There have been several movements in the Australian wine industry recently, with Australian Wine Holdco Ltd, known as Accolade Wines, purchasing Jacobs Creek, St. Hugo, Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate, plus a number of Spanish wines from Pernod Ricard, who have been the custodians of these products, which in the case of Jacobs Creek for many years. Accolade’s portfolio prior to the purchase included such iconic brands as Hardy’s, Houghton, Grant Burge, Leasingham, Goundry, Petaluma, Knappstein, St. Hallett, Arras, Stonier and several New Zealand wineries.
It has also been reported that Treasury Wine Estates, owners of the Penfold brand, is considering making the Penfolds Brands a standalone range and maybe selling off some of the more commercial products within the portfolio to improve the bottom line. There was a feature in the Liquor Trade magazine recently that with the dropping of the tariffs by China, there is an opportunity for the Treasury to raise the prices of the Penfold’s range, thus establishing them as a luxury brand.
Although the industry welcomes the dropping of the tariffs, as I reported some months ago, in the three years the impost has been in place, many things have changed in the Chinese market; these include inflation hurting the hip pocket, the inclusion of more international brands from countries such as South Africa, Chile and Argentina, which replaced the Australian brands, and also a change in drinking habits with many drinkers turning to white varieties instead of red. However, in the months since the tariffs were removed, China will once again become our biggest trading partner for wine.
As it will take some time to clear the backlog of wine carried by the wineries since the tariffs were introduced, there should be plenty of deals around for the local market to take advantage of. This means keep an eye on Liquorland, BWS, Dan Murphy’s, and First Choice, especially if you enjoy red wines. I see many older vintages being available at very good prices for some time yet.
Many of our readers seemed to have enjoyed the recent articles about food and wines, which we will endeavour to expand on in the future; obviously, at the end of the day, these are just suggestions and will vary depending on the individual’s palate, sauces, etc. However, if your preference is red wine with everything, such as my good friend Russel (with one L), or white wine with red meat, then carry on. Still, sometimes, some experimentation can expand one’s knowledge and enjoyment.
Tyson Stelzer is a multi-award-winning wine writer, wine judge, and television host who specialises in Champagne, whom I had the pleasure of meeting several years ago when representing Calabria Wines, who had just taken on the agency of Deutz Champagne. He recently stated that, in his opinion, Tasmania is now producing the best sparkling wines in the world after Champagne, which is remarkable considering the industry is little more than thirty years old when in the 1980s winemakers from The Champagne House of Louis Roederer visited Tasmania and pronounced the area perfect for growing the grapes of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier which are the three wine varieties used in Champagne making.
Tasmania also has the advantage of being able to produce outstanding wines at a fraction of the price of Champagne, where grapes can cost as much as 8000 Euros (A$13000) per tonne compared to $3000 per tonne in Tasmania; however, Champagne producers have the advantage of 300 years of experience in making outstanding sparkling wine. Tasmania is not trying to produce a Champagne look because whilst the growing conditions are similar, being close to the ocean, cooler and more humid, the soil is totally different, with Champagne being more chalky, which produces a different taste. They are trying to produce a top quality wine in a unique Tasmanian style.
I have always been a fan of Champagne enjoying the yeasty qualities the wines impart in fact we had a bottle of Lanson Black Label from Dan Murphy’s only the other day and it was beautiful. Recently Ed Carr Chief Winemaker at The House of Arras in Tasmania, who has been making the wines there since 1995, has just been voted global Sparkling Winemaker of the year at The International Wine Challenge.
Even the French Champagne House of Mumm has now gotten in on the act by releasing Mumm Brut Prestige Tasmania, which retails at around $40. This seems to be the standard price for a good-quality Tasmanian Sparkling wine, but this price can increase dramatically for special releases and the size of the vineyard.
The main area for high-quality wines is the Pipers River district in North East Tasmania, where the grapes take longer to ripen because of the cooler, humid climate. However, while many of the smaller vineyards use only grapes from their own properties, House of Arras takes fruit from all the recognised sub-regions of the Island, ensuring a unique and consistent style, which is important when producing larger volumes.
Other brands from the region include Jansz (owned by Yalumba), 42 degrees South, Delamere, Heemskerk, Devils Corner, Joseph Chromy and Stefano Lubiana; for a special occasion such as The Melbourne Cup, try a great wine from Tasmania.
Talking of Mumm Champagne, again a favourite of mine, they have just released their first ever still wine from their vineyards in Central Otago, a Pinot Noir 2021 vintage. This will form part of their Mumm Terroir collection. It is made from hand-harvested grapes sourced from the Lowburn subregion and was bottled after spending 16 months in French oak. Cheers, Philip Arlidge [email protected]