National Liquor News September 2018 by The Intermedia Group

AUSTRALIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S LEADING LIQUOR INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

vol. 37 no. 8 - SEPTEMBER 2018

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Editor’s Note

WE ENCOURAGE DRINKING RESPONSIBLY RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

elcome to the September issue of National Liquor News. We’ve got another cracking issue for you this month. In this issue we announce all of the off-premise finalists for the Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA). To all of the retailers, suppliers and banner groups that have been recognised as ALIA finalists, I’d like to say congratulations to you all. The ALIA voting process is unique in that it is voted by the industry, for the industry. The first round of voting, was open to the industry as a whole and now that we have our finalists, these will be sent to ALIA’s extensive panel of judges from all sectors of Australia’s liquor industry – so best of luck to you all. This month, our retail strategy, marketing and experience expert Norrelle Goldring has taken a look at social media and how it can best be used for both suppliers and retailers, you can find this on page 24. Meanwhile, to mix things up a bit this month, IRI has focused on new product innovation and we see that innovation in the liquor channel added $442m in the last year, equivalent to 76 per cent of all growth. In the wine space, we have shone a spotlight on Rosé and you can find our three-page spread on what to stock for spring starting on page 40. We’ve also got our annual New Zealand Wine Report, where Andrew Graham discovers winemakers have got a renewed focus on alternate varietals and Pinot Noir, you can read this on page 50. On the spirits side, we’ve got the first half of our two-part series where we begin to break down the aperitivo occasion and take a look at the opportunities for retailers in this growing category, you can read this on page 56. Andy Young has also taken a look at the premium gin category and found that there are lots of new brands hitting the market and driving some very strong growth, you can find this on page 43.

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ROSÉ WINE Bird in Hand Brown Brothers Moscato De Bortoli La Boheme Fifth Leg Gerard Bertrand Jacob’s Creek Cool Harvest Jacob’s Creek Le Petit Mateus Squealing Pig Turkey Flat

AUSTRALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL SPARKLING Arras Brown Brothers Prosecco Chandon Grant Burge Sparkling Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Jansz Oyster Bay Petaluma Croser Yellow Tail Yellowglen Colours

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BEST MARKETED WINE 19 Crimes Brown Brothers Fifth Leg G.H Mumm NV Jacobs Creek McGuigan Penfolds Pepperjack Wolf Blass Yellow Tail

SPIRITS DARK SPIRIT Bundaberg UP Canadian Club Captain Morgan Chivas Regal 12 Year Old Jack Daniel’s

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LUXURY LIGHT SPIRIT - OVER $70

BEST MARKETED SPIRIT/RTD/RTS

Adelaide Hills 78 Degrees Archie Rose Signature Dry Gin Don Julio Blanco Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin Hendrick’s Herradurra Ink Gin Patron Silver Star of Bombay Tanqueray Ten

Bombay Sapphire Bundaberg Rum Canadian Club & Dry Captain Morgan Four Pillars Grey Goose Hendrick’s Jack Daniels Jim Beam Johnnie Walker

LIQUEUR Alize Baileys Irish Cream Cointreau Frangelico

BACARDI-MARTINI AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED

MAJOR AWARDS NEW PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 19 Crimes 5 Seeds Lower Sugar Balter IIPA Brown Brothers Prosecco Spritz Coopers Session Ale Indie Draught Iron Jack Jacob’s Creek Prosecco Spritz Jim Beam Black Double Serve Slane Irish Whiskey Tanqueray & Tonic RTD Untold Spiced Rum

LIQUOR BRAND OF THE YEAR Aperol Bacardi Coopers Four Pillars Furphy Refreshing Ale Great Northern Iron Jack Jack Daniel’s Jim Beam Penfolds Wild Turkey Wolf Blass

RETAIL GROUP OF THE YEAR Camperdown Cellars Cellarbrations Chambers Cellars Dan Murphy’s Bottler Liquor Barons Liquor Legends Bottlemart Liquor Stax Thirsty Camel Porter’s Liquor Super Cellars

LIQUOR STORE OF THE YEAR Armadale Cellars VIC Bayfield’s Liquor Superstore NSW Beer Cartel NSW Camperdown Cellars NSW Carwyn Cellars VIC Dan Murphy’s Prahan VIC Elizabeth Bay Cellars NSW Liquor Barons Swanbourne WA Liquor Legends Charnwood ACT Sense of Taste QLD The Drink Hive NSW The Oak Barrel NSW

OFF-PREMISE SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR Asahi Premium Beverages Brown-Forman Coopers CUB Diageo Kollaras & Co Lion Pernod Ricard SouthTrade International Treasury Wine Estates Vanguard Luxury Brands William Grant & Sons

NETWORKING BARS

BREWING

CUB LAUNCHES ITS FIRST NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) has released the first non-alcoholic beer in the brewery’s 180year history. The release of Carlton Zero marks a long term shift in Australia’s drinking habits. Low and midstrength beers now represent 20 per cent of CUB sales as people are increasingly moderating their alcohol intake. According to CUB, Australian sales of nonalcoholic beers have grown 57 per cent over the last five years, but these volumes are modest in comparison to the US, Canada and Europe. But the brewery anticipates that the launch of Carlton Zero will significantly increase non-alcoholic beer sales in Australia. CUB Business Unit President Peter Filipovic, said: “We’ve listened to customers who have told us they want more opportunities to drink responsibly but still want a great-tasting beer. So we are re-writing the rules to give people a non-alcoholic beer that actually tastes like beer. “Carlton Zero will be promoted to adults and comes as demand for non-alcoholic beer continues to grow in Australia and internationally. While non-alcoholic beer has been available in Australian supermarkets for years, we’re expecting Carlton Zero will shake-up the market. “It’s crafted with the same quality ingredients as our other iconic beers to give it a great-tasting flavour.” Carlton Zero is slightly hoppy with a fruity aroma, it is a full-flavoured classic beer style. Even though Carlton Zero is a non-alcoholic beverage it will be marketed only to adults in strict accordance with the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code. Carlton Zero is now available in liquor stores and major supermarkets across the country in both 375ml cans and 330ml bottles. Filipovic continued: “This is an historic release for CUB and we are proud to add Carlton Zero to our portfolio of some of Australia’s most iconic beers.”

LION TO RELEASE KOSCIUSZKO ACROSS AUSTRALIA IN CANS Lion has announced that its popular craft beer Kosciuszko is available in 355ml cans across Australia since the end of August. Following the recent rise in popularity for craft beer in cans, Lion’s General Manager, Craft, Gordon Treanor, said it was a “no-brainer” to make the new packaging move for Kosciuszko. “We saw an opportunity to give drinkers another way to enjoy Kosciuszko Pale Ale, especially given the huge demand for the beer in its existing formats,” he said. “Kosciuszko has grown by over 20 per cent in the last 12 months, with 84 per cent growth in pack in New South Wales alone. “It is really exciting to see the brand go from strength to strength, as we expand its footprint across the nation with our cans and stubbies available to retailers nation-wide.” Kosciuszko was founded in 2009 by Dr Chuck Hahn at the Kosciuszko microbrewery at Banjo Patterson’s Inn in Jindabyne, and the move cans come after the beer was revealed as a naming sponsor at the Everest Race Day at Royal Randwick in October. The cans will be available in singles, six-pack and full case formats, to on- and off-premises, with a $25.99 RRP for a six-pack and $77.99 for a case.

TRIBE AND MORNINGTON BREWERIES FORM PARTNERSHIP Independent brewers Tribe Breweries and Mornington Peninsula Brewery have announced a significant partnership that sees Mornington join the Tribe family and one of its co-founders become a shareholder in Tribe. Mornington’s co-founder and CEO, Matt Bebe will become a shareholder in Tribe and will also remain at Mornington to lead its team. Both parties have said that all employees at Mornington will continue in their existing roles. The partnership will see Mornington look to grow its reach both domestically and internationally as its brewing capacity will increase as well as its ability to launch new brews. “Mornington, like a lot of other independent breweries reached a point where we had to make some strategic decisions about our future,” Bebe said. “Over the last year we maxed out our brewery but wanted to continue on the journey. Joining Tribe is a great decision for Mornington as we can have our cake and eat it too; continue to be both local and independent while also part of a larger collective group that can provide benefits across the board.” In a joint statement Tribe and Mornington said that the new partnership

16 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

will enable Mornington to expand while staying owned by a team who are highly passionate about artisan brewing. Anton Szpitalak, Co-founder and CEO of Tribe Breweries said: “It is an exciting day for Tribe and Mornington. Tribe has an aspiration to become Australia’s number one independent brewer and is firmly committed to working with artisans to realise their dreams. “Mornington fits perfectly into that vision and with the brewery joining the tribe we take a big step forward L-R: Anton Szoitalak and Matt Bebe on our journey.” He added: “We are super excited to be building our ‘tribe’ of great independent brands that are able to maintain their heritage and authenticity. Whether we partner brew their beers, or for them to join us as part of the Tribe portfolio; that diversity of choice and freedom hasn’t really existed ever before in the Australian market.” This partnership is the latest move in a busy year for Tribe, with a new state-of-the-art ‘craft beverage production facility’ opening in Goulburn later this year. Additionally the company has opened the Stockade Barrel Room in Marrickville, acquired Wilde Gluten Free and set up a joint venture with a Thai partner to create a new beer brand, Chao Siam.

CIDER

CIDER AUSTRALIA TO LAUNCH TRUST MARK WE CHAT WITH SAM REID, THE PRESIDENT OF CIDER AUSTRALIA ABOUT THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW TRUST MARK FOR CRAFT CIDER PRODUCERS, WHICH WILL LAUNCH IN OCTOBER.

Q WHEN WILL THE CRAFT CIDER MARK BE LAUNCHING? The trust mark and brand proposition will be launched in Sydney on Friday 5 October, in conjunction with the Australian Cider Awards. The event will include a series of producer workshops to help members understand the Australian cider brand proposition, the trust mark and how to use both for maximum impact in the market place.

Q WHAT HAS BEEN THE FEEDBACK ON LAUNCHING A TRUST MARK FOR CRAFT CIDER PRODUCERS? Beyond excited, there is definitely a feeling of ‘it’s about time’. The $500,000 boost from the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package is the single biggest investment the Australian cider industry has received from any government and it’s an opportunity to market and grow Australian craft cider internationally. We’ve made no progress lobbying for a change in labelling laws, so the trust mark is a fantastic solution for consumers of quality Australian craft cider.

“The trust mark and brand proposition are part of this broader strategy to elevate the craft cider category, lift competition and grow exports to allow greater investment in innovation.” – Sam Reid Q WILL IT BE AVAILABLE TO ALL CRAFT CIDER PRODUCERS OR JUST MEMBERS OF CIDER AUSTRALIA? The trust mark will only be available to members of Cider Australia. This is an important feature as Cider Australia will be administering the compliance framework to ensure the trust mark has complete integrity in the market.

Q WHY IS HAVING A MARK FOR CRAFT CIDER PRODUCERS SO IMPORTANT? The trust mark will educate consumers about the quality and origin of ingredients, so they can make more informed choices. Under the current labelling laws it’s difficult for consumers to identify where the fruit is sourced and how it is made. The trust mark will help reinforce the premium quality of craft cider, which is made from 100 per cent Australiangrown fruit. Cider Australia is on a constant journey to build a sustainable cider category and one of the key pillars of this is to continually premiumise the category and make better quality ciders. The trust mark and brand proposition are part of this broader strategy to elevate the craft cider category, lift competition and grow exports to allow greater investment in innovation. Another key platform for promoting quality cider is the annual Australian Cider Awards, where we bring an international guest judge to Australia to give feedback on ciders and cider making techniques and meet with producers during in-market visits to help members learn and grow.

Q HOW DO YOU THINK THAT THE MARK WILL INFLUENCE CONSUMERS’ PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR? We estimate that approximately 30 per cent of drinkers will choose to drink a premium cider made with 100 per cent Australian-grown fruit if they have the choice and are aware of it. Like in every category, there will always be a large section of the market that want the cheapest option but we are confident that with a clearly defined choice, supported by consumer education, we will see some strong growth in the Australian craft cider segment domestically and internationally.

18 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Q HOW DO YOU DEFINE ‘CRAFT’? Australian craft cider is cider made from 100 per cent Australian fruit (apples of or pears).

Q WHAT IS THE LAUNCH STRATEGY AND WHAT KIND OF COLLATERAL WILL BE ROLLED OUT? We have a launch event with craft cider producers on Friday 5 October followed by a series of workshops to educate members about the Australian cider trust mark and brand proposition. The workshops will include some tools and tips on promoting the brand proposition and we’ll be working closely with retailers to bring the trust mark to life in-store.

Q WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE CIDER TRUST MARK? I’m incredibly proud that we are the first country to develop a cider trust mark like this. I would hope that it will lead to some significant growth for the Australian craft cider community – both domestically and internationally. Longer-term, I would hope that other countries follow suit and the global cider community can work together to develop trust marks by nation to help premiumise the global market and drive more integrity in the cider industry as a whole.

Q IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO MENTION ABOUT THE MARK OR CIDER IN GENERAL? It’s important to recognise that when consumers buy a cider with the Australian cider trust mark, they’re not only buying a premium product, they’re also supporting Australian growers, Australian jobs and the regional, agricultural communities around Australia.

Cider brand launch New brand proposition to market Australian craft cider overseas Cider Australia, together with Wine Australia and consultant Guy Taylor, is launching the brand proposition to market Australian craft cider overseas, prior to the annual Australian Cider Awards Dinner on Friday 5 October. The brand proposition is supported by the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package.

9.30 – 11 am Friday 5 October 2018 Mercure Sydney, 818–820 George St, Chippendale Enquiries: office@cideraustralia.org.au www.cideraustralia.org.au/

SPIRITS

Matthew McConaughey and Eddie Russell

WILD TURKEY’S LONGBRANCH RELEASED IN AUSTRALIA Wild Turkey has unveiled its latest Bourbon release in Australia, Longbranch, which is a collaboration between Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey Master Distiller, Eddie Russell. The rare, small-batch Kentucky Bourbon is refined with Texas Mesquite and oak charcoals as the pair looked to create a whisky inspired by McConaughey’s Kentucky and Texas roots. Matthew McConaughey has been the brand’s Creative Director since 2016, working behind the camera and in front of it in television commercials to reintroduce the world to Wild Turkey. Commenting on the release, Master Distiller Eddie Russell said: “When we were creating Wild Turkey Longbranch, we talked at length about how to make a product that represents elements of both Texas and Kentucky. “Our goal was to make a straight Bourbon whiskey with a soft sweetness that was still unmistakably Wild Turkey. The result was a Bourbon that we both truly enjoy drinking neat, and look forward to sharing with others.” Longbranch is created using two separate charcoal filtration methods; the first filtration process uses charcoal made from American White Oak and the second uses charcoal made from Texas Mesquite wood, giving the Bourbon notes of smoky sweetness. Made with eight-year-old Wild Turkey Bourbon, Longbranch is described as having “a bright gold colour and aroma that is a balanced blend of vanilla and spices”. Flavour-wise Wild Turkey describes “caramel, pear, and hints of citrus round out the palate and the subtle, smoky finish is buttery smooth, with notes of gentle pepper and toasted oak”. The Bourbon is now available to all retailers.

666 VODKA JOINS THE SOUTHTRADE PORTFOLIO SouthTrade International will take over distribution of Australian craft spirit brand 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka, effective 1 October. 666 Vodka was previously distributed by Think Spirits, which last month announced it would be taking over the distribution of Stolichnaya Vodka in Australia. As a part of the SouthTrade portfolio 666 Dean Lucas and Ray Noble Vodka will look to evolve as a brand, beginning with new packaging and product innovation. Dean Lucas, the Founder of 666 Vodka, is delighted to be joining SouthTrade, which has been building a strong local craft portfolio in recent times. “SouthTrade International is a business with fantastic energy and momentum as evidenced by recent brand additions and we are thrilled to be joining the SouthTrade family and what we consider to be the leading Australian craft portfolio. “With the SouthTrade team’s knowledge, expertise and highly complementary portfolio, we plan to expand 666 Vodka with the next evolution of the brand inclusive of new packaging and product innovations.” Lucas continued: “We would like to thank Patrick Borg, Graeme Ewens and the Think Spirits team for all of their passion and hard work carried out over the last three years. The 666 Vodka brand transitions to SouthTrade after a period of strong growth over the last 12 months.” SouthTrade International’s Managing Director, Ray Noble, is also delighted with the new partnership. “Joining future icon brands of Mr. Black, Starward Whisky and Adelaide Hills Distillery, we are excited to expand and strengthen our local craft spirits portfolio with 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka. It’s an award-winning brand with strong growth ambitions and plans for expansion, which marries with SouthTrade’s vision of driving long-term success for premium local craft brands across Australia. “Established in 2007 and committed to sustainability, we were drawn to the brand’s authenticity using local ingredients and capturing the purity of the surrounding environment of Cape Grim and North West Tasmania. As the number one Australian premium vodka, this addition bolsters our focus towards building unique local craft brands with great stories.”

PATRÓN TEQUILA SET FOR BACARDI MOVE Following Bacardi Limited’s global acquisition of Patrón Tequila earlier this year, Bacardi-Martini Australia (BMA) has now taken over the exclusive distribution of the brand. Patrón has moved from its former distribution partner, SouthTrade International and into the BMA portfolio as of Wednesday, 1 August. Bacardi-Martini NAPAC Vice President Denis Brown, was understandably excited about welcoming the world’s top-selling ultra-premium tequila to the company. “We’re thrilled to welcome the Patrón brand to the Bacardi family, naturally, a perfect fit alongside our super premium offering including Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire and St Germain among others,” Brown said. “The tequila category brings a significant growth opportunity for us, and we are confident that Patrón has all the credentials to lead the category value. We look forward to partnering with our customers to realise this growth with them.” Bacardi Limited has owned a minority stake in Patrón since 2008, and in January agreed to acquire 100 per cent ownership of Patrón Spirits International AG and its Patrón brands, in a deal worth $5.1bn.

20 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

PROMOTION

ASAHI RELAUNCHES VODKA O IN AUSTRALIA THE REFRESH OF VODKA O AIMS TO CAPTURE THE ATTITUDE OF MODERN AUSTRALIA WITH ITS BOLD, SIMPLE AND FUN AESTHETIC.

sahi Premium Beverages (APB) will launch a fresh, rebranded Vodka O spirit and premixed drinks range to the Australian market this October. APB acquired Artisan Spirit Merchants (ASM) Liquor in 2017, a portfolio that included premium vodka brand, Vodka O. Established in Australia, Vodka O is the fourth largest vodka in the market, by volume. It is a premium, charcoal-filtered, triple-distilled vodka that is distilled from whey and certified gluten free. The award-winning vodka liquid in the spirits range (500ml, 700ml, 1L) will not change however will launch new, refreshed artwork to enter the market this October. With packaging by Bold Inc. Sydney and creative by TBWA Melbourne, APB has engaged a superlative team for the re-launch. Chris Regan, Senior Planner from TBWA Melbourne, said the goal was to capture the fun and youth of the Vodka O brand. “Surrounded by heritage brands, Vodka O is a younger brand in the vodka category. With a new fresh look, it embraces its youth and captures the attitude of modern Australia with bold, simple and fun aesthetic.” Meanwhile, Michael Edmonds, APB’s General Manager of Marketing, said that the challenge was to modernise the Vodka O brand. “We knew we had a great brand in Vodka O but also knew our main challenge was to bring it into today’s world. By bringing together a team of experts, leveraging great brand work and creating great tasting drinks, we believe Vodka O is set for success,” he said. APB has also decided to relaunch the premixed drinks range, refining the flavours

to capture a more sophisticated market. “Vodka O is unique to the vodka premixed drinks market specifically. It’s a much more refined flavour which speaks to a sophisticated drinking audience. It’s ‘grown up’ but still full in flavour. We wanted to ensure it had appealing flavour combinations and a mild level of sweetness, so it offers a different experience to other premixed drinks options in this category,” Edmonds added. The premixed drinks range will see a full revamp of the liquids and packaging. The new format will include 4x330ml bottles (4.6 per cent ABV) in Lemon Lime and Bitters as well as Raspberry and Blood Orange flavours. There will also be 4x330ml cans (4.0 per cent ABV) in Lemon and Lime flavour. Notably, the premixed drinks range will be gluten free using all natural colours and flavours, made with the Vodka O premium distilled vodka. The re-launch will all culminate in an above-the-line campaign including a three-year sponsorship of the brand new MTV Unplugged series as well as a digital campaign headed up by media agency Vizeum and social media partner, Tiger Pistol. This is an exciting and bold new direction for the brand, and APB has identified an opportunity to engage vodka drinkers beyond the traditional notions of its category. Vodka O spirit will be available marketwide and premixed drinks range at Dan Murphy’s and selected independents. Spirit RRP $39.99 700ml and premixed drinks range RRP $17.99.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 21

IRI INSIGHTS

IRI LIQUOR KNOWLEDGE MAIREAD MCELVANNA FROM IRI PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE LIQUOR INDUSTRY TO JUNE (01/07/18).

TOTAL OFF-PREMISE LIQUOR • Beer saw the largest level of innovation and range expansion, with 13 per cent more products ranged than the same time last year. • Innovation in the liquor channel added $442m in the last year, equivalent to 76 per cent of all growth. More than 4,000 new SKUs were added to the channel over the course of the year. • The top five biggest brand launches added $98m to the channel this year, accounting for less than one per cent dollar share but 17 per cent of dollar growth.

TOP GROWTH MANUFACTURERS

MARKET VALUE

$17.7bn (+3.4%) MARKET VOLUME

205m (-0.8%)

CATEGORY BREAKDOWN BEER (37%)

WINE (26%)

SPIRITS (21%)

RTD (14%)

CIDER (3%)

*9 Litre (m)

BEER CATEGORY OVERVIEW • Growth has intensified for India Pale Ale, driven by the success of Pirate Life, Balter Brewing, and Goose Island, who collectively added more than $5m worth of growth this year. • There were almost 1,700 new SKUs in beer this year, adding $146m to the channel. • Expect to see continued success from Corona Ligera, which recorded sales of more than $5m since launch at the start of April. • The Budweiser World Cup range (including a pack with a light-up glass) generated over half a million dollars for CUB since launch in mid-May, a nice example of how occasion-based tie-ins can boost sales and entice trial.

*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA 1. Carlton & United Breweries (+4%) 2. Other Manufacturers (+19%) 3. Beam Suntory (+5%) 4. Private Label (+5%) 5. Asahi Premium Beverages (+6%)

CATEGORY VALUE

$6.5bn (+2.4%) CATEGORY VOLUME

125m (-0.7%)

22 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

*9 Litre Equiv (000)

TOP

GROWTH BRANDS *DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

1. Great Northern Super Crisp Lager (+52%) 2. Great Northern Original Lager (+70%) 3. Iron Jack (NEW) 4. Furphy (+130%) 5. Corona Extra (+4%)

TOP GROWTH SEGMENTS *DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

1. Mid Strength (+18%) 2. Australian Craft (+13%) 3. Full Strength (+2%) 4. Ginger (+13%) 5. International Craft (+9%)

IRI INSIGHTS

CIDER CATEGORY OVERVIEW • There were over 250 new SKUs in cider this year, adding $31m worth of growth. It’s promising that in a declining category, innovation is still a feature. • 5 Seeds Lower Sugar was the most successful brand launch of the year in cider, contributing more than $4m to the category, further supporting the growth of apple cider. • Expect to see more craft cider and reduced sugar options launching in the near future, as well as cloudy cider, which generated $9m for the category this year.

TOP

GROWTH SEGMENTS

TOP

GROWTH MANUFACTURERS

TOP

GROWTH MANUFACTURERS

$0.5bn (-5%)

CATEGORY VOLUME

8m (-3.9%)

*9 Litre Equiv (000)

CATEGORY VALUE

*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Carlton & United Breweries (+8%) Other Manufacturers (+26%) Private Label (+29%) Gage Roads Brewing (NEW) Spirits Platform (NEW)

*DOLLARS SHARE OF TOTAL MARKET 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Mercury Hard (+36%) Pure Blonde (+37%) Orchard Thieves (+290%) Little Fat Lamb (+49%) 5 Seeds Lower Sugar (NEW)

*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Red (+5%) Rosé (+56%) Sparkling (+5%) White (+1%) Champagne (+4%)

$4.6bn (+3.8%) CATEGORY VOLUME

41m (-1.2%)

*9 Litre Equiv (000)

GLASS SPIRITS CATEGORY OVERVIEW • There were more than 400 new SKUs in spirits this year, adding $46m worth of growth. • The most successful NPD launch in the last year was Loch Lomond Scotch which added almost $4m to the category. • Despite Gin and Vodka driving growth at a category level, the top five new brands this year were dark spirits, three of which were Scotch/ whiskey, adding $7m to the channel.

TOP

GROWTH BRANDS

CATEGORY VALUE

WINE CATEGORY OVERVIEW • Rosé, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Prosecco, and Pinot Gris are the top five growth-driving varietals, worth 23 per cent of the wine category and 91 per cent of growth. • There were more than 1,700 new SKUs in wine this year, adding $120m worth of growth. • The most successful brand launch this year was Jacobs Creek Prosecco Spritz, which nicely blended two trending styles alongside a distinct orange hue to add more than $4m to the category. • Expect to see more innovation around pack format and size, following the success of canned wine and piccolo/ half-bottle sizes (which are in growth of 19 per cent this year).

TOP

GROWTH MANUFACTURERS

CATEGORY VALUE

*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

1. Other Manufacturers (+12%) 2. Treasury Wine Estates (+3%) 3. Brown Brothers (+11%) 4. Australian Vintage Limited (+14%) 5. Casella Family Brands (+9%)

*DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

1. Campari Australia (+11%) 2. Other Manufacturers (+29%) 3. Bacardi-Martini Australia (+9%) 4. Pernod Ricard Australia (+5%) 5. Southtrade International (+11%)

$3.7bn (+2.9%) CATEGORY VOLUME

7m (+0.9%)

*9 Litre Equiv (000)

TOP GROWTH BRANDS *DOLLARS GROWTH % YA

1. Jameson (+15%) 2. Tanqueray (+30%) 3. Bombay Sapphire (+20%) 4. Wild Turkey 86.8 (+9%) 5. Canadian Club (+8%)

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 23

SHOPPER INSIGHTS

SOCIAL MEDIA STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH NORRELLE GOLDRING INTERVIEWS TWO BEER AFICIONADOS ABOUT THEIR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR LIQUOR, AND REVEALS WHAT BRANDS AND RETAILERS CAN BE DOING BETTER.

obbie* and Jai* are beer aficionados and frequent users of social media in pursuit of new and interesting beers to try. Norrelle Goldring asked them about which brands they follow, asked them where and why, and discovered that the various social media platforms perform different functions. And that it’s not just all about product shots. NORRELLE: LET’S TALK ABOUT BRANDS FIRST. WHICH LIQUOR BRANDS DO YOU FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA? ROBBIE: Mostly US breweries such as The Veil (Richmond, Virginia), Trillium (Boston), Treehouse (Massachusetts), Ardent (Virginia), Hill Farmstead (Vermont), Two Roads (Connecticut). Oh and a couple of Australian ones – Pirate Life (South Australia) and Wildflower (Sydney). JAI: Not as many as Robbie but I follow some US brands like Oskar Blues, Odell, Lost Abbey. In Australia I follow Akasha and Pirate Life. NORRELLE: WHY DO YOU FOLLOW THOSE BRANDS SPECIFICALLY? ROBBIE: They make good beer, and I’m interested in what they do. Not just the beers they make, but events they throw, such as new release launches and festivals. The Veil has been posting its stuff daily, but is now moving its Instagram feed to storytelling – more visual and high tech, and they’ve hired a special social media person for this. And it’s shifting its general product release information to the main website. JAI: I don’t really follow them much because I don’t rate their beers and I’m not their target market, but I think Young Henrys in Sydney does a good job. The team knows who they are targeting – most of their photos involve hipsters with beards – and they are clear what they are about, which is tattoos, music, and drinking beer. And they keep everything short. Pirate Life’s posts aren’t just about the beers, but things like their overseas travels, the bike racing team and food pairings. NORRELLE: WHERE DO YOU FOLLOW THEM? ROBBIE: Mainly on Instagram. There are some that I follow on Facebook (and I can’t remember who they are, offhand) but I don’t see their feeds because of all the other junk Facebook is crammed with.

JAI: For me it’s primarily Instagram and I also follow some brands on Twitter. Occasionally Facebook, but that’s more for groups, like BarleyWine is Life, Beer Label Society, Have a Stout and Shout It Out and Lambic Info.

Facebook due to privacy leaks. ROBBIE: The Instagram feed is not as ad-driven as Facebook, nor as intrusive. With Facebook I’m sure it’s feeding me keywords from whatever I’m telling Google Home or Siri.

NORRELLE: WHY DO YOU MOSTLY USE INSTAGRAM? ROBBIE: Instagram is really good for short attention spans. It’s visual and you scroll until something grabs you. Posts are a bit different, they’re designed to be up longer and are more interesting than a lot of the inane day-to-day stuff. I like the videos and the behind-thescenes things, sneak peaks. Gives me a sense of privilege versus what average punters might see. I’m not particularly interested in being part of a brand’s community. JAI: Instagram is basically Twitter with better pictures and more characters to use. It means that you’re dealing with the organisation or entity directly, often in a shorter fashion. Facebook is about dealing with others in communities, and moderators. But Facebook is starting to get cluttered with more and more of the same kinds of posts, and more people are suspicious of

NORRELLE: NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT RETAILERS. WHICH LIQUOR RETAILERS, IF ANY, DO YOU FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA? ROBBIE: Slowbeer, Mane Liquor, Cellarbrations Carlisle, Bondi Beach Cellars and Platinum Liquor. JAI: I follow Slowbeer, Platinum Liquor and Barny’s Fine Wines & Ales.

24 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

NORRELLE: WHY THOSE RETAILERS? ROBBIE: To see the latest and newest things they’ve got in, limited releases and things that are marked as ‘first in, best dressed’. NORRELLE: CAN YOU BUY THE LIMITED RELEASES DIRECT FROM THEM ON INSTAGRAM OR ONLINE? JAI: As far as I am aware, none of them are selling on Instagram. They use it to drive traffic into store. The Oak Barrel does this well. They make you go into store because trying to

SHOPPER INSIGHTS supervise limited quantities online gets hard. Punters would set up multiple profiles and buy up all the allocation and leave nothing for anybody else. Also, driving traffic into store means that they can get you to buy more while there. If you buy online you’re more likely to just buy the one thing you were looking for, and nothing else. ROBBIE: The downside of the first-in-best-dressed system is that they are not rewarding their biggest spenders. They should be allocating the limited releases to their biggest spending customers. NORRELLE: WHO DO YOU THINK IS DOING IT WELL? JAI: Plonk in Canberra is really good at showing cross-category things, for example, it will post something about beer and then something about the Young Guns of Wine Awards, then the Canberra Spirit Awards. It’s pretty clear that Plonk is all about Canberra, you know what they’re about. Plonk also recently ran a promotion which they posted in-store and on Instagram and then they announced the winner through their social channels. ROBBIE: Mane Liquor takes interesting photos and promotes its staff through Instagram, so we can get to feel like we know the staff.

JAI: Plonk also does ‘staff pick Sundays’. I get to know who the staff are and what they are an expert in, and you form a familiarity with them. Akasha also promotes its staff and brewers well through social channels. The ones that are doing it well will push things other than their specialisation, they push what they are passionate about. Platinum pushes Amaro and Limoncello. You get more of an idea of who they are and what they are about by what they push online. NORRELLE: WHAT COULD RETAILERS DO BETTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA? ROBBIE: I think most of them could do it better. Currently I’m most seeing retailers just doing product releases, and after a while you get sick of just looking at bottle pictures. If retail is meant to be about product, price and service, why are they only focussing on product online? If they only show products, they don’t have a point of difference versus competitors. I could pick a bottle shop in San Diego, it’s the same feed. If you’re putting up a picture of something that Dan’s has, then you’re doing the brewery’s job for them, rather than yours. JAI: If you’re a specialty shop, you need

to be more interesting than Woolworths or Dan Murphy’s in the product that you post. Differentiate yourself. Modus (Operandi) are about their beers, the northern beaches, and their chocolate labrador. But not much else. There needs to be more. My key take outs are that you need to tell a story, personalise your posts, make it obvious who you are, what you’re about and who you’re for, what you value and who you’re affiliated with. Don’t just focus on product shots as the product alone doesn’t create stickiness with customers. *Names changed to protect the innocent.

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

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NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 25

PROFILE

Kollaras Building

KOLLARAS: THE EVOLUTION

SINCE THE 1960S THE KOLLARAS BUSINESS HAS HAD MANY FACES; FROM ITS BEGINNINGS AS A HUMBLE FRUIT SHOP IT HAS EVOLVED INTO A SUCCESSFUL FAMILY-OPERATED BRAND BUILDING COMPANY. WE CATCH UP WITH MICHAEL AND JOHN KOLLARAS TO HEAR ABOUT THE COMPANYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S EVOLUTION.

Q TALK ME THROUGH THE EVOLUTION OF THE KOLLARAS BUSINESS SINCE THE 1960S: MICHAEL: This will be a hard one to answer in a few sentences. My father founded the business in 1960 through the acquisition of a fruit shop in Wollongong. From there it evolved into more of a wholesale type operation through the supply of merchant ships and the like at Port Kembla Steelworks, which really took off for him. My brother Tass joined the business in the early 70s and me soon after that, with Tass and me focusing on the import, export and wholesale of produce and frozen food. Through the 70s and 80s that business became significant and our footprint around the world expanded and we created a platform in international markets that is still largely in place in our beverage business today. During the late 80s and early 90s we began investing in other businesses, particularly with property and car dealerships becoming extensions of our group at the time. By the mid-90s liquor became a focus through ownership of bottle shops and supplying many customers in our produce business with alcoholic beverages. In the late 90s the Howard Government reformed competition law to allow for parallel imports of alcohol and this created an opportunity for our retail liquor business to expand into wholesale. Our parallel import business accelerated on the back of cruise ship supply, because many operators were entering Australia but encountering pricing structures which were vastly different from those in other parts of the world. Over time, this formed the basis of the business we have today with a domestic, export and duty free arm in beverages, but today our focus in the domestic market in particular, is on our own brand portfolio on the

26 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

back of our partnership with ALM formed in 2015. We continue to operate the broader group of companies with investments and other trading businesses such as our Tobacco Imports Company being a focus for us.

Q WITH A THIRD GENERATION OF KOLLARASâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; STEPPING INTO MANAGEMENT ROLES, ARE THEY BRINGING WITH THEM ANY NEW IDEAS OR BUSINESS STRATEGIES? MICHAEL: The third generation has been a material part of our evolution, but the change has also come from the next generation of people at all levels in our business. Recognising the power of generational change allows family businesses to continue to be relevant and at the forefront of what they do, and that is very much the basis for how we have transitioned. John Kollaras leads our business in the capacity of Managing Director and is surrounded by an outstanding group of executives and people who are driving our growth. John has been in the business for some time and has balanced a very different approach and environment with an alignment to the second generation, to ensure our business continues to be great at what it does. This has challenged the family to shift our traditional way of operating, and the results speak for themselves. More recently, Georgia Kollaras, my daughter, has stepped into the role of Marketing Manager and is behind many of the outstanding initiatives seen in the trade, particularly on our brands, helping us in our transition from box mover to brand owner. My son Jonathon, the youngest in our family, has also joined the business in our operations team and is now working through his development in a sales role.

PROFILE

“WHAT I CAN SAY IS OUR RESULTS, AWARDS, ACCOLADES AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH MANY SUPPLIERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.” – JOHN KOLLARAS A young Tass and John Kollaras washing truck in the 60s

Q IN RECENT YEARS, KOLLARAS HAS TAKEN A NEW STRATEGIC DIRECTION AND ACHIEVED GREAT SUCCESS AS BRAND BUILDERS. CAN YOU TALK ME THROUGH WHY YOU DECIDED TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THE COMPANY? JOHN: Like many businesses large and small, evolution and change takes time and careful planning – but what takes more time is getting the message out there about what you’re doing. I say this because our change in direction has been more of an evolution that we have worked towards for an extended period of time. Our business has always been focused on creating long term value, this is what has kept us going for nearly 60 years. So while the direction hasn’t really changed, we remain focused on delivering outcomes and solutions that our customers want. In the past, this was about having a competitive offer on commercial brands at a price. Now, that is still a part of what we do but we look to create value by developing brands with a unique value chain proposition for all of our customers and deliver superior service through a market leading business model – both domestically and internationally.

Q HOW DIFFICULT HAS IT BEEN TO SHAKE THE LABEL OF ‘PARALLEL

L-R: Michael, Jonathon, Georgia, Tass and John Kollaras

IMPORTERS’ AND BECOME RECOGNISED AS BRAND BUILDERS? JOHN: We are an organisation that is constantly evolving. As part of that, we have deliberately shifted into a space where we are focused on our brands. In the domestic market, this is delivered through our wholesale partners at ALM. Our strategic solution driven approach in our export and duty free businesses is also where we have great relationships with many other brand owners. ‘Shaking the label of parallel imports’ suggest it is a dirty word, and we look back at our wholesale business and parallel sourcing arm and believe it was an excellent business model, which delivered what it had to at the time. Shifting away from parallel, has been a deliberate move enabled by a shift in the market and the way that all players have changed their models. What I can say is our results, awards, accolades and partnerships with many suppliers speak for themselves. They not only show a shift from the focus on parallel imports in many parts of our business, but also a recognition that Kollaras is very different to what it was in the past, however our skills and capabilities which have been built over our entire history and three generations. That’s a combination that continues to deliver excellent value.

Q IS PARALLEL IMPORTING STILL A LARGE PART OF THE BUSINESS?

The Kollaras warehouse Michael, John and Tass Kollaras in the late 70s

JOHN: We do operate parallel sourcing for our business where we cannot source stock here or require a different sourcing model to service customer and partner requirements. This is typical of many businesses who are not only brand owners, but end customer suppliers like us.

Q WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS FOR EACH OF YOU DURING YOUR CAREERS AT KOLLARAS? JOHN: Having the opportunity to create a platform for generational transition and change in a family business has been an exciting challenge for me since I joined. In recent years, our advisory board and second generation have supported my leadership team and me in driving significant changes to our business model which has been challenging, engaging and rewarding. MICHAEL: Obviously as a family business, both Tass and I have loved the way our children have not only embraced the business, but also the fundamental values we have tried to instil. Watching the business evolve, and the people within it (who we credit for its success), is and will always remain a major highlight for us. To see people who have been with us for 10, 20 and 30 years or more and have started from grass roots to now become leaders and managers is something we are and will always remain very proud of.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 27

CONTRIBUTOR’S

PANEL

EMBRACING CHANGE

n my first two weeks as CEO of the Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA), I have been struck by the overwhelming response that ALSA members, and the broader industry, have provided in welcoming me and providing offers of assistance and support. The relationship ALSA has with its members is a testament to the hard work of the retired CEO Terry Mott, to whom I must extend gratitude for his tireless efforts and contribution to the industry. Strength of relationship, though, is exactly what all industry participants need to continue to cultivate with each other in order to protect and defend from the ever-increasing regulatory creep which significantly affects the profitability and often viability of all of our businesses. While recognising and respecting that there will be a need to advocate differences in policy objectives between various segments of the industry (indeed it is the role of associations to actively advocate to protect their members’ rights), it is still incumbent on all alcohol industry leaders whether supplier, retailer, hotelier or club, to start to work better together on the many other areas in which there is common interest and position. In a regulatory environment, dissention or division within industry is the easiest argument that can be used to discredit the industry voice as a whole. We continue to have an inconsistent voice created by differing agendas, often exacerbated by deliberately siloed lobbying. Accordingly, we can never be as effective as the bodies driving the health-based agenda which have penetrated all arms of government with the strength of their uniformly negative (and false) allegation that all Australians population wide are being harmed by their unhealthy relationship with alcohol. In other words, notwithstanding we can show that the overwhelming majority of negative trends in alcohol have been declining, these health based arguments are still stronger than ever in justifying the creep of regulation on the production, advertising and sale of alcohol. We must work together to reinstate balanced argument, and legitimate science rather than fearmongering, or we will continue to fight

individual fires with minor wins for some, but losses for all. This is why uniformity and consistency of messaging is one of my first priorities at ALSA, from both an internal and external perspective. Not only will ALSA be ensuring that going forward it has a single, credible and effective voice with government on a state and national level, but we will also be seeking to find alignment with other parts of industry on areas of common interest and policy to positively influence the strength of messaging. There will be significant opportunity for our valued corporate partners and retail members to participate in the shaping of the policy underpinning that advocacy. This change is just one part of ALSA’s transformation project to be commenced in the coming months, designed to deliver significant improvement in the credibility and effectiveness of the advocacy of our members’ rights to retail liquor responsibly in all states and territories. Retail members will also enjoy an improved and expanded suite of services throughout all parts of Australia, delivered through engaging professional development that educates on

business, category, industry and regulatory issues. There will also be new forums and events to drive meaningful engagement and interaction between our retail and corporate partner members. These changes, refining our core purpose of enhancing our members’ freedom to retail responsibly, will start to be communicated over the coming months. Those communications will take on a new look and feel, not only in the manner and channel of delivery, but also in their frequency. I am excited about the future of ALSA as we embrace the change that is needed to adapt to the risks facing our members. My first two weeks have shown me there is a great deal to do in order to move forward on ALSA’s new vision and to create real value for all of our retail and corporate members. However, in an environment in which regulatory change and increased red tape is the single largest risk to retailers’ profitability and viability, we have to embrace the critical need for effective, collaborative and zealous advocacy. That is exactly what ALSA members will receive.

JULIE RYAN, CEO, ALSA Julie Ryan is the CEO of the Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA). Before joining ALSA Julie was a director of the Winemakers Federation of Australia (WFA) and on the executive management team of a global wine company with a broad responsibility covering global legal services, government affairs, company secretarial and risk.

28 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

CONTRIBUTOR’S

PANEL

POLICY EVIDENCE

ince ABA was formed we have provided 14 submissions comprising hundreds of pages of evidence to state and federal government review processes around alcohol regulation. The parameters and objectives of these reviews vary significantly from one jurisdiction to the next but there are some very strong and consistent facts, principles and learnings that come from researching and preparing our submissions. These principles provide a sensible and evidence-based benchmark for governments as they deal with alcohol regulation. The facts are as follows:

FACT 1: UNDERSTANDING THE POPULATION IS CRITICAL TO DEVELOPING GOOD POLICY The development of evidence-based policy to reduce harmful alcohol consumption begins by understanding the population to which the policy will apply. Harmful alcohol consumption occurs in pockets of communities, and the specific characteristics of these communities must be properly understood to be able to provide policies that treat the root causes.

FACT 2: STRICT ALCOHOL CONTROLS DON’T REDUCE HARMS In 2016, the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism published an article titled ‘The weakness of stern alcohol control policies,’ which sought to understand if there was a relationship between population-wide alcohol policy measures and a reduction in alcohol-related harm. The findings reflected a breadth of evidence that shows stern alcohol policies do not produce better outcomes when it comes to alcohol-related harms. Population-wide policies neglect contextual and cultural determinants –

social, economic, demographic and political – that are diverse and should not be treated as if they are a single, homogenous entity when it comes to alcohol-related harms.

FACT 3: POPULATION-WIDE MEASURES ARE NOT EFFECTIVE WAYS TO REDUCE HARMFUL CONSUMPTION The industry has long called for solutions to harmful consumption which are targeted at a specific issue or concern, without impacting the wider population. Those who misuse resist these measures, 83 per cent of Australians either abstain or consume alcohol within the recommended government guidelines. This should be reflected in policy so the majority of people who consume responsibly are not impacted.

FACT 4: THE PRIMARY INFLUENCE ON YOUNG PEOPLES’ DECISION TO DRINK IS PARENTAL AND SIBLING INFLUENCE The most pleasing statistic when it comes to young people is the continued increase in the number of young people who abstain from alcohol until they’re 18, at the same time alcohol advertising has been increasing and expanding onto new platforms such as online. This is evidence that alcohol advertising is not targeting young people nor encouraging them to drink. The well-established drivers of underage drinking are parental influences and peer pressure. To see the positive trends continue, the industry funds education programs, through DrinkWise, that are targeted at young people and parents to raise awareness of the dangers of underage consumption, and the powerful influences parents and friends have over how young people behave.

FERGUS TAYLOR, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ABA Fergus Taylor is the Executive Director of national alcohol beverages pan-industry body, Alcohol Beverage Australia. Before joining the industry he worked in senior roles for state government ministerial offices, national and international media organisations and as a communications and stakeholder engagement consultant.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 29

PEOPLE

HUMAN RESOURCES

Shifting Rank

AMBER KING (L) SUE LAURITZ (R)

RICHARD OPPY

Directors, BrightSide

GLOBAL VP FOR GLOBAL BRANDS CUB Richard Oppy, AB InBev’s Vice President Marketing, Asia Pacific South, is moving to New York to take up a new role with the company as Global VP for Global Brands, including Corona, Stella Artois and Budweiser. Oppy has been with CUB for almost 18 years and the new role will see him lead the worldwide marketing for some of the biggest beer brands in the world. “I’m obviously over the moon and humbled by this amazing opportunity,” Oppy said. “As a passionate marketer and brand lover, I have to pinch myself when I think about being chosen to run some of the most loved brands globally out of New York with this incredible business. The biggest challenge will be developing creative and platforms for the Global Brands that are relevant to both emerging and mature markets and maintaining global consistency. It is great that the biggest consumer packaged goods business in the world is giving an Australian marketer the opportunity to lead their Global Brands which are the ‘crown jewels’ of the business.” Oppy will begin his new role in New York on 1 January.

LEAVING A JOB IN THE RIGHT WAY The world of liquor is a small industry and it is only getting smaller as we are more connected than ever before. Employees should keep in mind how they leave their current role as this can have an impact on their future career path. Our advice to candidates intending to resign is to have a plan and stick to it. Firstly, you should understand your contractual obligations. Do you have a non-compete agreement and if so, will this impact on your ability to perform or start in your new role? If you haven’t got a copy of what you signed, ask for your contract from HR. If you have a non-compete it’s likely you need to share where you’re going with your current employer. Regardless, it’s better to be transparent so all the cards are laid out from the outset. If you don’t understand what you’ve signed, seek legal advice. You might be ready to tell people about your new role, however the first to know should be your current manager and this should be done in person. News travels fast and no one wants to be caught off guard. Give your manager time to work through the situation and also to be able to share the news with other employees in the best way possible. If you can’t meet in person a phone call is the next best thing. With a verbal resignation you should also provide a letter to formally document your resignation. This should cover the key points such as your name, the role you’re resigning from and what your intended last day is. Hand this over in person when the meeting is finished and keep it short. The length of your notice period can impact on how your departure is viewed by the business. Give as much notice as possible and the more senior you are, the more notice that is required. You could be asked to leave immediately, particularly if you’re going to a competitor. Be prepared for this scenario and make sure you have all your personal items ready. Keep emotions in check as you don’t want to burn any bridges. We’ve seen candidates that bad mouth managers while working out their notice period and it makes everyone feel uncomfortable. Also don’t disengage. While you may have mentally made the switch into your new role, still show up on time, be present and get your work done or provide as smooth a transition as possible. Keep in mind how you want to be remembered and what you’d expect in the same situation. It’s your reputation at stake and in any industry, this matters. 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.

KELSEY MCKECHNIE APPRENTICE MALT MASTER THE BALVENIE The Balvenie has announced a significant milestone in the history of the distillery: The appointment of 26-year-old Kelsey McKechnie as the Apprentice Malt Master under the stewardship of the longest serving Malt Master in the industry and one of the most respected, David Stewart MBE. In her role as Apprentice Malt Master, McKechnie’s main responsibilities will include ensuring excellence and consistency in each bottle of The Balvenie, while also maintaining that spirit housed at the distillery in Dufftown, Scotland is

maturing in the desired direction. She will also play an active role in assisting Stewart with the distillery’s important work in whisky innovation, sampling and assessing and launching expressions of the future. Stewart says: “It’s hard to underplay the significance of this announcement. The appointment to apprentice malt master represents a once in a lifetime opportunity for anyone working in the whisky industry. To achieve this at just 26-years-old is a testament to Kelsey’s abilities. She is a precious talent; with a real flair for distillation, a dedication to her craft and a self-assurance and poise that completely belies her young age.”

DEAN TAYLOR CEO DAWINE Dawine, an Australian start-up trying to take advantage of the burgeoning appetite for premium wine in China has announced the appointment of serial wine entrepreneur Dean Taylor as the new company CEO. Taylor will take a major stake in the company and drive growth as Dawine enters the B2B wine distribution market. Taylor says that over the last 10 years there has been an enormous shift in the way that consumers buy wine. “The online and direct-to-consumer segment is the fastest growing part of the market. However, the wine supply chain hasn’t kept up with the changing landscape and is still as inefficient, fragmented and lacking in technology as it was 10 years ago. It’s time the industry harnessed the full potential of technology to eliminate all the double, triple and sometimes quadruple handling that goes on behind the scenes to get a single order delivered. My vision is to help digitally transform the wine supply chain with a ‘smart logistics’ platform that allows sellers to expand their reach internationally and domestically, by providing access to inventory from thousands of suppliers and drop ship orders directly to consumers from strategically placed ‘depots’.”

ANNOUNCE YOUR NEWEST STAFF

30 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Simply send the details of your newest staff member to djackson@intermedia.com.au along with a high-res headshot and share the news of your latest appointment.

CONTRIBUTOR’S

PANEL

A MESSAGE OF MODERATION

hrough our targeted campaigns, DrinkWise continues to remind consumers about the importance of moderation at events throughout Australia. By establishing new partnerships and enhancing existing relationships with industry, sporting codes, music festivals and related industry suppliers, DrinkWise is able to reach and engage audiences in new and innovative ways. Most recently, the DrinkWise moderation message has been seen and heard at the internationally renowned Splendour in the Grass music festival. Held annually in Byron Bay in July, Splendour in the Grass is the largest Australian winter festival, attracting 30,000 event-goers. Partnering with the Splendour festival provided DrinkWise with the opportunity to promote our moderation messages on entry wristbands, stage signage and branded volunteer gear – serving as a consistent reminder to event-goers to moderate throughout the multi-day festival. Working with DrinkWise, Diageo provided the opportunity to further integrate a moderation message into product and bar branding. This year, DrinkWise also partnered with high profile influencers throughout the festival to promote the Drink Classy message. These influencer partnerships allow DrinkWise to provide our target audience with credible messages of moderation as well as allowing the message to reach young adults not attending the festival. DrinkWise moderation messages also featured during this year’s National Rugby League State of Origin series. DrinkWise branding featured prominently on boundary signage allowing the DrinkWise message to reach more than 3.5 million viewers. DrinkWise released a special ‘You Won’t Miss a Moment if you DrinkWise’ themed Snapchat selfie filter for the State of Origin series. In an Australian first, the filter used hand recognition technology to apply a waving foam hand to the Snapchat user’s image, as well as a maroon (QLD) or blue (NSW) DrinkWise beanie.

DrinkWise continues to develop materials and messages for our contributors to integrate into their sponsored events, because we know industry message adoption accelerates awareness and uptake, fasttracking behaviour change. The active support we receive from our contributors is key to ensuring that the work of DrinkWise is amplified beyond what we could achieve on our own.

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

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 31

RETAILER PROFILE

CORKSCREW CELLARS WE CATCH UP WITH CON STAMOULIS THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CORKSCREW CELLARS WHICH HAS FOUR STORES ACROSS SYDNEY.

Q HOW DID YOU GET INTO LIQUOR RETAILING? I used to have a restaurant and I didn’t like that at all, but I have always loved wine so when I was thinking about what to do next I decided that I would get into liquor retailing. But after the restaurant I knew that I wanted to have a partner in my next business venture, so a mate and I bought the store at Rose Bay. After that I had some reps and other mates approach me wanting to get involved with bottle shops, so it evolved to the four stores in Malabar, Sylvania, Darlinghurst and Rose Bay. At Corkscrew Cellars we’re all owner operators, so each time you come into one of our stores it will be an owner there, which I think is a positive thing. I am the only one who is a part of all four stores, so the way it works is that I will help set the store up and then they have got to run it day to day and I just oversee everything. I spend a day at each store and I do a majority of the deals and a majority of the buying.

Q WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND CORKSCREW CELLARS? It’s all about customer service for us and getting to know people by their first name. We also always try and give an extra level of service by taking things out to cars for customers. And we don’t sit behind the counter with the newspaper, there are no newspapers. We’ve got to always be active and on the floor. Last year we were the runner’s up for the Best Metropolitan Bottle Shop at the LSA NSW Awards – we just strive on doing things the best way we can and having a good relationship with our customers so we can keep them coming back. In terms of keeping up with what’s going on I make sure to attend tastings and events as often as I can. Our stores focus mostly on wine so we really make sure we are well educated with our wines so that we can help customers when they ask for recommendations. It’s really important that we know what we’re talking about rather than trying to wing it.

Q HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE YOU ARE ALL WELL EDUCATED? We make sure that everybody tries everything that comes into the store, because if they don’t then how are they going to sell it? We also have a lot of reps come in to give us staff training and keep us up-to-date. We also do a lot of in-store tastings, at Sylvania and Malabar there is a tasting every Friday night, at Darlinghurst it varies and at Rose Bay it’s Saturday nights. If we’ve got a bottle open during the week then we’ll offer it to customers and if someone is looking for something specific then we’ll let them try it. My son Alexander has joined the store now as well, he’s mostly at Rose Bay with me. He’s just done his WSET 2 and is about to do his WSET 3 and he goes to a lot of the tastings and dinners and gets himself really involved, so that’s good to see someone young being excited about the industry.

always looking for something different – if a customer comes in looking for something that we don’t stock, we’ll get it in for them, especially for our regulars. We’re really there to cater for whatever they are after.

Q WHAT KINDS OF DEALS/PROMOTIONS WORK BEST IN YOUR STORES? We do a lot of ‘two-for’ deals on our wines and if they mix six up then they get the case price. We also make sure that we’re very competitive when it comes to selling wine by the case and even by the bottle. When I get a new wine in I do a lot of research on what other people are retailing it for and I even look at what the big chains are doing and make sure that I am within a dollar or so. It is tough because you really need to research every single thing that comes into the store, and if you put something on the webpage as well then you’ve got to make sure that you’re competitive, because if you’re not competitive then you’re wasting your time.

Q WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS AN INDEPENDENT? We’ve had challenges from day one, we’ve just got to tackle them one day at a time. The next big thing now is that there are a lot of people who are buying online licenses and putting 30-40 cars on the road and doing delivery, so we’re just looking at how we are going to tackle that at the moment. We do our own deliveries but Jimmy Brings does something like $10m in turnover so it’s a big market out there and we just need to see how we’re going to get into it.

Q HOW DO YOU STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE WITH NEW PRODUCTS?

Q DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS FOR NEW STORES?

Just talking to our customers and knowing what they want when they come into the stores – that is really important. I find that I can’t just step back, I need to be really hands on so I do at least a day and a half on the floor which keeps me in touch with what people are looking for. And people are

For me it’s all about quality, not quantity and being able to manage them well, so I’m happy with my four stores because they are all really solid. I would rather have four really good stores than have 10 that are all over the place.

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CONTRIBUTOR’S

PANEL

WILD YEAST AND TERROIR

ine is, by and large, a product of a microbial process; yeast converts the natural sugars in grape juice to alcohol. While the process seems simple, there’s a lot going on and science is helping us to understand more. During the winemaking process, winemakers choose whether to use a cultured, commercial yeast or rely on the wild yeast already present on the grapes. However, even if a winemaker decides to use a cultured yeast for the fermentation, the wild yeasts are still present in the juice, must or surroundings and can still have an important impact on the finished wine. Microbes are all around us, but it is their presence in the vineyard soil and air, and how they shape regional terroir, which is of interest to winemakers (and wine drinkers). For example, do the wild yeasts add a unique character that could be attributed to a specific region? While it is considered an ancient practice, harnessing wild yeast species around the

vineyard to shape a wine’s characteristics is finding renewed interest among Australia’s winemakers. Now science is aiming to find the link between microflora and ‘terroir’ or the character unique to a wine from a specific vineyard or place. A current project at the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI), funded by Wine Australia, is aiming to give winemakers greater control over fermentation outcomes by identifying indigenous Australian yeast and bacteria strains that can be used to enhance the expression of regional terroir and add beneficial characteristics. Since 2016, the team at the AWRI has mapped the fungi and yeast present in almost 2,000 wild ferment samples from more than 30 wineries from all the major winemaking regions of Australia. The team has identified hundreds of individual species that can be present in wild ferments, with wineries – and ferments – often showing unique patterns of

yeast species and abundances. By the time the project concludes, it is hoped that these regional differences will be identified and key microbes will be isolated to assess their contributions to the terroir or wine style of a region. Their unique characteristics can then be harnessed by the region. This is not the first foray into identifying Australia’s unique microflora. A uniquely Australian malolactic bacterial isolate was discovered quite by accident, thanks to a winemaker’s keen observation and the diagnostic screening of a research team at the AWRI. What they found was a very robust strain that is tolerant to temperature, alcohol and pH. The strain is now commercially available to Australia’s winemakers. The art of making wine is often considered to be a romantic, artisanal pursuit. However, science has an important role to play in understanding the nuances of producing the wines that we drink, from the vine to the glass.

DR LIZ WATERS, GENERAL MANAGER RD&E, WINE AUSTRALIA Liz has responsibility for Wine Australia’s research, development and extension programs, working in collaboration with diverse research providers to deliver short- and long-term value for the Australian grape and wine community and to help the sector achieve sustained prosperity. Liz was previously Senior RD&E Program Manager at the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC), one of Wine Australia’s two predecessor organisations. Prior to joining GWRDC in 2011, Liz held senior research positions at The Australian Wine Research Institute and the Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture and is internationally recognised as a leader in grape and wine research.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 33

WINE NEWS L-R: Caroline, Ross and Katherine Brown

A NEW ERA FOR THE BROWN FAMILY The Brown family has unveiled a new trading name for the business, with Brown Brothers changing to Brown Family Wine Group from 1 September, 2018. For 130 years the Brown Family’s sense of adventure and innovation has led them to create new wine varieties, push boundaries and develop vineyards in some of the best regions in Australia. They have evolved from a single brand to a family of brands that now includes Brown Brothers, Devil’s Corner, Tamar Ridge, Pirie and Innocent Bystander. Ross Brown, Executive Director said: “The importance of creating an environment where each of our five incredible brands can equally thrive has never been more appropriate.” The family says that the time is right to support each individual brand under a company umbrella that clearly links to family heritage and philosophy. Brown continued: “In choosing the name it was imperative that family was at the heart of it so that people could see we remain a fiercely independent family wine company that is positioning itself for generations to come.” Many Brown family members are currently involved in the business. Ross Brown is Executive Director, Eliza and Cynthia Brown are Board Directors, Katherine Brown is a Winemaker and Caroline Brown is the Public Relations and Corporate Communications Manager. Dean Carroll, Brown Family Wine Group CEO said: “It’s such an exciting time within the company and this change signifies our deep respect for what the family and company have achieved to date. It also sets the direction for our aspirations for a sustainable future as a family wine company that authentically builds brands and leads categories.”

NEPENTHE LAUNCHES PREMIUM APEX COLLECTION Nepenthe Wines has unveiled a new premium collection from the Adelaide Hills, with the Apex range, created as a means of expressing the region at its finest. Comprising a Chardonnay and a Shiraz from the 2016 vintage, Nepenthe Wines’ Senior Winemaker, James Evers, said that both wines had been made using single clones and that the idea was to give the purest possible varietal expression. “We’ve been working for a number of years on the idea that we wanted to produce a range that showcased what the Adelaide Hills is to us,” Evers said. “The Chardonnay came about because I think that Adelaide Hills is one of the premier Chardonnay regions in Australia and rightly so. We get beautiful sunny days, cool nights and the altitude makes all the difference for us to get beautiful acid retention. “For a couple of years we’ve been looking at site selection and clonal identity and seeing what gave the purest expression of Chardonnay for the Adelaide Hills. “What we found with this Rathmine Vineyard site that we’ve been working with the grower on for a number of years, and the Bernard 76 clone, which is an old Burgundy clone, is it seems to fit and work best for us. What we were trying to achieve was absolute fruit purity with a really lovely acid line and just having things like oak and complexity as a support system.” The Apex Shiraz comes from the Charlston Vineyard, which has persistent sunlight resulting in an intense natural acidity with fruit and spice on the palate. Evers said: “About 10 years ago when we bought Nepenthe, we saw this Charlston Vineyard and we just felt it would be a fantastic place to plant Shiraz. “So we planted half the block in a known clone 1654, and then we took a punt on a block that I’d been working with for a few years in the Barossa and it’s a wonderful vineyard that produces really bright Shiraz. “We took cuttings from that because we thought it might work in the Hills, but we have no idea what the clone is, and planted that at the same time as the other half of the block. So these vines are only 10 years old, however since 2015 it has just jumped out at us, it has been fantastic. The ’15 was fantastic, we waited until the ’16 to make sure it wasn’t a one-off and since then the ’17 and the ’18 are equally as good. “It is a bit of a story of taking a bit of a punt and it worked and it really blew us away, with the power that the wine has but holding its elegance at the same time.” The Apex range has an $80 RRP and is available at top-end on-premise accounts, leading independents and through the Nepenthe cellar door.

WOLF BLASS AND MATUA COME TO LIFE WITH AUGMENTED REALITY Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) is continuing to expand its Augmented Reality (AR) technology across its portfolio of wine brands to help drive consumer engagement at point of purchase. In Australia, the technology is now accessible on the bottle labels of Wolf Blass Yellow Label, Matua and Lindeman’s Gentleman’s Collection, as well as the successful 19 Crimes, by downloading the Living Wine Labels (LWL) app. The Wolf Blass Yellow Label AR allows the participant to soar like the Wolf Blass eagle over the Barossa and gives the option of visiting three different hotspots. These hotspots relay the history of Wolf Blass and its awards, the second brings to life the ‘Here’s to the Chase’ message, while the third shows the winemaking philosophy and process.

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Meanwhile, the Matua AR experience brings to life a New Zealand glacial wonderland. TWE’s Deputy Chief Marketing Officer, Angus Lilley said: “TWE is the first wine company to invest in this type of technology at scale across our wine brands. We had runaway success with 19 Crimes last year, and these new experiences on Wolf Blass and Matua allow us to connect with consumers in a unique way on some of our most popular wines in the portfolio. “The Living Wine Labels app has been downloaded more than two million times globally; it’s easy to use and appeals to new consumers, tech enthusiasts and wine lovers alike.” TWE plans to roll out more varietals of 19 Crimes and new brands with AR capability later this year.

Family is at the heart of everything we do, we are Brown Family Wine Group. For 130 years the Brown Familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sense of adventure and innovation has led us to create new wine varieties, push boundaries and develop vineyards in some of the best regions in Australia. We have evolved from a single brand to a family of brands that now includes Brown Brothers, Devilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner, Tamar Ridge, Pirie and Innocent Bystander.

From the first vintage in Milawa, in Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s King Valley in 1889, to the multifaceted business we are today, we pride ourselves on our family heritage, our connection to consumers whilst being a valuable partner to our customers. Above all is our desire to remain a sustainable and successful family owned company for generations to come.

WINE NEWS

PENFOLDS TAKES TOP PRIZE AT KPMG SYDNEY ROYAL WINE SHOW This year’s KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show saw more than 2300 wines tasted across 66 classes, with Penfolds 2017 Reserve Bin 17A Chardonnay named the KPMG Perpetual Trophy Winner for Best Wine of the Show. Entries from every wine region of Australia passed the lips of 31 expert industry judges, including Guest International Judge Fongyee Walker MW, with Chardonnay having a strong showing among the gold medal and trophy winners. P-J Charteris, the Chair of Judges for the 2018 show paid tribute to the diversity seen among this year’s winning wines. “This really was testament to the traditional wine regions stepping up with quality offerings and the newer regions in wine showing what they are capable of now and into the future,” he said. “The 2018 Sydney Royal Wine Show marks the 192nd year of the show and a turning point for the Australian Wine Industry. “The last few harvest seasons have seen demand outstripping supply and as a result we are seeing improvements in quality as evidenced by the medal tallies across most classes in the show. “As supply tightens we are seeing prices, particularly for wine bound for export increasing, which is important for the overall health of our industry.” Angus McPherson, TWE’s Managing Director, ANZ and Europe, was understandably delighted with the win, saying: “Treasury Wine Estates is absolutely thrilled with the trophies awarded to Penfolds Reserve Bin 17A Chardonnay for Best Wine of Show and Seppelt NV Original Sparkling Shiraz for Best Sparkling Red at the 2018 Sydney Royal Wine Show. This is outstanding recognition of the quality of wine across our portfolio, and the brilliance of our winemakers.” Kym Schroeter, Penfolds White Winemaker and the person responsible for making Reserve Bin A, added: “Reserve Bin A articulates the fruit complexity and mouth-watering attributes of cool-climate Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. We are so fortunate to source grapes from some of the very best sites in the Adelaide Hills, heightening the structural definition and charm of this distinctive style. This wine is the result of many years of experimentation and refinements that have evolved since the inaugural 1994 vintage.” This year’s show had 2332 entries, a record number, with 34 trophies awarded, plus 120 gold medals, 276 silver and 791 bronze. Last month the Wine Communicators Australia (WCA) also hosted the

Penfolds White Winemaker Kym Schroeter Sydney Royal Wine Show Trophy Winners lunch, where this year’s NSW Legend of the Vine was named, with wine writer Huon Hooke recognised. “The name Huon Hooke is synonymous with wine knowledge and his words of wine wisdom are respected globally. His outstanding contribution to the national and international wine world has made him a highly respected figure among both his professional peers and the wine public,” said WCA National Chair Angus Barnes.

NEW RELEASES MCW ALTERNIS VERMENTINO VIN: 2017 RRP: $20

MCW ALTERNIS TOURIGA VIN: 2017 RRP: $25

MCW ALTERNIS TEMPRANILLO VIN: 2017 RRP: $25

MCW ALTERNIS PETITE SIRAH VIN: 2016 RRP: $25

Aromas of green melon and lemon with characteristics of sea-spray freshness. A soft palate with a chalky, saline character giving the wine detail and shape. Honeydew melon, stone fruit and tangerine, with the pithy texture and zesty acid drawing the palate out to a minerally vibrant finish.

Vibrant red cherry and violet aromas. Juicy red fruits dominate the fleshy entry, giving great freshness and a juicy mid palate. A savory finish with silky tannins making it a smashingly great medium bodied drink.

Aromas of vibrant dark cherry and raspberry fruits leap out of the glass. A juicy, slippery style bubbling with succulent red bright fruits and fine varietal tannins.

Fragrant aromas of black cherry and blood plum, with background dark chocolate and spice. A full bodied palate of rich black fruit and the characteristic dark chocolate of the variety. A core of sweet fruit tannin drives through the palate giving length and depth to the wine.

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HEAD OVER HEELS GETS A PACKAGING REVAMP Berton Vineyards has given a refresh to its Head Over Heels range of wines in a bid to better engage the millennial consumer. The range, which was initially released more than 10 years ago, was one of the first labels to be launched by Berton Vineyards. And while the packaging has been revamped, the liquid quality will remain unchanged. Jamie Cirillo from Berton Vineyards said that the aim was to evolve the well-known brand and create some new excitement for the sales team, retailers and consumers. “As this wine segment is the fastest growing category and has become saturated with brands we felt that a new fresh look with an eye catching colour scheme would make the range more innovating and vibrant in-store and help to optimise sales.” Cirillo explained that the focus for the new design was the millennial consumer and attracting them to a brand visually. “Consumers are becoming more adventurous in trying new brands based on a visual presentation and price. “We still take pride in selecting the fruit from the same vineyards that we did all those years ago and we will continue to produce consistent wines for this range that are great value, full of flavour and are ready to drink now.” “We have a Brut Cuvée in a screw cap for convenience and have exchanged our Semillon Sauvignon Blanc to a straight Sauvignon Blanc due to consumer buying patterns and varietal preferences in this price point,” said Cirillo. The range, which includes a 2017 Cabernet Merlot, 2017 Chardonnay, NV Brut Cuvée, 2017 Pinot Grigio, 2017 Shiraz, 2018 Pinot Grigio, 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, is available through the independents and retails for $8.99.

DE BORTOLI ROSÉ ROSÉ VIN: 2018 RRP: $19.95 Lovely pale Rosé colour. Exciting nose of peach, pomegranate and wild herb. Textural, spicy, calm, creamy, soft and very delicious.

DOWN THE LANE MERLOT DURIF SHIRAZ VIN: 2017 $12.95 A lovely lick of juicy Merlot in harmony with rich Durif and the spiciness of Shiraz make for good companions in this innovative blend. With hints of vanilla, neatly balanced sweetness and soft tannins that give a generous length of flavour.

#1 B A ROS SA SHIR AZ 2 016 V I N TAG E awarded by Huon Hooke

T ER ROIR S OF T HE BA ROSSA EBENEZER DISTRICT SH I R A Z 2 016 E : sales@chateautanunda.com

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 37

WINE NEWS

AUSTRALIAN MARKET PERFORMS WELL IN STRONG TWE RESULT Treasury Wine Estate (TWE) has reported its 2018 financial result, with a reported net profit after tax of $360.3m, up 34 per cent on the previous year. The result has come as the company continues its focus on luxury and masstige wine, bringing a shift in focus for TWE in what Chief Executive, Michael Clarke, has termed a “foundation year” for the company. “I am delighted to report another stellar financial result for Fiscal 18; a year we have coined a ‘foundation year’ for our company,” Clarke said. “The momentum in our business, together with the strength of our organisational talent, brand portfolios, operating models and customer partnerships, enabled us to execute transformational changes to our operating model in the US and still deliver strong profit growth. Over the past four years, we have delivered an EBITS CAGR of 25 per cent while embedding meaningful changes that will drive continued long term, sustainable growth and value accretion for our shareholders.” Speaking during the results presentation, Clarke expanded on the foundation year term, saying: “This is a year where we have enhanced our focus on our organisational assets, our people, as well as our business models and our brands. All while continuing to invest in our strategic partnerships.”

PERFORMANCE IN AUSTRALIA TWE’s Managing Director ANZ and Europe, Angus McPherson, spoke about the company’s performance in Australia and New Zealand, and he said: “ANZ has delivered another strong result in Fiscal 18, with EBITS of $136m up 26 per cent on the prior year, and EBITS margin of 22.7 per cent, up 4.4 percentage points. “In Australia we outpaced wine category growth in both the first and second half of the year, and our own market share growth strategy, that is anchored in masstige price points and varietals where TWE underindexes, is driving both the wine category itself and our performance.” He added: “Wolf Blass is now the second-largest brand in Australia by sales and by brand health, undoubtedly driven by our now global ‘Here’s to the Chase’ media campaign and our year-round in-store activations. “Strong masstige portfolio growth, price realisation across a number of our supply-constrained luxury brands delivered underlined NSR per case growth of four per cent in Australia. Headline NSR per case, however, was broadly in-line with the prior year, due to the move to a distributor model in New Zealand.” McPherson also looked forward to the 2019 financial year, saying: “We expect to grow volume and NSR per case. Our strategy of delivering best brands, best marketing and best sales campaigns and the best partnerships continues to see the ANZ business deliver three-way value: we win, our customers win and our consumers win.”

A TRULY GROWTH BUSINESS In looking forward to the next year for the whole company, Clarke added: “Under the stewardship of my leadership team, TWE is managed for the long-term and our current and future earnings presentations will demonstrate this. “We are and will continue to be a truly growth business and one that is focused on sustainable long-term objectives, not short-term tactics. There is still plenty of work to do, opportunities to capture and further value to be delivered off our new foundation, especially bedding down our new business model in the United States. “Remember that we have been on a journey optimising our operating models in Australia and New Zealand, Europe, Canada and Asia for a while now and they are still getting stronger with every year that goes by, and we have only just put the US business model in place. “We are constantly raising the bar on organisational talent and

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Angus McPherson execution. We are entering new and exciting frontiers with our trust marks, our brands and our marketing campaigns. We are driving revenue growth initiatives that are incremental to our existing five-year plans and we have now stepped up our vintage conversion rates going forward. “We are confident that we have the wines, the brands, the talent and the cost discipline to deliver EBITS growth of approximately 25 per cent in Fiscal 19 and by doing so extend our 25 per cent EBITS CAGR to a fifth year. We are also confident that we are now entering our next phase of growth that will see us recognised as the world’s most celebrated wine company.” Clarke also spoke about the 2018 vintage in Australia, saying that while it was lower yielding it “was outstanding quality and we have delivered very impressive conversion rates of our A and B grade fruit. Our winemaking processes, investments and discipline over the last four years have delivered a significant increase in conversion of our highest grades of wine. Meaning our luxury wine quantities from the 2018 vintage are very, very strong”.

WINE NEWS

ANOTHER WIN FOR 3 WINOS AND A PROVIDORE THE TEAM BEHIND THE 3 WINOS TRADE SHOW, JOE MOLINARI, PAUL STENMARK AND JAMES JOHNSTON, WELCOMED NEW PARTNER AND PROVIDORE ROBBIE MAYER TO THE SHOW THIS YEAR AND IT PROVED A MASSIVE HIT.

aking place in early August at the Four Seasons Hotel, the show sees the 3 Winos, representing Combined Wines & Food, Winestock AU and World Wine Estates bring wines from all over Europe and Australia, for a trade tasting, which has built on its reputation every year. Molinari told National Liquor News that himself, Stenmark and Johnston got together to use their individual strengths and build a trade show that would attract a wider audience than they could on their own. He also said that the trio realise the importance of making each show and each year different and also making it better, which is why they decided to invite F. Mayer Imports to join them this year. “A few years ago James, Paul and I got together and each of us was doing a one-man trade day, but the three of us decided that we really needed to give these days something extra, so we decided that we should get together and do one trade show,” Molinari said. “We’ve all got different strengths, each of us has a number of boutique wines from different places around Europe and across Australia. We decided that if we got together then a combined trade show would have more appeal by having all of these brands, rather than having three different shows and maybe not really getting enough people along.” Molinari said that with more than 500 people in attendance from across Australia’s off- and on-premise, this year’s show “went brilliantly”, and that the planning the team puts into every aspect of the show, in particular its masterclasses, helps make it such a popular event. “The show does attract a lot of really good people, not only because we’ve got a great range of world class brands there, but also because we do some really creative masterclasses. This year we had a truffle test, with Australian truffles taking on truffles from Italy, and it was really interesting for restaurants to go through those; we also had chocolate being tasted with incredible wines.” He added: “This year we included Mayer, because we decided that we need to keep that creativity going and have something different every year. Even though Combined Wines distributes food, we just thought that Robbie Mayer has got things like Belgian chocolates and he’s got some different cheeses from around the world, so we included him to get a bit more of a theme happening with the masterclasses.” This year’s show featured wines from across Europe, with the range of Italian wines on pour proving particularly popular, as the trade investigated how much elegance is a part of so many Italian wines and the increasing popularity of regions such as Sicily and Sardinia. Molinari added: “Exhibitors come every year, they are all happy, a lot of them tell us it’s the best show they go to in Australia. I always have four or five of my Italian wine suppliers come every year, which is a big commitment from them and they tell me it’s one of the most professionally put together shows they go to anywhere in the world. So we’re doing something right.” And the planning for next years’ show will start soon as well, as Molinari explained: “We have a meeting after the show to discuss what the wow factor is that we’ll bring next year, because you’ve got to keep people coming back every year. The minute people drop off it’s hard to get them back, so we’ll be meeting again soon to talk about what next year’s wow factor will be. “The onus is on all of us to bring our own piece of wow factor.”

The Farnese Edizione No. 16 being poured. Joe Molinari, James Johnston, Robbie Mayer and Paul Stenmark, the 3 Winos and a Providore

The trade trying wines at 3 Winos and a Providore

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 39

ROSÉ PROMOTION

HANDPICKED X ROMANCE WAS BORN ROSÉ

PASQUA 11 MINUTES ROSÉ

RUTHERGLEN ESTATES ROSÉ

VIN: 2017 RRP: $30 (750ML), $85 (1.5l)

VIN: 2018 RRP: $19

Pasqua 11 Minute Rosé is made by third generation Italian winemakers Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine. It is a blend of noble Italian native varietals like Corvina and Trebbiano di Lugana and Syrah and Carmenère. The name 11 Minutes refers to the duration of the skin contact, with the full load of grapes being pressed very softly. It comes in both 750ml and 1.5l bottles, with the winemaker saying that the wine is ideal as an apéritif and as an accompaniment to the most delicate dishes.

The Rutherglen Estates Rosé, made from Grenache grapes, is a dry rosé with soft confectionary notes of strawberries and cream, raspberry and subtle spice. The slight salmon blush of this wine coupled with its new packaging reflects the elegance and finesse of this wine. A fantastically diverse and refreshing wine.

VIN: 2017 RRP: $28.99 Handpicked has joined forces with creative duo Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales from Romance Was Born to create this limited edition, savoury Rosé. This wine was made with Pinot Noir grapes grown on the Handpicked Yarra Valley vineyard, with fiano skins added for texture. It is the perfect textural and versatile summer accessory. Distributed by: DMG Fine Wine (NSW/QLD/ VIC), Epiqure Wines (WA/SA) Handpickedwines.com.au

Distributed by: Inglewood Wines Rutherglenestates.com.au

k n i P d e l k c i T Distributed by: Combined Wines & Foods Combinedwines.com.au

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ROSÉ PROMOTION

WIRRA WIRRA MRS. WIGLEY ROSÉ

LA LA LAND ROSÉ

PIERRE D’AMOUR ROSÉ

VIN: 2017 RRP: $18

VIN: NV RRP: $19.95

Mrs. Wigley Rosé, one of Australia’s top sellers, has had a makeover; upgraded packaging, lighter in colour, same great vineyards. The 2018 Mrs. Wigley Rosé is made from 100 per cent McLaren Vale Grenache into a dry, refreshing and vibrant style. As one of the fastest growing rosés for the independents, why wouldn’t you stock it?

La La Land Rosé is the perfect millennial summer drinking accessory. A pale, dry, vegan friendly Pinot Noir Rosé from familyowned vineyards in north west Victoria. Made ‘saignée’ style and with a touch of creative flair to challenge ‘traditional’ wine conventions. Loads of juicy red berry flavours and a hint of toffee apple. Light, refreshing and very, very moreish.

Pierre D’Amour is French for ‘The stone of love’. Pierre D’Amour Rosé is a new release and is styled with a rose quartz heading stone to promote love, as love is more easily felt and experienced than defined in words and Calabria Family Wines says the same thing about Rosé, which is why the stone of love is the perfect match.

Distributed by: Samuel Smith & Son Wirrawirra.com

Distributed by: Red & White Lalalandwines.com.au

VIN: 2018 RRP: $20

Distributed by: Calabria Family Wines Pierredamour.com

Shot at The Butler, Potts Point

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 41

ROSÉ PROMOTION

NERICON VINEYARD RESERVE ROSÉ

SCOTCHMANS HILL SWAN BAY PINOT NOIR ROSÉ

BROWN BROTHERS PROSECCO ROSÉ

VIN: 2018 RRP: $14.99

VIN: 2018 RRP: $19.99

VIN: NV RRP: $18.80

The Nericon Vineyard Reserve Rosé is made in the Provence style and was recently awarded a Gold Medal from the Melbourne International Wine Competition. It presents a lively aroma of raspberries and cream. This beautifully balanced, dry style Rosé, carries an abundance of fruitful cherry flavour and red berry notes. It is rounded out by a refreshing palate, leaving a textual, crisp dry finish.

The 2018 Swan Bay Pinot Noir Rosé has just been released on the back of the 2017 vintage which was awarded 94 points from James Halliday. The 2018 vintage is made in a Provence style being a very pale salmon pink colour with a savoury palate. Everything you wish for in a Rosé.

Brown Brothers is thrilled to announce who held the paintbrush behind its latest Limited Edition Prosecco Rosé; bold and disruptive Melbourne visual artist George Rose. Blush in colour, this vibrant and easy drinking Prosecco has hints of berry and citrus, a refreshing sip for any occasion. These limited edition bottles are indeed limited so be sure to order quickly, available from 1 September. Also available Brown Brothers Limited Edition Prosecco 750ml.

Distributed by: Scotchmans Hill Scotchmans.com.au

Distributed by: Dee Vine Estate Deevineestate.com

Distributed by: Brown Family Wine Group Brownbrothers.com.au

42 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Slow distilled in single batches. Star of Bombayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blend of 12 botanicals harmonise beautifully for a bright, smooth, deeply captivating taste experience.

PREMIUM GIN

c i n o t he

t t s Ju

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IT’S EXCITING EXCITING TIMES TIMESFOR FORTHE THE PREMIUM GIN GIN CATEGORY CATEGORYWITH WITH LOTS OF NEW NEW BRANDS BRANDSAND ANDVERY VERY STRONG STRONG GROWTH. GROWTH. ANDY YOUNG ANDY YOUNGATAKES TAKES DETAILED A DETAILED LOOK AT LOOK WHAT’S AT WHAT’S HAPPENING HAPPENING WITH GIN AND WITH HOW GIN AND HOW RETAILERS RETAILERS CAN MAKE CAN THE MOST MAKE THETHE OF MOST BOOM. OF THE BOOM.

PREMIUM GIN

he big difficulty with a category like premium gin is where do you start? There is such mammoth growth happening at the moment, it’s sometimes hard to know where exactly to look. That growth is coming in many different areas: value, volume and the number of brands entering the category are all on the rise, this is one category that retailers really need to be making the most of. The Australian Liquor Stores Association and IRI State of the Industry Report, put the gin category’s value growth at 17.4 per cent year-on-year for 2017, that’s off the back of a 16.4 per cent increase the year before. There was also a 23 per cent increase in gin products in 2017, and the report said that “gin’s worldwide resurgence is being propelled by an explosion of boutique offerings produced with local (alternative) botanicals”. But premium gin is about much more than just local botanicals, and with occasion-based shopping being a major factor in current consumer behaviours, Peter Hollands, Bombay Sapphire Brand Ambassador with Bacardi-Martini Australia, highlights that there are other factors driving the growth in premium gin right now.

“Treat premium gins like whiskies. There are a lot of people out there who are ready to invest in good quality gins,” Peter Hollands, Bombay Sapphire Brand Manager

Blind Tiger Gin

You can even put pear and star anise into your gin.

THE GREAT ALL-ROUNDER “Gin is an all-occasion drink,” Hollands says. “Especially with the huge range allowing gin drinkers to peruse a back-bar, or shelf, in the same way as a whisky drinker might. Looking forward I believe people will cut through the amount of choice by either selecting a well-known, trusted brands such as Bombay Sapphire or go super niche and local.” Greg Kiss, with Luxe Wine & Spirits, agrees that the all-occasion nature of gin has been a big factor in its strong growth. “There is now basically a gin flavour profile/botanical mix that suits pretty much every palette. You have gins with minimal botanicals such as Death’s Door out to of Wisconsin with three botanicals (juniper, coriander seed and fennel) to gins such as Ferdinand’s Gin (30 botanicals) and Monkey 47 (47 botanicals), both out of Germany.” While occasion-based shopping is one of the recognisable trends in the Australian drinks sector at the moment, the other major trend that has been part of the industry for a number of years now is premiumisation. This is something that has been happening not just in Australia, but around the world, and as Kiran Linaker, Brand Manager for Hendrick’s points out, premiumisation is a massive factor in the growth of premium gin.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 45

PREMIUM GIN

“Smaller independents who really know their customer base are in a really good position to upsell premium gin,” Greg Kiss, Luxe Wine & Spirits Elephant Gin with apples for a garnish “The fact that people are drinking less but drinking better is one of the things that has definitely helped the premium gin category to grow,” Linaker says. “Premiumisation is huge across all categories and the craft category is doing some amazing things and this is an exciting time for super-premium in the industry at the moment. “Gin is one of those things that has probably been under-developed in the past; up until a few years ago we had just a few key players and now there are hundreds brands. We are seeing people have a lot of fun with the gins they are creating, we’re seeing some amazing Australian gins and we are seeing international gins come through now as well.”

People are learning to have more fun with their gin serves

THE CLASSIC SERVE The other appeal for gin is that while the liquid itself can be complex and multifaceted, the way that it is served, can be relatively straight-forward, or it can be used in a complex cocktail. As Jodi McLeod, Gin Marketing Manager with Diageo Australia points out, this helps make gin increasingly popular to those drinking gin at home, whatever their mixing skill level. “Drinking spirits at home can be off-putting for some consumers who see it as too complicated or intimidating, they’re not sure how to DIY spirits and cocktails at home but the classic gin and tonic is something everyone can feel confident in making. For others, they love gin because you can mix it and garnish it in so many ways so it appeals to both types of consumer. “Gin also offers great complexity. There’s so much to discover with gin and each brand’s botanical mix which drives continued interest and curiosity in the category in a way that other spirits can’t. This complexity is a main driver of gin’s premium credentials, it’s a grown up spirit that screams sophistication.” With that in mind, the question then arises as to whether the gin and tonic is still the classic serve, or is there a changing of the guard? The general consensus is that while there are other serving suggestions cropping up, the gin and tonic is here to stay, it is and will remain the classic serve. Linaker says, “For Hendrick’s, we don’t really think that the gin and tonic will ever be replaced for us. It is absolutely iconic, it’s what we built our brand on. There are a lot of the craft brands at the moment that are building their signature serves with different garnishes at the moment, but I just don’t think that the classic nature of the g&t is something that will change throughout the industry.”

46 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Bombay Sapphire with thyme

PREMIUM GIN

The classic Hendrick’s serve with tonic and cucumber

“For Hendrick’s, we don’t really think that the gin and tonic will ever be replaced for us. It is absolutely iconic, it’s what we built our brand on,” Kiran Linaker, Hendrick’s Brand Manager Matt Redin, Marketing Manager with Angove Wines, who import and distribute Drumshando Irish Gin, adds that tonic is still tops, but retailers do have to consider which mixers they stock if they want to be taken seriously by their consumers in terms of premium gin. “The gin and tonic is still king, there is no denying it,” says Redin. “Negronis and a few others are out there, but there’s just no way they are as prevalent as g&t. But retailers should remember if they are going to sell good, premium gin and get consumers coming back for more then they need to be stocking good tonic as well.”

MAKING THE MOST OF GIN One of the real positives about speaking with different suppliers and producers about the premium gin category in Australia’s packaged liquor market, is the support they emphasise for retailers. They also recognise the amazing work many retailers have done in making the most of this trend, helping it to grow and they want to continue helping retailers to make the most of the gin boom. As Hollands explains, “Frankly I believe retailers are doing a fantastic job. I’ve hosted a number of in-store trainings and I’m always amazed by the knowledge and interest shown by staff.” He adds what he thinks is key for retailers being successful in the premium gin category.

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Tanqueray served with tonic and orange peel “Good staff training is an absolute must. In my opinion, knowledgeable, interested staff members are worth their weight in gold (or gin). Secondly, talk to your customers, don’t stop at selling a bottle, find out how they plan to drink it. Look for trends in their area/ demographic and then highlight brand activations that align to your consumers.” Linaker agrees that training and education are key, “It would be great for retailers to understand that consumers are willing to pay more especially within the premium gin category and provide the consumer with a solution. I think that there are things we can work on with retailers to assist growth and one thing that I would like to do more of is education within the gin category. “A lot of what we have seen is that many consumers don’t really know the difference between gins, they are buying a lot on labels and not really understanding why gins are different or even why gin is different to vodka. So I think that education piece could be quite interesting longterm, in working out how to continue the category’s growth and then sustain it.” She adds, “Retailers can definitely look to get more creative in-store and create some more drama around the premium gin category to help engage consumers more. There’s scope for working with those brands who can support retailers in getting creative and engaging with consumers.” Kiss also suggests that as well as education, independent retailers are in a good position to up sell if they are mindful of who their consumers are. “Smaller independents who really know their customer base are in a really good position to up sell,” he explains. “For example, if they know a customer has come in a few weeks ago and bought a certain gin, they are in a great position to say to them ‘hey, I remember you got this a few weeks ago, how about you try this one?’ “Also, having the product knowledge about the premium gins enables easier upselling, being able to illustrate to the customer why this gin is worth $10-20 more than other one.” It’s a similar message from Diageo Australia, with McLeod saying, “The category is going to continue to grow and consumers are willing to

PREMIUM GIN pay more to experiment but we need to educate them on what makes a gin worth paying for and the benchmarks in the category. “We can help you build your staff’s knowledge of gin, the original London dry as the core of gin and where all gin drinkers should start, the flavour segment for a bit of fun and more experimental flavour expressions for those who want to expand their gin knowledge.”

ADVICE FOR RETAILERS Premium gin is without doubt one of the most exciting categories in Australia right now. Unlike some other categories like whisky, Champagne and even some wines, gin doesn’t have the same rigid production criteria, which is why producers are having so much fun and such a wide variety of gins are available. So, what does this mean for retailers? Nikki Daven, Brand Manager at SouthTrade International, says, “Merchandising and crossselling with premium mixers is a great way to inspire consumers already invested in the category to try premium gin. “The trade-up trend will continue particularly with gin in the lead up to summer with consumers looking at flavour profile and pairing with other quality products. Opportunity to upsell and bundle with premium mixers will be a growth driver for retailers.” Redin adds this advice, “Keep rotating your range just to keep it interesting. At the moment the consumers drinking these premium gins they are exploring and from what we can see, they don’t seem to have a set repertoire of brands that they go back to. But that bit of education and research is also really important, understand the brands, get to know them, their support and their story.” Both McLeod and Redin have touched on experimentation and exploration being a part of the gin drinker’s psyche and Linaker agrees, adding, “We know that people are trading up from the value category and we are seeing this more and more. The traditional gin drinker is changing, so with consumers no longer buying based on price there are these opportunities for retailers. Out of all the categories, gin is one of the least planned purchases; consumers know that they are going to buy a bottle of gin, but have no idea which one they are going to take off the shelf. So if retailers can engage consumers when they come into their store either through tastings or education at shelf, I think that is the best way to get consumers to trade up.” Kiss, keeps it simple, advising, “Know and taste your products. Seek out good quality gins from all corners of the world, people will want to try them.” While the gin boom is relatively new, whisky has been going for a long time, and Hollands encourages retailers to think about that category when thinking about how to work with premium gins. “Treat premium gins like whiskies,” he says. “There are a lot of people out there who are ready to invest in good quality gins. And the best thing is, they will actually drink them and then come back and buy some more.” With so much excitement happening across the gin category, it can sometimes be difficult to be certain you are on the right path, but consumers are also exploring the category, learning about it and trying to understand it. The suppliers are keen to help with the education and support piece so the opportunity is absolutely there to jump on the gin train and make the most of this category’s on-going growth.

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Grapefruit serve with bottle of Gunpowder Irish Gin

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NEW ZEALAND

WHILE SAUVIGNON BLANC CONTINUES TO DOMINATE, WINEMAKERS HAVE A RENEWED FOCUS ON ALTERNATE VARIETALS AND PINOT NOIR, AS ANDREW GRAHAM REPORTS.

rom Northland to North Canterbury, Waiheke to the Waitaki. All over the country, New Zealand (NZ) wine is on a roll. Indeed, in 2016 our friends across the ditch celebrated a new production high water mark, hitting 396,000 tonnes crushed (according to NZ Winegrowers). What’s more, the Kiwis exported a record $1.66bn worth of wine in 2017 too. And up near the head of the export markets is Australia, with our market consuming a huge 59.6 million litres of that juice. But there’s a catch – while we’re drinking more wine from NZ than ever before, the value peaked back in 2012, dropping from an average of $10.01/litre in 2008 to just $6.22/ litre in 2017 (Statistics NZ). The lingering question then is whether this drop in value is merely a blip, or indicative of a real problem. Is there more to NZ wine than cheap Sauvignon Blanc?

SAUVIGNON COMES UP A BLANC? Perhaps the biggest challenge – or boon, depending on your perspective – for NZ producers is indeed the sheer dominance of Sauvignon Blanc. Since 2008, production of Sauvignon Blanc has lifted from 169,000 tonnes to more than 285,000 tonnes and now makes up over 71 per cent of wine grapes crushed and a staggering 86 per cent of exports. Sauvignon Blanc remains the second most popular grape (behind Shiraz) in Australia too, and has recorded modest growth in recent years. So why are NZ Sauvignon Blanc prices in Australia down? One potential reason cited may be the increasing dominance of private label products. According to figures from Nielsen and Citi, 19 per cent of wine sold off-premise is private label, with production thought likely to increase to as much as 40 per cent of all wine sold in the future. In turn, IRI figures suggest

50 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

that one private label Sauvignon Blanc alone contributed more than $10 million growth in 2016 and was one of the most popular Sauvignon Blanc-based wines in the country. What’s becoming increasingly apparent is that there is instead a two speed NZ Sauvignon Blanc market in Australia – a volatile, volume-driven end that is driving down prices, contrasting sharply to a premium, branded segment that is much more stable (and growing).

THE FUTURE OF SAUVIGNON BLANC Regardless of what’s happening in Australia, prices may end up rising due to global production issues. In 2017, European wine production fell by 14.6 per cent, with The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) confirming that it was the smallest vintage since 2012. The belief is that this drop in international production will lead to a rise in

Villa Maria, Auckland

NEW ZEALAND

Yealands Estate vineyards

THE KIWIS HAVE SO MUCH ENTHUSIASM FOR PINOT NOIR THAT THEY’VE JUST UNVEILED A TRADE PROMOTION WHERE RETAILERS CAN WIN ALL-EXPENSES PAID IMMERSION TRIPS TO NEW ZEALAND. TO WIN, RETAILERS SIMPLY NEED TO COME UP WITH UNIQUE WAYS TO PROMOTE NZ PINOT NOIR IN OCTOBER.

prices for exports from countries like NZ. Already we’re seeing a step up in Australian exports, with a lift in value of over 20 per cent YOY (Wine Australia figures) with most markets (excluding the US) enjoying strong growth. Further, this has been coupled with an increase in prices to the highest value since 2009. For Sauvignon Blanc, this future rise in prices may also come with an expectation for more varied, premium products. As Sir George Fistonich, the founder and owner of Villa Maria noted recently, Sauvignon Blanc isn’t just a singular style anymore. “There are a whole range of Sauvignon Blancs being made that offer so much variety.” Indeed Villa Maria has at least seven different Sauvignon Blancs from entry level drinks right through to four different single vineyard super premium releases. Meanwhile, at Yealands Estate, consumer desire for Sauvignon Blanc is not waning. With its base in the cool Awatere Valley, Yealands has carved out a reputation for sustainability and distinctive varietal wines. Sauvignon Blanc remains the spearhead for Yealands and shows no sign of slowing, as Melissie Chisholm notes: “The appetite for Sauvignon Blanc, particularly Marlborough is still as strong as ever… and we are still seeing plenty of growth, particularly in the $15-$20 category.”

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 51

NEW ZEALAND

Yealands Estate winery

For Giesen, which has enjoyed significant growth in the Australian market in recent years, the boost has also been seen in new segments. Kyle Skene, the General Manager of Giesen Estate explains: “Despite claims to the contrary, Australians are continuing their affair with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. “(Our) range offers nine differing styles of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from light alcohol to organic and award-winning ultrapremium single vineyard styles. “Giesen Organic Sauvignon Blanc (in particular) continues to build momentum in retail and on-premise with consumers looking for this option.” For a particularly pragmatic view of NZ Sauvignon Blanc, however, we need to consult with one of the legends of NZ wine, James Healy. Healy first came to prominence as Cloudy Bay winemaker back in the early 1990s, driving the growth of the brand during its boom times until starting Dog Point Vineyards with Cloudy Bay co-worker Ivan Sutherland in 2002. The Dog Point Vineyard is now one of the largest certified organic vineyards in NZ, supplying grapes for not only their own label but for many others in the region. Further, Healy and Sutherland are pivotal figures in the Marlborough wine industry – not only as growers and producers of the region’s best wines, but also helping to drive Marlborough behind the scenes. As Healy explains, with Sauvignon Blanc it’s all about perspective. “Even with additional plantings pushing out further from the more established areas I can’t see Sauvignon Blanc going away. “We have roughly 28,000 hectares of grape vines in Marlborough of which I guess about 80 per cent is Sauvignon Blanc so around 22,000 hectares of that one variety. To add relativity, Champagne has about 55,000 hectares.”

BEYOND SAUVIGNON BLANC While Sauvignon Blanc is king, the question that winemakers always face is predicting what’s next – what will be the next big thing in NZ wine? For Yealands, there are two styles that are showing promise, Pinot Gris and Rosé. “Pinot Gris is very much a growing category for us with a significant increase in demand. Rosé is also in high demand with it being a very trendy wine to drink. However Sauvignon Blanc is still by far our largest variety,” Chisholm said. Pinot Gris is showing promise at Giesen too, according to Skene. “We are continually impressed year-on-year by Pinot Gris,” he said. “We have experienced double-digit growth for the past five years and we see no signs of it slowing down (across Giesen Estate Pinot Gris and Ara Single Estate Pinot Gris).” If there is one variety that everyone is talking about, however, it is Albariño. This northern Spanish grape had something of a false start in Australia after the Savagnin fiasco, but has enjoyed plenty of enthusiasm in NZ. One winery that has embraced Albariño with gusto is Nelson’s Neudorf Vineyards. Most famous for its exceptional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Neudorf released its first Albariño in 2015 and has seen no shortage of attention. Neudorf founder Judy Finn explains: “The Albariño initiative is proving to be a fruitful decision. “We’re seeing real promise and will be planting more this year. It seems to do well on our dry farmed, organic Rosie’s Block, with a lovely citrus/briny character (that is) superb with our Kia Moana.” The Neudorf team are so enamoured with Albariño that Tim and Judy Finn went to the Spanish province of Rías Baixas last year to gather a “deeper understanding of the grape”.

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“AUSTRALIANS ARE ALREADY VERY FAMILIAR WITH MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC BUT THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE ON AWARENESS OF OUR DIVERSE PINOT NOIR REGIONS, WHICH AREN’T AS WELL UNDERSTOOD BEYOND CENTRAL OTAGO.” – NATALIE GRACE OF NZ WINEGROWERS Over at Villa Maria, the potential of Albariño has inspired many too, with Winemaker Dave Roper saying that the potential is “very exciting”. “If we were to fast forward to three years, we’ll see more Albariño on the shelves. The quality and potential is very exciting.” It’s very early days for the variety, however, and with NZ Albariño there’s plenty of smoke, but little fire, according to Dog Point’s Healy. “There is constant experimentation everywhere. We’re seeing Grüner Veltliner, Viognier, Arneis, Fiano and others but at this stage very little, to my disappointment, Albariño planted,” he said. Still, he sees the scope of the variety. “I really like it as it represents something that in quality terms, if not in taste, approximates Sauvignon Blanc,” he said. “It makes a terrific dry white wine. Not in a fruity sense but in a very enjoyable and food friendly style.”

MAKE MINE PINOT NOIR For all the attention that alternate white varieties are receiving, the real growth for NZ wine is in fact red grapes. As Red Norrie of retailer Winebubble notes, there’s lots to grab hold of. “Right now we think good value Hawke’s Bay Syrah is ready to burst,” he said. “Australian consumers are increasingly adopting and enjoying cool climate Syrah from

NEW ZEALAND

Villa Maria winery

the Adelaide Hills and Yarra, and the industry is promoting these ‘lighter’ Syrah styles well. This should translate across to New Zealand and Hawke’s Bay, which offers very accessible, great value and excellent quality cool climate Syrah for Australian consumers.” The figures back that up too, with NZ Syrah exports rising almost tenfold in the period between 2008 and 2017. At Craggy Range, Winemaker Matt Stafford has noted an increasing acceptance for the more moderate Syrah style that Craggy Range is now embracing, with many drinkers (and retailers) realising that there is more to Shiraz/ Syrah than just big, purple, luscious wines. But with Syrah making up less than 1.1 per cent of NZ producing vineyard area, it remains a side note. Instead, the real story is about the rampant growth in Pinot Noir’s popularity. According to a recent IRI report, Pinot Noir grew by more than $24m in 2017 in the Australian off-premise and enjoyed the second highest average cost per unit, second only to Champagne. NZ has a unique opportunity with its premium Pinot Noir too. The variety is the second most planted grape in NZ (behind Sauvignon Blanc) and Central Otago already enjoys worldwide Pinot Noir quality recognition. The Kiwis have so much enthusiasm for Pinot Noir that they’ve just unveiled a trade promotion where retailers can win all-expenses paid immersion trips to New Zealand. To win, retailers simply need to come up with unique ways to promote NZ Pinot Noir in October. As Natalie Grace of NZ Winegrowers explains, the reason for this promotion is that there is still a slightly myopic view of New Zealand Pinot Noir.

Giesen Ridge Block Syrah Post “Australians are already very familiar with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc but there is work to be done on awareness of our diverse Pinot Noir regions which aren’t as well understood beyond Central Otago,” she said. Interestingly, that situation might be changing too, as Yealands’ Chisholm points out. “Marlborough Pinot Noir, which was once viewed as the lesser cousin of Central Otago, has started to gain a reputation for being a quality, highly approachable and great value alternative to the pricier (NZ) equivalents,” she said.

THE NEXT STEP Perhaps the biggest advantage that NZ wine enjoys is the clean, green image. According to NZ Winegrowers, 98 per cent of the country’s vineyards are now certified sustainable, which is an unquestionable

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marketing edge. Further, NZ winemakers see a further marketing angle in products which consumers view as ‘better for them’ as Giesen’s Skene explains. “Wine Intelligence research shows (that) 50 per cent of wine buyers in Australia expressed an interest in buying lighter in alcohol wine.” Giesen is indeed one of many who are exploring lower alcohol products, with a low alcohol Sauvignon Blanc (as does Villa Maria) already available. With new segments of Sauvignon Blanc, a rapidly developing array of alternative white varieties, surging Pinot Noir and nascent Syrah, you could argue that NZ wine is really in a prime spot – dip in price per litre or not. A recent comment from Villa Maria’s Sir George Fistonich puts it best. “The future for New Zealand is looking very bright.”

Discover

For price details, or to place your order please contact your local distributor; NSW Young & Rashleigh 02 9967 5900

VIC The Wine Company 03 9562 3900

WA Off the Vine 08 9418 8210

SA Chace Agencies 08 8363 7881

NT NT Agencies 08 8947 6750

APERITIVO

UNDERSTANDING THE APERITIVO OCCASION: PART ONE IN THE FIRST OF THIS TWO-PART SERIES WE BEGIN TO BREAK DOWN THE APERITIVO OCCASION AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RETAILERS IN THIS GROWING CATEGORY.

ith the development and evolution of drinking occasions in Australia, has come the rise of both the apéritif and digestif. The apéritif in particular has seen a spectacular rise in popularity as consumers think more and more about what they are drinking, focus on occasion and on premium products. As such the apéritif occasion presents a huge opportunity for retailers to both serve consumers interested in this drink and educate others on its popularity. As well as its popularity with consumers, another advantage for retailers is the margins apéritif drinks can offer, as Joe Molinari of Combined Wines & Foods, which distributes Amaro Montenegro, explains. “As this category is still in its early stages, there is no pressure of heavy discounting at retail level,” Molinari said. “Tastings are an ideal way for retailers to engage consumers in the apéritif occasion, especially with Montenegro as it is such a great mixer.” He added: “Traditionally Montenegro has been used as a digestif and has been drunk after meals. But one of the great things about the adaptability of Montenegro is that it is a much lighter style than many of the traditional digestifs, so it is also suitable to be drunk before meals as an apéritif and it is ideal as a cocktail mixer.” Another big part in the increased popularity of apéritif has been the rise and rise of the spritz. Many wine companies have jumped on-board and are now offering pre-mixed spirtz, but many retailers around the country will have noticed increased sales in Aperol and Prosecco. In fact the rise of the apéritif and the spritz was potentially best highlighted at the 2017 Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA), with Aperol being named as the Liquor Brand of the Year. The award capped an incredible year for Campari, which according to the Australian Liquor Stores Association (ALSA) and IRI State of the Industry report for 2018 “was the largest growth generating glass spirits supplier in the retail liquor channel in 2017”. The report added: “With Aperol being the main ingredient of the spritz apéritif cocktail, dollar sales have expanded by 218 per cent over the past two years.” With that kind of growth underpinning a major trend in the packaged retail liquor space, Molinari points out that there are now huge opportunities for retailers embracing different brands in the apéritif and digestif space. “Amaro Montenegro is Italy’s number one selling apéritif, so by promoting it this way the customer knows they are buying what is popular in Europe and what the Italians drink. Retailers can also crosspromote by selling Montenegro with an appropriate premium mixer and highlighting a cocktail each month. This is something that we would be very happy to work with retailers on. “We have lots of marketing activity planned over the coming months and while a lot of that revolves around the on-premise, we know that those habits transfer. What consumers learn and understand about drinks in the on-premise they are increasingly taking away and using that knowledge among friends at home.” As we are already in spring and with summer and warmer weather approaching, retailers can expect drinking occasions to change and the trends show that consumers are looking towards premium drinks at the right occasions and apéritifs definitely fall into that category. So now is the time to make sure that you are making the most of this consumer interest.

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“RETAILERS CAN ALSO CROSS-PROMOTE BY SELLING MONTENEGRO WITH AN APPROPRIATE PREMIUM MIXER AND HIGHLIGHTING A COCKTAIL EACH MONTH. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO WORK WITH RETAILERS ON.” – JOE MOLINARI, COMBINED WINES & FOODS

DID YOU KNOW… • An aperitivo is a pre-meal drink specifically meant to whet your appetite • The concept of the modern apéritif is generally thought to have been invented by the distiller Antonio Benedetto Carpano, who created one of the first types of vermouth in 1786 • Today the aperitivo has evolved to refer to the hours when Italians meet to relax over a light cocktail or a glass of wine with finger food, generally between 7pm and 9pm • With most Europeans having lunch between 1pm and 2pm and dinner between 8pm and 9pm, the aperitivo is seen as a way to kickstart both the metabolism and the appetite • Bitter drinks like Campari and Aperol are traditional aperitivo drinks, but the spritz is becoming more and more prevalent while vermouth and even negronis are also popular

D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY NSW Combined Wines & Foods info@combinedwines.com.au QLD Global Food & Wine orders@globalfw.com.au

VIC Alepat Taylor alepat@alepat.com.au

SA Festival City sales@festivalcitywines.com.au

WA Sam Musca sammusca@hotmail.com

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.

WILLIE SMITHS TRADITIONAL VINTAGE 2018 CIDER APPLE BLEND 5.4% ABV, 355ml can Rich gold in colour with a soft haze and delicate initial foam. A barnyard, phenolic character and distinctive cooked apple note evolve and blend to provide a well-balanced aroma that transitions onto the palate. An upfront apple sweetness and slightly woody mid palate is rounded out by a moderate tartness and dry finish. Style: Traditional apple cider Williesmiths.com.au

DAINTON BREWING TROPICANA SESSION SAISON 5.5% ABV, 355ml can A delightful representation of what a session saision should be: crisp, tart, light in colour and unique. Its pale appearance with a slight haze is great for the style and the use of delicate hops throughout the beer tantalizes the taste buds at every stage. Style: Saison Daintonbrewing.com.au

HOP NATION THE PUNCH MANGO GOSE

COLONIAL BREWING CO ROBUST PORTER

CLARE VALLEY BREWING CO XPA

SYDNEY BREWERY PITTWATER BITTER

6% ABV, 375ml can There’s a delicious blend of chocolate and roast notes with a hint of spice on the aroma that is picked up from the first sip to last swallow. A smooth and creamy palate softens the slightly ashen finish that makes for a very drinkable beer. A slight warmth rounds out the bitterness and slight astringency and allows the flavours to linger nicely. Style: Robust porter Colonialbrewingco.com.au

5.2% ABV, 355ml can The colour is a bright amber, the head is solid and the nose pulls you in, as there is a pleasing waft of elderflower from the Ella hops mixing well with the creamy malt. On the palate, nice and long and lingering, a good blend of malt and peach and passionfruit flavours from the hops. Pleasingly, it finishes dry and bitter. Great balance and a true-to-style New World pale ale. Style: XPA Cvbc.beer

5.5% ABV, 355ml can Strong caramel and a slight dried fruit character make up the aroma while the palate has a light burnt caramel note with an earthy hop dry finish. The astringency builds a little, leaving an oxidised flavour. Some caramel notes, sweet caramel upfront, crystal malt, with harsh astringency on the finish. Style: English bitter Sydneybrewery.com.au

DEVILS BREWERY PILZ ENIGMA

LITTLE CREATURES THE FUGGLE IS REAL

4.2% ABV, 330ml bottle Definitely a New World twist on this traditional style. High hoppy aroma of berry and melon notes with a slight hop bag character overall. The palate is moderately bitter, some malt sweetness and crisp finish. It’s a little easy to forget this is a pilsner with such a dominant hop presence. Clean finish and a well-rounded beer. Style: New World hopped pilsner Devilsbrewery.com.au

5.8% ABV, 355ml can Up front there is an obvious dark roast aroma, but wait, there’s a hint of dark fruit and liquorice, as well as some subtle earthy notes that open up the senses and invite an array of flavours into the palate. A diverse blend of malts and oats provides a rich yet balanced mouthfeel, and the light ashen finish leaves the palate refreshed without too much astringency. Just delicious. Style: Stout Littlecreatures.com.au

DEVILS BREWERY CLOUDY APPLE CIDER

HAWTHORN BREWING CO RAISIN SHINE STOUT

5% ABV, 330ml bottle You can’t go wrong with Tassie apples; the climate down there with its big winter chill hours sets up the apple trees for a bumper crop, so Devils Brewery is immediately off to a great start. There’s not a lot of complexity in this cider, but it’s sweet and gives off serious, almost confectionary-like green apple aromas. Acidity is not high and overall it’s a chewy, sweet appley cider. Style: Apple cider Devilbrewery.com.au

6.1% ABV, 330ml bottle This brew sees the morning breakfast ritual of raisin toast and coffee brought to life, with a bursting raisin aromatic straight off the pour. The underlying stout is reserved, with a low to medium body offering a balanced blend of coffee, chocolate and a short clean bitterness. Such a quick finish serves only to make one entertain the possibility that this beer would go down a treat before noon. Style: Fruited export stout Hawthornbrewing.com.au

4% ABV, 375ml can A pretty intense spin on an old style, the sour mango flavour is punchy and exciting, though the aroma is a touch eggy and discombobulates the balance. This is a beer that has been made for summer. It’s unfined and unfiltered and so it pours slightly hazy in the glass with a dark lemon colour. It’s a good craic and worth a try! Style: Gose Hopnation.com.au

58 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

BEER TASTING

BLACKMAN’S BREWERY SMOOTH STOUT

STOMPING GROUND GUAVA SMASH

DAINTON BREWING RED EYE RYE

4.2% ABV, 355ml can It’s a can you can’t miss on the shelf as Stomping Ground gose back to back with its fruited special release cans (compulsory gose pun complete). This time, Colombian guava is the star, bringing sweetness and tropical highlights: papaya, pineapple and melon. Subtle tartness mixes with a cleansing salt note on the palate before drying out with more fruit. It’s delicate, refreshing and incredibly well balanced. A beer you might turn to for a cleanser but struggle to find a reason to move away from. Style: Fruit gose Stompingground.beer

5.5% ABV, 355ml can Spicy, punchy and bold, this deep red beer excretes character and aroma ethereally! It’s truly awesome! This has been brewed to be a sessionable beer, but one that continues to entice the taste buds with every mouthful. It’s a hoppy American Red with rye spice and features Ale, Munich Dunkel, Rye, Aromatic, Caramel Munich, Light and Dark Crystal malts. Additionally the beer contains Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy, Columbus, Cascade, Hersbrucker and Warrior hops plus American Ale yeast. Style: Rye Daintonbrewing.com.au

MISMATCH BREWING CO CHOCOLATE STOUT

SYDNEY BREWERY AGAVE GINGER CIDER

5.6% ABV, 375ml can They won champion beer at the Indies for their Helles Lager, and one sip of this stout made it starkly apparent that the Mismatch team have mastered both the light and dark sides of brewing. Simply put, this beer is a ripper and was impossible to put down. Coffee, vanilla, chocolate and cocoa all intertwine in harmony on the nose leaving you salivating and eager to sip. It’s incredibly smooth and balanced, creamy and dreamy, showing no hint of astringency. I really have no more words – it’s exceptional. Style: Chocolate stout Mismatchbrewing.com.au

4.5% ABV, 355ml can Renowned for their stable of well-executed beers and their approachability and simplicity, Sydney’s quasiMexican cider lives up to expectation. When mixing multiple spices and adjuncts, the difficulty always lies in keeping things balanced. While the initial impact of this brew was ginger dominant, the palate juggled agave sweetness with ginger warmth perfectly, allowing each element to complement the overall impression. Finishing with a carbonic zip and leaving a lingering acidity, it’s one to seek out when the sun starts to shine. Style: Spiced cider Sydneybrewery.com

4.7% ABV, 500ml can Blackman’s Smooth Stout delivers big flavour with an approachable ABV. Plenty of coffee and chocolate up front precedes a dabble of enticing vanilla. Roast malts abound on the palate, delivering an initial smooth flow of chocolate goodness to your tastebuds, before transitioning through earthy, toasted malt to finish with roasted bread and a balanced sweetness. It’s a moreish brew that will have you thankful there is likely to be a few sips left to top up your glass with, courtesy of the 500ml can. Style: Stout Blackmansbrewery.com.au

BATCH BREWING CO PASH THE MAGIC DRAGON SOUR

DEVILS BREWERY NOT ANOTHER PALE ALE

4.5% ABV, 440ml can When you’re greeted with a beautiful blush pink foam and a light apricot/pink beer, the temptation to smell and taste this sour is immense. Dive in, you won’t be disappointed. A good blend of tropical fruit notes rises above the evident passionfruit that transitions well into the palate. A soft fruity sweetness is balanced by a sourness that provides a tartness that tingles but doesn’t bite. A really well integrated beer, it’s easy to drink and effortlessly enjoyable, cleansing and moreish. Style: Sour Batchbrewingco.com.au

5.0% ABV, 330ml bottle Originally sporting a f#&%!!! in the title, apparently shorthand for ‘Foreign’, this Tassie pale ale has cleaned up its label despite even more crowding in the pale ale space. Hopped with Tassie-grown Cascade and Galaxy, it’s a great example of the now official Australian pale ale style. Passionfruit and a faint pine note up front on the nose lead into a soft malt with a bitterness at the heavier end of the scale. The dry hop addition pokes through to balance out the lingering bite and send you back for more. Style: Australian pale ale Devilsbrewery.com.au

YOUR MATES BREWING DONNIE DARKO PORTER

YOUR MATES BREWING CO LARRY PALE ALE

RED HILL BREWERY IMPERIAL STOUT

5.0% ABV, 375ml can Pouring jet black with a wisp of tan foam, the darkness leapt forth with cocoa, coffee and roast malt aromatics. A ham hock smokiness was prominent early and remained in balance, allowing waves of vanilla and dark chocolate sweetness to emanate, with just enough body to carry them across the palate. Low bitterness and a slight tannic note wrapped up the mouthfeel, resulting in an overall well-balanced brew that maintained drinkability. A beer that will satisfy the dark cravings within. Style: Porter Yourmatesbrewing.com

4.8% ABV, 355ml can A great green, melon-like hop aroma is complemented by sweet toasted malt notes and a low to moderate bitterness that is well-rounded and smooth. Some tropical and citrus hop notes build with each sip. Although quite full flavoured and a little chewy on the palate, it’s an easy drinking beer overall. This easy going Australian Pale Ale also picked up a welldeserved silver medal at the 2018 Australian International Beer Awards. Style: Australian pale ale Yourmatesbrewing.com

8.1% ABV, 330ml bottle A must-have beer each winter, this imperial stout has long been a signature of the Red Hill team. All the expected hallmark aromatics are there: chocolate, liquorice, praline and coffee. The same combination strikes again on the tastebuds, backed up with vanilla, figs and raisins. It is mildly carbonated and remains smooth as it warms up, continuing to emanate dried fruit mixed with roasted malt until the very last drop. Don’t sit around waiting – grab one now and drink up before the sun comes out. Style: Imperial stout Redhillbrewery.com.au

This tasting was originally conducted for the Spring Issue 46 of Beer & Brewer.

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 59

THE PINOT NOIR TASTING

THE PANEL

1. Daryl Fisher, General Manager, Fisher Fine Wine 2. Reneé Foster, Communications & Marketing Manager, Moppity Vineyards

3. Andrew Graham, Online Communications Manager, 6. Con Stamoulis, Managing Director, Cracka Wines Corkscrew Cellars 4. Nigel Jerram, Account Manager, Fisher Fine Wines 5. Geoff Bollom, Retailer, Fennell Bay Cellars

7. Sharyn Foulis, Wine Consultant, Australian Wine Vintages

THE PANEL’S PICKS Cherry Tree Hill Hayden Reserve Pinot Noir Southern Highlands VIN: 2016 LUC: $19.35

Brancott Estate Letter Series Marlborough VIN: 2016 LUC: $18.54

“Quite delicate and pretty but showed good persistence of flavour on the palate.” – Sharyn Foulis

“A beautifully fragrant and energetic young Pinot.” – Andrew Graham Distributed by: Pernod Ricard Australia

Distributed by: Fisher Fine Wines (Sydney) Cherry Tree Hill (Rest of Aus)

Silkwood Estate The Bowers Pinot Noir Pemberton VIN: 2015 LUC: $12.90

“Nice red fruits coming through with hints of caramel and vanilla from the oak.” – Geoff Bollom Distributed by: Single Vineyard Sellers

THE SYSTEM 95-100 Classic: an exceptional wine

90-94 Outstanding: a wine of remarkable character

60 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

85-89 Very good: a wine with impressive qualities

WINE TASTING LUC $19 AND OVER Handpicked Collection Pinot Noir Tasmania VIN: 2017 LUC: $32.35 “Nice tertiary flavours. Mushroom, earthy. Good ripe fruits and nice acid balance.” – Geoff Bollom “Lovely juicy raspberry and cherry fruit if just a little simple.” – Andrew Graham

Distributed by: DMG Fine Wine

“Wines from Marlborough and Tasmania scored the highest for me in this tasting. Generally there were very consistent scores across the board.” – Daryl Fisher Pooles Rock Premiere Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills VIN: 2017 LUC: $25.29

Tamar Ridge Reserve Pinot Noir Tasmania VIN: 2015 LUC: $35.80 “Bright nose, lifted potpourri scents, dark fruits and good structure. Quite full.” – Renée Foster “Closed and subtle dark fruits, aniseed, greenness. Grippy, a Pinot Noir on steroids with big fruit and oak.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributed by: Brown Family Wine Group

“A wonderful Pinot Noir nose, caramel, strawberry, cherry, dark chocolate with a seamless integration of fruit and oak.” – Daryl Fisher “Dark fruits, liquorice and spice on the nose. The palate is dark but light with a silky finish.” – Renée Foster

Distributed by: Agnew Wines

Devil’s Corner Resolution Pinot Noir Tasmania VIN: 2016 LUC: $23.22

Brockenchack Hare Hunter Pinot Noir Eden Valley VIN: 2017 LUC: $22 “Bright citrus infused red fruits with a dusting of white pepper. Layers of fruit, refined and complex with good structure and a long finish.” – Renée Foster “Capsicum, herbal, tomato bush. Not much length, good up front, smash of oak and fruit.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributed by: Brockenchack Wines

“Confected and sweet and sour with overly firm tannins.” – Andrew Graham “Balanced fruit. Punchy acid. Good balance.” – Geoff Bollom

Distributed by: Brown Family Wine Group

Singlefile Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Pemberton VIN: 2017 LUC: $21.49

A STANDOUT PERFORMER • The Pinot Noir category is worth $167m and accounts for 3.7 per cent share of Total Wine (up from 2.7 per cent two years ago). • This is the equivalent of seven million litres, up one million litres on the year before. This volume growth is worth 46 per cent of all wine growth, behind Rosé, Shiraz, and Prosecco.

“Very flavoursome, soft and easy to drink, a great wine.” – Nigel Jerram “A complex nose of cold roast meats and cherries. Good palate weight, tinned strawberries dominate. Lovely and vibrant with a long finish.” – Renée Foster

• Pinot Noir accounts for 10 per cent of red wine sales and six per cent of red wine volume. IRI data MAT to 01/07/18

Distributed by: Domaine Wine Shippers

THE SYSTEM 95-100 Classic: an exceptional wine

90-94 Outstanding: a wine of remarkable character

85-89 Very good: a wine with impressive qualities

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 61

WINE TASTING LUC BETWEEN $15 AND $19 Stoneleigh Latitude Pinot Noir Marlborough VIN: 2015 LUC: $ $16.68 “Summer berries and spice, lifted red fruits, subtle Asian spice with a nice long finish.” – Renée Foster “Blueberries, earthy, mushroom, cedar. A complex, grippy palate with a lot going on. A classic Pinot Noir.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributed by: Pernod Ricard Australia

“This was a really consistent tasting. It’s really great to see well priced Pinot with proper varietal characters, not just fruit juice.” – Andrew Graham Taylor Made Wild Ferment Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills VIN: 2017 LUC: $18.28

Howard Park Flint Rock Pinot Noir Great Southern VIN: 2017 LUC: $16.72 “Good intensity on nose. Caramel, toffee, red fruits. Well balanced. Will age well.” – Geoff Bollom “A bright varied style with lovely fruit. A proper meaty Pinot that has been really well put together.” – Andrew Graham

Distributed by: Burch Family Wines

“Very pale, slightly stalky nose, bright red fruits on the palate. Good fruit weight despite the colour with zesty orange notes on the finish.” – Renée Foster “A very nice wine with a good rich mouthfeel and intense strawberry characters.” – Nigel Jerram

Distributed by: Taylors Wines

De Bortoli The Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir Yarra Valley VIN: 2017 LUC: $18.89

Silkwood Estate The Walcott Pinot Noir Pemberton VIN: 2017 LUC: $16.13 “Ripe strawberries, dark fruits and cranberries. Exciting balance, chewy fruits, great finish.” – Daryl Fisher

“Mushroom and earthy, dark berries and a herbal character. Good weight and finish. Dark fruits.” – Daryl Fisher

“Violets in the nose. Great mouthfeel, rich and full of fruit. A great wine that would pair well with food.” – Nigel Jerram

“A lovely nose, bright fruits with delicatessen notes. Well structured sour cherries and dark fruits supported by strong but firm tannins.” – Renée Foster

Distributed by: Single Vineyard Sellers

Distributed by: De Bortoli Wines

Flux-V Pinot Noir Australia VIN: 2017 LUC: $17.20

DID YOU KNOW... • Smaller manufacturers dominate, worth 25 per cent of dollar sales and 49 per cent of dollar growth. This is led by Elephant in the Room (from Fourth Wave Wine Partners). • Devil’s Corner remains the number one Pinot Noir brand, but growth has halved this year, as more competitors build their offering. Strong competition from Squealing Pig and Elephant in the Room.

“Bright strawberries and cream. High acid but good fruit weight.” – Renée Foster “Texture, spicy, ripe cherries. A well balanced wine.” – Daryl Fisher

IRI data MAT to 01/07/18

Distributed by: Single Vineyard Sellers

THE SYSTEM 95-100 Classic: an exceptional wine

90-94 Outstanding: a wine of remarkable character

62 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

85-89 Very good: a wine with impressive qualities

WINE TASTING LUC $15 AND UNDER Kãmana Pinot Noir Marlborough VIN: 2017 LUC: $12.08 “A good wine. Easy drinking, rich and floral with good mouthfeel and very well balanced.” – Nigel Jerram “Intense nose, dark fruits, sour cherries, good weight and balance with a nice lift on the finish.” – Renée Foster

Distributed by: Kollaras & Co

“The bar has certainly been raised at the lower end. Really good to see elegant and refined wines at both ends with wines showing good structure, balance and sugar under control.” – Renée Foster Harewood Estate Pinot Noir Denmark VIN: 2017 LUC: $12.90

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills VIN: 2017 LUC: $12.56 “A smoky, meaty style with fresh raspberry fruit, crunchy acidity and a nice flavour.” – Geoff Bollom

“Bright, spicy nose. A touch stalky. Good spice on a dark red fruit core. Well balanced bright fruit.” – Renée Foster

“A serious wine for this price point. It really delivers in value with varietal intensity.” – Andrew Graham

“Funky mushroom, dark cherries, old wood. Rich and dense, chocolatey berry fruits.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributed by: Pernod Ricard Australia

Distributed by: Single Vineyard Sellers

Tyrrell’s Old Winery Pinot Noir Australia VIN: 2017 LUC: $8.60

Audrey Wilkinson Pinot Noir Orange VIN: 2017 LUC: $14.87 “A good wine, not too over the top yet pleasant drinking with good length.” – Nigel Jerram

“A great value Pinot Noir. Really well structured, great acid and bright fruits.” – Renée Foster

“Funky barnyard, old plummy character, liquorice. Great balance, savoury, luscious fruit.” – Daryl Fisher

“Strawberry, spicy charry, dark cherry. Good fruit, firm acid.” – Daryl Fisher

Distributed by: Agnew Wines

Distributed by: Tyrrell’s Wines

Yealands Estate Land Made Pinot Noir Marlborough VIN: 2017 LUC: $14.62

DID YOU KNOW... • The average price per 750ml is $16.61, which is a premium of 77 per cent vs. Red Wine, and 91 per cent vs. White Wine (this incorporates cask wine also). • However, the most popular price bracket is $20-30, which is worth 40 per cent of Pinot Noir sales and contributed 38 per cent of Pinot Noir growth. • Of every dollar spent on Pinot Noir, 96c is on Australian and New Zealand Pinot Noir, proving local is king.

“The palate shows raspberry and cherry fruits with a touch of oak derived complexity. Good value.” – Sharyn Foulis “Restrained red fruits with a lick of cherry oak.” – Con Stamoulis

Distributed by: Young & Rashleigh (NSW/ACT) The Wine Company (VIC/QLD)

THE SYSTEM 95-100 Classic: an exceptional wine

90-94 Outstanding: a wine of remarkable character

85-89 Very good: a wine with impressive qualities

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 63

EVENTS

1. COOPERS 2018 VINTAGE ALE LAUNCH

Coopers launched its 2018 Vintage Ale at a series of simultaneous events at Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. This year’s Vintage Ale has been produced using malt sourced from Westminster barley grown on Kangaroo Island and malted by Coopers at its new malting plant. In addition the hop variety used was Aramis from the Alsace region of France, which Coopers Managing Director and Chief Brewer Dr Tim Cooper said was chosen because of its aroma and moderate levels of bitterness.

1 2

Dr Tim Cooper talks about the 2018 Coopers Vintage Ale

Andy Young, Dr Tim Cooper, Deb Jackson and Cam Pearce at the 2018 Vintage Ale launch in Sydney

2. CHAMPAGNE TAITTINGER AND NOLA SMOKEHOUSE COLLABORATION Champagne Taittinger’s Export Director for APAC Nicolas Delion hosted an ‘experimental’ dinner featuring different expressions from Taittinger’s portfolio served with a variety of smoked meats from the NOLA Smokehouse kitchen. With five different Champagnes poured Delion explained why and how the “elegance and finesse” of Champagne Taittinger cuvées, including the 2012 and 2009 vintage wine as well as the brand’s rosé, makes them such a good match for the powerful smoked meats.

Dale DeGroff

3. DE KUYPER LIQUEURS’ GLOBAL THE WORKS PROGRAM

Global bartending legend Dale DeGroff entertained more than 70 guests at Sydney’s Kittyhawk bar as part of a tour of Australia and the De Kuyper’s The Works program. Usually a trade-only event The Works was opened to consumers for the first time this year. The event saw DeGroff entertain guests with tales of his time at the iconic Rainbow Room in the 1980s and his truly encyclopaedic knowledge of classic cocktails – all, of course, with a cocktail in hand.

64 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

Phil Bayly and Dale DeGroff

Some of the Champagne Taittinger wines on offer at NOLA

Champange Taittinger served alongside NOLA meats

EVENTS

Some of the wines on offer at the Sydney Royal Wine Show lunch

4. WCA SYDNEY ROYAL WINE SHOW TROPHY WINNERS LUNCH

Guests were greeted with Seppelt Sparkling Shiraz

Taking place at the Four Seasons in early August this year’s WCA Sydney Royal Wine Show Trophy Winners Lunch proved to be another great day out. As well as a fabulous array of trophy winning wines, guests saw Huon Hooke announced as the NSW Legend of the Vine for 2018. The WCA recognised Hooke’s service to the wine industry over his 35 year career, which has seen him become one of the world’s most respected and recognised wine experts.

Natalie Bascur poses at the Longbranch launch event

Tyson Mayr and Simon Hancock pose at Wild Turkey launch event

5 5

Wild Turkey Longbranch exclusive launch

5. WILD TURKEY’S LONGBRANCH LAUNCH

Wild Turkey launched its latest release, Longbranch, at an exclusive event at Stanton and Co. Longbranch is a collaboration between Master Distiller Eddie Russell and Creative Director Matthew McConaughey. Guests enjoyed a three-course meal with each course paired with specially curated Longbranch cocktails, while also being taken through the Wild Turkey portfolio by Eddie Russell. The dessert saw white chocolate textures served with Master’s Keep 1894, served neat, to demonstrate the different ways Bourbon can be enjoyed.

Master Distiller Eddie Russell unveils his latest release

NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 | 65

SHOP TALK

Shop Talk WE TALK SHOP WITH KERRY SMITH FROM VINSIGHT AND ZACHARY PHILLIPS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN WINE CENTRE IN SYDNEY.

Meet... KERRY SMITH Owner/Sales, Vinsight (distributor of Patritti Wines)

ZACHARY PHILLIPS Fine Wine Buyer, The Australian Wine Centre

Kerry Smith and Zachary Phillips

“THERE IS DEFINITELY A GENERAL DEMAND FROM CUSTOMERS FOR BIODYNAMIC, ORGANIC AND ‘NATURAL’ WINES, EVEN IF THE CONCEPTS AREN’T WIDELY UNDERSTOOD BY CONSUMERS,” ZACHARY PHILLIPS

Q ABOUT US: KERRY: We are a small wine wholesaler with a big heart. My partner and I started Vinsight eight years ago following a stint in corporate wine, which gave us a desire to work with smaller producers again. Our Australian/New Zealand portfolio showcases our commitment to artisan and family producers – size isn’t everything but quality and integrity sure are. Some are emerging, others are well-established, and all are highly regarded. Our international portfolio is a real mix of iconic brands, while others are stars in their regions, and all are chosen to meet NSW market needs. ZACHARY: The Australian Wine Centre (AWC) is an independent wine store located at Circular Quay in Sydney. We have been specialists in retailing and exporting some of Australia’s best and rarest wines for more than 30 years. We stock plenty of the country’s iconic producers but our focus is on the small, boutique wineries, which are so often the highlight of our wine industry.

is a strong endorsement from them and therefore assists with sales. Patritti’s Lot 3 Shiraz is currently featuring and being a producer new to the eastern states this is an especially effective mechanism for introducing people to Patritti’s wine. ZACHARY: We are perhaps one of the few stores where deals and promotions don’t work that well. Because we aren’t in a residential area, only a few of our regulars will routinely buy a mixed six or dozen for home. We have more success with emailed special offers, where customers can select from new releases or a pre-mixed selection of, for example, ‘Old Vine Shiraz’ or ‘Classic Aussie Chardonnay,’ which we will then post to them. Our store tastings are also great for customer engagement and allowing people to try wines, which they normally may not be interested in.

Q HOW ARE YOU FINDING THE CURRENT MARKET? ZACHARY: Because of where we are located, the store gets a fairly even split between locals, business people and tourists – this definitely skews market analysis as each group comes to us for something different. There is definitely a general demand from customers for biodynamic, organic and ‘natural’ wines, even if the concepts aren’t widely understood by consumers, and for wines which aren’t saturated in the market. While the big chains definitely make competition harder and harder every year, I like to think that our product knowledge, eclectic range and personalised service sets us well and truly apart.

Q WHAT DEALS OR PROMOTIONS ARE WORKING FOR YOU AT THE MOMENT? KERRY: A spot on the tasting rack at AWC is always valued as it gives our brands exposure, it

Q WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT THE JOB? KERRY: The people! Obviously wine and the ever-changing nature of the industry are big drawcards, but when my relationship with our winemakers, customers and team begin to flourish and feel like family then I feel really fortunate. I love hearing their news, sharing a joke, discussing the trade, chewing the fat and I really learn from my customers. It’s also motivating to think that I can add value and make a contribution to our wineries or customers’ businesses. Being an owner/partner in a small wine wholesale business is challenging, it never stops, but the opportunity to learn, make our decisions and be truly accountable is something that I relish. Knowing our destiny is largely in our own hands is exciting to me. ZACHARY: The constant exposure to wine is obviously a plus. It’s a bit of a rabbit hole situation

66 | SEPTEMBER 2018 NATIONAL LIQUOR NEWS

– the more you learn, the more you realise how little you know. I am constantly engaging with and learning about the products I sell, and I love finding new and exciting wines such as the wines from Patritti in McLaren Vale. I also enjoy gaining the trust of my customers and helping them pick a bottle that suits them, especially if they want to try something different from their usual picks. Each of the employees here has repeat customers who will simply say ‘you know what I like – pick some wine for me’. It’s a great way to allow people to explore just how diverse wine can be.

Q WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WORKING WITH EACH OTHER? KERRY: Zachary, Michael Frost and Paolo Herrera from AWC are lovely to deal with and are always warm, welcoming and highly professional. My relationship is primarily with Zachary and it’s an easy relationship, which I really appreciate. He’s respectful, fair and has integrity and he is always interested in how we are as people, beyond just our wine business. I also love his quirky sense of humour and I very much respect that he doesn’t try to play me, he’s clear about what AWC needs and in his feedback on our wines. He’s honest, knows what we can provide so he talks straight, which helps me be more effective. ZACHARY: Kerry is great because she is easy to get on with both socially and professionally. Not only does she have an extensive and exciting portfolio, but she also has a great understanding of the needs and constraints of the store and takes this into account when she deals with me. This makes things feel more personal rather than like a sterile transaction. Her professionalism and customer service are to be commended.

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National Liquor News September 2018

Articles inside

Tickled Pink

Just the tonic

KOLLARAS: THE EVOLUTION