WBM - Australia's Wine Business Magazine - Barossa #WBMroadtrip

JULY/AUGUST 2015 wbmonline.com.au

IN THIS ISSUE: WBM BAROSSA ROAD TRIP | TANNIC ATTACK | SAGRANTINO | WINETECH

AN HOUR WITH

J U S T I N E H E N S C H K E

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W O R D S A NTHONY M A DIG A N P H O T O G R A P H DR A G A N R A DOC A J

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h e b a r o s s a h a s l i v e d IN THE SH A DOW OF COOLER CLIM A TE WINES IN RECENT YE A RS . SOME SEE THE B A ROSS A WINE OFFER A S OLD -F A SHIONED – GONE THE W A Y OF BOWTIES A ND CHESTERFIELDS . BUT NO ONE TOLD THE CONSUMERS . NO ONE TOLD THE INVESTORS , e i t h e r . A NTHONY M A DIG A N SPENT A WEE K IN THE B A ROSS A . HE REPORTS t h a t t h e r e g i o n i s ENTERING A DYN A MIC NEW ER A . THIS IS HIS STORY .

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MICK DOWLING, TORBRECK, AT GAME OF RHONES. PHOTO BY JAMES BROADWAY

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he Barossa needed a group hug and James Halliday was just the man to give it. He spoke highly of the region at the Barossa Wine Chapters Auction at the Wolf Blass Visitor Centre in April. The 420 winemakers, growers and wine collectors warmly applauded. Cooler-climate wines have stolen the limelight and a bit of reassurance hit the spot.

Although pockets of blockbuster Shiraz survive – and sell – the Barossa is generally making wines with lower alcohol and more finesse. That’s pretty much an old story. The new one is the pace of change happening in the region and the level of investment at a time when Shiraz prices are the highest they’ve been for years – an average of $2,000 a tonne.

“There is a positivity that hasn’t been around for years,” says winemaker Troy Kalleske. “The mood is good. I think the next decade and beyond will be a great time for the Barossa – for growers, wineries and the general community.

Business is good. Demand is solid.”

Four major transactions in recent years have been telling

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New Zealand’s Delegat’s Wine Estate, famous for Oyster Bay, bought Barossa Valley Estate for $24.7 million. Sydney businessman and 1847 Wines owner Arthur Wong bought the 10,000 tonne Chateau Yaldara winery and cellar door from Australian Vintage for $15.5 million. Accolade, which had been on the look-out for a Barossa brand to fill a gap in its portfolio, bought Grant Burge Wines for $40 million. Then Casella Family Brands bought Peter Lehmann Wines from the Swissbased Hess Group for $75 million.

“These are all significant transactions and represent a changing of the guard, with significant winemakers from other regions recognising the Barossa’s importance and making bold investments,” says Toby Langley, managing director of Gaetjens Langley. “There have been several transactions by Chinese and other international investors in the wine business.”

The Barossa seems to be embracing the steady rise in foreign investment. “We need it because the money sure ain’t in Australia,” one winemaker says. “We’re still the lucky country, but the investment funds are drying up.”

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BVE in particular is ramping-up production. It has run ads in the Angaston Leader inviting Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon growers to share in its Partners for Prosperity program with “long-term supply contracts”. BVE declined an interview. What we do know is a refurbished cellar door will open soon. The Swan Wine Group also has big plans, aiming to double production to 160,000 cases this year – 90 percent of it destined for Asia.

Penfolds is planning a new cellar door at Nuriootpa. It’s not just the corporates spending. First Drop Wines has opened its off-beat Home of the Brave cellar door in Nuriootpa, focusing on fun in a casual setting, and Tscharke is building a significant new cellar and storage area on Seppeltsfield Road at Marananga. Lambert Estate, owned by the Lambert family, has opened a flash new winery and cellar door on Long Gully Road at Angaston; it has the distinction of having the only winery lift in SA. Izway Wines is building a new cellar door on Seppeltsfield Road, and Ballycroft is opening one at Greenock. Pindarie is one of several wineries building new cellar doors.

Vineyards are being reworked (there can’t be too much Sauvignon Blanc left!) or changing hands. In one of the larger vineyard developments, Yalumba is planting 40 hectares of Shiraz and Cabernet at the corner of Stockwell and Light Pass roads. Last year Torbreck bought The Laird Vineyard from Malcolm Seppelt for a rumoured $2 million – almost certainly a record for Barossa land. Several local winemakers have acquired vineyards in recent years including Dorrien Estate (Woolworths), Delegat’s, Casella, Torbreck, Rockford, Teusner and Seppeltsfield.

“Vineyard sales have picked up significantly and values per hectare are also increasing on the back of tightening fruit prices and several low-yielding vintages,” Toby Langley says.

“The Barossa is now one of the few regions in the country where vineyards are selling at a premium to their establishment cost. Land suitable for vineyard development is also selling at a premium to alternative farming uses. The same goes for Barossa bulk wine and fruit prices.”

With alcohol consumption in Australia at a 50-year low, it’s all about quality, not quantity, and the Barossa is going after premium: premium wine, food, accommodation and tourism experiences. Seppeltsfield has set the benchmark with premium add-ons including Fino restaurant, the Jam Factory and resident artisans. Pernod Ricard is building a new multi-million dollar home for its flagship St Hugo brand to complement the Jacob’s Creek Visitor Centre. “It will target high-end wine and food consumers internationally through experiential food and wine tourism,” says Brett McKinnon, global operations director of Pernod Ricard. It will open in September next year. Langmeil is converting an 1840s cobbler store to a new space for back-vintage tastings to complement its cellar door. Kaesler has just opened its Kaesler Kitchen, and fermentAsian, up there with Vintners as the go-to restaurant, is expanding to include a wine bar. Hallelujah!

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James March, CEO of the Barossa Grape & Wine Association, talks about the “internationalisation” of the region. So it’s all about exports rather than domestic sales?

“They’re complementary,” he says. “I wouldn’t focus on one at the expense of the other. Pursuit of international markets does reflect, though, a maturity of the industry and sense of growth opportunities beyond our immediate borders. We’ve seen an increase in international visitors over the past few years, and so it also comes down to an understanding and alignment among the local community that our strategies are global in their ambition and reach.”

The Barossa seems unified. And organised. The BGWA has launched a raft of community-enriching projects including the Barossa Trust Mark and education programs in Asia. It probably has the biggest digital footprint of any wine region, led by its Barossa Dirt website. With digital, content is king. The Barossa, rich in stories, has an endless stream of it.

The Barossa is not exactly cool among the

crucial juncture. “After years of oversupply, a few small vintages have finally pushed grape demand and prices up for the first time in years,” he says. “There are a lot of innovative things happening on the ground, not only among the hot-shot young gun boutiques but equally among the big players. I came away immensely encouraged by what the future holds for the region. And such was the calibre of 2013 and 2015 that the Barossa may just have broken its even-vintage spell of the past three decades!”

At that auction Halliday spoke at, the Barossa got more than a group hug; it got confirmation that no other region can command the prices it can on the secondary market. I’m not sure what was in the Shiraz for that long lunch, but the bidding was frenetic. The auctioneer, Andrew Caillard MW, was exhausted.

“The prices reflected a festival atmosphere and generosity of spirit,” he says “The results were spectacular.” Asked about the future of the Barossa, Andrew says, “It is Australia’s greatest wine region. Its history is only half-told and the wines have evolved

gatekeepers, influencers and some wine show judges. It hasn’t seen a Jimmy Watson since 2003, when Saltram won it with The Eighth Maker Shiraz 2002. Not that the Barossa loses sleep over it. Does it? But consumers remain loyal. Wineries report solid sales growth. Torbreck has had a record year for sales.

“There is a disconnect between what is being promoted and what most people genuinely like to drink,” one winemaker says.

Adding to the feeling of change is Robert Hill Smith stepping down as Yalumba CEO, replaced by his brother-inlaw, Nick Waterman. The Barossa has lost great promoters in recent years including Peter Lehmann and his son, Doug, and Bob McLean. Talking to the locals, one thing came up a lot: the role Torbreck founder Dave Powell played in lifting the region’s global profile and charging a premium for old-vine wines. It’s like a game of Where’s Wally? “Will he be back?” Of course he will. “We need him,” says one winemaker. “There are plenty of characters in the Barossa, but I can’t think of too many who can get out there and do what Dave did.”

Tyson Stelzer has been in the region filming his TV series, People of the Vines. He says the Barossa has reached a

with the passage of time. Of course it faces challenges but the essence of the Barossa – the landscape, the people, the generosity of spirit, the food culture and the wines – is so emotionally charged and uniquely Australian. How can it not survive and prosper?”

In his latest book, Varietal Wines, James Halliday writes, “The most controversial aspect of Barossa – and for that matter Australian Shiraz as a whole – is the ghetto blasters so beloved of the American band conducted by Robert Parker. Inky black, oozing extract, and routinely topping 15 to 16 percent alcohol, these are strange wines. The fact that they are made in small quantities from century-old vines, and are stirred but never fined or filtered, adds to their allure. One glass is interesting; any more is satiating.”

It will take time for the Barossa to shake off the blockbuster tag. But the fact remains that the blockbuster still sells. So does Turkey Flat Rosé, Peter Lehmann Semillon and Teusner Joshua GMS. The consumers love the joint.

And so, too, do the investors. 

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WORDS ANTHONY MADIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY DRAGAN RADOCAJ

JUSTINE HENSCHKE LOVED GROWING UP IN THE BAROSSA. BUT SHE COULDN’T WAIT TO GET OUT AND SEE THE WORLD. NOW SHE’S BACK TO HELP THE FAMILY.

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ustine Henschke is back in the Barossa helping the family out. After stints in PR and marketing in Sydney, London and New York, she is back at Keyneton, running the marketing, PR and direct sales for Henschke Wines. Stephen and Prue can relax, their daughter is not about to rush in and change everything. And the old labels are safe too. “Actually, I love those labels,” she says. “Besides, those decisions would involve a large group – like, the whole family!”

She has been an unofficial brand ambassador for Henschke for years, hosting dinners in her spare time, and has worked in the winery during vintage. “I’ve never pruned, I’m more of a ferment-plunger,” she says. It was a call from her father last year that prompted her move to a full-time role. Stephen let her in on a secret: Hill of Grace restaurant would be opening at Adelaide Oval. And could she help get it up and running?

“He kept that quiet,” smiles Justine, who rejoined the business in May last year to work on the collaboration with Adelaide Oval. She says it’s great to have somewhere to showcase their wines with food. “What a location!” she says.

“It wouldn’t really work setting up a restaurant where we are

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on the edge of the Barossa. Instead we have a presence in Adelaide, at a location frequented by international visitors and we have the opportunity to bring together two South Australian icons – the historic Adelaide Oval with Donald Bradman and the old scoreboard – and Hill of Grace.”

Every Hill of Grace vintage made is on display, from 1958 to the current vintage, 2010. “Some of the bottles are the only ones we have left,” says Justine. “I don’t think Cyril cellared as many wines as my father Stephen has!”

Justine admires her parents’ achievements, in particular their environmental sensitivity. It has rubbed off. When she was 11 years old, Justine was introduced to Federal Senator Robert Hill at a function by her parents. “Mum’s constant lobbying must have rubbed off on me, because I bluntly asked Senator Hill if he could please stop the trucks removing moss rocks from our hills. He promised he would.”

She says it’s an exciting time to be in the Australian wine industry. “We are all striving to change the perception of Australian wine in international markets – that our country makes quality wine with a sense of place,” she says. “We have many small to medium family wineries that are making a

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great name for our industry. We are getting closer to identifying certain regions for their leading varieties, such as Eden Valley Riesling and Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir. We just need to get the word out there.”

She thinks the future of the industry is in good hands.

“There are a lot of really influential winemakers in my generation pushing the boundaries and educating others.

There’s a real consciousness about sustainability and organics for both soil health and human health. I predict we’ll see more wines being made in a style that complements food, more interesting varieties and more communication on which are the hero varieties for our wine regions.”

Justine has always toyed with the idea of being an actress; she once played a ’70s love child and Janet Weiss from The Rocky Horror Picture Show in a stage production at the Adelaide Fringe. But she decided to pursue marketing. Her career took her to New York, where she completed an internship with Chanel. She says you shouldn’t believe everything you see on TV about the fashion industry. There was no pretence. “It was incredible,” she says. “It was fast-paced, exciting and rewarding. But while I was handling haute-couture and picking jewellery for celebrities, I was still packing and unpacking boxes as a public relations intern. I had to learn quickly about logistics, organisation and managing people and cultures. I had great leaders, I was really lucky. I had to drop my second major from my commerce marketing degree to do the internship, but it was worth it.”

Justine’s new role began in January and incorporates a few different roles – Henschke didn’t previously have a marketing manager or public relations role in-house. It’s bringing together direct sales, customer service, marketing, PR and digital. “I think it’s good to have a role such as this centralised with the core of the business – it streamlines our plans and communication channels,” she says. “We don’t make our wines based on the market, we make them based on the site and its climate, but we do make informed decisions based on market insights. My aim is to continue to strengthen the brand domestically and overseas. Telling the stories of our wines is fundamental to achieving this.”

She admits her stories need work. “I don’t tell stories well,” she says. “I always start with the punch line. Like Dad.” Justine says part of the Henschke marketing strategy is

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being proactive. “It’s about building brand awareness, building the reputation of Australian wine with other family wineries and group initiatives such as Australia’s First Families of Wine,” she says. “And creating the halo effect from our top Australian wines for the good of the whole industry. Digital marketing and social media are important when you’re a small business and don’t have the budgets for advertising.”

Asked if her mum and dad were anti-marketers, Justine replied, “That makes me laugh. Mum’s never been interested in marketing, but I forgive her, she’s got enough to focus on being our viticulturist. She’s a great writer, though, and very creative. Dad is a natural marketer, being the head of the business. What makes my job easier is we’ve spoken about the decisions he’s made over the dinner table for years.

“They’ve both been working tirelessly to drive awareness of cool-climate wines from the Adelaide Hills.

Dad was instrumental in the creation of the First Families, and as the Grand Master of Barons of Barossa, he works with the group to initiate and fund community projects and support Barossa wine, viticulture, gastronomy, heritage and the arts. Dad’s been involved in developing YouTube videos to preserve the traditional local foods based on the Barossa’s German heritage. And Mum’s been managing a research project on the Quality Aspects of Old Vine Shiraz to explain to growers and consumers alike the value of wines made from old vines.

That’s marketing!”

Succession planning is on the agenda. “I know Mum and Dad want what’s best for the business, but also the next generation,” she says. “It’s important we all communicate well as siblings and work together so we can pass it down. I never saw a place because we never really had a marketing role, so to speak. I wasn’t sure where I fit in. Now I do. It’s going to be interesting to see how Johann and Andreas and I manage the business and work together on a plan for the next generation. And to do what’s best for the business, being mindful of everyone involved.”

Justine has fond memories of growing up on the farm, playing cricket with her brothers, riding bikes and generally revelling in the freedom of the wide open spaces. She’s happy to be back. “The Barossa is so beautiful,” she says.

“Sometimes it takes going away and seeing other places in the world to realise what you’ve had all along.” 

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By Prue Henschke  “Justine was always determined. This gorgeous little thing knew exactly what she wanted to do. She had a fantastic appreciation of food and would eat anything weird and wonderful like red peppers and mettwurst. I used to pick Justine up from kindy and go out for lunch: a ham and cheese toasted sandwich at a little coffee bar above the Co-op Store. She was a little ballerina. She could keep time the best – that’s why she was up the front. I used to play golf during the week and a friend offered to babysit Justine; she came to me one day and said, ‘I can’t do it anymore, Justine empties everything out of the drawers.’ In what way was she determined? In the clothes she wore. There were favourites like a little pink dress with lace – and yellow gumboots.

Always gumboots or bare feet. A characteristic of mine Justine has is an obsession with good clothes. I’d rather spend a significant amount on one bit than a whole lot of junk. She is funny; loves telling stories. She gets that from her dad. Poor old dad and his dad jokes. Does Justine like getting her hands dirty in the vineyard? She picked grapes a lot with her brothers when she was young. I don’t think she’s ever pruned. From a little thing she was up on the fermenters

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dipping her finger in to taste them. My dream for Justine? To be a leading image for Henschke. I know there will be something significant that she will do in her life. For me it’s been the environment and viticulture, perhaps for her it might be the story of Henschke. It’s all about pictures and stories now. It’s not just a media report or a writer that seals a wine’s fate. It’s about trying to get people to feel connected to the product. There’s probably jargon Justine can express. I would like her to have that strong ethic of doing something good for the world. That’s the value you hope for in all your kids. Who has the better palate? Justine has more original descriptors! It’s a relief to have Justine back. We needed someone in that position because of the changing nature of the wine business with social media and online. I don’t think marketing is nonsense; I sort of get the gist of it. I’m glad someone else is doing it. When she moved out of home, other mums also had kids leaving the flock. One mum told me to rearrange Justine’s bedroom so it didn’t feel like my little girl had gone, to reduce the heartbreak. So I did it. It helped. All of that laughter and banging of doors and ‘what’s for dinner tonight?’ faded out rather quickly. It’s good to have her back.” 

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By Justine Henschke  “Mum’s incredible. I wish I had the scientific skills she and the rest of the family have. We’re a family of mathematicians and scientists. I’m a bit of an artsy black sheep. Mum says I have a lot of determination. I wonder where I got that from!

Determination is her strength. She’s confident enough to have a voice. If she takes a stand on something it’s because she knows what she’s talking about… most of the time. Even if she does have a wacky idea, you know it is well researched. She is quite opinionated. Some of the things she says… God! I often think, ‘where did that come from?’ Any tweets have to be vetted through me! She’s done so much. Dad wouldn’t be nearly as successful without Mum. They’re a great team; very inspiring.

I’ve always been close to Mum – and Dad. We’re a close family, even though at times we’re halfway round the world. The winery brings us together. It’s hard to separate family and business.

There was often shop talk over dinner. Mum has a good sense of humour. She doesn’t take herself too seriously. She used to make her own clothes. It was so annoying growing up because if I wanted to buy something to wear, she’d always check what it was made out of. If it was polyester, I wasn’t allowed to have it.

Whenever we were walking out the door at home, Mum (and

Dad) used to shout out, ‘remember who you are.’ I’d have a cheeky retort like, ‘My name’s Justine, I live at Keyneton 5353.’

Then I put my foot down on the blue Barina. I left for school on Friday morning and didn’t come home until Sunday night; living out here, we’d stay at friends’ houses after sport. We never understood it at the time, but what Mum and Dad were getting at was to keep in mind we were representing the family. Mum brings a wealth of knowledge to the business along with guidance and a consciousness about the environment. She’s so passionate about preserving the land for future generations.

She’s got that love of nature, the land and animals. Often Mum would be late to pick us up from school because she was stopping someone chopping down trees. She’s always been mindful of the impact humans make on our country. It’s rubbed off on my brothers and me. We had a big marketing meeting with our distributor the other day and we were going through brand values and talking about mission statements.

Mum was like, ‘Oh, this is what you studied?’ Yes, Mum! She thinks marketing is absolute nonsense. But she’s glad I’m doing food and wine, and not fashion. While she loves fashion, she thinks the industry is a bit superficial.” 

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hen news broke that Casella Family Wines had bought Peter Lehmann Wines, the reaction in the Barossa was mixed. Back in Australian hands. Tick.

But would the makers of Yellow Tail go cheap and cheerful? In fact, the opposite is true. John Casella is even talking about jacking up the price of Stonewell Shiraz.

“Our family wanted to grow organically, but then we saw this opportunity,” John Casella says. “We saw the parallels between the Peter Lehmann story and Casella story, and an avenue to go directly to the premium market. We have the financial capability, the contacts and partnerships around the world. It’s not that difficult to add products to the Casella portfolio. I don’t look at it as a purchase or takeover, more an integration of two businesses that complement each other.

“This wasn’t a necessity for us. It was something we wanted to do. And if there wasn’t a fit, I wouldn’t have bothered. It’s not a matter of having to get to a critical size or anything, it’s a matter of us having a complete portfolio that enhances our position with our partners around the world.”

John talks a lot about “optimisation”. The crush went from 7,000 tonnes last year to 21,000 tonnes this year.

“This business is highly competitive and to succeed it’s about optimisation of resources. We’re optimising our salespeople, our marketing people and our crush. It’s a matter of getting the best out of our capital and people.

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We’ve kept the winemakers and cellar hands busy.”

He says there is minimal crossover between the two portfolios. “The lowest end of the Lehmann range is a bit higher than Yellow Tail. Long term, I don’t know that PLW should be selling some of its lower-priced products. The Barossa is the flagship of Australian wine. I don’t believe wines at $12 to $15 should be coming from the Barossa.”

John believes there is room for all Barossa wine styles.

“It’s not like they all have to taste the same,” he says. “One of the reasons we lost our way in the international market was we all went out and tried to do the same thing. We all wanted big, overly-alcoholic wines. The Barossa doesn’t have to have the overwhelming alcohol. Within Barossa sub-regions there are different producers and ways of vinifying that can lead to individual styles that are maybe related to the Barossa style but distinctive in their own way. It’s like everything, you’ll never make something that makes everyone happy.”

Peter Lehmann was known for his fair treatment of growers. His famous saying ‘My word is my bond’ is printed on the tops of screwcaps. John says growers can expect more of the same. “My parents were growers. I fully sympathise with their position,” he says. “Had I not been good to growers, I would have been embarrassed to come here and expect loyalty from them. I’ve always done the right thing by growers. The fortunate thing is I have always

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been in a position to do the right thing. You can’t do something that’s impossible, you can only do what’s possible. We went through a rough patch with currency and everything else, but we still didn’t decrease any grape prices. I made it clear to the bank that I wasn’t about to do that. We got through and we’re quite strong now. Peter Lehmann kept his word and so will I. At the end of the day, you’re not measured by how many dollars you’ve got in the bank, but by what people think of you. As an immigrant family it’s important to us that we give back to the community. We want to do what’s right for the Barossa and the brand. Ultimately that will enhance the Barossa’s image. We’re here to invest and build, not to take advantage of anything.”

John says he has the upmost respect for what Peter Lehmann achieved. “I think there was a lot of untapped potential here with the region it is in,” he says. “The history, the number of industry awards it has won over the years... it’s a matter of the right partner taking that to the world market and gaining the sales volume at the correct price point. It’s never about selling more wine. It’s about selling it at better prices.”

There is no rush. “There is not a financial imperative for things to happen quickly,” he says. “The mothership is standing fine on its own and can carry PLW, so we haven’t aggressively tried to set large sales targets. We will be methodical. If it’s a five-year plan, it’s a five-year plan. If it’s a 10-year plan, it’s a 10-year plan.”

John says his whole family is proud of the PLW purchase.

“The sad thing for me is my mother passed away last year,” he says. “It would have been more special for her, and also for Dad.” As for the Stonewell, which sells for $75, John sees potential to up the ante. “We’re working with Ian (Hongell) to produce something that sits above the Stonewell,” John says. “I mean, if that’s the best the Barossa can produce, if that’s the best Peter Lehmann can produce... I’ve asked the winemakers: why is it that winemakers up the road make $300 bottles and we don’t? Why is it that the French and the Italians can do it and we don’t? This is the Barossa, we should be doing it. We can do it, and we will. I’ll resource it. Whatever they need, grapes, barrels... that’s fine.”

John’s “not sure” how many bottles of Yellow Tail have been sold across the world. “We passed the billion-bottle mark in 2013, but I haven’t counted since then,” he says.

He says it’s a good feeling owning such a distinguished winery. “It’s just magic,” he says. “It’s nice, too, knowing you’re only going to improve it. If we need to upgrade the winery, I’ll do it. I want to leave my mark. When you look at Seppeltsfield and see what they did all those years ago... we can’t forever look back at what others did. We all have to create our own legacy.”

John hasn’t discounted the idea of retiring in the Barossa. “It’s a beautiful part of the world. There’s something magical about the atmosphere,” he says. “I brought my wife here for the first time a few weeks ago. She said she would be happy to come and live here. She’s never said that about anywhere else.” 

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t Yalumba, expect the unexpected. When I arrived to interview Nick Waterman about taking over from Robert Hill Smith as CEO, a big burger was waiting for me, cooked by winemaker Sam Wigan. We washed it down with a bottle of Galway Malbec that Sam made. Yalumba has recently dusted off the old label.

Nick says he and Robert started talking about a succession plan one winter’s Sunday three years ago. So what’s he changing? “The good thing is nothing’s broken,” he says. “The challenges are in the marketplace. The balance sheet is strong. Rob spent the past 30 years diversifying, with new vineyard holdings in Tassie. There are exciting things going on there, and we’ve been in New Zealand for 25 years. That’s all working well in terms of viticultural and equity brand assets. It’s more about looking at process and efficiency and trying to break down some of the cross-functional divisions. We’re a little bit siloed.

“In addition to Australia we have distribution businesses in NZ, UK and USA that have going for 25-30 years and we are looking to international markets to drive growth.”

How does his approach differ to that of Robert’s? “I guess I’m less emotionally attached than he is,” Nick, 52, says. “I don’t own it. For me it’s about driving a result while still

respecting our heritage. If a brand has to go because it is not performing, then so be it. A bit akin to the ugly child syndrome and none of the children are mine. Robert was a great communicator. I have to make a big effort to make sure everyone knows the direction and gets on board.”

Nick’s strategic plan is on one A4 page. “The board wanted me to do some executive education and I went up to Singapore,” he says. “They showed me the economic recovery plan for the Japanese Government. It was on one page. I thought if they can do it, we can too. I keep looking at that and checking that I’m not diving in too deeply. We’re trying to empower people to take control of their area and drive it. It feels like there’s a lot of excitement at Yalumba with people saying ‘yeah, I’m going to have a crack’.”

What keeps him awake at night? “Not screwing up what’s been really successful.”

Nick describes his new role as “an amazing opportunity”.

“It’s probably one of the better gigs,” he says. Does he feel the pressure? “Internally, yes,” he says. “Look, it would be different if we had the bankers on the doorstep because we were so highly geared, but we aren’t.”

The coffees arrive on a silver platter – the 1993 Len Evans Trophy. And the burger? Superb. Special mention to Schulz for the bacon, and Sam’s mum, Wendy, for the chutney. 

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WBM Barossa Road Trip

James March, ceO of the Barossa GRAPE & Wine Association, tAKES WBM EDITOR ANTHONY MADIGAN on a tour of the Barossa.

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ur journey begins where it all started for the Barossa – at Bethany. We pass Turkey Flat Vineyards. “It’s one to watch,” James notes. “It’s great to see Christie Schulz bringing about that sense of history and the story of Turkey Flat in a new label.” As it turns out, that label is a new flagship, The Ancestor, made from Shiraz planted in 1847. It retails for $150.

We drive through Bethany with its beautiful old homes and church. The BGWA has embraced the sense of community in its strategy. “The original settlers had a strip of land each with chooks, pigs and a veggie garden or orchard,” says James.

“There would have been that sense of community and collaboration, helping each other to get established and then

building the church. The Lutheran connection would have kept people tight as well. With no electricity or refrigeration, they had to preserve things like pickles and meats. That’s still important to the local food culture. People still put pumpkins and lemons in wheelbarrows on the roadside, relying on the honesty system. And at the Tanunda and Angaston shows, the dill pickles and pickled onions are still the most hotly-contested entries.” So the locals still take it seriously? “Oh, very!”

We head to Mengler’s Hill. James takes international visitors to the lookout. “It gives them a visual context,” he says.

“You see upstairs (Eden Valley) and downstairs (Barossa Valley).” Of the 12,982 hectares under vine, the Barossa Valley makes up 10,348 of those. “There’s a misconception that the

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Barossa is just the Barossa Valley; it’s not, it’s the Eden Valley as well. Wine styles range from beautiful crisp Rieslings and medium-weight whites through to lighterbodied reds, full-bodied Shiraz and fortifieds. The diversity of styles is compelling and almost unique.”

Are more wineries going to higher ground for finesse and freshness? “Wineries have always looked to Eden Valley,” he says. “With those old Saltram wines PL made in the ’60s and ’70s, some of the Shiraz came from Springton, and some from Light Pass. Early on he knew the blend was important.

That’s part of the opportunity here, to focus on a single vineyard or area, or look at options all over the Barossa.”

Is there heightened interest in Eden Valley? “Not typically,” James says. “Plantings are limited by water and available land. It’s pretty rocky, you really have to find your patches of where you can plant. There are more plantings happening in Eden Valley, more Shiraz going in, but it’s not on a scale that will significantly alter the balance.”

We pass A. Stiller Coopers, run by sixth-generation Barossan, Andy Stiller. “AP John does amazing work with different barrels and trials, and Peter John is a big contributor to the community, but you have guys like Andy and other smaller coopers providing diversity and choice.”

We pass the Habermann Vineyard. “They’ve already finished pruning,” notes James. “Keen!” There’s fast-food packaging littering the Mengler’s Hill carpark. James mumbles “disgusting” and puts it in the bin. You can see for miles. The valley looks superb; fertile. On a clear day you can see Gulf St Vincent. “You can see the patchwork of vineyards – the diversity,” James says. “There’s subtle changes in altitude and soil. It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking, well, it’s one style of Shiraz, but there are many variations and subtleties that work within that.”

The landscape is dotted with towns that appear evenly spread out. “That tells the story of settlement,” James says.

“The Silesians settled at Bethany and Langmeil and then expanded – far enough away to start their own church and community. That’s what we’ve taken on board in trying to define the sub-regional story, linking it to those parish names. Soil, altitude and sunshine hours play a part, but there’s also that human and cultural influence. In the pioneering days, strong leaders like Pastor August Kavel made sure debts were repaid to the landholder, George Fife Angas. That sense of integrity has survived.”

Shiraz, after crashing to $500 to $600 a tonne in the bad old days (not that long ago) has been rising by several hundred dollars a tonne each year in recent times. James is a cautious man; not big on hype. He concedes it’s “an exciting time”. “There’s cautious optimism,” he says.

“There’s confidence and a sense of buoyancy. I don’t want to downplay that, but I don’t want to overplay it either.

Someone emailed saying all roads lead to the Barossa in terms of interest in vineyards and wineries. We want to make sure that delivers for all. It is looking good in terms of prices.” Good for everyone, right? “Absolutely,” he says,

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PHOTOGRAPH: BAROSSA WINE AND GRAPE ASSOCIATION

T H E M I S S I O N “To have winemakers and winegrape growers working collaboratively to achieve a more vibrant and highly valued wine industry based upon the production of wines of excellence, internationally recognised for exceeding consumer expectations and derived through practices that are both environmentally and economically sustainable.”

– Barossa Grape & Wine Association (BGWA)

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FROM THE TASTING BENCH

“and we want to lock in some of that profitability for growers. We want to work together to understand future demand scenarios and make sure we have the right mix of varieties. It can’t all be top end, there needs to be the engine for scale.”

James is keen not to repeat past errors; wants any upturn (don’t mention the boom word) to be supply-driven. There’s a mini-summit of wine leaders in October. “We will look at understanding the implications for water use, land use and fermentation capacity and what implications that might have on logistics and energy use,” he says. “We see things in the long term: a hundred years. We won’t shy away from asking the hard questions, like how sustainable is this? There has to be profitability in it for the growers, but also for the winemakers.”

We continue up Mengler’s Hill. It’s all ancient gums, rolling hills, rocky outcrops, sheep, cattle, shallow soils and small pockets of vines. “Anyone want a rock?” smiles James. We pass the bush vines Bob McLean planted. “Bob’s death was keenly felt,” James says, “He had such an influence – a subtle influence.

He planted these incredible bush vines himself. To plant these varieties up here… he was a visionary. Bob enjoyed life. It’s a

where it has been burnt out,” says James. “They set fire to the base of the trees and camped around them for warmth. They would only burn the tree to a certain extent. They would keep it alive and move on to the next one. It’s just a beautiful story.”

Driving back down the hill, James spots a familiar face in a paddock. It’s Andy Stiller, cutting up red gum. The chainsaws fall silent. Andy wanders over. Cows follow. Andy and James chat about the cool things happening with Grenache and blends.

When Andy’s not coopering, he’s making timber furniture. He made the tables and chairs for Kalleske’s cellar door in Greenock, and the tables for the new Penfolds Magill Estate Cellar Door and Kitchen. “His craftsmanship is just amazing,” says James. “Skills like his are valued in the Barossa.”

Back on the road, the conversation turns to that TV ad. Many locals were cynical when they first saw it. But it was targeted at the eastern states, not them. Visitor numbers trebled. “The influence of that commercial can’t be underestimated,” James says. “That sense of pride galvanised the community. It wasn’t just the wine story, it was a way of bringing forward evocative imagery and the food and landscape. It was disruptive. It was

shame he won’t be able to see it in its full glory.”

We head to the 596-hectare Kaiser Stuhl National Park. There are normally roos everywhere, apparently; not today. It’s where Appellation at The Louise often hosts dawn breakfasts for international visitors. It’s pretty, but it’s not what James wants to show off. The BGWA has government (NRM) funding to establish fingers of the national park extending down to the plains in the name of biodiversity, sustainability “and a resilient landscape”. “We want to encourage movement of native animals, flowers and native grasses,” James says. “We want to work with growers and land owners and encourage that connection of corridor activity to the mother lode.” Nothing to do with upfront vineyard benefits, though? “We’re looking at it as a holistic package, not just ‘my vineyard’ and ‘your vineyard’,” he says. “A lot of individual growers are doing fantastic things with revegetation around soil erosion. That comes down to water conservation and energy costs. All of these things impact on their bottom line. Ultimately, wine quality will be influenced.”

James touches on the Aboriginal culture. In 1847 a group of Lutheran families established a village in a basin at Hoffnungsthal. Aborigines warned them it would flood. It did – in 1853 – and the families had to find a new home. “On some of the big old gums in Eden Valley you can see triangle shapes

gothic. It was Nick Cave! It was really cool.”

We pass Artisans of the Barossa, home to energetic brands including Schwarz Wine Co. and Spinifex. “They’re making fantastic wines,” James says. They’re separate businesses, but co-located at the winery. He thinks collaborative efforts on likeminded farms are sensible. “There is no point in everyone having their own machinery, unless you’re of a size that needs it.”

We pass Rockford. James calls it “an amazing operation”.

Robert O’Callaghan passed the reins to Ben Radford a few years ago. Ben is the current Barossa Barons Winemaker of the Year.

“Ben has had an amazing influence,” James says. “The latest releases are fantastic. They’ve always been great, but his influence is slightly fresher and livelier, not to take anything away from what they were. But that’s evolution of style.”

Wine styles is a hot topic. “There’s a better understanding of site now,” says James. “How you interpret that site or make use of that knowledge is what’s changing, looking for purity of fruit and less exaggerated influence. You have to stay true to yourself.

There was a point where we did lurch and chase that concept of sweeter, richer, fuller. Generosity is something we can do easily, but it’s a question of nuance, subtlety, balance, interest... it’s not about creating something that is chasing 12.5 percent and

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pandering to critics. That’s the new story. There’s still a market for rich, full-flavoured wines. I still enjoy them.”

James, 38, was raised in the Barossa. His father, Trevor, owns Heathvale Wines. James lives in Tanunda with his wife, Kate, and two young girls. They live literally a stone’s throw from his office. The kids go to Tanunda Lutheran School. James has joined the school board. “It’s hard to find time to help out on the canteen, and so if I can help on the strategy, governance and financial management, then that’s something I can do,” he says.

A meat pie beckons at Charles Melton Wines. James is in the second year of a three-year contract. He wants to continue. There is a plan and he wants to see it through. “I feel I have a lot more to offer,” he says. “And it’s an exciting time. We’ve had a strong, well thought out strategy. We’ve stuck to that and invested in it.

I think that’s been critical: not deviating from the plan.”

We push on to St Hallett, where grower liaison officer Chris Rogers talks about the ever-expanding stable of single-vineyard Shiraz. There are more than 20 of them, priced from $25 to $50.

The labels acknowledge individual grower families like Mattschoss and Sonntag. They are giving cellar door visitors something they can’t buy at Dan Murphy’s. “It’s a great exercise

to capture the nuances of the Barossa,” Chris says. “Growers can see the final product and work back from there.” There is a big push to do things hand-in-hand with growers. “Chateau Tanunda and Dan Standish among others are doing great work in this area, building that sense of trust and open communication.” says James, adding it’s easier to get growers to workshops these days.

“Getting growers to feel a sense of ownership is critical.”

The sunset is beautiful. Pints of Coopers flow in the front bar of Tanunda’s Valley Hotel. Kym Teusner and the boys are there. Dave Lehmann too. Later, James and I head across the road to the restaurant everyone is talking about: fermentAsian.

Young winemakers Dan Standish, Abel Gibson, Troy Kalleske, Fraser McKinley, Brett Grocke and Alex John are enjoying their regular catch-up. The table is covered in bottles hidden under Alfoil and Chinese-inspired covers. The sommelier, recently-crowned Barossa Baron Grant Dickson, tells me, “This is the engine room of Barossa wine innovation.” There’s a few thousand dollars’ worth of French, Spanish, German and Italian wines. The options game is funny and educational.

More evidence that the “internationalisation” and constant evolvement of the Barossa is on in earnest. 

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WBM July/August 2015

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“The Barossa squeezed straight into the glass. 90 points!”

CAMPBELL MATTINSON, THE WINE FRONT, MAY 20 2015

TEUSNER.COM.AU

Named in honour of one of Teusner Wines’ favourite characters, Roger Bilmore is the alter ego of a grape grower who shows another face after a few glasses of Barossa Shiraz.

Teusner partnered with Cornershop to design this colourful brand and label.

For more information about Cornershop, please visit cornershopdesign.com.au

PHOTO: CRAIG, KATHRYN AND OSCAR ISBEL >

WBM BAROSSA ROAD TRIP

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raig and Kathryn Isbel, along with winemaker Brian Conway, have run Izway Wines for 12 years. Now it’s time to connect with consumers – they are building a new cellar door on Seppeltsfield Road. It’s a dynamic pocket of the Barossa with Greenock Creek, Seppeltsfield and Hentley Farm among neighbours.

“We want to keep our production to about 50 tonnes,” says Craig. “That’s as big as we want to be. We really want to be more direct with our customers and establish great relationships with everyone who drinks our wine. The best way to do that is to meet them at cellar door.”

Asked about Barossa wine styles, Craig says, “There are two sides to it. The first is about our winemaking and if we would change it to suit the lower alcohol styles that some in the industry are pushing. The answer is no. The main reason the Barossa is so revered internationally is because the wines have a depth and an intensity that is unrivalled by any other region in the world. We have a unique relationship between soil and climate that enables us to make wine with a balance of power and elegance.

“The reason why Izway set up camp in the Barossa was because we wanted to seize the opportunity to create these

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unique wines. We make wines true to the variety grown in our region, not just to a variety, and will continue to do so.

The second part is related to whether the change is being pushed too strongly by the media and somms. Wine is a journey of discovery and diversity. We have many fantastic and diverse wine regions in Australia. I see no reason why we shouldn’t be promoting all of them for their attributes.”

Craig says he drinks wine of different styles from all over the world depending on the mood he is in, what he is eating, who he is drinking with and “which of the world’s problems we are likely to solve by the bottle’s end”.

“To write off a wine style or a whole region is completely contrary to the mission of those who promote wine,” he says. “The narrative should provide the consumer with the information and opportunity to make a drinking decision for themselves, and they shouldn’t be telling winemakers how to make wine.

“This is a reason why more small producers are looking for opportunities to sell direct to customers; to the people who love drinking their wines.”

Brian and Craig met during vintage at Chateau de Bluizard in 2002 and decided to start their own winery.

Craig is also the winemaker at Torbreck. 

WBM BAROSSA ROAD TRIP

WORDS ANTHONY MADIGAN

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eter Lehmann said in Barossa Living once that whenever he and Margaret went on a motoring holiday they would always take a different route out of the valley. It’s still one of my favourite things to do there: taking the back tracks and seeing the countryside and those magical steeples from another angle; discovering yet another old farm shed housing an old wagon, or a Southern Cross windmill standing over ruins. I love the contrasts in the Barossa: cute little cottages and the white tank city that is Wolf Blass; elite foodies and Hungry Jack’s in a petrol station. (I can’t see anything wrong with HJs; the kids need the jobs.) I love how the community looks after its churches, monuments, halls and cemeteries.

The white fences are freshly painted – even out in the back-blocks where few see them. I love the tradition. But you wonder if it goes too far. The Angaston Leader hasn’t changed for 30 years. I lie. It dumped the front page Joke of the Week a few vintages ago. I love that Tanunda looks down on Nuriootpa, which looks down on Angaston. Spare a thought for Moculta, St Kitts and Truro. But outside the valley they’re all allies. I love that long lunches are dead – except in the Barossa. And no one feels guilty having them. I like Pinot, but I love a Barossa Shiraz by the fire in the winter; love the warmth and cosiness of the flavours.

You get the feeling that if you were down on your luck, the Barossa would rally around you with a charity dinner or a plate of sausage rolls. I love the focus on quality schools; they all seem to have a good reputation.

I love that they teach winemaking. I love that no one pays for wine; just between you and me, everyone knows someone who has a hot deal on a dozen cleanskins. I love that the wine industry itself is a community leader, not just a business leader. Grant Burge Wines has a sign on the scoreboard at Tanunda Oval and Elderton sponsors the Nuriootpa Tigers. I love that they drink red on the sidelines instead of beer. The Barossa is the number one wine region. It’s not perfect.

I’m unhappy Linke’s bakery is closed on Sundays. Then again, it wasn’t that long ago that Rockford was closed on the Sabbath. While I admire the Barossa Barons, I’m just not sure about the red and gold robes. I love tradition – give me the ‘old’ Adelaide Oval – but, really, marching down the main street of Tanunda looking like that? I love that the Barossa is world-renowned and winemakers mix with famous people in the flashest bars in the biggest cities – but at the end of the day it all comes down to a collection of humble little towns, vineyards and country people going quietly about their business and preserving what their forebears worked so hard to establish: a good honest community. 

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arossa winery 1847 Wines bought the Chateau Yaldara winery, cellar door and vineyards from Australian Vintage for $15.5 million last year. It’s under the management of CEO John Curnow. The plan is to boost production, 90 percent of which currently goes to China. The company’s majority shareholder, Sydney-based Arthur Wong, has a home in Rowland Flat. “There is no one more passionate about 1847 and the history of this place than Arthur is, he’s obsessed with it and wants to add to it,” says Marc Davies, GM of Business. They have 80ha of vineyards in Rowland Flat and are looking at other sites. They also buy grapes from 30 growers in SA including Langhorne Creek, McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills. They have 40 proprietary stores in China branded 1847 with another 30 due to open by the end of the year. “We control our own distribution and pricing,” sales director Toby Yap says. “A challenge for exporters to China is transparency of pricing: where is the wine going? Where is it ending up? We have the ability to control it through to consumers.” There are 200 staff on the ground in China who are educated on the importance of upselling from commercial to premium regional branded wines. “We are also a certified provider of traineeship visas,” says Toby. “At any one time we have several Chinese staff working with us for three months in the winery and cellar door. They show Chinese guests around and immerse themselves in it. They learn the culture of wine and the vineyard and take that back to China and educate others.” John says it’s a long-term investment.

“Arthur wants to leave this business to his son,” John says. They have exciting plans for the stash of old fortifieds, estimated to be the third largest in Australia.

TUR K E Y

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he Barossa is now making all sorts of weird and wonderful drinks – including a Marsanne-based White Aperitif called Quinquina. It’s the work of Turkey Flat Vineyards and follows the release of its online-only wine, Gobble Gobble whole-bunch Shiraz Grenache last year. “We are trying to experiment more,” says Emily Hay, PR and marketing coordinator. “This is something different to your standard spirit offering. We’ll see how it goes.” It is aromatised with fresh and preserved orange rind, dried lychee, blackberry, lemongrass, safflower and green tea. And bittered with cinchona bark. The RRP is $30 for a 500ml bottle. Turkey Flat has also released a new flagship, The Ancestor, sourced from 12 rows of Shiraz planted in 1847. The vineyard started as a testing area – a ‘market garden’ – for vines and once featured 73 varieties. The RRP is $150. The label features the same typeface found on an old ledger from the family butcher shop, now the cellar door.

Emily says the rosé is still the mainstay – “we can’t keep up with demand.” She says the Barossa is “getting interesting”. “There are people doing exciting things. It’s not just that blockbuster ball-tearer anymore. People are trying to work their way through things, rather than just subscribing to the standard ‘this is Barossa Shiraz and this is what you should drink’.”

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WBM July/August 2015

BAROSSA ROUNDUP

T h i n g s

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urray Street Vineyards at Greenock is evolving, boosting production capacity from 500 to 1,000 tonnes, investing in marketing and brandbuilding and focusing more on direct sales. One of the founders of the 14-year-old winery, Andrew Seppelt, has left, but the California-based owner, Bill Jahnke, is as committed as ever, taking care of sales. His daughter, Janai Brengman, is also now involved in the business, run

by GM Anthony Grundel. “We have a great plan to take the business to the next level,” he says. MSV is improving cellar door and has dusted off an old barrel storage area for private tastings and special functions. “We have a nice growing niche with weddings and we also get weekly visits from travellers via Great Southern Railways,” Anthony says. “We’re taking moves to better connect with our customers.” The MSV brand is being tweaked and its ‘famous’ proprietary bottles phased out. Wines from these parts can be richly-flavoured. Winemaker Craig Viney is not fussed about the alcohol debate. “As long as they’re balanced,” he says. Anthony adds, “The 2012 Benno Shiraz Mataro is 15 percent, but people love it.” Greenock can be tricky to find and Anthony is working on the signage.

ixth-generation Barossa grapegrower Steve Schiller has put his faith in the region by planting more vines. He owns a 30-hectare vineyard at Tanunda, off Gomersal Road. He’s planting another 10 hectares next year. “Even when things were bad we were planting vines and replanting things, and now that things have turned, it’s working,” he says. “It’s just having the balls to throw money at it when it’s not good.” Over the years Steve has grafted Riesling and Semillon over to Shiraz. He says this vintage marked an increase in prices.

“I could have sold a hundred times what I could supply,” he says. He sells to Treasury, Pernod Ricard and Barossa Valley Estate. “Our focus is on dollars per hectare return – it’s all good to get the top-end stuff, but I’m setting up a younger vineyard and getting eight to 10 tonne per hectare – about $13,000 to $15,000 per hectare.” Steve also grows wheat. “But the focus is on vineyards,” he says. “We think that, long term, that’s going to give us the best return per hectare.” Steve uses straw mulch that is grown on the property. “Utilising what you’ve got makes for a good business,” he says. Steve is positive about the Barossa.

“You talk to other people from other regions and there’s lots of doom and gloom, but here it’s different. The BGWA has a lot of promotion happening,” he says. “There’s positivity with three big new businesses coming into the Barossa.” All of his fruit is contracted for three to five years. “The key is lining yourself up with the right people,” he says. The family has been growing grapes for 150 years and have been traditional “Orlando growers”. He is involved with a grower mentoring program. “That’s given me a lot of direction,” he says. Steve likes to stay in touch with the wine community and is one of those ‘modern’ growers who has a Twitter account.

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P

eter Gago is always prepared. I had arranged to catch up with him at the new Penfolds Magill Estate Cellar Door to talk about the future of the Barossa. When I arrived, to ram home his positive view of the region, he had lined up a row of premium reds that rely on Barossa fruit.

So, how does he feel about the Barossa being a bit uncool?

“Forget about the local scene, forget about some hoity-toity sommeliers here and there – and I don’t mean that irreverently, but that’s what it is – it’s cycles and fashion,” he says. “What’s cool this week? The natural wines, the orange wines, the pink wines. Whatever it is, I don’t know because I’m rather uncool, but it will be different next month. The Barossa has never really fallen out of favour, but there are other distractions. But the value of the Australian offer is one of diversity. People are looking elsewhere now for alternative styles, not as an alternative as in ‘that’s all I’ll ever drink’, but just to add to that base of diversity. Look, we’re having a tasting tomorrow morning in the Barossa of some of the great Barossa wines, a benchmarking tasting. Gee, it costs a lot of money to put that tasting on. So if price is a determinant of, ‘is it popular or unpopular?’ well, someone’s paying for these wines and some of them are quite expensive.

“Not all Barossa wines are like that. Some are, some aren’t.

You look at Block 42 Cabernet 2004. It’s one of the most concentrated wines I know. It’s so complex. It has an alcohol of 13.45 percent. And ’71 Grange is massively concentrated;

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the alcohol is 12.3 percent. People are looking for other things and that’s not a bad thing.”

Peter says they’ll be pouring “all sorts of obscure things” at the new cellar door. “We’ll be pouring Traminer, Semillon and Reserve Durif, no longer just Sangiovese and Pinot,” he says. “We’ll do all of that, but we will be really proud of Bin 389, 28, St Henri ... we can’t keep up in any market on the planet with Bin 707 and Grange... now, are we doing something wrong or should we move out of the Barossa? I don’t think it’s a problem we need to fix.”

Gago is is a recently-annointed Barossa Baron. “So everything I say is with complete bias: I’m the new disciple,” he laughs. “I had a speech prepared for that night, but you don’t even give a speech, which is the best sort of evening.

Part of the speech, which I never emitted, mentioned that when I’m overseas the word Barossa comes up when I’m talking publicly about wine in every third sentence, because it’s the mother. Our engine room at Penfolds is Nuriootpa.

I’ve lined up these bottles of what the Barossa means to us, pure Barossa wines, it’s not just Bin 138, RWT Barossa Shiraz, it’s not just Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz, it’s all of the derivatives, it’s just so important.

“In terms of overseas recognition, the word Barossa always creeps into it. I guess because it goes back so far. I promote Coonawarra and McLaren Vale enormously. I push 08 Grange because of its Clare component, but Barossa is rock-solid in the middle of it all. Always will be.” 

WBM BAROSSA ROAD XXX TRIP

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PHOTO: BAROSSA GRAPE & WINE ASSOCATION

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arossa winemaker Tim Smith grew up in a Housing Trust home in the working-class suburb of Mansfield Park in Adelaide. When he speaks at wine dinners, he can’t say he’s a sixthgeneration Barossan. “No, I have to say my father was a truck-driver and my mother cleaned the local school. And I wore handmade clothes that Mum made.”

Tim, a musician, was a roadie in a rock band and hired out his own light show to bands. Then the wine bug bit. He worked for various wineries including Yalumba and Chateau Tanunda before launching Tim Smith Wines in 2002, moving to the business full-time four years ago. The 5,000-case brand is going well, production is increasing five to 10 percent each year and he scored 97 points from James Halliday for 2012 TSW Reserve Shiraz, and 96 points for 2013 Tim Smith Barossa Shiraz.

“Since I’ve been in the business full-time, the financial challenges have never been higher, but I’m starting to see some traction in the market,” Tim says. “And I reckon the booze is getting better since we got our own winery.”

He’s referring to the Nuriootpa home base, Home of the Brave winery, which he shares with Matt Gant from First Drop Wines. “I

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think the one-percenters in the winery have been the difference,” he says. “And also spending more time in the vineyards.”

Tim says the Barossa wine scene has never looked more dynamic. “To see someone like Heady (Alex Head) coming in and kicking arse and getting trophies is great,” he says.

“What’s interesting about his approach is he’s come from a retail background. I think people like me, the ex-corporates, have a certain way of doing things. Heady hasn’t. The Barossa is vibrant and it’s good to see all these new faces coming in.”

Asked about the wine style debate, Tim says, “I’d like to know what the next big thing is because you see all the hipsters with sleeve tattoos and beards banging on about whole-bunch fermentation like it’s something new. The French have been doing it for a hundred years, I’ve been doing it since my first vintage and I pinched the idea from Charlie Melton who has been doing it for 30 years. They all seem to think it’s new and it’s going to be the saviour of wine styles in the Barossa. What’s that saying... everything old is new again.

“They say that people don’t like big, ripe, rich Barossa Shiraz styles. Whether you like the style or not, it still sells. And whether you like low-alcohol Pinot or not, it still sells as well.

WBM BAROSSA ROAD TRIP

It’s a bit like a football team – you think your own team is the best and everyone else is a bunch of idiots, but they’ve all got a following. Maybe it’s just the wine industry talking to each other about what we like and don’t like. It seems to be universal that everyone hates Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc... that’s fairly universal. But the consumers love it.”

Having said that, Tim says his alcohol levels are coming down. “Because my winemaking is based mostly on Mataro and Grenache, in that order, they’re varieties that are late and typically picked with high alcohol,” he says. “I’ve made quite a bit of effort with my growers to do things like bunch-thinning and shoot-positioning in the vineyard, which most people don’t do. The idea is to obviously get the crops lower and get them off earlier when the sugars are lower. With Shiraz it hasn’t been as big a concern, but I’m still getting it off earlier and getting lower alcohols that way.

“I love drinking Cotes du Rhône, it’s my go-to wine style at home. Most of those are 13.5 or 14 percent alcohol and they have good flavour. That’s the style of wine I’m trying to make, with those edgy, grainy tannins. I put a blend together yesterday and all the oak was six years old; so oak plays a part in it. We’ve been knocked a bit in the past about too much American oak, but the problem has been too much bad American oak. There’s some really sexy American oak now. I still use a bit, but it’s mostly French these days.”

Tim says Australia still has a way to go to educate the world about the regions including the Barossa. “Even in the hippest bars in New York they still struggle with understanding the regions,” he says. “It’s going to take having Aussies on the ground overseas, not just winemakers going over for a week. The story has to be told by Aussies for it to have some sort of gravitas.”

Tim laughs about his wine journey, particularly the early days.

“When I got in the industry I had a chip on my shoulder that I wasn’t a Seppelt or a Henschke,” he laughs. “I was just this bogan from the western suburbs who just happened to like wine and at times I’ve been ok at making it. I would hide that I was from the western suburbs. I was going out with this girl who was of landed gentry. She said if anyone asked me where I went to school, to just say I went to New Zealand for a while. It’s funny... now a lot of the best people in wine are bogans from the burbs. I think we are all grateful to have built a better life for ourselves.”

Tim has lived in the Barossa for 25 years – in the oldest stone home in the region. But he still gets asked for ID at the Post Office. Being an ‘outsider’ is a small price to pay for loving what he’s doing. “I wouldn’t swap it for the world,” he says. “If I hadn’t have done this, I would be bolting the doors on Commodores at GMH. But no, I thought, ‘fuck it, I don’t have to live in a Housing Trust home forever, I can do better than this.’ I didn’t feel sorry for myself. Growing up in a Trust Home was not going to define me for the rest of my life.” 

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“A big thank you to all Barossa businesses for supporting people with disability” WBM July/August 2015

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hey raffled a bottle of 2005 Grange at the Barossa Wine Chapters Auction. Winemaker Lou Miranda won it and donated it back to the auction. It went for $1,900. The money was donated to Heart Kids SA. The Grange was bought by Damian Lister and Johnny Harris, who gave it to Jordan and Megan Zirk, local grapegrowers. Their son, Ike, collapsed and died at football training in March. Jordan and Megan have donated the bottle to the Freeling Long Lunch.

Again, the proceeds will go to Heart Kids SA. This is just one story of many involving the generosity of the Barossa wine community. Leanne Hutton, executive officer of Foundation Barossa, says the Barossa is a big-hearted community. “For instance Barossa Valley Cider Co has just donated $5,500 and became a Friend of the Foundation,” she says. “The two young directors, Oscar and Hugo Bowen, have supported Foundation

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Barossa for two years. It would be great to recognise the young philanthropists and successful business owners. It also shows that support can be in many ways and any amount.” Another project is the Peter Lehmann Arts and Education Trust. “This scholarship is being established in the memory of Peter Lehmann,” says Leanne. “We have obtained $250,000 matching grant from the David Thomas Foundation (previous owner of Cellarmaster Wines). However, we need to raise $250,000. We held a launch last October and raised $40,000.

And recently, a set of Willys Wine Bar Posters raised another $36,115.” The Concordis Scholarship is also supporting Foundation Barossa. Four wineries – Seppeltsfield, Torbreck, Two Hands and Kaesler – are producing a super-premium Shiraz which will contribute to a scholarship for apprentices.

“It is expected to raise $600,000 over four years,” says Leanne.

Further details: foundationbarossa.org.au. 

Hugo and Oscar Bowen. Photo: Barossa Photo Company.

WBM BAROSSA ROAD TRIP

PHOTO: BAROSSA GRAPE & WINE ASSOCATION

WBM BAROSSA ROAD TRIP

“The Barossa has the people, the place and the history. When you put those three things together, you understand why it is unique. It is an incredibly overused word, but surely the Barossa is unique. Where else in the world do you have such a magnificent working museum of very old vines? As time goes by this inheritance will simply grow. You can have all the new regions in the world, or old regions in the world, flocking to Shiraz, but they’re never going to catch up with the Barossa because you can’t close that 150-year gap. So it is passed down by the Silesian Lutherans for whom working in the vineyard was second

nature, dawn to dusk, six days a week (not seven) and at the end of the year if they didn’t owe the bank any more than they did at the start of the year, it was a good outcome. You think back to the vine pull scheme in the late 1980s and how close the Barossa came to losing an incredibly important part of its identity. But it didn’t happen. People like Bob McLean and Charlie Melton were intent on preserving the ethos of the valley and dead against industrialisation of it. It is still the heart – the people, the history – that is the validation of this quite wonderful region.”

– James Halliday, Barossa Wine Chapters Auction, Wolf Blass Visitor Centre, Friday 18 April 2015.

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