[yellow tales] Issue 2 2023

CONTENTS

distributors and consumers in these markets, and we are certainly looking forward to seeing how the markets shift as talks of China re-opening continue.

Message from John Casella

John and James take on Asia

Page 3

Page 4

Vinexpo Asia 2023 Page 5

Sophie Monk x [yellow tail] Page 6

[yellow tail] Most Loved Wine Brand Page 7

[yellow tail] in Georgia and Armenia Page 8

Peter Lehmann x Matt Moran on socials Page 9

Peter Lehmann launches GSM Page 10

Peter Lehmann launches The Barossan Tempranillo Page 11

Peter Lehmann the perfect wedding venue Page 12

The Real Review Gala Dinner Page 13

Morris of Rutherglen in Sydney Morning Herald Page 14

Brand's Laira Blockers Page 15

Brand's Laira x Michelle Pearson Page 16

Baileys organic market Page 17

Morris Whisky Cellar Reserve Page 18

Ranga Tang Vodka launches Page 19

Pure Coastal hits shore Page 20

Vintage update

Page 21-23

A busy few months for CFBE Page 24 [yellow tail] winning in Australia Page 25

CFB awards & accolades

Page 26-27

Sustainability Page 28-29

CFB Pillars

New starters & years of service

Page 30-31

Page 32

Dear All,

Welcome to the second [yellow tales] for 2023.

It has certainly been a busy few months for the company, with new product launches, worldclass brand partnerships and global market expansion.

Across the wine portfolio, we have sold an astounding 154 million bottles around the world in over 60 countries this year. CFB is expanding on a global level, with 59 million bottles sold in North America, 55 million in Europe and 28 million in Australia. This is all despite a difficult year for the wine industry, including unique weather conditions and increased cost-of-living pressures.

With affordable and accessible wines across our portfolio, Casella Family Brands is constantly catering and innovating to approach these challenges head-on, resulting in success across our expanding portfolio. A prime example of this is the news that over 12 million bottles (1 million cases) of [yellow tail] were sold in Australia in a single financial year. Although, it’s no surprise when we’ve won the most loved wine brand in the world for a 6th year in a row.

In May, James Wilson and l had the pleasure of travelling across Asia to engage with distributors and consumers, concluding the trip with the Taipei [yellow tail] 20th Anniversary Drink Party, where we celebrated the brand’s success in the market with media and distributors. We loved meeting our consumers at Vinexpo Asia in Singapore – strengthening connections with our

Several projects have kept the company busy, including the [yellow tail] partnership with Sophie Monk, the continuing celebration of the 30 vintages of Stonewell (Peter Lehmann Wines), the release of a slate of new products from ABCO, and the launch of Pure Coastal.

Pure Coastal is a lifestyle brand that expresses the Australian way of life, celebrating those special moments with friends. Well done to the innovation team who have been working tirelessly on the UK market launch.

I would also like to personally congratulate the Morris of Rutherglen team, with the brand being named one of Australia’s top wineries in the Real Review’s Top Wineries of Australia 2023. This achievement is a testament to the hard work behind the scenes. Similarly, a big congratulations to the Morris whisky team who have been the recipient of a range of outstanding accolades over the last few months, including two Double Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Lastly, we will see our new sustainability framework launch, including a Net-Zero Emissions Pathway that focuses on a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and Net-Zero emissions by 2050. We will also be seeing the construction of a large-scale Solar farm which will be operational soon. The framework will touch all parts of our business and will bring positive benefits.

I am proud to see how much CFB has grown over these last few months, and I am excited for what the future holds.

Warm regards, John.

VINEXPO ASIA 2023 JOHN CASELLA AND JAMES WILSON TAKE ON ASIA!

In May of 2023, John Casella was joined by James Wilson, Regional Sales and Market Manager for Asia and Emerging Markets, to engage with distributors and consumers across Asia. Beginning in Hong Kong, John and James had dinner with the owners of distributor, Telford International Company, followed by a meeting with the management team.

Next stop was Seoul, South Korea’s capital city, where they visited Lotte – a multinational corporation overseeing a diverse range of industries, including food and beverage. John and James had the pleasure in meeting and having a business lunch with Lotte’s executives. This was followed by a press conference where John Casella was interviewed about [yellow tail]’s success in the Korean wine industry. John Casella and James Wilson then hosted an enjoyable Peter Lehmann wine dinner for the top trade buyers in Korea. The tasing involved incredible back vintages of 2002 Reserve Riesling, 2002 Stonewell and 2015 Masterson.

Japan, the third stop on the Asia trip, involved a meeting with the Sapporo team and key Peter Lehmann customers. This was followed by an engaging staff training conducted by James Wilson for Sapporo’s sales teams about the [yellow tail] and Peter Lehmann brands.

The final stop was Taiwan where John and James attended the Taipei [yellow tail] 20th Anniversary Drink Party to celebrate the brand’s achievement of being successfully cemented in the market. Wine & Spirits Digest, Taiwan’s unique wine and spirits industry trade magazine, also interviewed John Casella about this achievement.

Export Manager for Asia Pacific and Emerging Markets, Josh Gibbons, and Assistant Export Market Manager for Asia Pacific and Emerging Markets, Shirley Song, visited the [yellow tail] distributor, MuiHua, in Malaysia of May this year. They engaged in a series of trade activities and staff training on [yellow tail], Brand’s Laira and other Casella brands. Josh and Shirley then hosted a casual [yellow tail] tasting for consumers at AEON, one of the biggest liquor stores

in Kuala Lumpur. This was followed by a trip to Malaysia where they engaged with Peter Lehmann distributor, Milawa, through staff training, visiting on-premise customers, and hosting a Peter Lehmann wine dinner at Wildflower Restaurant.

Shirley and Josh were joined by James Wilson in hosting a Vinexpo Asia stall at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands.

Vinexpo Asia brings together nearly one thousand producers

from 35 countries for 3 days of engagement and business, introducing consumers to the business on a personal level.

The Casella Family Brands booth displayed a large selection of the company’s portfolio, including the new and exciting Pure Coastal range! Vinexpo Asia 2023 was an immense success, with James, Josh and Shirley meeting many Asia-Pacific customers on-site and joined by John Casella on the event’s first day.

SOPHIE MONK X [YELLOW TAIL]

The [yellow tail] team is excited to announce the brand’s newest ambassador … Sophie Monk! Sophie has signed a one-year contract to be the Australian [yellow tail] ambassador in financial year 2024, across the core range and new product development. As a true ambassador and lover of [yellow tail], Sophie has shown up in Australian pop culture and media over her career in a genuine, authentic and quintessentially Australian way, making her the perfect fit for [yellow tail].

Host of Love Island, one of the hottest Australian

TV shows, and having worked with some of the biggest brands in Australian media, food and drink, Sophie has proven to be relevant, relatable, adaptable and an iconic Australian that young and old Australians know and love.

Sophie will help to recruit younger consumers into [yellow tail] through her relatability, strong influence on younger consumers, and prevalence in Australia’s biggest media platforms.

Stay tuned for [yellow tail]’s exciting new campaign featuring Sophie and raise a glass to Australia’s first ever [yellow tail] ambassador, Sophie Monk!

LOVE AT FIRST SIP

The [yellow tail] team is thrilled to announce that the brand has been crowned the World’s #1 Most Powerful Wine Brand for the sixth consecutive year in a row!

Introducing SOPHIE MONK

Officially the next [yellow tail] ambassador

This is based on a survey conducted by Wine Intelligence that measures perceptions from 466 million wine drinkers and 23 key wine markets globally. [yellow tail] took the top spot in the Global Brand Power Index, and the title of the ‘Most loved wine’, with Casella Family Brands as the only Australian wine business to make the top 3 list globally!

This exciting news was covered by Mumbrella and Drinks Trade. Well done to the [yellow tail] team for this wonderful achievement.

[may be right in front of you]

[YELLOW TAIL] SOARING IN GEORGIA AND NOW ALSO AVAILABLE IN ARMENIA

Since 2019, Premiere Group has distributed [yellow tail] in Georgia, a country at the intersection of Europe and Asia, with a market dominated by domestic wines. Premiere Group acts as a union of companies operating food, beverage, hotel management and wine production headed by CEO and founder Tinatin Didava. CFBE is delighted to announce that [yellow tail] has built up a strong distribution across the country where the brand is most often the only foreign wine to be found on the shelf. Excitingly, Peter Lehmann and Pepperbox are similarly launching in these markets later this year.

'SPOTTED' ON SOCIALS

More recently, Premiere Group have begun a partnership with Armenian distributor, Andaco, to supply the Armenian market with [yellow tail].

Casella’s Area Manager for Central and Eastern Europe, Thomas Heitz, travelled to both Georgia and Armenia in early 2023 and was impressed by the passion and ambition of everyone in writing the next chapter of the [yellow tail] success story.

Pictured from left to right: Thomas Heitz, Tinatin Didava (CEO and founder of Premiere Group) and Levon Baghdasaryan (Head Marketing for Andaco).

Thomas, Tina & Levon

Store check Armenia

Store check Georgia

PETER LEHMANN LAUNCHES 2022 PORTRAIT GRENACHE SHIRAZ MATARO

The Peter Lehmann team is excited to announce the launch of the stunning 2022 Portrait Grenache Shiraz Mataro!

This GSM blend offers a smooth and silky palate, displaying raspberry, violet flower and a hint of pink peppercorn freshness. Combined with balanced flavours of lightly toasted oak and cherry cola, this wine makes for a delicious and hearty Barossan red. This lovely approachable Portrait wine is perfect for entertaining and can be found in independent stores.

PETER LEHMANN LAUNCHES 2022 THE BAROSSAN TEMPRANILLO

Similarly, the Peter Lehmann team would like to announce the exciting release of The Barossan Tempranillo 2022.

Adding to recent innovations across the Peter Lehmann ranges, this special varietal showcases its Spanish roots through aromas of lifted red cherry and delicious varietal notes of ripe strawberry with Turkish delight. Medium bodied, textural palate, the finish is vibrant and bright-fruited with lightly toasted cedar oak notes and savoury dried fruits. Enjoy with spicy, rich food, like chorizo sausages or grilled vegetables. Keep in mind that the Tempranillo is one of the rare varieties which can be served with nearly any cuisine!

THE PERFECT WEDDING VENUE

THE REAL REVIEW WINE CLASSIFICATION GALA DINNER

The Yallamundi Rooms at the Sydney Opera House proved the perfect location for launching The Real Review Wine Classifications of Australia and New Zealand in February of this year. The Real Review Wine Classification was conceived under the idea that wines should be assessed entirely on the quality of the wine in the glass, as opposed to retail price, auction performance, vineyard potential or

subjective opinions. The Gala Dinner saw 15 three merit wines tasted by 100 guests, with an accompanying six-course meal and commentary by Huon Hooke, Bob Campbell MW and three winemakers whose wines were also on show. Morris’ Old Premium Rare Liqueur Topaque NV was tasted and served with peanut butter parfait with rice crispy, griotte cherry jam and peanut brittle. The night was a success!

Peter Lehmann Wines, located in Tanuda of the Barossa Valley is the perfect spot for your special day, offering a picturesque and historically significant wedding setting. Locally known as ‘Old Red’, the Old Redemption Cellar lies beneath beautiful old gum trees and proudly sits on a

hill overlooking the Peter Lehmann winery. The beautiful and serene open space and modern venue has seen numerous weddings, catering for events of up to 300 people with flexible packages ensuring anyone can tailor their special days to their individual wants and needs.

Chief Winemaker, David Morris, was interviewed in Sydney Morning Herald’s GoodFood to celebrate Morris of Rutherglen’s success at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards.

Morris’ non-vintage Cellar Reserve Grand Muscat was awarded Best in Show, cementing “Rutherglen as the home of fortified wine”. – David Morris.

MORRIS IN SYDNEY MORNING HERALD BLOCKERS

David Morris described what makes Morris of Rutherglen wines special, saying that “these wines are a true representation of place” where an uncomplicated minimal-intervention approach to winemaking allows the “grapes and the terroir to shine through”.

Following Morris' success at the International Wine Challenge 2023 winning six gold medals and three trophies, David Morris was also interviewed by Drinks Trade where he discussed the international success of the Morris portfolio and the future of fortified wine. Well done to Morris for the incredible results at the Decanter World Wine Awards and International Wine Challenge!

The signature Brand’s Laira Blockers range was named in honour of founder Eric Brand, one of the original landholders who sold their grapes to larger wineries in the 1950s and 1960s, who were colloquially called ‘Blockers’. The Blockers range is made in classic Coonawarra style and is the perfect combination of elegance, complexity and luscious fruit. With a Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Merlot, this range is a musttry for any wine lovers!

BRAND’S LAIRA X MICHELLE PEARSON COMFORT FOOD CABARET

ORGANIC MARKETS

Join us for a fun filled weekend of Australian produce, wine and community spirit.

The Brand’s Laira Cellar Door was the proud host of Comfort Food Cabaret, the multi awardwinning dinner and show experience, with Australia’s Singing Cook, Michelle Pearson. This event was held as part of the Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival this May. Michelle Pearson wrote a recipe of love, loss and family tradition where the audience was able to taste every dish cooked before their very eyes. Accompanied by seasoned musicians, the night was joined by a soundtrack of Etta James, Cold Chisel, The Rolling Stones, INXS and more. Michelle was impressed by the people, party and joint efforts of Coonawarra locals in coming together to make such a beautiful show. Thanks to Sam Flint, Brand’s Laira’s Administration and Cellar Door Manager, for ensuring a smoothsailing show.

• Locally sourced products

• Delicious food including Bundarra Organic Kitchen’s famous wood fired pizzas

• Live music by Dallas Alice 12 - 3pm

• Carriage rides

• Face painting

• Petting Zoo

SATURDAY 23 - SUNDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2023

9AM - 3PM

Baileys of Glenrowan 779 Taminick Rd, Glenrowan VIC 3675

FREE ENTRY!

For more information visit www.baileysofglenrowan.com

Baileys of Glenrowan is thrilled to celebrate Organic Month in September by hosting an Organic Market on the 23-24 September to showcase local Australian organic

businesses, whether that be skincare, wholefoods, makeup or cleaning products. The Market is accompanied by the Baileys organic wine range, and is held outdoors.

MORRIS WHISKY CELLAR RESERVE EXCLUSIVE

RANGA TANG VODKA RANGE LAUNCH AND GABS FESTIVAL

The Ranga Tang brand has recently launched ready-to-drink Lemon Squash, Passionfruit and Raspberry vodkas, extending on from the successful launch of Ginger Beer in February. The range will be sold through independent channels via both Australian Beer Company and Casella Family Brands sales teams. Over May and June, the Australian Beer company participated in the GABS Festival – the Great Australian Beer

BUNDLE

The MORRIS Whisky team are thrilled to announce the launch of the Cellar Reserve Exclusive range available only at the Cellar Door and online. This whisky has been patiently aged and nurtured to perfection, embodying the essence of our craftsmanship and expertise. This range includes the Cellar Reserve Muscat Barrel 48% and the Cellar Reserve Signature expression 44%, also available to purchase as a Cellar Reserve Exclusive Bundle. These signature whiskies allow consumers to taste the craftsmanship of Signature and Muscat barrels, but with more intensity and depth in flavour. The Cellar Reserve Signature expression has been carefully selected by the Head Distiller,

Darren Peck, showing added depth and character with the same bright topaz hues and orchard fruit profiles, macerated black cherry and biscuit notes balancing the zest of marmalade jam, lingering cocoa and dark-berry flavours. The Cellar Reserve Muscat Barrel contains a great depth of flavour and complexity with a creamy mouthfeel packed full of rich dark fruits and sweet malt notes.

This award-winning range is BOLDER. STRONGER. FULLER FLAVOUR and is the perfect creation to reward consumers for their loyalty and offer an exclusive range that will please all discerning whisky drinkers.

Spectacular, which is Australia’s largest craft beer event with over 40,000 attendees across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. On pour was the Yenda Pale Ale and XPA, with [yellow tail] as the exclusive wine partner for GABS 2023, proudly offering a wide selection of wines for those needing a beer break. All the brews were very well-received, with the Yenda XPA and Ranga Tang Ginger Beer among the crowd favourites.

2023 VINTAGE UPDATE

With the 2023 vintage at a close, each winery site has shared a wrap-up of the season’s work.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Yenda

PURE COASTAL HITS SHORE

The Casella Innovation team is thrilled to announce Pure Coastal! Refreshingly Australian. Pure Coastal wines will elevate any picnic on the beach, with the opportunity to choose from a refreshing glass of Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Rosé or Grenache. The range focuses on taking a step forward in the right direction of living life in the moment and appreciating life’s simple pleasures surrounded by nature with those you love.

From the ocean to rolling hills, Australia is where the contrast of burnt orange earth, green rolling hills and turquoise coastline collide. We love to travel far and wide to enjoy Australia’s unique wonders, but equally enjoy nothing more than to sit back in our backyard or nearby beaches soaking up the last drops of sunset with a cold drink and great company.

Pure Coastal was created to experiment with the occasionality of wines, disrupting the category with a unique style reflecting modern Australia’s nuanced drinking occasions of barefoot beach bonfires to sparkling sunsets. This brand reflects

our breathtaking coastline, allowing friends to relax and unwind whilst enjoying our light and refreshing wines crafted at Australia’s south coast where the ocean breeze creates the perfect climate for lighter wine styles.

Pure Coastal’s Winemaker, Jade Rogge, has always loved the coast, having grown up raising deer and cattle on a farm located on the East Coast of New Zealand. Being outdoors and soaking up the sea breeze has always felt natural to Jade, with a strong connection to the land from a young age.

Sourced from our family’s coastal vineyards, we make sessionable, refreshing and flavourful wines that inspire people to enjoy life’s simple pleasures together.

Pure Coastal wines make the perfect addition to the simpler pleasures in life, like a cheese board by the beach with friends or a relaxing drink after work. With a crisp and clear Sauvignon Blanc, supported by a Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Rose and Grenache, Pure Coastal will cater to any and all consumers and occasions.

Yenda encountered a wetter than usual growing season leading into vintage 2023, inducing cool and mild grape growing conditions from spring leading into summer months. The Riverina experienced a dry spell from the 1st February until the 22nd March, with the first grapes being delivered on the 2nd February. The drier spell allowed for critical steadier ripening, giving time for key fruit flavours to concentrate on the vines prior to harvesting.

YENDA FINAL CRUSH: 137,468 TONNES

Grapevine development tracked 10-14 days behind previous ‘average’ growing seasons due to a cold-wet winter. The wet weather also led to varying levels of fruit development meaning lower yields collectively.

Positively, cooler conditions greatly benefitted fruit development and vine

exhibiting strong concentration of fruit flavours.

Nicholas Schirripa | Grower Services Manager – Senior Winemaker

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Peter Lehmann Wines, Barossa

maturation, allowing for steady ripening with fruit retaining pivotal aromatic and flavour compounds. The lower yields allowed for further concentration of fruit flavours, phenolics and tannins, giving the resulting wines strong varietal characteristics and significant quality gains.

White varietals are more standout across the board in Vintage 2023, induced by lower yields and cooler growing conditions.

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio show key trademark fruit aromas, along with highly concentrated persistent flavours for which these wines will maintain high quality and increased longevity. These conditions also benefitted numerous red varietals with Pinot Noir

For most of winter 2022, the Barossa received average rainfall levels. Towards the latter part of winter, cooler and above average wet weather set in, followed by a long and cool spring with

PETER LEHMANN FINAL CRUSH: 24,206.26 TONNES

more good rainfall. This unfortunately led to poor fruit set and encouraged the spread of downy mildew and botrytis infections during ripening. Our growers were certainly kept busy with a meticulous spray schedule

VINTAGE UPDATE

employed to avoid losses to mildew. Some growers were even kayaking through their vineyards in early and mid-November! Due to large rainfall events that saw a total of around 90mm higher than the long-term average in November, Cellar Door access was also cut off by the swollen Para River.

Chardonnay destined for the Barossan and our soon to be released Portrait Chardonnay. Barossan Shiraz began to flow in steadily from the end of March, with our last parcel of red fruit delivered May 15th. Despite the challenges of the season, Barossa yields were average to above average, as berry size was much higher than normal, compensating for the reduced fruit set.

2023 VINTAGE UPDATE

flavour concentration. We look forward to classifying the reds in the coming months and finding those gems we have produced.

Summer remained quite mild, and the Barossa experienced a slower start to vintage than normal, roughly two weeks behind our average picking date. The cool lead-up to vintage resulted in a slow ripening period, allowing for great colour and flavour accumulation, and natural acid retention.

Fruit harvest began February 27th, in a search for the ideal parcel of the 2023 Masters Margaret Semillon. This was soon followed by

The 2023 vintage will be remembered as one of the most challenging on record, with excellent quality and elegant Riesling, Semillon and the earlier-ripened Shiraz being the standout varieties. Reds will be more floral and exhibit more pretty characteristics than previous years, yet have massive colour density and solid, structural and mature tannins. The whites show intensely perfumed aromatics with a pristine acid line and outstanding

Brett Schutz | Head

Senior Winemaker and Jade Rogge | Viticulturalist Brand’s Laira

Similar to the Barossa, Coonawarra experienced cooler and wetter weather patterns this past growing season and during the vintage period, also resulting in greater downy mildew pressure. January saw warm and dry conditions with belowaverage rainfall and aboveaverage temperatures which were well timed for flowering. However, the trend to cool,

average rainy days in April. Ripening was delayed due to cooler, wetter weather patterns. White varieties were able to develop and mature exceptionally well, flourishing and showcasing purity of fruit, whilst retaining high natural acidity. The Brand’s Laira Chardonnay and Riesling are stand-outs for vintage 2023.

This season was cool and mild, so ripening was steady allowing for lifted aromatics, good retention of natural

Morris of Rutherglen

High rainfall and cool temperatures during growing season, saw the grapes ripen slowly, assisting with retaining freshness and acidity. The stand-out varieties for the year are Durif and Shiraz, with both showcasing strong varietal characters and elegance. The quantity produced was similar to last year, and this vintage was slightly better for our dry red varieties.

It was a challenging vintage with less than ideal conditions particularly for red varieties. Increased moisture and cooler conditions resulted in greater downy mildew pressure and later ripening, as well as lower sugar levels in reds. This year the fruit for Brand’s Laira was crushed in the Barossa at the Peter Lehmann winery.

Production at the winery in Coonawarra was ceased last year, however the quality and legacy of Brand’s Laira will continue to be championed. We are looking forward to some high-quality white wines for 2023.

Brooke Blair | Lead Winemaker

acid, elevated colour density and fruit with depth and concentration. Standout variety for this year was Shiraz. Vines were in better balance for vintage 2023 and, as a result, fruit quality was vastly improved with some exciting wines now resting in barrel. A focus was put on the premium blocks to ensure vines were in better balance with such activities as leaf removal, trimming and harder pruning which all contributed to a much-improved result.

wet conditions returned in February and continued throughout vintage with above

VICTORIA

Baileys of Glenrowan

Paul Dahlenburg | Chief Winemaker

We are looking forward to watching these young wines evolve through the maturation process.

David Morris | Chief Winemaker

“REDS WILL BE MORE FLORAL AND EXHIBIT MORE PRETTY CHARACTERISTICS THAN PREVIOUS YEARS”

BRAND’S LAIRA FINAL CRUSH: 2300 TONNES

BAILEYS FINAL CRUSH: 2,377 TONNES

Photographer: Ben Monsion

MORRIS FINAL CRUSH: 344.36 TONNES

A BUSY FEW MONTHS FOR CFBE! [YELLOW TAIL] IS WINNING IN AUSTRALIA

CFBE

It has been a busy few months for Casella Family Brands Europe this year!

MAKING MALBEC MASSIVE

The CFBE team created a campaign in 2022 championing Malbec as the go-to varietal to pair and share with all steak-based recipes, celebrating the shared British-Australian summer tradition of barbequing. The campaign was over a period of 10 weeks to celebrate the iconic Malbec and steak pairing, with the main face of campaign being the former England Rugby captain and MasterChef contestant Phil Vickery. Following this successful campaign, the CFBE team amplified the idea and adapted it to routeto-market customers by creating the competition “Purchase of case of wine for your chance to wine a Weber BBQ”.

CHARITY

Duncan Wright, working in Customer Service

in CFBE, and his family walked 26 miles for Macmillan Cancer Charity on Saturday 20th May around the Norfolk Coast.

CHESTER, ENGLAND TRIP

During the first week of February, all the CFBE employees met up in Chester to visit CFBE’s bottling and distribution centre, Encirc. Following a great afternoon of meetings and a wonderful tour of the facilities we then meet up at Chester’s city centre for a dinner between CFBE and the Encirc teams.

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Following the success of [yellow tail] Jammy Rosé Roo, CFBE has launched [yellow tail] Jammy White Roo. This vibrant wine offers notes of ripe peach, apricot and nectarine.

Similarly, PepperBox Malbec has been launched and listed in Morrisons, one of the top 6 UK retailers, following the successful release of PepperBox Chardonnay.

We are thrilled to announce that for the first time over 1 million cases of [yellow tail] have been sold in Australia in a single financial year!

From 1st July 2022 to 30th June 2023, we sold over million 9LE cases of [yellow tail] in Australia. This result was even more rewarding given it represented +9% growth MAT on LY in a price segment declining at -4.3%. This is equivalent to:

12,000,000 bottles

3.6 x Olympic Swimming Pools

For context, in the brand’s first year after launching, we sold 1 million cases of [yellow tail] worldwide and now we are achieving this feat in Australia alone.

The biggest drivers for this increase are a boost in sales at independent stores (+7%) and Coles (18%), with the [yellow tail] white wine performing exceptionally well across the board. Over the past 12 months the Sales field

team have secured an additional 2,466 distribution points across the [yellow tail] brand, making it more accessible to consumers than ever before.

This is a massive achievement and has made [yellow tail] the biggest sub-$10 750mL wine brand in Australia!

A huge congratulations to everyone involved in creating and supporting [yellow tail!].

Check out the pictured [yellow tail] cake from the Sales Conference to celebrate 1 million cases sold!

DAHLENBURG SHORTLISTED FOR WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR

Baileys’ Chief Winemaker

Paul Dahlenburg was announced as a shortlisted nominee on Halliday

Wine Companion’s 2024 Winemaker of the Year!

Paul has been a central pillar of Baileys since 1996, becoming Chief Winemaker in 2004. This nomination is a testament to his high standards and great tasting wine.

MORRIS A TOP WINERY

Casella Family Brands is thrilled to announce that Morris of Rutherglen has been named as one of Australia’s top wineries amongst some key industry players in the Real Review’s Top Wineries of Australia 2023. This incredible achievement and national benchmark is a true showcase of the team’s hard work in consistently producing excellent wine. This news was also featured in the Good Weekend Magazine and on The Wine Show Australia’s podcast accompanied by prolific wine connoisseur, Huon Hooke.

Following success in the Real Review’s Top Wineries of Australia 2023, Morris Wines was recognised and awarded as one of the world’s leading fortified wines.

MORRIS WHISKY

• Cellar Reserve Signature – 8 x gold medals, 2 x platinum medals, Consumer’s Choice Award (SIP Awards 2022), Best Australian Whisky #2 (International Whisky Competition 2021) and Top 100 Spirits (Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2022).

• Cellar Reserve Muscat Barrel – 11 x gold medals, Master (World Whisky Masters 2021), Best Australian Whisky #1 (International Whisky Competition 2021), Consumer’s Choice Award (SIP Awards 2022), Best in Class: Single Malt Wine Cask (Whiskies of The World Awards 2022)

and Category Winner: Australian Single Malt (World Whiskies Awards 2023).

Most recently, these two whiskies also received Double Gold medals at the prestigious San

Francisco World Spirits Competition, alongside a Gold for the Sherry Barrel Single Malt! This is an incredible achievement at a competition often described as the equivalent of the Olympics for distilled spirits, with a judging panel made up by the most respected, experienced experts in the industry. Recognised as top-rated Australian Single Malt Whiskies, Morris Whisky’s reputation as a leading producer of premium spirits is certainly solidified in the industry.

MORRIS WINES

Morris Wines was recognised and awarded as one of the world’s leading fortified wines at the International Wine Challenge, achieving an astonishing six gold medals for our Muscat, Topaque and Tawny varietals! The Australian Fortified Trophy was also awarded to Morris Wines for our Old Premium Rare Muscat.

Congratulations to the incredible Morris team whose hard work allowed this to happen!

SUSTAINABILITY PLAN LAUNCH

WITH SARAH BRAUDE - SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Casella Family Brands’s full spectrum Sustainability plan. What we make and how we make it affects the planet, the people, and the communities in and around our business. For this reason, our sustainability plan has three key pillars: Connected Communities, Protecting the Planet and Better Together.

These pillars are the guiding principles of our sustainability strategy and will drive the longterm targets and activities that will shape our business, communities and environments for the future.

The sustainability plan includes balancing profits with purpose, supporting local and global communities, farming responsibly, driving innovation, and equipping our people

with the skills required to bring our collective sustainability vision to life.

As part of the strategic sustainability plan, Casella Family Brands has outlined and begun to implement some major targets and activities, including a Net-Zero emissions by 2050 target, the construction of a large-scale solar panel farm (8730 panels), which should be operational in due course, a ‘better for you’ consumer options and more conscientious packaging.

Casella Family Brands takes a collaborative approach to sustainability and works with our global stakeholders to create quality products for the world to enjoy responsibly.

Casella Family Brand’s sustainability strategy is a shared responsibility.

STEAM METERING GETS FUNDING WITH GREG SHORT - ABCO SIGHT MANAGER

Australian Beer Company was successful in securing NSW state government co-funding for steam metering. The metering installation was an important step in understanding our energy usage and identifying opportunities for improvement.

By analysing the meter data, the brewery was able to identify some low cost opportunities to reduce our energy usage. This is a great example of how data analysis can lead to cost savings and more sustainable practices.

The implemented change was to reduce stream distribution pressure, and from the modelling

of data, this results in a $35,000 per year saving in LPG use for the brewery. This is not only a significant cost savings for the brewery, but it also means a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a positive impact on the environment.

Overall, the combination of government support, data analysis, and sustainable practices is a great success story for Casella Family Brands. It shows that by taking a holistic approach to sustainability, businesses can not only reduce their costs but also contribute to a more sustainable future for everyone.

CFB STAFF RECOGNISED FOR BRINGING OUR PILLARS TO LIFE! ACCOUNTABILITY

IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO?

John West - For his assistance in helping me to get the new 187 bottle to run on line 8, his help was much appreciated.

Eric Jennings - For his assistance in helping me to get the new 187 bottle to run on line 8, his help was much appreciated.

Ben Corker - For his work ethic and positive attitude and willing to learn new things .

Aeesha Fifita - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

Angelo Panarello - Angelo was able to do some outstanding videos with Willem for future learning for ABCo maintenance with such short notice.

Arina Serra - Arina has taken over the lead role of the [yt] pack refresh and is doing an incredible job working with Design Bridge in Singapore, Link research in the UK, CFB and DFWS stakeholders across both businesses in UK, US, Australia and this is just the beginning! There is a lot of detail and comms that comes with this project and it is proving to be a full time role. Arina is focussed, results driven and a strong decision maker ensuring the key milestones are met and moving all teams forward in the right direction.

Gurvir Singh - As an apprentice, taking the lead and understanding the process of membrane testing and rebuilding chambers in a timely manner.

David Cook - Demonstrating sound skills, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn to further enhance his skills.

Blake Wood - Enthusiastic and prompt attendance to Breakdowns during vintage.

Amber Morris - Escalating concerns on the level of haze in a new product prior to packaging.

Roger Atze - exceeding long term barrel efficiency filling program.

Jordan Burton - Excelling in his position as Supervisor, taking the necessary thorough actions when things go wrong and ensure proper communication is sent out.

Grete Kellamae - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

Celsa Clebsch - Finding a can filled with water that could have led to swift action to contain a problem.

Anthony Catanzariti - For always helpful and nothing is ever a problem. Anthony’s efforts on sorting these labeller parts out for me is just one example.

Narelle Cotterill - For always helpful and nothing is ever a problem.

Anthony’s efforts on sorting these labeller parts out for me is just one example.

Katelyn Mills - For always showing a consistently high level of work ethic.

Leigh Stokes - For coming in last night after working a 10hr shift to assist Jazz on the L3 casepacker No Control Voltage Fault.

Michael Holthouse - For ensuring processes are working and ensuring the quality of the wine is maintained.

Andrew Cockram - For ensuring processes are working and ensuring the quality of the wine is maintained.

Olivia Penrith - For going about the job without any complaints and staying back after hours to finish unloading trucks if need be.

Hollie Penrith - For going about the job without any complaints and staying back after hours to finish unloading trucks if need be.

Kai Williams - For he has gone above and beyond since his has started working with us and great work ethic and attitude.

Aaron Daly - For his attention to detail, that lead to finding the cracks in the bag press.

Blake Norris - For his outstanding fault finding skills and never giving up, repairing the temporary air compressor for the Nitrogen unit.

Paul McCanna - For his quick response, escalation and follow up of the fault with the Flavour Stores.

Anthony Ross - For his quick response, escalation and follow up of the fault with the Flavour Stores.

Lance Poka - For his very positive attitude to a break down with the rapid roller door to bottling just before his knock off time! (On a Friday) .

Christine Mackenzie - For initiating 5S projects in the brewery.

Petrus Badenhorst - For initiating 5S projects in the brewery.

Liisa Maria Robakov - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

William Flores - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

John Ivory - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

Paul Pietroboni - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

Roomet Pitilimov - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

Hayley Porter - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

Ciaran McBribe - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

Calvin Thurovin - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

Anti Rohelpuu - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

Aoife Galvin - For maintaining a high standard of work at all times and being nominated for the Most Outstanding recruit of 2023.

George Fifita - For showing a consistently high work ethic.

Erin Hathaway - For showing a consistently high work ethic.

Matt Ciampa - For showing an excellent work ethic, being constantly busy and working hard to get the job done.

Rheis Brill - For showing leadership and initiative with managing the high workload.

John West - For their efforts in getting line 4 bottle coder installed to eliminate a quality issue.

Tim Aitken - For their efforts in getting line 4 bottle coder installed to eliminate a quality issue.

Feofaaki Alofi - For volunteering to step up as the afternoon shift RVD supervisor for vintage.

Katelyn Mills - Has been working exceptionally well and has shown huge initiative since beginning her apprenticeship , positive can do attitude.

Leigh Stokes - He has been doing a great job with the new palletiser formatting, unloading all the pallets by himself.

Elisha McLeod - Going above and beyond at short notice.

Sharon Ceccato - Going above and beyond at short notice.

James Nancarrow - Demonstrating great leadership skills and a willingness to learn throughout his current project.

Aaron Daly - Never gives up, even with repetitive tasks.

Robin Codemo - For supporting and problem solving issues on line 8.

Samuel Menegazzo - Always willing to stay back and help with change overs and fill in when there is a staff shortage. An example of this was last Friday when he came in after the funeral and stayed to help do the CIP on line 3 even though it was not his shift.

Jake McGarry - Jake had a mechanical failure which resulted in a safety incident.  He safely set up a cordon and demonstrated great team behaviour.

Celeste Tiffin - For her hard work in maintaining the Mex system and for answering all of the auditors questions during Engineering’s session in the BRCGS audit. The auditor was so impressed that he sang engineering’s praises for the remainder of the time he was onsite.

COMMUNITY & ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

THE BRAVE & CONFIDENT SPIRIT

WE EMBODY

Olivia Heidrich - Olivia kept the Sydney office constantly informed on all things Sydney office move related and did many tasks/roles that are not in her job remit. She took a leadership role and made it happen!

COMMUNITY SPIRIT & PEOPLE

OUR EXTENDED CASELLA FAMILY

Justine Gardiner - Justine has been very proactive in helping each team member with their constant queries about the office move, particularly when not in her remit. She has also juggled this along with the Stonewell events in Sydney and Melbourne and hosting media at PLW (and getting married all at the same time)!

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

THE BRAVE & CONFIDENT SPIRIT

WE EMBODY

Lukas Kasuba - As the recipe he has designed has been chosen to be on the container bar at Gabs.

Ky Garrett - Doing a good job with the barrels and looking for ways to make the process easier.

Daniel Hillam - Electrical programming above expectations.

Dennis Carroll - For doing an excellent job with presenting CFTB meetings and overall leadership of his crew.

Guy Campbell - For driving 5S initiatives and general commitment to continuous improvement.

Rick Wallace - For effort and level of support given in commissioning of the high solids crossflows.

Sam Loaloadravu - For effort and level of support given in commissioning of the high solids crossflows.

Rick Wallace - For finding a solution to the high turbidity issues on the Dynamos.

Bruce Ray - For his effort into reorganising the barrel sheds with Kai.

Justin Armstrong - For input into planning for high solids filter area.

Feofaaki Liu - For suggesting putting a convex mirror on post at A0401 to improve traffic visibility.

Andrew Ngu - Showing initiative cleaning the sparge stones without being asked.

Hollie Penrith - Willingness to embrace change and new challenger’s (ran the bag press area exceptionally well and learnt quickly).

Pip Antoon Entrepreneurial Spirit + Accountability - for taking leadership across the new website builds (specifically [yt] and the corporate site). She has taken the initiative to upskill herself on the website design platform so she can make changes directly without using our Agency platform. She has taken the initiative to lead the design look and feel.

James Wilson Entrepreneurial Spirit and Accountability - Driving growth in the APAC region in an ambiguous world and in particular managing Project Amarillo with our partner in Chile and internally with cross functional teams. This will lead to year 1 forecast and projected sales of 200K 9LE. The aim is to keep the [yt] brand buoyant and ensure saliency of brand equity in the hope we can return to China in full capacity in the future.

Asher Hudson & Pieter Klein Entrepreneurial spirit particularly in collaborating together and getting [yt] Sparkling cocktails over the line in EDG. This is a shared voucher make all this happen before heading to Tafe once the job was finished.

PEOPLE

OUR EXTENDED CASELLA FAMILY

Andries de Meyer - Always willing to help, good can do attitude. Aveli Noortoots - As she picked up spelling mistake on our labels yesterday.

Brad McDermott - Assisting others and Mentoring staff.

Amber Morris - Brewery line checks and sample testing. Staff found Amber to be an excellent trainer, methodical and thorough in her explanations.

Michael De Valentin - For an all round excellent year including leading red press crew during vintage and blends crew post vintage. Tim Aitken - for covering 12hour night shift at extremely short notice to cover absenteeism.

Anthony Zuccato - For going over and above for the scheduling role. Anthony Tyrrell - For his effort in having contractors available at short notice to assist with a major breakdown.

Leigh Stokes - For his efforts in diagnosing a fault, organising service contractors to attend and rectify problem, during which time Leigh work substantial overtime and irregular hours to ensure the production line was available for operation in the shortest possible time frame.

Naga Yandapalli - For outing his best efforts in when Beam people were here and watching him collect and test samples of the trial they designed. Well done under pressure.

Brad Doeke - For stepping up and helping work through orders on the new POS system and helping staff.

Feofaaki Alofi - For supporting his crew and his willingness to work with winemakers and managers during a challenging vintage.

PEOPLE

Aistan-Lee Fidow - For supporting his crew through a challenging year and for excellent support for new initiatives.

WE COMES BEFORE ME

Guy Campbell - Fosters Trust, Respect and Collaboration with his staff over the Vintage Period.

Norm Ledwich - Fosters Trust, Respect and Collaboration with his staff over the Vintage Period.

Peter Anderson - He always tries to go above and beyond every shift and is always actively looking for ways to improve processes for his teammates.

Marshall Blackman - Putting the team before himself and constantly looking to help other members of the team and doing so with a positive happy attitude.

Lukas Kasuba - Stepping up and taking ownership of work practices and delegating accordingly to help free up team members to complete other tasks.

James Nancarrow - Striving to go above what is required to assist others.

Joseph Hogan - They have very generously contributed their time and knowledge to training many of new lab staff.

Tatiane Carroll - They have very generously contributed their time and knowledge to training many of new lab staff.

Robert Steffania - They have very generously contributed their time and knowledge to training many of new lab staff.

Mathew Hosking - Wonderful job on the RO and centritherm.

Carlie Hart - Working through the final termination process of the vintage casuals. She put in a lot of time and effort chasing up forms and returning them to payroll in a timely manner and recording everything, gathering up their returned uniforms, chasing up locker and other keys.

Meghann Petersen - Always helpful and very pleasant to deal with.

Alex Leaver - Training and support given to staff.

Lance Poka - Always looking out for others, support.

Matt Signor - Assisting others on the job, getting in and getting it done.

Daniel Wall - Assisting others on the job, getting in and getting it done.

Andrew Scot - Assisting others on the job, getting in and getting it done.

Lindsay Stonham - Assisting others on the job, getting in and getting it done.

NEW STARTERS Welcome to Casella Family Brands

Aidan Peruzzi - QA Lab

Assistant Yenda

Kyle Sully - Electrician Yenda

Zackery Ruediger -

Maintenance Tradesperson

Pack Yenda

Nobeljit Singh - Kalsi

Packaging Line Operator - Brew

Yenda

Alex Blomeley - Warehouse

Forklift Driver Yenda

Torren Pasquetti - Packaging

Line Operator - Brew Yenda

Josua Qarase - Maintenance

Trades Person Yenda

Robert Raffa - Area Sales

Manager - Mornington VIC

Gayle Williams - QA Lab

Assistant Yenda

Rutineia Luiz Dos Santos

McCombe - QA Lab Assistant

Yenda

Mathew Davies - Maintenance

Trades Person Yenda

Dylan McKenzie - Electrician

Yenda

Yingying Luo - Graduate

Engineer Yenda

Stavros Tsogas - SA/NT Business Development South

Australia

Andrew Jeffrey - Head of Marketing - Wine Sydney

Kim Ryzamae SagbangPackaging Line Operator - Brew

Yenda

Jocelyn Baum - Packaging Line Operator - Brew Yenda

Allyson Alfonso - Assistant

Brand Mgr - Spirits Sydney

Jacob Lewis - Area Sales MgrNth Sth & CCoast

Jessica Gazzola - Packaging

Line Operator - Brew Yenda

Reuben Matenga - Packaging

Line Operator - Brew Yenda

Zoe Phillips - Operations

Attendant Bottling Yenda

Kam Farmer - Warehouse

Forklift Driver Yenda

Gavin Reid - Distillery/Cellar Operator MORRIS WINES

Kevin Cumming - Asst Venue

Mgr/Admin BAILEYS

Te-Ao-Marama HenryPackaging Line Operator - Brew

Yenda

Brian Hopper - Operations

Attendant Bottling Yenda

Jaskarn Singh - Operations

Attendant Bottling Yenda

Mitchell Wood - Area Sales Manager Regional NSW Yenda

Taylor Matthews - Brand Ambassador Morris Whisky

VIC

Jayden Wood - Project CoOrdinator Yenda

Connor Lombe - NSW Business Development Mgr Sydney

Keely Martin - Lab Assistant Yenda

James Alexander - Lab Assistant Yenda

Kurt Power - Operations Attendant Bottling Yenda

Vanessa Lauifi - Operations Attendant Bottling Yenda

Julian Daymond - Distillery/ Cellar Operator MORRIS WINES

Megan Tate - Payroll Filing Assistant Yenda

Abbey Russell - Marketing Assistant Sydney

Olivia Panazzolo - Accounts Receivable Officer Yenda

Elaine Buckland - Operations Attendant Cellar Yenda

Travis Burns - Maintenance

Tradesperson MORRIS WINES

Juanie Sosobrado - Yenda

Packaging Line OperatorBrewery

Luke Munro - Yenda

Packaging Line OperatorBrewery

Felicity Hubbucks - QLD Office Administrator

CELEBRATING long service

Anushka Galapita

Mudiyanselage - Yenda

Accountant

David McKay - Yenda

Warehouse Forklift Driver

April Dargin - Yenda

Operations Attendant - Bottling

Poojaben Patel - Yenda QA

Laboratory Assistant

Bharatkumar Chaudhari - Yenda

Operations Attendant - Bottling

Natasha Webb - Yenda

Operations Attendant - Bottling

Peter Barbaro - Yenda QA

Laboratory Assistant

Lachlan Fitzgerald - Yenda

Inventory Forklift Driver

Bulou Boila - Yenda Operations

Attendant - Bottling

Neil Strydom - Yenda Packaging

Maintenance Electrician

Mohita Mehra - Sydney Senior Brand Manager

Daniel McMillan - Sydney Head of Digital

Annette Phillpot - Yenda

Accounts Payable Officer

Karina Byrne - Sydney Assistant Brand Manager - Beer

Shannon Bowen - SA Area Sales Manager

Benjamin Dean - Yenda

Operations Attendant - Bottling

Congratulations to the following staff members who recently celebrated long service at Casella Family Brands. Thank you for being part of this exciting journey with us.

Roger Atze

10 years

James Wilson

10 years

Vicki Johns

20 years

Sanele Seukeni

15 years

Rocco Rinaldo 20 years

Lino Blasi 20 years

Mark Kozlowski 10 years

Francesco Dametto 10 years

Leslie Worland

20 years

Maxwell Baker 20 years

Kamaljeet Kaur

15 years

Taranjit Singh 15 years

Blake Norris

10 years

John Panuccio 10 years

Andrea Cromack

15 years

Semisi Fifita 15 years

Trent Christoff 15 years

John Garbuio 20 years

Mirta Golic 10 years

Luke Edwards 20 years

We thank you for reading the latest issue of [yellow tales].

Franco Pisan 15 years

Stephen Ogilvie 20 years

We welcome your feedback and story ideas at media@casellafamilybrands.com