Current Issue

Yalumba: class and culture
Talking to Robert Hill Smith one slips in and out of the feeling that you are having a jolly good catch-up with an Old Etonian. With his blonde mane of hair, confident bearing, at-times eccentrically intelligent air and fabulously articulate command of the English language, a century ago he would have been one of those brave Cambridge-educated young officers leading his men over the top at the Somme. Or one can see him in a wicker chair doling out directions as part of the British Raj in India (it is ironic that the colonials of Delhi and Bombay often finished their dinner with a port, not from o’Porto but Angaston’s Yalumba). Cover story.

The good, the bad and the ugly
‘Bitch’ is a perfectly legal wine product, but in a suffering Australian wine industry which is constantly attempting to find a point of differentiation through regionality, Bitch is not helpful, says Peter Fuller.

Skinnergate; not good, but ...
Matt Skinner is copping criticism after admitting he hadn’t actually tasted a few of the wines in the new edition of his book The Juice. But hey, let’s put it into perspective. Penny Boothman reports.

The bottom line
With a gross margin of 48.5% and earnings before tax of 8.2% of revenue, wineries in the $1-5m category are in the best shape. Not perfect, but worthy of a gold star in these tough times.

Regionality or innovation?
Regionality is hardly a distinctive positioning by itself. Positioning Australia as an innovative wine producing country may provide a distinctive element that is easier to understand. Larry Lockshin reports.

50 stars of 2009
Yes, it’s been a tough year but we’ve had no trouble picking 50 star performers in the Australian wine industry this year including Vanya Cullen, Sheralee Davies and Max Allen.

‘Top down’ look way to go
Nick Bulleid says the ‘top down’ look on how vintages and styles are progressing is the greatest benefit of wine shows. It’s a pity more exhibitors aren’t at the tastings to see for themselves. From The Tasting Bench.

Days of relying on retailers are over
Australian wineries can no longer rely on retailers to broker their relationships with the consumer—they must create new communities of engagement for themselves, says Paul Henry.

Packing a punch
Aussie winemakers are not standing still with their packaging in these challenging times, in fact there’s plenty of activity on the packaging front and lightweight bottles are all the talk.

Beer Radar
‘Tis the season to drink well.

They’re on a high in the Hilltops
Nick Spencer made this year’s Jimmy Watson Trophy winner—The Long Road Shiraz 2008 from the Hilltops. Nick reckons this region has some of the world’s best terroir for Shiraz.

What is a single vineyard wine?
Winemaker Peter Leske asks: what is a single vineyard wine? There is little point worrying about whether an SV wine is 85, 95 or 100% from a specific site if we can’t define where that site is.

On with the show—or not?
Misha Wilkinson looks at the cost of entering all the different wine shows in New Zealand and asks: is it worth it and is there a better way to garner positive accolades for your wines?

Cream of the crop
Out of 1,200 wines reviewed by Tyson Stelzer and Nick Stock this year, 188 scored 95 points or above. Just 15.7% of the wines reviewed, this really is the cream of the crop.

So long, farewell
Unfortunately 2010 will be the year when many small wineries will have to admit that they didn’t make a decent fist of the wine industry and should try something else. Crystal Ball 2010.

Good news for cork
The French Wine Society reckons cork-related taint is a thing of the past.

Fascinating reading
David LeMire MW comments on a recent paper by international wine journalist Andrew Jefford.

Bring on 2010
Yes, it’s been a bloody tough year, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Where to from here?
We can’t afford to dumb down our offering in either a wine quality or communication sense.

Bleasdale Coup
The man who made Bin 65 Chardonnay a household name has joined Bleasdale.

Social media
Social media is an amazing opportunity for your brand to interact in a more personal way.

Collective way forward
Future Leaders say the way forward is for winegrowers and researchers to work together.

Chuck still a fan
Chuck Hayward has changed jobs but not his passion for Australian and New Zealand wines.

Yalumba legend retires
Peter Sawrey, one of the great characters of the Australian wine community, has retired.

Big in Japan
Two Aussie wineries have made the headlines after featuring in a cult Japanese comic strip.

The bell tolls
Di Davidson says it’s time for people to recognise financial and water realities.