are grappling with how to articulate and communicate ‘independence’ to the consumer. Bottle shop shelves and pub tap banks are becoming increasingly crowded with what looks like a choice, but those in the know will tell you it’s a big beer offering. The recent spate of brewery buyouts has only compounded this. The challenge is to find a way to help consumers easily identify the beers they want to buy – something that catches their eye in the fridge or on the taps. Experience in the US and the UK shows that a seal of independence is effective in highlighting independent ownership. In Australia, the Beer Cartel survey showed that for 82 per cent of respondents, a seal would have a medium/large impact on their purchasing decisions. With this in mind, the IBA developed our Seal of Independence, which we launched on the eve of Melbourne’s Good Beer Week. The seal will be available to all IBA members and you’ll begin seeing it on packaging and promotional material in the near future. An important part of the campaign to promote independence is to allow supporters the opportunity to show their love for indie beer too. Get online and check out askforindiebeer.com.au for details of how you can participate. Independent brewers are passionate about our beers, our businesses and the contribution we make to the community and economy. We want to be able to show that to the world. We hope you will help us do that. #askforindiebeer
The winners of the 2018 Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) were revealed last month, with Beerland Brewing taking out the Champion Australian Beer award for its Beerland Wheat Beer (Draught). Now in its 26th year, the AIBA is recognised as the largest annual beer competition in the world. This year saw 2178 draught and packaged beer entries across a wide range of categories. “Interest in AIBA continues to grow – this year we had entries from 28 countries and almost every state of Australia. We also added new sub-classes to the competition to ensure we are adjusting to the trends of the expanding beer market,” said Paul Guerra, CEO, The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV). Ken Arrowsmith, Beerland Brewing’s Master Brewer who’s well known in Western Australia as the face of Emu Bitter, was understandably delighted with the win, saying: “For Beerland Brewing to be recognised as one of the best in our industry with such a prestigious award is both extremely humbling and delightfully surprising. “Our talented team has been working very hard to craft a unique core range of Beerland beer at our breweries. Australia’s craft beer culture has become extremely sophisticated since we opened our doors in Northbridge four years ago. We are excited that our range lives up to these expectations and we’re now able to get creative with our small batch seasonal brews and uncover some amazing gems in the process,” he said. Other major honours on the night included Champion International Beer, which went to California-based brewery Three Weavers Brewing Company for their Knotty (Packaged) beer; the beer also won the Best IPA. Champion Large Australian Brewery went to Mountain Goat and Firestone Walker Brewing Co. from California, were awarded Champion Large International Brewery. Green Beacon Brewing Co, from Queensland were awarded Champion Medium Australian Brewery, with German Mahrs Bräu Bamberg GMBH awarded Champion Medium International Brewery. Queensland’s wins continued with Champion Small Australian Brewery won by Black Hops Brewing, while New Zealand took home the last of the Champion brewery honours with Kereru Brewing Company Limited, awarded Champion Small International Brewery. Nineteen major trophies were also awarded across the various beer styles, with nine awarded to international breweries, four to NSW-based breweries, two each to Victorian and Western Australian breweries and one each to breweries from Queensland and Tasmania.
28 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
MONTEITH’S LAUNCHES NEW FRESH HOP PALE ALE As part of Monteith’s Brewing’s 150th celebrations, the brewery has launced a limited release fresh hop brew – Monteith’s Fresh Hop Pale Ale. The new brew is a celebration of flavours and aromas. The fresh-picked, lupulindrenched, un-kilned, whole-cones from Motueka deliver a hop-tropical punch of grapefruit, passionfruit and resinous pine. As its name suggests, fresh hop brews use the freshest cones from the fields, typically within 48 hours of harvest to retain the full rich fresh hop flavour. “There is nothing like the magic of the first bales of hops which are as fresh as can be. That is the stuff brewers’ dreams are made of,” says Rob Marshall, Monteith’s Head Brewer. “Fresh hop beers are a labour of love and very time dependant. We need to get the hops to the brewery as soon as possible to ensure those beautiful flavours and aromas don’t fade. Just like when you’re cooking with herbs, the fresher the ingredients the more impactful the flavours – carefully dried hops are great, but fresh hops direct from the grower are the ultimate. We’ve used Moutere for our Monteith’s Fresh Hop Pale Ale, which unleashes flavoursome and distinctive tropical, grapefruit and passionfruit characters,” says Marshall. Monteith’s new five per cent ABV Fresh Hop Pale Ale is packed full of fresh Moutere hops and intended to be enjoyed today. It’s now available in a 330ml bottle four pack nationwide.
BREWING
AUSTRALIA’S ULTIMATE TOP 50 BEERS: 1 2 3 4
BEER CARTEL RELEASES AUSTRALIA’S ULTIMATE TOP 50 BEERS LIST Craft beer retailer, Beer Cartel, has published its list of Australia’s Ultimate Top 50 Beers, which has been compiled using ratings from more than 100,000 beer drinkers across Australia. Beer Cartel Director, Geoff Huens, said this list, which was first released last year, has been designed to provide an alternative look at Australia’s craft beer scene. “We didn’t want to just create a list of what Beer Cartel thought were the best Australian beers, so we looked at what lists were already out there and used that as a starting point.” Australia’s Ultimate Top 50 Beers is created by amalgamating the top 50 beers from four leading websites and polls; RateBeer, Beer Advocate, Untapped and Australia’s Hottest 100 Craft Beers. A ranking formula is then used to collate data to create the Ultimate Top 50 Beers list. “Each of the individual lists (RateBeer, Beer Advocate, Untapped and Australia’s Hottest 100) have their own nuances and consumer base. By combining them we remove these biases, creating a list we believe is a better reflection of Australia’s top 50 beers,” Huens said. One of the possible surprises for many with this list is that there are more stouts than any other style of beer, with 31 per cent of the beers on the list coming from the dark side. Twenty-five per cent of the list’s beers were IPA and 18 per cent pale ales.
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 16 16 16 19 19 21 22 23 24 25 25
Pirate Life IIPA (Imperial IPA) Modus Operandi Former Tenant (Red IPA) Nail Clout Stout (Imperial Stout) Boatrocker Ramjet (2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016)* (Imperial Stout) Feral War Hog (IPA) Mornington Peninsula Imperial Stout (Imperial Stout) Feral Hop Hog (Pale Ale) Murray’s Craft Wild Thing (Imperial Stout) Stone & Wood Pacific Ale (Pale Ale) Feral Tusk (Imperial IPA) KAIJU! Aftermath (Imperial IPA) Modus Operandi Future Factory (IIPA / NEIPA) Riverside ‘777’ Imperial IPA (Imperial IPA) Pirate Life IPA (IPA) Pirate Life Mosaic IPA (IPA) Boatrocker Banshee (Barleywine) Feral Boris (Imperial Stout) Little Creatures Pale Ale (Pale Ale) Feral B.F.H. (Barrel Fermented Hog) (IPA) KAIJU! Where Strides The Behemoth (Imperial Black IPA) La Sirène La Sirène Saison (Saison) La Sirène Praline (Stout) Pirate Life Pale Ale (Pale Ale) Mountain Goat Back To the Brewer (Double Steam Ale/NEIPA) Akasha Korben D. (Imperial IPA) Balter XPA (XPA)
25 Stockade The Mountie Maple Imperial Stout ( Imperial Stout) 28 Big Shed Golden Stout Time (Stout) 28 Moon Dog Jumping The Shark 2015 (Imperial Stout) 30 BentSpoke Crankshaft (IPA) 31 Coopers Best Extra Stout (Stout) 31 Young Henrys Newtowner (Pale Ale) 33 Gage Roads Single Fin (Summer Ale) 34 Knappstein Reserve Lager (Lager) 35 Balter IPA (IPA) 35 Feral Karma Citra (Black IPA) 37 Hop Nation Jedi Juice (New England IPA) 38 Boatrocker Coffee Ramjet 2016 (Imperial Stout) 38 Bridge Road Brewers B2 Bomber Mach 6.0 (Imperial Black IPA) 38 Bridge Road Brewers Beechworth Pale Ale (Pale Ale) 38 Feral Watermelon Warhead (Berliner Weisse) 38 Hargreaves Hill R.I.S. (Imperial Stout) 43 KAIJU! KRUSH! (Pale Ale) 43 Wig & Pen Russian Imperial Stout (Imperial Stout) 45 Gage Roads Little Dove (Pale Ale) 45 Holgate Brewhouse Millennium Falcon (Imperial IPA) 45 Modus Operandi Sonic Prayer (IPA) 48 Boatrocker Roger Ramjet (2017) (Imperial Stout) 49 Hawkers Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (2016) (Imperial Stout) 50 4 Pines Stout (Stout) 50 Two Metre Tall Original Sour Ale (Sour Ale)
CHRIS MCNAMARA LEAVES THE INDEPENDENT BREWERS ASSOCIATION humble beginnings,” McNamara said. After six years with the Independent “In particular, our successful Brewers Association (IBA), Chris campaign for excise reform brought me McNamara has left the association. great personal satisfaction. Most recently McNamara was the “I’d like to thank everybody in the IBA’s Acting CEO and prior to that he industry who has supported our efforts was the long-time Executive Officer. over the last six years especially all of In a statement about his departure the Board members who have been so the IBA said that McNamara had generous with their time. I’d also like to driven the association’s advocacy thank my colleagues who do such an efforts for tax reform and also led the amazing jobs running the IBA’s events transformation process of the CBIA and managing its other initiatives.” to the IBA, which happened last year. IBA Chair Ben Kooyman added: The IBA also credited McNamara with Chris McNamara. “Chris will always be part of the lifting the association’s profile with all Industry fabric as the first staff member of the IBA. On key stakeholders. behalf of our many members and stakeholders we thank “I’m very proud of what we have been able to achieve Chris for his years of loyal contribution.” at the IBA over the last six years, especially given our
GOT SOME EXCITING NEW BREWS? Send your news and a high resolution image to Deborah Jackson National Liquor News djackson@intermedia.com.au
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 29
RETAILER PROFILE
BERRY SPRINGS IGA X-PRESS
WE TALK SHOP WITH RUSSELL WILLING THE OWNER OF BERRY SPRINGS IGA X-PRESS IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.
Q HOW DID YOU GET INTO RETAILING? WAS IT THE LIQUOR SIDE OR THE GROCERY SIDE (OR BOTH) THAT ORIGINALLY APPEALED TO YOU? Well it’s a bit of a long story. My wife and I moved to Berry Springs (Darwin’s rural area) in the early 1990s, not long after getting married. I always had an aptitude for business (even though my training is in Marine Biology and Zoology) and so when the opportunity arose to buy the local hardware store with a partner, I jumped at it. Getting way ahead of myself, I developed a long term vision for a shopping centre. Well, 20 years later, after jumping lots of hurdles and through ongoing persistence, commitment, and dedication, that vision finally became a reality. The establishment of a small but versatile IGA X-press supermarket was a critical step in the development. The experts advised against trying to establish a supermarket, but we were pretty confident. There are only two IGA X-press stores in the greater Darwin region but they are shining stars in among a range of often run down convenience stores. When we opened, people were very appreciative, given there were only service stations in the Berry Springs region before that. Liquor forms a critical part of a mix of the goods and services that we provide and frankly the numbers probably wouldn’t have stacked up without it. We get excellent support from Bottlemart, they really help us to keep our liquor customers happy and enable us to maintain the efficiency we need as a small store. After all, it takes a lot of energy to run a great convenience supermarket, we have nearly as many departments as a large supermarket but all the work has to be done by fewer more versatile people, especially when we are also the local post office. Q HAS YOUR IGA STORE ALWAYS SOLD LIQUOR OR IS THAT SOMETHING YOU ADDED LATER? We have always sold liquor, we probably wouldn’t have been viable without it. It has helped facilitate the establishment of our supermarket, which has resulted in the co-location of other stores such as a medical centre; a pharmacy; a hairdresser and beautician; a cafe/takeaway; the hardware store is still in operation and our local member of parliament has also settled here. So, in many ways it has been a catalyst for regional development. Q WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS A LIQUOR RETAILER IN THE NT? The biggest concern for small grocery retailers is that the Northern Territory Government has agreed in principle to almost all of the 220 recommendations in the Review of Alcohol Policy. In a bid to reduce the number of liquor licences it is has been recommended that ‘store’ licences be removed. It is recommended that liquor should only be sold from a standalone business dedicated to the sale of liquor, and that stores such as ours would have seven years to transition to this. In the meantime, liquor is not supposed to make up any more than 15 per cent of overall sales of the mixed business, which is considerably below the mark in most small stores. The government’s response to these specific recommendations is that ‘government endorses the general concept or principle or outcome of the recommendations, but may wish to achieve the same result in a different manner to that prescribed’. I understand the government believes that reduced density of licences would reduce harm but surely they should target rogue operators and areas where density is too high, through a fair and equitable buyback process. We have done the numbers, a separate liquor store is unlikely to survive (and if it did we would have to work it harder and sell more liquor) and without liquor the viability of our supermarket is also under threat. Without the supermarket 30 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
Russell Willing. the other small businesses in our centre are also likely to become unviable and regional development will be even more out of reach. The government’s tough stance on liquor is to be largely commended. Most of the recommendations are good, but clearly careful consideration should be given to recommendations such as those identified that are blatantly unfair, are unlikely to make any difference to alcohol related harm and that can have other perverse outcomes in what is already a very tough economy. Since September last year all outlets have been operating the Banned Drinkers Register, where we scan the licence of every person purchasing liquor. In our store not one person has been banned in that time. We don’t experience the problems described elsewhere and yet our licence is under threat because of a ‘one size fits all’ policy.
Q WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AROUND THE INTRODUCTION OF MINIMUM UNIT PRICING? Minimum pricing may have some value in decreasing sales of low price, high alcohol content drinks. We already have higher than recommended prices on these kinds of drinks to dissuade problem drinkers from coming to our store. The government has already decided there will be a minimum price of $1.30 per standard drink which will make a standard bottle of wine a minimum price of approximately $9. I don’t think this will make much difference to us as retailers but clearly it punishes the well-behaved majority of the public for the small number of problem drinkers. Unfortunately, I think this small increase won’t deter problem drinkers, and that we will see either: the minimum price rise over time; or this policy will be abandoned by future governments, as so many previous alcohol policies have been in the past.
FAMILY WINERIES FEATURES
FAMILY WINERIES Chester Osborn at the d’Arenberg Cube.
An image from the vault from Patritti. Ferngrove Winery.
Brothers Anthony & Patrick Murphy from Trentham Estate.
Evelyne, John and Michelle Geber from Château Tanunda.
32 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
FAMILY WINERIES
Family Ties
THEY ARE BOUND BY BLOOD AND PASSIONATE ABOUT WINE, ANDREW GRAHAM HAS SPOKEN WITH SOME OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST PROMINENT MULTI-GENERATIONAL WINEMAKING FAMILIES.
‘
In good times and bad times, I’ll be on your side forevermore.’ Sure, Dionne Warwick was singing about friends in the original song, but the same sentiment goes for families. The greatest friends you have are your family members. But while you might love your family, would you want to work with them? That question is particularly relevant in the wine industry, where a large proportion of the more than 2400 wine producers in Australia are family-owned. To find an answer, we canvassed members of prominent wine families where more than one generation has worked in the business (and in some cases, many generations) to understand how family wineries tick. What’s perhaps most interesting is that, despite the differences in scale, region and focus, we discovered that wine families have more in common than expected.
A GROWING FAMILY COMING HOME The Patritti family are better known as grape growers rather than winemakers, with two well-regarded mature McLaren Vale vineyards. But there is a long history of winemaking too. When Founder Giovanni Patritti arrived in Australia from Italy in 1925 he couldn’t find the style of red table wine he was used to drinking back home. That spurred him to start making his own ‘European style’ wines that in turn proved popular among other migrants and effectively kick-started a wine company in the process.
Since then the family business has focused on crafting ‘drinking’ wines, diversifying into owning bottle shops and even producing grape juice in the grape glut of the 1970s, also becoming one of the first crop of Australian wineries to export to Asia in the 1980s. It’s only within the last few years that the family has concentrated on premium local wines though, releasing products not only from their own McLaren Vale vineyards, but also from one
“WHEN MY NONNO CAME FROM ITALY, HE LEASED AND THEN PURCHASED A PIECE OF DIRT. IT IS THE SAME DIRT WE ARE STILL MAKING WINE FROM AND USING THE ORIGINAL CELLAR,” JAMES MUNGALL, PATRITTI WINES. of the last plots of vines within the Adelaide city limits (at Marion), with everything made in their own urban winery. Patritti’s grandson James Mungall explains that it is satisfying to be carrying on that tradition. “It means a lot to me, carrying on the business my grandfather started,” he said. “When my Nonno came from Italy, he leased and then purchased a piece of dirt. It is the same dirt we are still making wine from and using the original cellar.”
Since Mungall came along in 2004, the family has embraced alternative styles too, including a Pétillant-naturel (Pét-nat) made in the family’s juice pasteuriser, a rare Saperavi and one of the only straight Trincadeira in the country.
CHAMPIONING THE RIVER While celebrated regions like the Barossa, the Hunter Valley or indeed McLaren Vale tend to hog the limelight on the international stage, the reality is that the driving force of much of our wine remains the regions around the Murrumbidgee and Murray Darling Rivers. Rather than cover up this fact, one quiet-achieving family winery has instead championed their connection. Indeed the Murphy family of Trentham Estate proudly call their spot on the banks of the Murray at Trentham Cliffs a ‘riverside destination’. More than just a tourist spot, the family has also built a reputation for some of the most consistent – and best value – wines in the country. The Murphy’s wine history dates back quite a way too, with the family establishing one of the first vineyards around the Mildura area back in 1909. It wasn’t until 1984 that they produced a wine of their own, however, starting out with just six tonnes of grapes in their first harvest. Now, Trentham Estate crushes more than 5000 tonnes per year and has an estate that spans over 45 hectares. As family member Renee Murphy explains, the secret to this growth is the investment that
FAMILY WINERIES
Trentham Vineyard. Patritti Wines – JPB Shiraz.
Dining at Trentham Estate.
Ferngrove’s Diamond Chardonnay. comes from “keeping it in the family”. “I think the (biggest advantage) is the high level of commitment that exists in a family business,” she said. “You would be hard-pressed to find someone that cares about your business as much as a family member.” That emotional investment has other advantages too. “(In family wineries) time constraints are non-existent and nothing is ever outside your job description,” says Murphy. “I would imagine this level of involvement and passion would be difficult to find in a nonfamily business.” Like many Riverland producers, Trentham Estate has branched out from just making wines from the Riverland, now crafting releases from Tasmania, Tumbarumba and Coonawarra. Interestingly, however, the recent move for Trentham is to celebrate their own patch of dirt, with a whole packaging redesign that sees the winery’s labels now featuring illustrations of the view of the Murray from the estate. It’s a small gesture, perhaps, but reflects a notion that consumers want a connection to a place – especially when that place is the banks of our mightiest river.
EVOLUTION IN THE BAROSSA For some producers, the sense of place extends beyond the vineyard – and into the winery itself. Built in the 1880s, Château Tanunda is a perfect example, with arguably the most distinctive winery building in the Barossa. A
34 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
national ‘Designated Monument’, it’s a facility that has housed some of the Barossa’s most celebrated winemakers, and has enjoyed a whole new lease of life thanks to the work of John Geber and the success of the Château Tanunda label. There is a new chapter starting in the business too, with Michelle Geber taking over from father John as Managing Director. And as Michelle explains, the business is already in a good place. “Château Tanunda is an icon of the Barossa and our international success is well documented,” she said. “We are a leading Barossa brand in China and Germany, and Switzerland. Our export strength is something we take great pride as a family.” There’s plenty of scope for more, however: “I would like to see more focus given to the domestic side of the business,” she said. “The Barossa is in high growth in Australia and we are well-positioned to act on this.” To achieve that vision in the crowded domestic market will undoubtedly require investment of time and money. But are family run wineries in the ideal position to capitalise on opportunities, or does inherent conservatism limit growth? Geber doesn’t believe so at all. “I think, conversely, (family wineries) can be more flexible and quick to respond to the market, because we’re the decision makers and can make it happen,” she said. “Also long term thinking is one of the serious benefits. In the wine industry, the family winery with the long term vision will
always have the advantage. “We’re not interested in necessarily following the quickest and next trend, but the authenticity and trust in building brands that last is important. (That means) investment in equipment, vineyards... out of the box thinking for tomorrow – not today’s return.” As for the long term vision for Château Tanunda, Geber sees an increased importance for wines from the Eden Valley. “We are focusing more and more on unique Single Vineyard Eden Valley wines (which retail for around $40),” she said. “These wines come from our own vineyard high up in the Eden Valley, producing a cooler climate style, more elegant and perfumed. We’ve produced small quantities of a beautiful delicate Chardonnay and a silky Cabernet Sauvignon – look out for these on the shelf, they are absolutely stunning wines.”
CREATIVE INVESTMENTS IN MCLAREN VALE It has long been said that winemaking is half science and half art – and for d’Arenberg, the investment has been in a cellar door that is a work of art in itself. Inspired by a Rubik’s Cube, d’Arenberg’s fantastic new Cube is easily one of the most interesting recent developments in the wine industry, with its multi-story, multi-cube design a truly ‘out of the box’ solution for how to liven up a cellar door. But now, The Cube has gone beyond good fun and into architectural glory, with the
FAMILY WINERIES
Château Tanunda. A party at the Patritti winery.
Patritti Weighbridge.
Giovanni Patritti (L) with Peter Patritti (R).
announcement the structure had won a Good Design Award, the highest honour for design innovation in Australia. While the Good Design Award is remarkable in itself, what’s intriguing here is that it again disproves the suggestion that family wineries are naturally conservative. It’s a structure that you can imagine few, if any, more ‘corporate’ wine companies would imagine pursuing. What’s more, The d’Arenberg Cube serves a dual purpose as it not only is an eye-catching place to experience the wines (or eat in the fine restaurant), but it also clearly expresses the personality of the ever-lively and imaginative Chester Osborn and family.
A HOME, NOT JUST A WINERY The other realisation is that, for multigenerational wine companies, a winery is more than just a place of business, it’s a second home. For more than five generations the Purbrick family have run Tahbilk, gaining a reputation for some of Australia’s most distinctive wines, made from some of our oldest vines. And according to Tahbilk Chief Executive
36 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
Alister Purbrick, it’s actually brought the family together. “Tahbilk has become, over the generations, the Purbrick family spiritual home, our core, our heart and soul and is firmly woven into our family fabric,” he said. That notion of a winery as a community extends beyond the winery walls too – in fact, it also attracts other family wineries. Tahbilk is one of the members of Australia’s First Families of Wines (AFFW) – as are d’Arenberg; a group of some of Australia’s most prominent multi-generational family wine producers who have banded together to help promote their wines. Right now the AFFW have set their sights on China, with the group heading en masse to Hong Kong for Vinexpo and then participating in Wine Australia’s China Roadshow. While it’s hardly unusual for Australian winemakers to pursue sales in China, the idea of doing it as a united front of families might prove to be even more useful than just approaching the Chinese market as individual producers. In other words, family wineries could be more successful because they’re the part of a bigger family.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE IN THE CLARE Another member of the First Families of Wine is Clare Valley based producer Jim Barry. Here, there is another generational change underway, with two generations of Barry family actively involved in the business. What’s insightful about the Barry family setup is how seamlessly they all work together, as Sam Barry explains: “The dynamic is very good,” he said. “Tom looks after the winery. Dad oversees vineyards and I look after sales and marketing. We are all on the same page about where we are heading as a business so it’s all good.” While that may sound like a very rosy picture, it does illustrate the immediate benefit of a family wine business – the idea that ‘everyone is on the same page’. One of the biggest challenges with any business is that, unless there is a shared understanding and belief in the direction of the company, goals and objectives aren’t easily met. When it’s a family business, the objectives can be more clear and simply because of shared DNA. For the Barry family that shared focus and common goal has helped make challenging
projects a reality – such as, notably, helping to bring Assyrtiko to Australia.
THE RETAIL PERSPECTIVE While a long term focus might help wineries to survive and evolve, being a family business doesn’t necessarily mean an advantage in selling wine, as Simon Green from retailer My Wine Guy explains: “For online sales in particular we just don’t see that being a family business is any advantage. “Strong brands sell wine, rather than family businesses. And price is still king – you only have to look at the success of cheap ‘own-brand’ supermarket brands to see that.” Still, Green believes that family wineries might have an edge at the B2C level. “At a cellar door or winery a family has the opportunity to sell the story,” he said. “Consumers love to have that emotional connection at the cellar door, and a sense of family would no doubt help here.” So the question that remains is – why should you buy from a family winery? Trentham’s Murphy puts it best: “The wine game is our heart and soul. When you buy from a family business, you are buying a piece of our life. You are truly supporting the ‘little guys’ and I can almost guarantee your purchase means so much more to us, than it does to the corporates.”
T H E
Patritti fortified vat.
d’A R E N B E R G
E X P E R I E N C E
MORE THAN A CELLAR DOOR
Hosted masterclasses, wine blending, à la carte and degustation dining, contemporary art installations, and more. @darenbergwine • wine@darenberg.com.au • 58 Osborn Road, McLaren Vale • t. 08 8329 4888
darenberg.com.au
FRESH IS BEST M
ost beer drinkers would probably have had a disappointing experience with an imported beer. It’s no secret that – especially for hop-driven styles – too long in the warehouse, on the ship or truck, or time sitting on the shelf can reduce a beer’s quality in spades, with both hop aroma and flavour diminishing rapidly when exposed to heat, light or oxygen. With this in mind, and with the huge upsurge in quality of locally produced products in recent years, is there still any point in ranging imported beer? Richard Kelsey, Director of online and ‘bricks and mortar’ retail store Beer Cartel, says he has seen a “pretty dramatic shift” in the imported versus local beer landscape in the last three or four years, and particularly in the last 12 months.
38 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
WITH LOCALLY-PRODUCED MAINSTREAM AND CRAFT BEER, IMPORTS, AND BREWED UNDER LICENCE PREMIUM INTERNATIONAL BRANDS ALL COMPETING FOR SPACE IN THE FRIDGE THESE DAYS, THERE ARE MORE OPTIONS FOR THE DISCERNING BEER DRINKER (AND RETAILER) THAN EVER, WRITES TAM ALLENBY.
“There is now so much quality beer being produced that Australian beer accounts for over 60 percent of craft beer sales we make, from the 1,000 different lines we stock,” he told National Liquor News. “If we were to go back two years, around 40 percent of all our sales would have been made up of Australian beer. “In the past, where the quality of Australian craft beer wasn’t as good as what we are seeing on the market now, we would have said that Australian and imported brews were still relatively comparable. Now the quality of Australian product has increased, we will always recommend going with Australian product. This is particularly important for beers that are lower in alcohol or really hop-forward as these degrade more severely over time and drinking these fresh is important to really appreciate the beer.”
COLD STORAGE Well aware of the effect that importation can have on quality, many beer importers employ cold storage throughout the shipping process to try and negate the decline; according to Phoenix Beers’ owner Leif Ryan, “if a beer is not pasteurised and relies on its hop characters, then we transport and store refrigerated”. However, the last part of the chain – in-store – is out of the importer’s control; a lack of space to be able to store beers refrigerated is a constant headache, as many retailers would no doubt attest. “Luckily for us since our beers are from high quality brewers, they stand up to being stored ambient for a number of weeks without issue,” Ryan adds, pointing to Sierra Nevada as one brand that continues to grow in a very competitive and crowded Australian market.
IMPORTED & INTERNATIONAL BEERS Nonetheless, he still recognises that with more and more Aussie craft beers fighting for space on the shelf or in the fridge, imported craft beers on the whole aren’t exactly on the up. The latest ALSA-IRI State of the Industry Report backs this up, finding that local producers are driving growth in the craft space in the off-premise and are outperforming the “limited array” of overseas brands. In terms of raw figures, Australian-produced craft beer grew by 12.6 per cent in 2017, versus 1.9 per cent for their imported counterparts. However, while imported craft beer mightn’t be booming, there’s still plenty to be said for the quality of many imported beers – especially less hop-driven or higher ABV styles. Michael Lonard from Bidbeer, an importer that focuses on Belgian ales like Chimay and Duvel, says that with the rise of locally produced sours, saisons and other European styles, more and more consumers are seeking out the originals. “Freshness in beer is important in certain styles,” Lonard notes. “Some specialty ales will improve in the bottle well past their obligatory ‘best before’ – so not always is it a case of ‘fresh is best’, as much as ‘education is best’. Plus, the irony is that IPAs were historically brewed purposely for export and long shelf life, but the Americans now brew a beer that is the polar opposite of that!” Kelsey from Beer Cartel also professes a “soft spot” for Belgian beer, with co-founder Geoff Huens experiencing a “beer epiphany” in the country; he describes the quality of beer that it produces as “pretty amazing”. “It’s the second most important overseas country for us and has so much beer heritage to it. For us it is largely driven by three Trappist breweries: Chimay, Westmalle and Rochefort,” says Kelsey.
SIDESTEPPING THE ISSUE OF FRESHNESS Of course, many larger breweries are sidestepping this ‘freshness debate’ by brewing premium international brands, as well as ‘craftier’ beers, here in Australia under license. One of the latest to do so is Goose Island, with two of its beers (IPA and Midway Session IPA) being brewed by Carlton United Breweries/AB InBev at the Cascade brewery in Hobart. “When we decided a year-and-a-half ago to bring Goose to Australia, we basically talked to the brewers in Chicago and they told us that if you want to have hop-forward beers like Goose IPA available in Australia, you’re going to
HOP HOUSE 13 LANDS ON OUR SHORES One of the latest imported beers to land in Australia is the Guinness Hop House 13 Lager, which, according to Lion’s Serge Costi, “hits the sweet spot between international beer and craft”. “It was the biggest launch in the Great Britain beer market in the last two years, outgrowing all beers within the international beer segment, and is now almost a quarter the size of Guinness Draught after less than two years in market,” he explained to NLN. Described as a premium crafted lager with “more character and more taste”, Hop House 13 was created by the brewing team at St James’s Gate in Dublin to appeal to drinkers looking for a more flavoursome lager that was still easy drinking. “Since launch in February it has exceeded our expectations and we have plans in place for the rest of the year to ensure we see the same success as our neighbours in Great Britain,” Costi added.
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 39
IMPORTED & INTERNATIONAL BEERS have to brew it locally, to make sure it’s perfectly fresh,” says Adrien Mahieu, High End Director for AB InBev Australia. And of course, many of the leading international beers here under licence by the big players continue to perform well. Serge Costi, Portfolio Manager for Premium Brands at Lion, describes the overall health of the international beer market down under as “positive”. “The international beer market in Australia continues to deliver growth, especially in International Premium as consumers choose to drink better more often,” he says – highlighting in his words the ongoing trend in the overall liquor market towards premiumisation. Mahieu would agree with Costi’s overall sentiment, stating that the international beer market is “doing very well” in Australia and around the world, and that three of his brands – Corona (which is still imported), Budweiser and Stella Artois – “are really driving this category globally”. “Australia is actually the biggest Corona market in the world outside of Mexico and we’re quite proud that Corona for so many years now is the most loved beer brand in Australia,” Mahieu told National Liquor News. “One exciting thing this year is that we just launched – exclusively in
Australia – the biggest innovation for Corona in recent years with Corona Ligera, a 3.2% ABV mid-strength targeting the daytime occasion.” Budweiser is set for a big year, as the only beer sponsor for the FIFA World Cup, while Stella is also performing very well in Australia through its targeting of the “premium meal occasion”.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN Bernd Patzold, Manager of Beach Avenue Wholesalers – Australia’s largest family owned importer of beer, wine, spirits and ciders – has a different take on the matter. When asked about the practice of the multinationals brewing international brands here in Australia under licence, Patzold is unequivocal. “I think it’s cheating,” he told National Liquor News. “Some of the big guys who brew international brands here might say their beers are better when they’re brewed here than the real ones, but they’re certainly not. I believe that it’s cheating of the highest calibre because we have the originals, and it’s hindering small importers like us. “We’re dealing well with the handful of customers that we have, but many others don’t even know us, because we have to compete against the big boys that are squeezing our prices. That’s
“People like quality. Why is craft beer booming in the beer market? Simple, because a lot of them are very good quality. But people also care about authenticity,” Bernd Patzold, B.A.W.
Beer Importers & Distributors Chimay portfolio.
40 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
A FOURTH OPTION? THE CURIOUS CASE OF BREWDOG
Zarah Prior Director, BrewDog. in addition to the parallel importers as well who are squeezing our prices quite dramatically too, because they don’t have any marketing they just go direct and sell it.” According to Patzold, it’s not the rising Aussie craft market that’s competing with the imports. “The imported beer market is still pretty strong and it’s not a hindrance for Australian craft beer and vice versa, quite the opposite,” he says. “The imported beer market is damaged because the big boys – Woolies, Aldi, Coles – import cheap beer from Europe themselves and sell it cheap. “You can get an Uberbrau from Coles, from Germany, for $35 a carton – you can’t even get VB for that price. And this makes it very hard for people like us with the market share being taken away from us, which is crazy. They cut the middleman out, number one; number two, they’re not going for quality. They’re destroying it, like they’re going to destroy craft beer.” At Beach Avenue Wholesalers, the strongest performing beers are also those that bring with them a sense of authenticity and quality: Budvar Budejovicky, the original ‘budweiser’; Schofferhofer, and Erdinger – three prestigious old world brands. “People like quality,” surmises Patzold. “Why is craft beer booming in the beer market? Simple, because a lot of them are very good quality. But people also care about authenticity.” While there’s no easy answer in the freshness vs. authenticity debate – with the relative importance of either also being subjective, and open to interpretation by the individual consumer – what is
imperative is that a locally brewed ‘international’ beer truly does taste like the original. “With licensed craft beers likely to grow further, the big challenge for these brewers is to ensure that the beer really is an accurate reflection of the beer from its local market,” says Kelsey. “If it isn’t I think they are better off labelling the beer as something else as those who have tried the original will become disappointed.”
ROOM FOR EVERYONE Despite the differing viewpoints on the matter, many that National Liquor News spoke with agreed that there is room in the market for both imported/ international and local craft beer, as long as freshness of the product is a primary consideration. “We (Beer Cartel) are massive supporters of Australian craft and want to do everything to see it succeed,” surmises Kelsey. “But we also realise that consumers want to be constantly challenged and wowed, so we have a focus on offering the best constantly evolving range of international craft beers as possible. “Having a broad range of excellent international craft beer also helps to keep local brewers on their toes. If the quality of the local product is below that of its international equivalent then local sales will reduce, so by having an international range helps provide brewers with a yardstick against which they can be measured.” And in the words of Phoenix’s Leif Ryan: “In the end it all comes down to flavour. Whether it’s imported or made here, we just want something that tastes great.” It’s hard to argue with that.
Let’s assume for a second that most of the beers in your store come to life in one of three ways: either they’re brewed locally by an independent (or formerly independent) craft brewer; they’re physically shipped across the sea from their country and brewery of origin, or they’re brewed here by one of the bigger multinational brewers as mainstream or ‘premium international’ beers. However, with the news that large Scottish independent brewery BrewDog will open an outpost in Brisbane in the not too distant future, has a fourth option emerged? Is it possible that other large international and independent breweries will open their own down under? According to the company’s Director in Australia Zarah Prior, the decision to build a brewery down under has long been a plan for BrewDog, driven by a commitment to remain “uncompromising” about the quality of its beer. “Australia has long been on the hit list for BrewDog,” Prior told National Liquor News. “It’s home to some of the most discerning beer drinkers in the world. What’s more, the pioneers of craft beer here have long been pushing the boundaries of what beer can be, punching well above their weight when compared against the more developed markets of America and the UK… From the get-go BrewDog has been striving to shorten the distance between ourselves and the people who drink our beer. “I’d be surprised if one of the larger brewing conglomerates followed our lead,” she added. “With that said, should there be the opportunity to buy out an existing brewery that may be something they’d consider should the numbers stack up. We decided against doing that so we could have complete control of our production equipment and systems.” With the DA still to be approved by Brisbane City Council, Prior wouldn’t put an exact date on when the first Australian-brewed BrewDog beer will roll out. What’s certain, however, is that many in the beer industry will be watching BrewDog’s Australian experiment with interest.
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 41
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.
COASTAL BREWING RED HEAD RED 4.2% ABV, 375ml can A rich, dense head presents beautifully and laces the glass as a good Irish red should. A typical ester profile for an Irish yeast, this true-to-style beer presents candy and caramel on the palate with a subtle and balanced hop profile. What a beautiful beer! Style: Irish red ale Thecoastalbrewingcompany. com
CAPITAL BREWING CO. FIRST TRACKS STOUT 5.2% ABV, 946ml can Pours seriously dark – black almost, even against the light – with a nice frothy head. Aroma displays a lightly smoked note, a whiff of coffee, and some appealing sweetness with a treacly quality. The first sip reveals a medium mouthfeel with a pleasant, molasses flavour that recalls raisins, dried fruits and a light-roast coffee. This is an accessible stout with not a lot of bitterness, the rolled oats adding to a nice, rounded flavour. Style: Coffee oatmeal stout Capitalbrewing.co
BADLANDS PALE ALE 4.6% ABV, 330ml Nothing is shouting here, the malt and hops are well balanced, speaking politely. Overall, it’s an understated English style pale ale with a pleasant balance of old word Goldings hops and Maris Otter malt that lingers on the palate and demands a second taste. It’s gently fruity, but not from the tropical angle – more mellow, pear and baked apple flavours. And as it even says on the bottle, it scores a 5/5 for ‘Pomminess’. Style: Pale ale Badlandsbrewery.com.au
SAUCE BREWING BUBBLE & SQUEAK NEIPA 6.5% ABV, 500ml can A foaming head atop a dirty, dark yellow beer, with some serious peasouper haze. Aromatically there are plenty of hops, including over-ripe pineapple, mango and other tropical fruits, and it smells almost dessert-y with the sweetness that seems to come through. There’s a freshness on the palate though, with almost no bitterness, and it goes down very smooth. Extremely juicy, this is a great example of the booming NEIPA style. Style: NEIPA Sauce.beer
42 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
HOBO BREWING MID IPA
BALTER STRONG PALE ALE
3.5% ABV, 375ml can This is a beer that won’t leave you guessing. From its deep amber colour to its big retentive head and the massive hop hit – with loads of Amarillo and Galaxy on show – on the nose, this IPA is definitely not shy and retiring. On the palate it’s resinous with loads of dry bitterness. But the malt is hiding a bit, leaving the mid palate a little hollow. Style: IPA Hobobrewing.com.au
5.9% ABV, 375ml can This beer is just massive and it delivers flavour by the bucketload. Does it work? You betcha! The nose smells of a fresh fruit/passionfruit pavlova and the hops, Galaxy we suspect, are just so expressive, I could smell it a metre away. It’s a tad more subdued on the palate, but sweet malt pops up mid palate and is a great foil to the expressive passionfruit hop flavours. The texture is smooth and long. And it just lingers. Nice one. Style: Strong pale ale Balter.com.au
CAVALIER IMPERIAL STOUT
BADLANDS PALE ALE
8% ABV, 330ml This is thick, impenetrably black beer with a dense, heavy, tan head. That first smell is all roasted coffee and dark chocolate notes, with bourbon or rum levels creeping into proceedings. It has a delightfully silky mouthfeel, with the taste starting off with the sweetness of a rum and raisin cake before that alcohol warmth builds and a coffee bitterness follows. You’re not going to rush this beer, it lets you know how strong it is right from the off. Style: Imperial stout Cavalierbeer.com.au
4.6% ABV, 330ml Nothing is shouting here, the malt and hops are well balanced, speaking politely. Overall, it’s an understated English style pale ale with a pleasant balance of old word Goldings hops and Maris Otter malt that lingers on the palate and demands a second taste. It’s gently fruity, but not from the tropical angle – more mellow, pear and baked apple flavours. And as it even says on the bottle, it scores a 5/5 for ‘Pomminess’. Style: Pale ale Badlandsbrewery.com.au
TOOBORAC BLACKSMITHS PORTER 5.5% ABV, 330ml A dark bold colour meets the eye as a pleasant roast malt character lingers in the aroma and persists through to the palate. The body is slightly thin and astringent, but it is very drinkable and lends itself to easy drinking on a cool afternoon. Style: Porter Tooborachotel.com.au
HOBO BREWING MID IPA 3.5% ABV, 375ml can This is a beer that won’t leave you guessing. From its deep amber colour to its big retentive head and the massive hop hit – with loads of Amarillo and Galaxy on show – on the nose, this IPA is definitely not shy and retiring. On the palate it’s resinous with loads of dry bitterness. But the malt is hiding a bit, leaving the mid palate a little hollow. Style: IPA Hobobrewing.com.au
BEER TASTING
BATCH ELSIE THE MILK STOUT 6% ABV, 440ml can Sometimes, when you drink some of the world’s classic beers, they don’t quite live up to expectation. That’s where Batch Brewing’s nitro stout comes in. This is the beer that you expect when you get a pint of Guinness. Smooth, rounded, chocolately and fullbodied; moreish and engaging without being heavy or tiring to the palate. An instant classic and one of the few beers that this jaded reviewer was very disappointed to finish, even with a civilised 440ml to get through. Style: Milk stout Batchbrewingco.com.au
GOODIESON BREWERY BARRELAGED CHERRY SAISON 6.7% ABV, 330ml Barrel-ageing is more popular than it should be, as few styles genuinely benefit from the strong flavours, tannin and oxidation that a wooden environment provides. A saison however, particularly with a fruit addition, is a natural fit. The yeast derived flavours survive endlessly, and time and micro-oxidation mellow everything and bring it together beautifully. Here, the oak and cherry are restrained but vocal in amongst the saison character; it’s dry, lively and refreshing and as a collective. A delightful beer. Style: Saison Goodiesonbrewery.com.au
MOUNTAIN GOAT RARE BREED RYE FIGHTER DOUBLE IPA
BADLANDS DARKNESS LONDON PORTER
7.8% ABV, 640ml Pours a bronze, chestnut colour. Sweet malt, rye and spice aromas are more noticeable than the hops, which provide a level of dankness and a hint of tropical and citrus notes. On the palate you get a decent sweetness coming through, but it’s resinous, piney and quite malty, with a bitterness that lingers in your mouth. While lots of hops went in to the brew, they’ve not dominated the flavour in an overly tropical way, while the rye adds a nice drying character that makes you want to sip again and again. Style: Double IPA Goatbeer.com.au
4.8% ABV, 335ml can This is a beer with a rich brown colour and deep tan head. You get coffee on the nose, but this is more of a mocha than an espresso: there is a pleasant sweetness there as well. The London Porter is brewed with six different malts, but they are well-balanced rather than dominant, and there is some lovely dark chocolate, rum and sultana character all in a light to medium body. It finishes with a slight astringency and is a very drinkable little number. Style: Porter Badlandsbrewery.com.au
YOUNG HENRYS STAYER MID LAGER
EXIT BREWING MILK STOUT
HIX BEER DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PORTER
3.5% ABV Pours pale and slightly cloudy, with a tight head. Leaning in for a sniff, there’s a very welcome hop aroma, with some good grapefruit and citrus notes coming through – this isn’t your usual mid-strength lager. With nice, spritzy carbonation and mouthfeel, followed by a dry hint of bitterness and plenty of hop character and overall flavour coming through (especially given the low alcohol). Stayer is part of a new breed of craft lager reinvigorating the reputation of this much-maligned style. Style: Lager Younghenrys.com
5.2% ABV, 330ml Jet black in the glass, there is plenty of coffee up front, supported with vanilla sweetness, caramel and raisins. A little bit of alcohol wafts forth as it warms amongst a smoky roast malt note. The palate is well balanced; a moderate sweetness doesn’t overpower a pleasing chocolate and coffee bitterness. The finish is deliciously creamy thanks to the lactose additions, and successfully avoids any overt stickiness that would detract. The result is a very quaffable stout that can be enjoyed on any kind of day. Style: Milk stout Exitbrewing.com
6.8% ABV, 500ml You’re really setting up an expectation with the ‘double’ prefix on a beer. With a double chocolate, we’re thinking something that Baskin Robbins could make ice-cream out of. But with this beer, we’d put the chocolate rating at 20% rather than 200%, both on aroma and flavour. There’s many ways of getting serious chocolate flavour into a beer, so it would be interesting to see what has been used here. That said, the porter, sans chocolate, is perfectly pleasant and enjoyable – but managing expectation is everything. Style: Porter Hickinbotham.biz
COOPERS SESSION ALE
WAYWARD SON LUPULIN IPA
4.2% ABV, 375ml With a successful summer pouring on taps across Australia, the latest member of the Coopers family can now be found in both cans and bottles. Delicate citrus notes blend with the hallmark fruity esters, malt and residual yeast character, placing this beer unmistakably in the Coopers family. The range has always remained fresh in pack form thanks to the secondary fermentation it champions and its oxygen-scavenging benefits. This practice yields great benefits for this more hop-forward beer that drinks crisp and clean, with just enough hops to tick the session ale box. Style: Session ale Coopers.com.au
7.3% ABV, 640ml Brewed in honour of the birth of head brewer Shaun’s firstborn, this is a West Coast IPA dry hopped with LupuLN2. The resultant aromatic is resinous, dripping with mango, orange, stone fruits, candied grapefruit and passionfruit. A bold malt profile steps in with plenty of sweetness and enough bitterness to knock it off the tongue before it gets cloying. A well-balanced dance between vibrant fruit and big malt, without any pesky vegetative dry hop notes. Welcome to the world, Wayward one! Style: West Coast IPA Waywardbrewing.com.au
GRANITE BELT CIDER CO. TWISTED BRANCH UNFILTERED DRY CIDER 6% ABV, 750ml There’s a raft of samey ciders out there: a bit appley, a bit acidic but designed to not offend, rather than inspire. These guys have pushed the boat out a bit. For a well-fermented cider that ends up fairly dry, the flavour is still there, with rounded oxidised apple character and a tart malic acid character, a soupcon of tannins, There’s no doubt that apples have been used in it. It’s also super cloudy, and how they got that red almost autumnal colour is a mystery, but it’s very engaging. Style: Dry cider Granitebeltciderco.com.au
This tasting was originally conducted for the Winter Issue 45 of Beer & Brewer.
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 43
New Releases A GOOD DIRT CABERNET SAUVIGNON VIN: 2017
RRP: $20
Deep ruby, purple in colour. Aromas of ripe dark plum fruit sit alongside classic varietal markers of green pepper, eucalypt and cedar wood.
A GOOD DIRT GMS VIN: 2016
RRP: $20
A combination of both red and dark fruits with hints of red currant and blueberry sit in tandem with aromas of white pepper and Christmas cake spice.
ATZE’S CORNER THE GIANT DURIF VIN: 2016
RRP: $30
A full bodied, deep coloured and intense wine, overflowing with dark ripe fruit, firm tannins and a smooth finish.
BLEASDALE MULBERRY TREE CABERNET SAUVIGNON VIN: 2015
RRP: $20
An elegant wine with aromas of mixed berries, dark chocolate and violets. The palate is smooth with blackcurrant and spicy oak flavours and finishes with fine chalky tannins.
BLEASDALE THE BROAD-SIDE SHIRAZ/CABERNET/MALBEC VIN: 2015
RRP: $20
VIN: 2016
RRP: $32
Black plum, Christmas cake, spice and blackberry dominate the bouquet, while a sweet core of black fruits and spice demonstrate typical varietal character on the palate. Concentrated and fleshy it
FERNGROVE PINOT NOIR ROSÉ VIN: 2017
RRP: $16
This refreshingly dry Pinot Noir Rosé has bright acidity with subtle characters of watermelon, strawberries and raspberries. It is an elegant cool climate style.
FERNGROVE SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON VIN: 2017
RRP: $16
This is a light-bodied, fresh, flavoursome and easy drinking style that is best enjoyed young while the delicious fruit flavours dominate.
FOX CREEK LIMITED RELEASE GRENACHE VIN: 2016
RRP: $38
Natural aromatic perfume and spicy lift are complemented by vibrant and juicy red fruit flavours and perfected by fine and textural tannins.
FOX CREEK POSTMASTER GSM
The palate is juicy with persistent flavour and smooth velvety tannins showing plum and blackcurrant fruits, typical chocolate character from the Shiraz and boysenberry spice from the Malbec.
VIN: 2016
FERNGROVE CABERNET MERLOT
SHAW WINEMAKERS SELECTION CABERNET SAUVIGNON
VIN: 2016
RRP: $16
A classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Delicious fruit characters of dark plums and blackberries abound on the nose and palate, with hints of French oak balanced by fine, lingering tannin.
44 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
FERNGROVE ORCHID KING MALBEC
RRP: $29
A spicy, perfumed aromatic lift leads into berry fruits and a savoury yet luscious mid palate, all finishing with lingering, silky and supple tannins.
VIN: 2015
RRP: $18
Aromas of sweet mulberry and cassis with subtle French oak. The palate is sweet fruited and juicy with pervading characters of blackberry jam and blueberry which is approachable, soft and gentle.
WINE TASTING REVIEW
THE SHIRAZ TASTING THE SHIRAZ TASTING SHOWED THAT THERE IS MUCH MORE VARIETY COMING INTO AUSTRALIA’S SHIRAZ WINES AND WHILE THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT HOW WELL OAK IS BEING USED THERE IS A LOT TO ENJOY AND A LOT OF DIVERSITY COMING FROM THIS KEY GRAPE. “The amount of oak used varied drastically, irrelevant of price point. Stylistically, they varied greatly too, with pretty perfumed styles to big dark mouth bombs. The 2016 Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Shiraz and 2016 Ballerina Canopy Shiraz were fantastic little wines which the avid Shiraz lover would want. The 2016 Fox Creek Short Row Shiraz has some further character depth, which made it my clear favourite.” – Josh Chambers, Chambers Cellars “The under $13 bracket and to an extent the $13-$17 bracket is showing a lack of fruit/added powdered tannin and no depth. I’m worried the industry is being driven by ‘cost of goods’ rather than a quality product. Big business (now both supplier and retailer) is ruled by the share price rather than the consumer.” – John Quinn, IconicWinemakers.com.au “I think the Shiraz class is evolving to a more restrained style, especially in the cheaper wines, which I think makes them more approachable and drinkable. Less use of fake oak and tannin in the cheaper wines was a plus. The cooler climate wines were showing very well. The 2017 Audrey Wilkinson Shiraz and the 2016 Tyrrell’s Stevens Shiraz were the standouts for me.” – Tom Lynar, Handpicked Wines “Some wines were really stewed whereas others were lighter and more medicinal, which didn’t follow any pattern in terms of region or year. It shows there’s so many different styles out there and celebrates the diversity. Other than the St. Hugo there weren’t any stellar standouts for me this month – definitely a lot going on but the scores were slightly lower than average.” – Ambar Maddox, Pernod Ricard Winemakers “I was really disappointed in the lower end price point of Shiraz. Some of the wines were almost undrinkable. A few 2017 Hunter Shiraz did not look good, maybe with time it will get better.
McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Coonawarra were standout regions in this tasting. Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz 2014 was stunning, it is everything I want in a Shiraz; big jammy fruit and a good smack of vanilla oak.” – Daryl Fisher, Fisher Fine Wines “The Shiraz bracket highlighted a strong trend in intensely opaque wine, with rich, ripe fruit flavours, across all price points and quality levels. The majority were approachable, drink now styles of wine. Assuming that the majority of the wines tasted were Australian, there was a distinct lack of terroir showing through, perhaps due to price point. The 2016 Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Shiraz displayed a sense of place and the 2016 Taylors Jaraman Shiraz and 2014 Brokenwood Shiraz also stood out.” – Liz Schoen, Samuel Smith & Son “Homogenous. Generic. Same-same. That’s the problem with a bracket like this with everyone trying to make quite similar, rich and juicy wines. It means consistency but also generic flavours. On the positive I didn’t notice excessive alcohol in many wines. But in the negative there are still lots of wines built around oak. Wood alone doesn’t make a wine. The 2014 Thorn-Clarke William Randall Shiraz is a classic old school Barossa red – flagship worthy. The 2016 Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Shiraz is a very good, solid commercial style.” – Andrew Graham, Cracka Wines “Quite a good bracket in all price points with a lean away from confected/lollied styles displaying balance and harmonious use of oak. A lean toward savoury styles that lend themselves to food pairing. Less focus on extracted over-ripe styles is a plus.” – Andrew Stubbs, Vine “My bracket overall had a mixed bag of styles but most were leaning towards medium bodied and elegant rather than the big and powerful Shiraz that have dominated for so long. The flavour profiles were also lighter and brighter
with red fruits being a regular pick up alongside the traditional dark and blue fruit spectrum and spice. There were a few however that weren’t as balanced with the oak influences dominating in some cases. There was a clear trend within my bracket showing a move towards the more medium bodied style of Shiraz. The standout wines were the ones that let the fruit shine with the oak elements balancing out the flavour profiles.” – Amy Hayes, McWilliam’s Wine Group “The wines in my bracket all had something different about them. The fuller Shiraz demonstrated their higher quality. The range was diverse and it was great to see you don’t need to spend a fortune for a great drop. I noticed vanillary notes coming from south-eastern Australia and fruit cake coming from McLaren Vale. The 2016 Shingleback South Coast Shiraz and the 2013 Taylors The Pioneer Shiraz stood out, but in particular was the 2016 Brokenwood Shiraz with white pepper notes, firm tannins and it had a lengthy finish.” – Alexandros Stamoulis, Corkscrew Cellars “Early examples were gritty with some stalky/green issues. Many had grippy tannins with acid out of balance. Later in the bracket more complexity in terms of flavour profile with balance and structure more established. Those with some age are drinking far better than those without. The 2014 McGuigan Farms and 2013 Taylors The Pioneer, stood out, the McGuigan in particular given the price point.” – Cassandra Macdonald, eBev “I really enjoyed the bracket with a good nuance of Shiraz styles, from light to full bodied, and from fruit bombs to earthy, peppery styles. I noticed most of the wines were medium bodied and ready to drink. The older wines needed more time to age. The standout wine for me was the 2015 Taylors St Andrews Shiraz, it was fresh and lively with great balance and lengthy.” – Con Stamoulis, Corkscrew Cellars
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 45
WINE TASTING REVIEW
THE SHIRAZ TASTING THE PANEL 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1. Andrew Graham, Online Communications Manager, Cracka Wines
5. Josh Chambers, Director, Chambers Cellars
10. Cassandra Macdonald, General Manager, eBev
6. John Quinn, Owner, IconicWinemakers.com.au
2. Tom Lynar, National Sales Manager, Handpicked Wines
7. Alexandros Stamoulis, Store Manager, Corkscrew Cellars, Rose Bay
11. Amy Hayes, PR & Media Manager, McWilliam’s Wines Group
3. Daryl Fisher, General Manager, Fisher Fine Wines
8. Con Stamoulis, Director, Corkscrew Cellars
4. Andrew Stubbs, Vine – Providore of Fine Wine
9. Liz Schoen, Sales Manager, Samuel Smith & Son
12. Ambar Maddox, Wine Ambassador, Pernod Ricard Winemakers
The System: The wines are blind-tasted and scored on appearance, nose and palate against a 100 point system, before being averaged to find the top rating wines from each LUC price bracket. Top-rating wines over $17 LUC
95
94
McGuigan Hand Made Shiraz 2014 Langhorne Creek
94
94
Taylors Jaraman Shiraz 2016 Clare Valley/McLaren Vale
94
94
Candied, ripened fruits. Great little wine. JC
Blackberry jam, vanilla oak, tarry. Big tannins, charred oak coming through. DF
Beautiful fruit characters & concentration with finely grained tannins. Great wine. AM
Good complexity on the palate, blackcurrant, cassis earth notes to finish hints of cocoa & dried spices. LS
Good complexity of fruit with cigar box & delicious toasty oak notes. Ageing potential. LS
Alluring nose with great complexity of red, black & blue fruits. Liquorice finish with a long length. LS
Schild Estate Prämie Single Vineyard Barossa Valley Shiraz 2014 Barossa Valley
Supple yet full bodied. Approachable yet aloof. Sweet but savoury. Balanced but out-there. JQ Vintage House Wine & Spirits LUC $43.43
St. Hugo Shiraz 2015 Barossa
Valley
Tight despite its age with Big, powerful wine with liquorice, berry and pencil tannins to match. Needs shavings on the nose. TL some time to mellow. TL Australian Vintage Limited LUC $26.88
46 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
Pernod Ricard Australia LUC $39.06
Smoky & brooding red that has a serious depth to it. AG Taylors Wines LUC $21.50
Shingleback D Auswan Creek Block Shiraz 2013 Ambassador Shiraz McLaren Vale 2016 Barossa Valley
Muster Wine & Spirit (SA), Domaines & Vineyards (WA), Shingleback Wine (rest of Aus) LUC $36.55
A different beast. Leaf litter & then acid & tannins. AG Australia Swan Vintage LUC $60
WINE TASTING REVIEW
Top-rating wines $13 to $17 LUC
93
Fox Creek Family Shiraz 2016 McLaren Vale
92
Nepenthe Pinnacle Gramps Shiraz Gate Block Shiraz 2015 Barossa 2016 Adelaide Hills Valley
90
90
90
A lovely, elegant Shiraz with vibrant fruit balanced with lifted spices and some grippy tannins. AS
A spicy Shiraz with a good Robust in style – stewed structure, generous fruit fruits with finely grained & persistent length. LS tannins. Some herbal undertones showing Simple, luscious Shiraz through. AM style with oak crammed
Ripe blackberry fruit a feature point here. Good concentration if a little controlled. AG
Black cherry flavours on the palate with a bright acid line and pleasing tannins. AH
Cigar box, with spicy tannins. CS
Pure Wine Co (SA/NT/ QLD/NSW), Nelson Wine Company (VIC), DWS (TAS), Terra Wines (WA) $13.29
90
I am George Shiraz 2016 Langhorne
Creek
McW 660 Reserve Canberra Syrah 2016 Canberra
George The Unbound Shiraz 2016 Barossa Valley/ Padthaway
Juicy fruit & spice, lighter Upfront plum, strawberries A classic Shiraz that tannin, good acid to dominate the palate with a displays bright cherry, plum match medium intensity, dry tannin finish. LS fruits on a gritty tannin & good length. CM Pernod Ricard Australia structure. AS
juicy fruit & then a soft finish. Generous commercial style. AG
Earthy coconut, prunes, dark fruits, great nose. Intense, powerful. DF
Australian Vintage Limited LUC $14.48
Pernod Ricard Australia LUC $14.47
LUC $13.16
McWilliam’s Wines Group Pernod Ricard Australia LUC $15.48 LUC $15.62
Top-rating wines under $13 LUC
90
90
89
89
89
Slightly medicinal nose, good structure & length. Herbaceous finish. LS
A well-made classic Shiraz with lovely cherries and red fruits balanced with approachable tannins. AS
Jammy red, alcohol alienates the finish. Robust flavours. AG
Prominent oak & texture on the palate. Vibrant dark fruits with a bold finish. LS
Lovely mouthfeel and Little bit of bottle age well-integrated oak with a coming through, but pleasant finish. AH still fruity & lively on the palate. AM A jammy style that has
A considerable step up. Lots of smokey oak but savoury & well handled. Reminds me of the Yalumba reds. AG
some confected fruit but lacking elegance. AS
George Wyndham BIN 555 Shiraz 2016 South Eastern Australia
Oak smoothed red with juicy flavours & a slightly confined finish. AG Pernod Ricard Australia LUC $10.56
Tamburlaine One The Grapevine Shiraz 2017 Orange
Bibliotheque Travel Writing Shiraz 2015 McLaren Vale
Grippy palate, good length. Flavours sat more on the Blackcurrant & dried herb red fruit spectrum showing flavours. LS vibrant Morello Cherries. AH Single Vineyard Sellers Tamburlaine Organic LUC $9.68 Wines LUC $10.75
87
Tyrrell’s Beyond Fox Creek Red Berton Vineyard Broke Road Shiraz Baron Shiraz 2016 Reserve Shiraz 2016 Heathcote McLaren Vale 2016 Barossa Valley
Tyrrell’s Wines LUC $10.97
Pure Wine Co (SA/NT/ QLD/NSW), Nelson Wine Company (VIC), DWS (TAS), Terra Wines (WA) LUC $12.47
A textural wine with fine, pondering tannins & soft juicy fruit. TL Berton Vineyards LUC $10.80
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 47
EVENTS
1. JAMES SQUIRE OPENS WORLD’S MOST SCENIC MICROBREWERY
1
The view from the new James Squire brewery.
2. ADELAIDE HILLS WINERIES HEAD TO SURRY HILLS On Tuesday, 8 May more than 25 Adelaide Hills wineries descended on the very new Winebar One in Surry Hills for three hours of tastings and masterclasses. With around 70 wines on offer, the trade tasted their way through the 70km stretch of the Adelaide Hills from sparkling wine and Grüner Veltliner, to Shiraz and Pinot Noir, experiencing the best of the Adelaide Hills. The trade session throughout the day included tastings with the winemakers and three masterclasses and this was followed by a ticketed consumer event. The posse of winemakers attending included Murdoch Hill’s Michael Downer, who was crowned the nation’s best emerging talent at the 2017 Young Gun of Wine awards, along with Adelaide Hills’ royalty Andrew Hardy (Petaluma), Adam Wadewitz (Shaw + Smith) and Tim Knappstein (Riposte) among others.
3
Some of the wines on display at the Adelaide Hills ‘Hills Heist’ event.
48 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
3. ‘REBEL VINTNERS’ FRAMINGHAM HIT SYDNEY The McWilliam’s Wines Group hosted the punk rocking lads and ladies from New Zealand wine brand Framingham in Sydney on 15 May to celebrate their distribution in Australia and the launch of the Nobody’s Hero range. Styled as an intimate ‘gig’ the New Zealand-based ‘rebel vintners’ shared their special breed of tunes and craft with the Sydney wine scene. Their ‘Out of mainstream’ message was carried out by a no holds barred introduction by winemaker Dr Andrew Hedley.
2
2
The Squire’s Landing officially opened at Circular Quay’s Overseas Passenger Terminal last month. Boasting panoramic views of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, it could just be the world’s most scenic microbrewery location. The Squire’s Landing is a partnership between Mantle Group Hospitality and Lion, housing a two-storey restaurant and a freestanding, fully-glazed and architecturally designed microbrewery. The venue’s Head Brewer, Peter Merrington, will be permanently based onsite crafting exclusive small-batch brews, and delivering James Squire limited releases and its nine core range beers and ciders. Speaking at the launch, Lion’s Managing Director, James Brindley, said: “This is a special place, Lion couldn’t be happier to have a place like this, in this incredible location.”
3
Jeff McWilliam with the Framingham team.
EVENTS
4
Neil Stevens 2018 Viticulturist winner.
4
Andrew Margan 2018 Cellar Door winner.
4
Robert and Sally Molines 2018 Legends winners.
4. HUNTER VALLEY CELEBRATES ITS LEGENDS The Hunter Valley region had another night of celebration, with the 12th annual Hunter Valley Legends & Wine Industry Awards, which were held at the newly renovated Ben Ean, Lindeman’s Estate. The wine and tourism industries came together at this annual black-tie event to celebrate and honour our Living Legends and all those who help make the Hunter Valley great. The status of ‘Hunter Valley Legend’ is an honour bestowed on individuals who have given many years of outstanding service to the advancement of the Hunter Valley as a wine producing region. Current Legends induct an industry member who fulfils all criteria as laid down in the Award. The Hunter Valley has a rich history as Australia’s oldest wine producing region, built on a foundation of pioneers starting with James Busby in the 1820’s through to Len Evans in more recent years. Hunter Valley Legends are drawn from latter day pioneers commencing the era of Legends such as Max Lake and Percival McGuigan. (Turn to page 22 to see the winners).
5
5. BILL CALABRIA CELEBRATES 70TH BIRTHDAY Australian winemaker Bill Calabria celebrated his 70th birthday with a charity event at Sydney’s Doltone House, Darling Island. Three-hundred guests enjoyed the evening, hosted by Bill’s longtime friend and Nine Network Entertainment Editor, Richard Wilkins, which was a benefit for the Charlie Teo Foundation and The Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation and were able to raise much needed funds via a celebrity auction and generous donations from guests. Together with the support of family, friends, customers, colleagues and many other contributors, $82,000 was raised for these causes. Calabria was joined by wife Lena, his three sons; Frank, Michael and Andrew and daughter Elizabeth with their partners, grandchildren, customers, colleagues and friends including boxer Jeff Fenech, footballer Josh Reynolds, Channel Nine’s Cameron Williams, journalist John Mangos and auctioneer Vic Larusso, plus Charlie Teo’s daughter Alexandra, who paid tribute to Bill’s charity work. The Bill Calabria Foundation was established in 2008 and is committed to raising funds to support other charitable organisations, the financially under-privileged, sick or needy and to enable the support of the Australian community.
5
The Calabria Family.
Bill Calabria.
NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS JUNE 2018 | 49
SHOP TALK
Shop Talk WE TALK SHOP WITH SAMANTHA-JANE SYMES FROM PROXIMO AUSTRALIA AND PHILIPPE RODRIGUES FROM CHAMBERS CELLARS.
Meet... SAMANTHA-JANE SYMES NSW North Area Manager, Proximo Australia
PHILIPPE RODRIGUES Manager, Chambers Cellars Avalon, Sydney
ABOUT US: SAMANTHA: For the majority of my career I have been working within the hospitality industry. I started my journey as a bartender at Mona Vale Hotel on the Northern Beaches and quickly moved up the ranks to management. I have had the opportunity to gain experience in many venues across Sydney. I loved the atmosphere and skills I gained, not only professionally but socially. I decided that moving into sales was my path. After many years of experience in the FMCG market, I moved into my current role at Proximo Australia. I am lucky to have an inspiring team and great customers. PHILIPPE: I am currently in charge of running the day-to-day operation at Chambers Cellars Avalon. I started 20 years ago at Figtree Cellars where I was lucky enough to work with passionate people that took the time to teach me about wine.
HOW ARE YOU FINDING THE CURRENT MARKET? SAMANTHA: The market is tough for some of my stores. With new taxes and increases, not to mention tough economic times, it can be scary for small independent stores. Within the industry we have seen an increase in the popularity of the tequila and gin categories. Consumers are also more educated and adventurous now, so we are seeing growth in the middle and top shelf products. PHILIPPE: The market is highly competitive, but with a bit of passion for finding the right products that are not on the shelves of the bigger players, then you can build a good business that caters to the demand of your local community.
50 | JUNE 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU ARE FACING? SAMANTHA: This is a hard one, as an Area Manager you are faced with many challenges. I would say that coming to an agreement on a selling price can be difficult. It can be hard to keep the store management, supplier and consumer happy. Having a car as your office can also be another challenge. PHILIPPE: Competition is very fierce in the area with a lot of bottle shops vying for the same customers. Again having a point of difference with what others are doing will get you over the line.
WHAT DEALS ARE WORKING FOR YOU AT THE MOMENT? SAMANTHA: We find that the promotions we offer through our wholesalers and banner groups benefit our customers and consumers. We have also focussed on educating customers and building brand awareness. PHILIPPE: ‘Two-for’ offers are a very popular choice with our customers. In-store tastings with special discounts on the night work also very well. Also working with local businesses like Modus Operandi brewery has been very beneficial for our premium beer sales.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT THE JOB? SAMANTHA: There are many things I enjoy about my job, such as supporting our customers events, seeing our efforts come to fruition and the atmosphere of my team. However, the thing that’s most enjoyable is getting to know my customers
and learning about them as people. Everyone has a story and words of wisdom. PHILIPPE: We are very lucky to work with likeminded people at head office and that gives us the possibility to cater to our customers’ requests. We have more freedom to choose products unlike some of the major chains where a manager has no say about what goes on the shelves.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WORKING WITH EACH OTHER? SAMANTHA: Philippe is great. He’s very knowledgeable in all areas of liquor and is also hilarious. He’s great at his job and has a fantastic personality. We get along well, it’s an honest relationship. PHILIPPE: Sam understands my approach to running the business and is happy to work with me in selecting the products we should range.
HOW DO YOU APPROACH THE RETAILER/REP RELATIONSHIP? SAMANTHA: I try to approach the retailer with respect and honesty. I like to ask questions and listen. I also like to find out more about their business needs and recommend with honesty. It is important to me to have a balance of work and personal chat. I don’t like being ‘just another rep’. It is also important to stick to your word, if you say you’re going to do something, then it must be done in a timely manner. PHILIPPE: As a partnership, by working together on products that reflect what we want to achieve in this shop.
COMING TO MELBOURNE! RESTAURANT
LEADERS SUMMIT 2018
MONDAY 30 JULY 2018 PARK HYATT HOTEL, MELBOURNE Tickets are available now at
www.restaurantleaders.com.au If you’re in the business of running restaurants and cafés, this Summit is specifically designed for you!
“A fabulous forum for people in the industry” – Trudi Yip, Numeric Eight HOSTED BY
INTERESTED IN SPONSORING THE SUMMIT? Contact Dan Shipley: 02 8586 6163 E: dshipley@intermedia.com.au
Imported by BAW ‖ Address: 38 – 42 Ordish Road, Dandenong South, VIC 3175. ‖ Website: www.baw.com.au ‖ Email Address: sales@baw.com.au
