wine business monthly - extract april 2010 edition

8/9/2019 Wine Business Monthly - Extract April 2010 Edition

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24 : TOP 10 CELLAR DOORS WBM April 2010

IntroducingWBMs fourth annualTop 10 Cellar Doors list, whichincludes stunning architecturalshowpieces like Saracen Estates

in Margaret River (above) as wellas smaller family operations thatare doing special things to set

themselves apart from the rest. All10 of these dynamic cellar doorshave one thing in commonadesire to go the extra mile for thecustomer to ensure they spread

the message far and wide, andhopefully return one day.

Any cellar door that has beer

on tap will win over WBMjudges every time. And so it

is with Saracen Estates Cellar

Door and Duckstein Brewery

in Margaret Rivera stunning new venue

where theres so much more to savour

than just Chardonnay and Shiraz.

Opened 18 months ago, Saracen

Estates, situated in the rolling hills of the

beautiful sub-region of Willyabrup Valley,

offers a five-star experience bringing

together premium wines, craft beers,

affordable dining, education, exquisite

architecture and stunning landscaping.

This cellar door has the wow factor in

spades (Western Australian wineries are

getting pretty good at that!). Saladin on

his horse guards the grand entrance with

a donnybrook sandstone wall leading the

way in past lilly pad-filled millponds along

the jarrah entrance decking with thesoothing sound of water features in the

background. The copper front doors take

you from one world into the nextthe

best of both worlds (wine and beer).

The cellar door is constructed from

blackbutt, sheok and jarrah timbers

sourced locally and the warm, welcoming

space features a granite fireplace with

comfortable leather couchesthe perfect

spot to relax with a glass of wine and

cheese or tasting plate. In warmer months

there is ample space to linger on the

jarrah decking overlooking the lake.

The Wine Education Corner has DVD

presentations and a life-sized soil profile

captures a dissection of a grape vine with

root system. If wine educations not your

thing theres always the merchandise and

GIDDY UP! Saracen Estates, Margaret River


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26 : XXXXX WBM April 2010

Jonathan Mogg, general manager, Sales

and Marketing, says, We have a

significant part of the Australian wine

history captured and aim to give visitors

the authentic Great Western experience.

Parts of our winery are exactly as they

were in the 1800s. As a winery with strong

family traditions we aim to make the

experience relevant for the whole family,

something that is inherent in the values of

the Thomson family. There is free juice

for kids and families are encouraged to

enjoy a picnic on the grounds overlooking

spectacular scenery.

Visitors are always pleased to have

found a genuine piece of Australian wine

history and appreciate the fact that we are

not part of a multinational company.

There is a self-guided walk of the

cellars which include old tanks and

underground casks. Many visitors spend

hours looking at artefacts such as 80 year

old large format oak casksstill in use

Its so refreshing to hear that a

cellar door has become so crammed

with happy customers that theyve

had to expand it. Thats the case with

K1 by Geoff Hardy at Kuitpo in the

Adelaide Hills, one of Australias best-

kept cellar door secrets. Its a stunning

hideaway located by a peaceful lake at

the end of a winding road with extensive

plantings of exotic trees and stunning

vineyards adding to the beauty.

One of Geoff Hardys favourite sayings is,

Passion always shows and for K1 it shows

SIMPLY THE BEST Bests Wines, Great Western, Victoria

today, and theres even an 1800s

fermenting tank visitors can walk into.

Customers can taste everything for free

including the iconic Bin 0 Shiraz. We

appreciate the fact that people have come

off the highway to visit us, so we show

them everything, Jonathan says. We

often find that consumers will buy across

all the product ranges because they have

been taken through them all.

Bests also takes the opportunity to ram

home its stylistic point of difference.

Visitors are often not informed about our

regional wine style and so we place great

emphasis on educating them about thestylistic differences of the Great Western/

In coming months the cellar door will be

expanded to provide a different tasting

experience, with the new space designed to

break down some of the natural barriers that

sometimes exist between staff and

customers. The expansion has beenprompted by increasing traffic and

functionsespecially weddings (what

a spot!)and a new function venue is

also planned.

Bec says the small family business is

ramping up events. A year ago we held

our first Tractor Shed Wine Sale which

included bin-end wines and export and

cleanskin wines, she says. We had

another one at Easter and plan to develop

the sale into a day that offers food and

entertainment. We also plan to offer a

more relaxing alternative to the Sea &

Vines festival. As Busby wrote in WBM, we

shouldnt be restricting ourselves to special

festivals like Crush and Sea & Vines.

Tastings are free. We prefer to take a

longer term view with each visitor as

in the many

repeat visitors

they have. Most

love to sit by the

lake, purchase a

glass or bottle ofwine and a cheese

platter, and relax in

the deathly-quiet

surrounds. The

changing seasons

offer a different

perspective of the

vineyard each time you visit.

K1 likes to mix up the tasting

experience, too. We prefer not to

overawe visitors with an unmanageable

number of wines to taste in one

experience, says marketing manager Bec

Hardy. We provide a selection of K1

wines each month including a once-a-

month tasting of our icon wine, the

Tzimmukin. By providing a glimpse of K1s

range, visitors are left wanting to return.

Not all cellar doors need to

have gleaming floor-to-ceiling

windows, stainless steel and

sharp edges to make a big

impression. Built in 1866,

Bests Concongella Cellar Door in Great

Western is a reminder that Australian

wine hasnt just popped up overnight.

The old redgum slab tasting room is

housed in the original stables built in 1869

and decorated with memorabilia. Henry

Bests original journal is also on display

along with artefacts and old family photos.

Visitors can take a tour of the cellars,

hand-dug by miners, and Henrys original

Nursery Block containing 40 varieties. His

old Shiraz and Pinot Noir plantings are

among Australias most valuablethe

Pinot is thought to be the oldest pre-

phylloxera planting in the world.

PASSION SHOWS K1 by Geoff Hardy, Adelaide Hills


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WBM April 2010 TOP 10 CELLAR DOORS : 27

Grampians region with a particular

emphasis on Shiraz, Jonathan says.

The cellar door attracts15,500 visitorsa year. While this may not be as many as

other regions, were proud that a large

proportion of people passing through

Great Western stop and sample our

wines, and numbers are increasing,

Jonathan says. We have done a lot of

work with local accommodation

providers and web-based marketers, and

we have a great relationship with like-

minded hotels and restaurants like the

Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld.

The Great Western Bin 1 Shiraz is the

biggest seller followed by the Riesling.We dont offer a huge range of non-wine

items, says Jonathan. The local olive oil

and jams/preserves are very popular, but

there are so many wines with stories

behind them that we find that thats

plenty enough to keep people interested

when theyre visiting us.www.bestswines.com

McWilliams Mount

Pleasant cellar door in

the Hunter Valley must

be doing something

right180,000 people

visit this wine mecca each year to

enjoy the atmosphere, the heritage and

of course the famous wines.

Wine lovers are drawn to Mount

Pleasant because of the history, the

beautiful setting and the wine pedigree.

We havent found the need to offer

anything beyond this ... and friendly,

knowledgeable service, says Simone

Bannister, brand communications

manager, McWilliams Wines.

The heritage of the winery and

vineyards is quite special. There have

been only three chief winemakers at

Mount Pleasant since 1921, when it

was established by Maurice OShea on

the slopes of the Brokenback range.We educate people through winery

tours and structured tastings, while our

on-site restaurant, Elizabeths, offers

wine and food matching experiences.

We also have a private room for more

relaxed tastings. Our philosophy is to

offer an informative and enjoyable visit

and to showcase the best examples of

Hunter Valley wine.

There is no charge for over the counter

tastings. The only charges we have are

for structured private tastings for our

premium wines, with reimbursement on

purchase, says Simone.

She says there has been an increase

in visitor numbers recently due to

more concerts and conferences, and

she has noticed more international

visitors around lately.

The biggest cellar door sellers are, not

surprisingly, Hunter Semillon and

Shiraz. Popular non-wine lines include

branded clothing and wine books

including The Wine Hunterby Campbell

Mattinson, the tale of Maurice OShea.

Simone says more young people are

showing interest in wine. Wevenoticed increased interest from a

younger demographic, as well as more

requests for new varietals, she says.

www.mountpleasantwines.com.au

PLEASANTVILLE McWilliamsMountPleasant, HunterValley

opposed to making a quick buck, Bec

says. The aim is to get people signed up

to the K1 email list or the K1 Vine Club,

which offer us the potential to build a

longer-term relationship. Its working

cellar door revenue has doubled in thepast 12 months.

Wine sales generally match the market.

Sauvignon Blanc has been strong, along

with Sparkling Salmon Ros during

summer. The second vintage of Arneis

has been selling well and K1 has planted

varieties to experiment with including

Gewurztraminer, Gruner Veltliner, Fiano,

Tannat, Teroldego, Lagrein and Durif.

Saturday mornings can be particularly

busy at K1 when visitors drop in after the

Willunga Markets. And Sundays are

generally busier, says Bec. Must be the

day for the Adelaide Hills drive!

K1 is home to an abundance of native

animals and the kids love fattening up the

rainbow trout in the lake!

www.k1.com.au


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WBM April 201028 : TOP 10 CELLAR DOORS

single vineyard Chardonnays called

Farrago and Faultline were earmarked as

producing two styles that are remarkably

different, given they are only several

hundred metres apart. The three single

vineyard Pinot Noirs are Meres, Haven

and Ferrous, and are amazingly different

given their close proximity to one

another. These limited release wines can

be tasted as a flight side by side for a fee.

Chris says the beautiful building has the

punters talking. We have had a constant

flow of visitors since we opened and a lot

of people are interested in all aspects of

the buildingand the wines of course,

he says. The cellar door and restaurant

are combined by visitors to create an all-

round experience. There arent many

restaurants where you can try an

extensive list of wines prior to choosing

which you prefer with lunch. The

reputation of the wines is a huge

drawcard, which combined with the

amazing building, breathtaking views andfantastic restaurant create a wonderful

experience.

Hot sellers are the Pinot Noir and

Chardonnay from both estates. Non-wine

merchandise is a no-no in this flash joint.

The primary focus is wine and creating a

wonderful experience, Chris says.

Visitors have been very positive. They

sense the industry is doing quite well

within the localised regions that are

primarily producing premium wines.

www.portphillip.net

The new ultra-swish Port Phillip

Estate/Kooyong cellar door on

Mornington Peninsula looks

like something that popped up

during the boom times when

winemakers were rolling in money, but in

fact it only opened in December. Its the

most spectacular piece of architecture

the industry has seen for some time and

a stunning reminder that reports of the

industrys death are premature.

The $11 million rammed earth buildingappears as an elegant 120 metre wall

spiralling from the landscape. The

dramatic facade is set against bushland,

vineyards and the sea and offers one of

the best views on Mornington Peninsula.

It leaves visitors breathless. As do the

wines themselves.

The tasting experience here is unlike

any other on the Mornington Peninsula,

says cellar door manager Chris Catlow.

The fact that we have two separate

labels (Kooyong and Port Phillip Estate)

producing wines of the highest quality

from two entirely different vineyards

creates a rare opportunity to make

comparisons. The philosophy of the

winemaking team headed by Sandro

Mosele is the same for both labels,

meaning the primary difference between

the wines is an expression of terroir.

He says the philosophy is to make

people feel welcome and to create a

memorable tasting experience for all wine

enthusiasts, from first-timers to seasonedcampaigners.

There is no tasting fee for most wines.

The tasting fee question is always a hot

topic for cellar doors, says Chris. We

put faith in the outstanding wines from

both estates and their ability to sell

themselves without the incentive of

refunded tasting fees. But we do charge

for a flight of our single vineyard wines as

we only have limited supplies.

Over the years Sandro has tracked the

best performing blocks on the estate. Two

CHALKAND CHEESE YeringStation,Yarra Valley

PORT PHENOMENONPort Phillip Estate/Kooyong, Mornington Peninsula

Some cellar doors look down

on kids in more ways than

oneYering Station in the

Yarra Valley gives them free

cordial tastings and chalk to

draw anywhere they like on the floor.

It all adds to the relaxed, happy

atmosphere at Yering Station. And its

hard not to feel relaxed in a gorgeous old

building dating back to 1859.

Our cellar door is in the original

winery building, says Rachael Scicluna,

director, Food & Beverage, Rathbone

Wine Group. We host tastings in the old

barrel hall and you can really feel the

history around you. But its the staff who

really make the experience special. We

pride ourselves on professionalism and

passion for the product, offering service

beyond excellence delivered in a

welcoming, knowledgeable way.

We show our wines in a fun, non

threatening way and try to teach our

guests something they didnt know, and

also learn something ourselves along the

way. Engaging with customers and

making them feel special is a huge part of

our philosophy. Our goal is for everybody

to leave our property feeling they have

received service above and beyond what

is expectedand wanting to come back.

The entire range is available for

tasting15 wines in totaland

occasionally they take the tops off the

reserve, museum and single vineyard wines.

There is no charge for tastings. We have

a steady flow of people through and dont

see a need to charge, says Rachael. We

also feel that it would detract from the

overall experience. We want everybody to

feel comfortable and appreciated for

simply visiting us. We do offer private


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30 : XXXXX WBM April 2010

twice a year. We keep the stock themed

around food and wine and our biggest

sellers are the branded wine pourers we

use in the tasting bar, which are a bit

different, says Gerald. Our shop sales

have increased by 30% in the past 12

months, possibly reflecting the fact that

locals are using it to purchase that gift for

the person who has everything.Cellar door features include:

Black glass tastings;

An Enomatic machine;

Sensory wine smells using the Nez de

vin (the correct answer is hidden under a

flap to allow visitors to guess first);

The Flawed History (history of the

Tasmanian vine spelled out in wood and

rhyming verse); and

Meadowbank has what is believed to

be Australias oldest winesa few dozen

mostly empty bottles of old fizz, probably

from Bartholemew Broughtons 1823

plantings. Though those with a still

sagging neckline are kept under lock and

key, we have a dry Wendover bottle on site

for anyone who enquires, says Gerald.

www.meadowbankwines.com.au

Gerald Ellis says the one thing

that makes his Tasmanian

cellar door Meadowbank

Estate unique, is truly believing

they are there to provide

entertainment. To achieve this we need to

offer more than just another wine tasting

or restaurant meal. The quality is a given,

so our aim is to ensure that our visitorsnot only have a pleasant experience, but a

memorable one, he says.

And what makes it so memorable?

Weve become known for certain wines

but we make a conscious effort not to

specialise, Gerald says. We produce 14

wines and there is something for everyone.

Were never afraid to experiment and

cellar door allows us to litmus test new

wines. In 2008 we made our first ever

Gamay30 odd cases in a why not?

moment which astounded us with its

popularity. In recent years weve done

similar exclusive cellar door releases of an

FGR (forty gram residual) Riesling which

has since become a mainstay of our range,

and a sparkling Shiraz, which has not.

Meadowbank charges a small fee for

tastings refundable on purchase. Its to

mitigate the impact of the cellar door

crawl on our customers, staff and bottom

line. Visitors tend to purchase wines

following a tasting if the wine is to their

liking, so it is rarely an issue, Gerald says.

About 40,000 visit Meadowbank each

year. Numbers are static but the spend

rate per visitor is increasing in line withvisitor trends in Tasmania.

The biggest seller is Sauvignon Blanc

followed by Pinot. We are noticing an

increase in our Grace Elizabeth

Chardonnay and Mardi (methode

champenoise) which sells for over $40 per

bottle, says Gerald. Sales can also be

influenced by staff recommendations and

often we will select a style to promote. The

purpose is to get our visitors to experience

styles they normally would not tryfor

example our Cabernet is often overlooked

and even mocked by those who believe it

just cant be done here in Tasmania, but if

we can convince them to taste it they are

usually pleasantly surprised.

To keep the shop interesting, two staff

visit trade fairs in Melbourne and Sydney

Anyone who thinks Australiais a new kid on the wine

block should take the drive

into Paxtons cellar door in

McLaren Vale. The cellar door

is housed in a beautiful old stone shearing

shed built in the 1850s on the original

Landcross Farm property, which is

dotted with other precious old buildings

including an underground barrel store and

blacksmith shop.

Paxton is all about atmosphere, says

Ben Paxton, the culmination of a

beautiful property, approachable staff,

good wines and a real storythe Paxton

story from viticulture and biodynamic

vineyards to our winemaking (by my

brother Michael) and the evolution of a

grapegrowing businessstarted by my

father David Paxton in 1979to a serious

wine producer.

Paxton has planted a biodynamic herb

garden to provide herbs for many of the

biodynamic preparations used in Paxton

vineyards, as well as some medicinal and

YOU CAN BANK ON IT Meadowbank Estate, Tasmania

THE X FACTOR


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wine business monthly - extract april 2010 edition

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