[Yellow Tales] 2022 Issue 3

Undoubtedly, it has been busy for us all, but I have enjoyed the return to normality. After the impacts of the pandemic, I was recently able to travel to the UK and U.S, and it was great to be back in the markets again. I spent time with the CFBE team, met with key customers and attended the annual meeting hosted by Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. These trips are invaluable to understanding the market, seeing the trends, and understanding the retailer and consumer needs better.

Overall the company is in a strong position and is now a leading Australian producer offering excellence across the wine, spirits and beer categories. The recent vineyard sale strengthens this and has set us up for long-term success, allowing for investment in our brands and wineries while continuing the grape supply we require for our future operations.

[yellow tail] Update

While 2021 marked 20 years since the launch of [yellow tail], 2022 is the 20th anniversary of [yellow tail] in Australia. We were delighted to mark the milestone by achieving the ‘World’s Most Powerful Wine Brand’ award for the fifth consecutive year. The launch of [yellow tail] PURE BRIGHT has been particularly successful in the U.S, achieving rising star status in one of the industries leading global publications (see page 5)

As we look ahead to 2023, a lot of exciting activity is planned for [yellow tail] globally. This includes the launch of new products, a packaging refresh due in 2024 and a new global campaign in the pipeline. As always, we are working hard to ensure [yellow tail] remains relevant and appealing to existing and new wine drinkers.

Premium Wine Update

In the last year, the premium wine portfolio experienced positive growth in Australia, as consumers continue to recognise and enjoy the quality of wines from our premier regions. The Master’s Collection relaunch is one of the highlights for the Peter Lehmann range over the past 12 months, driving sales growth of 36% across the independant retail channels. Morris's volume grew by nearly 15% last year, mainly in Australia, with a small volume of exports to the UK and Asia. Baileys’ volume increased with the addition of Atmata organic wines. Most of this sells in Australia, but there are plans to export to Canada next year. Brand’s Laira volume has remained consistent, and the outlook is positive. Blocker’s Cabernet Sauvignon has been performing well in key independants, with growth of 5%.

MORRIS Whisky Update

Whisky distribution in Australia began in June 2021, right before lockdown #2! Australia is

our priority market, but we have expanded into international markets, including the US, UK, Canada and Taiwan. I am incredibly proud of the awards and accolades we have received for the whiskies, which is a testament to the quality of the liquid. To date, MORRIS whisky has been awarded 70+ in total, with 35 gold medals or higher.

Earlier this year, we released a Smoked Muscat whisky as a limited edition in time for Father’s Day. We recently added to the existing Signature and Muscat Barrel range with the launch of Sherry Barrel whisky (see page 11). 2023 will be an exciting year for Morris, with the winery and distillery renovation due to complete in June-July 2023.

ABCo Update

Our focus for the Australian Beer Company has been on growing the existing beer and cider offerings within the portfolio. Recent investment in the brewery’s capabilities means we can increase volume supply as required. We look forward to working with our retailer partners to capitalise on the fast-growing beer and cider categories.

Approaching Vintage 2023

As you all know, we have been at the mercy of mother nature and experienced some extremely challenging weather conditions across the country. The viticulture and winemaking teams have been working exceptionally hard to manage this. I would like to thank everyone for their exceptional hard work and efforts in managing some very challenging conditions.

The good news is at the time of writing, current weather conditions have stabilised, with rainfall significantly reduced, and with the cool weather we are now experiencing, we should see some exceptional quality out of Vintage 2023. We anticipate a reduction in yield overall, but we are well-placed to overcome this.

FUTURE FOCUS Innovation

Innovation is key to ensuring our brands and products are relevant to our consumers and giving them the product benefits they seek. In 2023, we plan to drive innovation from our hero premium brands, lead trends to remain relevant, and create new brands and products that recruit new consumers to the category while keeping existing consumers engaged.

Sustainability

Another core focus for 2023 is our Sustainability strategy, a critical future directive for the business. We have identified key focus areas for immediate action, including;

• A Net Zero emissions project enabling us to share emissions associated with our products with our customers;

• An ongoing review of current performance to set targets for improvement in environmental areas such as waste reduction and water management and

• A plan to optimise our packaging approach through involvement in the Australian Packaging Covenant.

I look forward to sharing our continued progress in this space in 2023.

Sincerely, thank you.

I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support and acknowledge how humbled I am by everyone’s commitment and camaraderie during 2022. I look forward to continuing this as we move into 2023 and beyond!

Welcome to the third issue of Yellow Tales.

[YELLOW TAIL] PURE BRIGHT BRINGS A LIGHTER TAKE ON WINE TO AUSTRALIAN CONSUMERS

[yellow tail]’s PURE BRIGHT range offers a lighter in alcohol and calories alternative wine, without compromising the quality or flavour [yellow tail] is known and loved for.

To support the launch of [yellow tail] PURE BRIGHT in Australia, a suite of animated and static Out-of-Home creative and digital assets were created to highlight the product’s health benefits and excellent taste.

The creative will be used on digital screens within a 50 metre, or less, radius to Liquorland, First Choice, and independent retailers in November and February. These placements

are expected to reach 2.7 million people. The objective is to ensure top-of-mind awareness and consideration of the product range to when they are most receptive and before they make a purchase decision.

Influencer talent will also be leveraged in the same period on social media to showcase and encourage trial of the [yellow tail] PURE BRIGHT range. The creative highlights ‘a lighter take on wine’ by showcasing the product in an authentic and optimistic way. Through amplification and organic posting, the influencer content is expected to reach 1.3 million people.

[YELLOW TAIL] PURE BRIGHT

NAMED A ‘RISING STAR’

ACCORDING TO IMPACT’S IMPORTED WINE HOT PROSPECTS LIST

Adding to its string of accolades, here at [yellow tail] wine, we are delighted to share that our new range of low-alcohol wines, PURE BRIGHT, has been named a 2021 'Hot Prospect’ by a leading U.S industry publication, Shanken Impact Newsletter.

Targeting the expanding better-for-you category, [yellow tail] PURE BRIGHT offers three refreshing varietals, including Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc, low in sugar, low in calories, and BIG on taste.

Impact’s Annual Roster of 'Hot Prospects’ recognizes up-and-coming brands across

the industry, evaluating over 99 brands to determine if they have achieved the required volumes and growth consistency of over two preceding years.

With the recent launch of [yellow tail] PURE BRIGHT in the U.S. market, we are delighted with this achievement and hope [yellow tail]

PURE BRIGHT continues to grow as consumers increasingly choose to moderate their alcohol consumption. Cheers to that!

Source: Impact Newsletter September 1 & 15, 2022 issue

PETER LEHMANN RELEASES NEW VINTAGES OF ITS SUPER-PREMIUM WINES

To celebrate the new vintage releases of The Master’s Collection and 2017 Stonewell, Australia’s top wine media and critics were presented with the opportunity to taste and review the wines. 20 wine writers have requested to taste them, including the country’s most influential critics;

MW Andrew Callaird The Vintage Journal

Huon Hooke The Real Review

Dave Brookes Halliday Wine Companion

Max Allen Australian Financial Review

Spain SMH/The Age Good Food

Nesbitt James Suckling

We look forward to receiving their scores and reviews. The results are used to showcase our winemaking credentials among consumers

via channels such as social media, the brand website and wine club member e-newsletters, and to support listings of these wines with key retailers.

Stonewell 2017

Matured 18 months in 60% new French oak hogsheads. Lehmann's depth of reach into Barossa's finest sites is evident here, upholding the depth of style and greatness of its flagship, even in a cooler season. A magnificently full, vibrant purple hue, it's packed with compact, dense, crunchy, bright black fruits of all kinds, dressed in a gown of finely woven tannins. High-cocoa dark chocolate French oak has been perfectly tuned to the season. Integrity and persistence define great longevity.

97/100 points - James Halliday Wine Companion 2022.

PETER LEHMANN PORTRAIT RANGE EXPRESSES THE WONDERFUL AND DIVERSE LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S WINE REGION

To celebrate the extension of the Peter Lehmann Portrait range to include two white wines, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, and introduce the range to consumers in time for Summer, media influencers were sent the collection with a personalised letter and tasting notes. The boxes included the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2021 Shiraz, 2021 Rosé, 2021 Riesling, 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, and 2022 Pinot Grigio.

Erina Starkey, National Restaurant Editor of Delicious Magazine, included coverage of the Portrait’s 2022 Pinot Grigio in the weekend pages that were printed in the Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Advertiser and Courier Mail. Below a Matt Moran recipe lies the ‘Top Drops: Picture perfect’ Pinot Grigio. Described as “ideal for summer sipping” and “refreshingly crisp and dry”. The Portrait wine send-out proved to be a success.

Katie

Claire

CONSUMER FEEDBACK

I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you for a wonderful afternoon spent at your cellar door yesterday. The wine and the food were fabulous but the highlight was Angela who looked after

us. What a lovely, funny, warm lady who was informative and clearly passionate about her job. She is a great asset to your cellar door and she made our visit all the more special.

Kind regards, Annabel Fitzpatrick

PETER LEHMANN GOES TO NEW ZEALAND

In early August, Casella’s Brand Ambassador and Educator, Malcolm Stopp, returned to New Zealand for his annual trip to support and work alongside our Peter Lehmann Wines agent, Giesen Wines. This was Malcolm’s first trip back to ‘The land of the long white cloud’ since April 2019.

His week away to both Islands included multiple consumer and trade tastings, masterclasses, staff training and education sessions, which he hosted in both Christchurch and Auckland. The core focus for his trip was to present the new vintage releases for Peter Lehmann, including the Barossan reds, Master’s Collection and Stonewell Shiraz.

Some of the major highlights were consumer tastings at two independent fine wine retailers, Vino Fino in Christchurch, and First Glass Wines and Spirits in Auckland, where combined sales exceeded 140 cases of our premium range wines. He also hosted a dedicated tasting for the waiting staff and management team from Harbourside and Botswana Butchery restaurants in Auckland, which will also see a number of our wines being listed and poured in their Queenstown restaurants during the next year.

Special thanks must go to all of the Giesen Group team for their excellent cooperation and ongoing support of the Peter Lehmann brand in making Malcolm’s trip such a great success.

INFLUENCERS MIX IT UP WITH

MORRIS CLASSIC RUBY

To support the introduction of Morris Ruby in Coles Liquor Group, we generated premium content through engaging with three social media influencers; Jessica Vander Leahy, Tori Falzon, and Ashley Gunner. Following a partnership with the content generation platform, The Right Fit, 140 images were produced through influencer engagement that targeted a wide range of audiences. To drive awareness around the Classic Ruby as the

perfect summer drink, our audience's Facebook and Instagram feeds displayed the product when seeking inspiration for summer beverages. Each influencer brought their own creative license and cocktail recipe using the summery and floral Morris Classic Ruby.

The social activity focused on an audience-led approach that utilised demographic and interestbased behaviour to reach our target consumer and drive traffic to the Liquorland website.

Photo by Tori

Photo by Chris Pearce

Photo by Ashley

SANJANA FROM @MYMELBOURNEDIARY VISITS BAILEYS

To celebrate Organic Month in September and target a younger consumer demographic, a food and wine influencer, Sanjana from @mymelbournediary, was invited to Baileys to experience a Cellar Door wine tasting of exclusive and new vintages, lunch at the Organic Kitchen, and an educational organic winery tour. Thank you to the team at Baileys for hosting Sanjana, who said she had a fantastic trip to Glenrowan.

@mymelbournediary’s Instagram reels reached over 100,000 followers, bringing to life the winery’s history, cellar door experiences and organic wines.

MORRIS WHISKY RELEASES SHERRY BARREL SINGLE MALT

Adding to our MORRIS Whisky line up of Signature and Muscat Barrel whiskies is our newest addition, the MORRIS Australian Single Malt Sherry Barrel whisky, which has just launched in Australia.

The whisky is matured in combination French

COLOUR Tiger-eye gemstone with copper highlights.

and American oak ex-Australian red wine casks, then finished in barrels that have held our Morris of Rutherglen 10yr-Aged Amber Apera (Sherry). Bottled at 46% ABV, Sherry Barrel is a mature, drier style that highlights the perfect balance of oak, malt and Sherry Barrel influence.

NOSE Spun toffee, baked fruit flan with peach compote and fresh sherry cask notes.

PALATE It has a unique Rutherglen character of being produced from all Australian ingredients and finished in Morris of Rutherglen award winning Apera casks. Producing a well-structured whisky with subtle spice, toasted nut and clean oak characters.

FINISH Delicious, candied lemon with gentle sage and marjoram herbal profile.

SIZE: 700ml

TOUR IN UK AND USA!

Head Distiller, Darren Peck and Head of Morris Whisky, Michael Sergeant have recently returned from a 3 week tour on the road with Morris Whisky in the UK and USA to present the whisky to avid whisky consumers and trade.

INTRODUCING PEPPERBOX CHARDONNAY

SUCCESS IN SAINSBURYS!

It has been a good year of relationship building in Sainsbury’s and the buyer took a trip to Australia to learn more about our wines. Due to its success, we have increased [yellow tail] Malbec to full distribution and have secured additional listings for [yellow tail] Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Jammy Rosé Roo and PepperBox Shiraz and Chardonnay in Spring 2023.

CFBE RATED #1 WINE SUPPLIER BY THE UK’S TOP RETAILERS!

PepperBox Chardonnay launched in Tesco this quarter to a fast start, with almost 3k cases sold in the first 14 weeks! The launch is in perfect time to showcase our new daring dishes assets on social through the festive season. The launch has been supported by targeted digital advertising and in the Tesco Christmas magazine. PepperBox Shiraz continues to grow from strength to strength with listings now secured in Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, the Baltics, Slovenia and Georgia!

Commissioned by the Advantage group, this is a prestigious and highly respected industry standard survey which rates and ranks the supplier / retailer relationship across all major FMCG categories in the UK, and includes our largest grocery customers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda. Both suppliers and customers use the results as the benchmark to rank supplier engagement and effectiveness across multiple functions

including sales, supply and marketing, and to understand what we’re doing well, as well as what we can improve on. We were absolutely delighted to find out that this year, Casella Family Brands moved up from 2nd into 1st for wine suppliers! This fantastic result is testament to all the hard work that all at Casella has undertaken in order to deliver this brilliant result. We really couldn’t be in this position without the help and support of everyone across the business

in Europe and Australia, so we thank all who have contributed to this excellent result. Obviously what’s important now is to underpin this great result with even more focus in order to deliver even greater results into and through 2023, so we must continue to work together and retain this position so we are in prime position to continue to grow our brands!

2022 MELBOURNE

ROYAL WINE AWARDS

The 2022 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards saw Morris Wines achieve the ‘Bill Chambers Trophy for Best Fortified Wine’ for the Old Premium Rare Muscat and a ‘Consistency of Excellence Medal’ for the Old Premium Rare Topaque. Alongside these incredible achievements at one of Australia’s oldest and most respected wine shows, Peter Lehmann, Brand’s Laira, Baileys and [yellow tail] all received several bronze, silver or gold awards for their products.

Highlights include Morris Wines and Peter Lehmann Wines receiving a collection of seven Gold awards with scores of 95 and over in total.

Melbourne Royal Wine Awards annually receives around 3000 entries from across the country so congratulations to the continued effort and support brought by the teams.

2022 MELBOURNE ROYAL WINE AWARDS

BRAND’S LAIRA

Bronze

2020 Blockers Chardonnay | 85

2018 Blockers Cabernet Sauvignon | 85

PETER LEHMANN WINES

Gold

2020 Eight Songs Shiraz | 95

2021 The Barossan Grenache | 95

2021 Hill & Valley Tempranillo | 95

Silver

2022 Wigan Riesling | 91

2021 Wigan Riesling | 93

2021 Hill & Valley Shiraz | 90

2021 Portrait Shiraz | 90

2021 Hill & Valley Cabernet Sauvignon | 92

Bronze

2022 Margaret Semillon | 86

2022 Portrait Sauvignon Blanc | 85

2022 Hill & Valley Pinot Gris | 88

2020 Stonewell Shiraz | 87

2019 Mentor Cabernet Sauvignon | 85

2018 Wigan Riesling | 88

2016 Wigan Riesling | 85

MORRIS WINES

The Bill Chambers Trophy for Best Fortified

Wine - Morris Old Premium Rare Muscat, NV

Consistency of Excellence Medal - Morris Old Premium Rare Topaque, NV Muscadelle

Gold

NV Morris Cellar Reserve Grand Topaque | 95

NV Morris Old Premium Rare Topaque | 95

NV Morris Old Premium Rare Muscat | 96

NV Morris Cellar Reserve Grand Muscat | 95

Silver

NV Morris Old Premium Rare Tawny | 90

Bronze

NV Morris Classic Topaque | 88

NV Morris Classic Muscat | 87

[YELLOW TAIL]

Bronze

NV [yellow tail] Moscato |87

BAILEYS

Bronze

NV Baileys of Glenrowan Founder Series Muscat | 86

JAMES HALLIDAY GRENACHE CHALLENGE

The sixth annual James Halliday Grenache Challenge, judged at McLaren Vale, awarded Peter Lehmann Wines with an incredible ‘Top Gold’ for the 2021 The Barossan Grenache, and a ‘Bronze’ for the 2020 The Barossan Grenache. A record 160 Grenache wines from Australia were tasted, showcasing a diverse range of Grenache wines.

Congratulations to all those involved!

PETER

LEHMANN WINES LABORATORY NAMED

‘LABORATORY OF THE YEAR’ FOR THE THIRD TIME IN FOUR YEARS

Peter Lehmann Wines Laboratory has been presented with the prestigious honour of the Patrick Iland Laboratory of the Year Award for the third time.

This award recognises the best-performing laboratory for the year in the Interwinery Analysis Group proficiency testing program. The award is open to 160 Australian laboratories pulled from every winemaking region and 58 international wineries and laboratories!

This highly sought-after award is judged solely on laboratory performance and has only been presented seven times, commencing in 2016. Peter Lehmann Wines became the only laboratory to win this award three times, after receiving it in 2018, 2020, and now again in 2022.

Well done to the incredible staff for their ongoing hard work and care!

Brie Lowke, Sarah Rohrlach, Christine Batten, Darren Schutz

In 2004 Casella Family Brands was awarded Australian Exporter of the Year in the Australian Export Awards. The Australian Export Awards is one of Australia's longest-running business awards programs that recognises and honours Australian exporters who have achieved sustainable growth through innovation and commitment.

This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the awards, and as a previous winner, John Casella was invited to attend the gala event to celebrate the 2022 winners.

2022 ROYAL ADELAIDE WINE SHOW RESULTS

WINNER

HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL WINE AND SPIRIT CHALLENGE

Asia’s most prestigious wine and spirit competition – the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Challenge – gifted [yellow tail] with a total of six Bronze medals. Judged by Asia’s top wine and spirit experts, [yellow tail] received a Bronze for their Pure Bright Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc, Whisky Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Blend, and Reserve Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Casella Family Brands received excellent results from the 2022 Adelaide Wine Show, including winning three trophies!

Peter Lehmann Wines won the Karl Seppelt AO Trophy for Best Other Varietal Red in Show for 2021 Hill & Valley Tempranillo.

Morris of Rutherglen won the John Fornachon Memorial Trophy for ‘Best Apera, Topaque, Muscat or Sweet Wine In Show’ for their Old Premium Muscat and the ‘In Daily Trophy for Best Australian Vintage, Tawny, or Ruby in Show’ for their Old Premium Tawny.

Congratulations to all involved!

BRONZE MEDAL BRONZE MEDAL BRONZE MEDAL BRONZE MEDAL BRONZE MEDAL BRONZE MEDAL

SUSTAINABILITY WASTE IS ONLY WASTE

IF YOU WASTE IT

WITH ROSS WEBSTER & SARAH BRAUDE

Ross Webster Water, Waste & Gardens Manager and Sarah Braude, Sustainability Manager are instrumental in reducing waste at CFB.

We catch up with them to learn more about CFB’s commitmtemnt to reducing waste.

SARAH: It’s no secret that ‘waste’ has an image problem. However, with a mindful approach to recycling and reuse, waste can be used as a resource rather than something we don’t want or need anymore.

At Casella, we aim to adopt a circularity model regarding responsible waste management.

Circular waste management simply refers to maximising the reuse and recycling of waste generated by making the best choices upfront about everything we use and how we use it. As a family company with winery sites located in somewhat remote areas, using materials and resources most efficiently naturally underpins our approach.

ROSS: How we manage waste across our sites; Waste in our operations relates to organics (such as marc, stem and lees), water (wastewater from winemaking) as well as materials (plastics, cardboard, scrap metals and aluminium drums, among others).

With waste management identified as a key material issue for the company, we are identifying opportunities to improve. So far, we have made substantial advances, with 76% of waste generated at Yenda now recycled instead of sent to landfill. In 2023 we will set a target to improve this percentage further.

We manage primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging-related waste by participating in the Australian Packaging Covenant (APCO).

It proposes guidelines, a set of targets and accountability around;

• minimising waste,

• increasing use of recycled materials, and

• improving the recovery of used material.

To ensure we improve our rating against these measures, our first step has been evaluating our new product development (NPD) process to ensure sustainability considerations are integrated into the NPD decision-making process.

From an operational perspective, we have a waste management area at Yenda where various bins exist to dispose of relevant waste materials requiring separate streams from metals to cardboard to obscure plastics. We use bailers to condense suitable materials as much as possible and have invested in acquiring more to maximise this. Baling compresses the materials and reduces the truck movement required when taken from the site, which has a positive emissions benefit.

• Broken glass is collected and sent back to our bottling supplier for recycling.

• Some cardboard waste turned into box bottle dividers which we then use.

• Stems and leaves are used for composting before being returned to the vine as fertiliser.

• Grape Marc (seeds and skins) are sent to a

third-party company for processing, and we then receive it back as dry organic matter that gets composted.

• Grape stems and leaves are composted and returned to our vines as fertiliser.

• Other materials used in the winemaking process, such as tartaric acid and lees (dead yeast from fermentation) are recovered, used, reused or composted.

• All our offices and sites have labelled recycling bins so people can separate waste into the correct bins for processing. What’s next?

• Water – we will look at how water is used across operations and assess any opportunities to optimise its usage for

example we are considering the installation of more water metres so we can better monitor usage.

• Hard-to-recycle materials – we will continue seeking opportunities to recycle more complex materials, such as PET label backing.

• With our annual reporting and action plan obligations under APCO, we will seek to improve our performance year-on-year.

SARAH: Responsible waste management is an area that everyone can get involved in to improve our efforts, so please think about how you approach waste disposal at home and work.

If you’d like to learn more, or join the waste and recycling committee, then please contact me at sarah.braude@casellafamilybrands.com

STAFF TRAINING

To support World Mental Health Week in October 2022 and our values of ‘People’ and ‘Community’, CFB Australia provided voluntary mental health training to all employees to encourage awareness of mental health and improve social and emotional well-being in our workplace and local communities.

The training was delivered by Rural Outreach Counselling (ROC), an organisation founded by one of our longstanding grape-growers, Pat Tripodi.

The highly experienced ROC trainers travelled to each site to deliver QPR Training (Question, Persuade and Refer), a suicide intervention and prevention training that teaches three simple steps to help those experiencing suicidal behaviours. This course aims to give participants the knowledge, skills and confidence to start a conversation with others who are beginning to show signs of distress and withdrawal. We hope the team members who choose to attend a session feel better informed on

how to recognise and respond to issues and equipped with the tools to help someone.

MORRIS SAYS THANK YOU TO LOCAL NURSES

Morris of Rutherglen was delighted to host a group of local nurses to show their appreciation following a tiresome few years. The team at Cellar Door were proud to provide the lovely nurses with a memorable wine tasting after such a challenging period and say thank you to all health workers for their consistent time, care and effort.

The atrium-style design and views of century-old wine barrels provided the perfect backdrop for a glass of Morris’s signature sparkling Shiraz Durif.

A WOOD CHOPPING MORRIS DAY

The 132nd annual Rutherglen Agricultural Show saw several businesses put on a fantastic event after three years of rescheduling due to Covid and wet weather. One thousand people attended to witness dog jumping, a cattle handling parade,

trade exhibitions, live music, and a signature woodchopping event. Morris of Rutherglen donated $3,000 toward the show, allowing the famous North East Woodchoppers –missing in action for 12 years – to return and showcase their

skills. The day was a success, and Morris was proud to donate to an event bringing communities together for a collective celebration of agriculture, business and family.

CASELLA FAMILY BRANDS SUPPORTS KIDS UNDER COVER TO PREVENT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS.

Non-for-profit charity organisation Kids Under Cover aims to reduce the risk of family tension and homelessness in young people by building youth studios in the backyards of families or carers. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, fifty Barossa Valley young people were found to be sleeping in cars or couch surfing.

Casella Family Brands donated funds to Foundation Barossa to support its Homburg Homelessness Prevention Fund.

The first studio was built in the backyard of a family’s Barossa Valley home for a resident’s four teenage great-grandsons. Margo’s threebedroom house could not accommodate the boys and her, so Kids Under Cover presented an excellent opportunity to develop independence and prevent family conflict

through the studio’s installation. The extra room will relieve overcrowding, ease tension and provide young people with a secure and stable environment, preventing them from leaving home prematurely and potentially becoming homeless.

Margo could not thank everyone enough for the difference the studio would make in the lives of her great-grandsons. There was not a dry eye when one of the boys gave her a hug for everything she has done.

Fifty-one studios are now being built across South Australia.

The launch event was wonderful and the first studio could not be going to a more deserving family. The photos are of Margo and one of her great grandsons and Minister Nat Cook.

FLINDERS FOUNDATION DONATION

IT’S OKAY TO SAY NAY

DRINKWISE EDUCATIONAL AND PARENTAL INFLUENCE CAMPAIGN

Casella Family Brands is a member of DrinkWise, an independent, not for profit organisation committed to shaping a healthier and safer drinking culture in Australia.

Launched in November, DrinkWise’s most recent campaign ‘It’s okay to say nay’ campaign focuses on educating parents on the repercussions of supplying their underage teens with alcohol. Backed by leading psychiatrist, Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg, ‘It’s okay to say nay’ aims to correct misconceptions around parental supply, provide clear advice on how to set strong boundaries, and help parents make smart choices concerning alcohol for the benefit of their children.

Most Australian parents don’t supply their teenagers with alcohol. Yet, research has found that of the teenagers who drink, 41.6% said their parents were the primary source of alcohol supply – up from only 25% in 2010.

To engage with the statistics around drinking, the prevalence of social norms is powerful to alter ongoing conversations about the supply and sourcing of drinks. With national television coverage on Channel Nine, Channel Seven, Sunrise, and Studio 10, and national press on The Herald Sun and radio interviews, ‘It’s okay to say nay’ hopes to start conversations and remind parents of the importance in just saying no to giving your kids alcohol.

DrinkWise hopes by providing awareness on parental influence in underage drinking, families will become increasingly conscious of their role in protecting teenagers from risky behaviours, and alcohol-related harm in their future years.

Funding from its member companies, like CFB, supports DrinkWise in delivering these campaigns.

For more information visit https://drinkwise.org. au/parents/its-okay-to-say-nay/#

assisting the initiative to support future cancer research projects. The event raised an incredible profit of $130,000 which will undeniably make a significant difference in the lives of many.

As an evidence-based organisation, DrinkWise relies on key independent research and clinical advice to underpin our campaigns and programs. It’s okay to say nay was guided by experts in research, public health, medicine and social marketing, in addition to being developed and tested with parents and underage teenagers. The following insights informed the campaign.

A HAPPY RECIPIENT

Dear Casella Family Brands,

Thank you for supporting The Women's Resilience Centre for a second year with your generous donation of a special bottle of limited edition Peter Lehmann 2015 Shiraz, from the Casella Family Wine Company. The wine was auctioned at the live auction to over 220 people at Parliament House Sydney and raised over $1800 for The Women's Resilience Centre. Thanks to the generosity of Casella and many other donors, we have been able to open our first Centre this year and provide capacity-building programs (financial resilience programs), online to women across Australia, reaching as far as South Australia, FNQ, and regional NSW.

We are excited about 2023 as we now have the ability to now run face-to-face programs and provide practical help and support to women and their families from our first centre in Mona Vale.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

EMPLOYEE REFERRAL SCHEME

Casella Family Brands has introduced an Employee Referral Scheme. Casella Family Brands and the Australian Beer Company employees can refer a candidate to a vacant full-time position and receive a $1000 incentive payment if the candidate is successfully appointed.

This program has been created as we believe our employees can play an important role in

the recruitment process as great ambassadors for the company. New employees referred to a company by current employees often know what to expect from the company before joining, making commencing in the role a more seamless and enjoyable process. Contact your manager for more information!

Sue Molyneaux, HR Manager

CAREERS @ CASELLA

CFB'S EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

CFB has an Employee Assistance Program that is available for all employees and their families to use.

Since July, Casella Family Brands has worked closely alongside careers advisors and members from the local community who are looking for work or want to learn more about the company.

Hosting tours for years 9-12 at schools in the Griffith/Leeton and surrounding areas has spread the word about what career opportunities are available – encouraging students to work in the local area. Communicating the significance of a winemaking career to schools, career advisors and teachers can aid prospective winemakers in planning their path to a university degree. Early engagement in the workforce has involved

recommending subjects to study for Winemaking courses and showcasing what a career as a winemaker involves.

We have also hosted students in work experience roles, with real-time scenarios to present the wide variety of careers within the business. After the tours, the students are given a questionnaire to gauge what they enjoyed and have the opportunity to ask questions about their career aspirations. Information is also provided to the school on current recruitment opportunities, such as vintage and apprenticeships for the students.

Staff can access a safe, confidential resource to manage stressful circumstances and personal issues. Around-the-clock access to professional assessments and counselling is a tremendous asset for employees navigating complex life challenges like finances, relationships, retirement and health concerns.

The company we use is Lifeworks – the contact number is 1300 361 008.

The service is confidential and no one at CFB is aware of who uses it, the company just pays an annual fee.

SERVICE OFFERED BY EAP

The EAP offers assessment, short-term

counselling (up to 5 counselling sessions) and referral services. If, based on the assessment, an eligible individual requires longer-term counselling or specialised service or treatment, the EAP will assist in finding an appropriate outside resource in the community.

AVAILABILITY

The EAP is available to all Casella Family Brands employees and their family members and is offered to employees at no cost.

VOLUNTARY AND CONFIDENTIAL

Employee participation in the program is voluntary and completely confidential. No one will know that an employee has used the EAP except at the employee’s request and only if the employee has signed a written release form.

CFB STAFF RECOGNISED FOR BRINGING OUR PILLARS TO LIFE!

ACCOUNTABILITY

IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO?

Jake Drum - For always having a positive attitude and willingness to do any job.

Brett Smith, Tim Dolan, Damian Boyle - For taking on extra responsibilities during vintage when other team members were absent.

Michael Turner - For successfully stepping up in to a new role for vintage.

Angela Schrapel - For performing well under pressure in an area that was new to her.

Michael Holthouse - For being a team player and helping out during staff shortages.

Brie Lowke - For stepping up and managing the lab for a stint during vintage.

Brooke Blair - For doing a great job.

Helen Thiele, Angela Materne, Jemma Smith, Jemma Hampel, Roxanne Mathew, Mai Liu, Brandee Elliott, Bronte Ward, Jasper Locke, Nick Richardson, Maegen Klingner - For stepping and taking the initiative whilst short staff due to illnesses.

Brie Lowke, Christine Batten - For starting extra early and taking on further duties and responsibilities to keep everything running while the lab manager was in isolation during vintage.

Helen Thiele, Angela Materne, Jemma Smith, Jemma Hampel, Roxanne Mathew, Mai Liu, Brandee Elliott, Bronte Ward, Jasper Locke, Nick Richardson, Brie Lowke - For for being available for last minute changes and taking on extra reponsibility with staff changes.

Brie Lowke - Noticing a vast colour difference in a wine that will now no longer be used in the blend it was destined for.

Michael Turner - taking the lead in barrel receivals ex the Brands winery to Peter Lehmann site.

Terry Weckert - Terry sacrificed his own time to come in on the weekend to fix the fridge plant.

Darren Schultz, Brie Lowke, Christine Batten, Sarah Rohlach - Attention to detail, high level of care & accuracy in all their daily lab analysis & the meticulous in following cleaning and maintenacne procedures on equipment.

Adam Portolesi, Adam Ingold, Braeden Hetherington, Maria Jarome Varghese - Production had all their casuals go at 3pm, no one to put dividers in. There were no complaints from the guys, they just got in & got it done. Was a great team effort.

Eli Calabria - Tubbing on his own over the past 2 weeks.

Julia Draxinger, Lily Brown - For going above and beyond expectations.

Tinomana Kaue - For holding himself and his team to high standards.

Billy Vearing - For doing an excellent job managing peak centrifuge work load.

Taranjit Singh - For holding himself and his team to the highest standard at all times.

Bastien Gomez, Kolby Seers, Sharon De Haan, Lucila Lopez Barcos - For going beyond expectations with their standard of work.

Blake Norris, Christian Signor - Working to solve complicated issues during vintage.

Siniva Finefeuiaki - She is the only operator from line 3 that attends the pre-shift meetings either on line 3 or line 4 and attends the line after the meeting.

Delores Lorenzo - Because of her attentiveness, we had no product on hold for no bottle code as she was continuously checking after coming on shift. We only had a few cartons which were tipped.

Justin Clark - On Line 8 Justin has been going through the bottles and parts to get format sheets made along with set points to make the line a lot easier to set up and train other people. By doing this it will save a lot of time setting up and changing over.

Geoff Gleeson, Mathew Cirillo - Stayed back to 2am and both went into the hospital with James.

Neil Andruszkiewicz - For great management of the loading pad during harvest. Ensuring trucks left on time, with the correct paperwork and at the correct weight.

Daniel Brady - Taking an extra duties to assist scheduling of back maintenance and covering Electrical & Mechanical stores during staff shortages.

Fillip Seria - For stepping up and taking initiative whilst running pivots, laterals during vintage working with waste water winery staff.

Krishnakant Sathwara, RohitkumarPatel, Nareshkumar Patel, Karthick Muniandy - Helping out with harvest, operating Machinery during vintage.

Dave Brown - For ensuring safety systems were followed up post incident and completed actions in a  timely manner to prevent a re-occurrence.

Ben Miller - It was only Ferdinand and Adam on and we had Moscato change over at 6pm, Ben stayed back without being asked to assist while I completed shift change over.

Han Yao - For going above and beyond during vintage.

Adam Portolesi - He came back in after working a 12.5hr day already to assist with a complicated

Breakdown for another 4hrs without having to be asked to.

Graham Monk, Willy Judar, Dom Sergi, Jamie Peruzzi - For doing outstanding work on the set up and reorganising of Payroll archives - thank you.

Kevin Haggerty - Rapidly responding to aid others, and limit product loss following equipment failure.

Reece Wilson - Actively thinking of solutions while completing jobs and going above and beyond his expectations.

Parmjeet Singh - For MacGyvering the bottle mass flow into the signaliser.

Lennie Northeast - With the external audit over the last 2 days Leni had to demonstrate the quality assurance task on both the glass and can line to the auditor. This can be quite intimidating and the auditor made special mention about how well she performed and the quality of the training system as Leni is a relatively new employee.

Aveli Noortoots - For repeatedly demonstrating excellence in QA work.

Nick Scarfone - or identifying a potential quality issue.

Nick Wiltshire-Laing - For prompt & proactive response when identifying  inaccurate information provided & poor safety practises by a Labour Hire company.

Tamara Ingold - Tamara constantly goes above and beyond to ensure that our export warehouse runs smoothly.

Mario Iirilli, Kanubhai Patel - For taking on extra tasks and responsibilities and showing great attitude.

Rodney Kay - For identifying a potential high risk Electrical hazard at the McWilliams Still site and the way he conducted himself after with quick action notifying relevant people to resolve the issue.

Brendan Brownlaw - By checking invoices for contract work he saved $3500 approx in overcharges.

Chris Jones - His patience and perseverance with the RVD as been great and it is now running very well.

Bruce Ray - For willing to accepting changes and helping out with the bottling on short notice and willing to help others out.

Mata Caqusau, Daniel Watts - They both stepped up so much while I was away.

Geff Cook - Organisation of Multiple contractors and staff across the business to facilitate critical servicing.

Scott Simpson - Attention to detail , forward planning and collaboration with the spirits team to ensure we keep stock in market and new launches on track to deliver to our customers on time.

Steven Green - For taking Control of the palletiser chain flex cable replacement in the absence of our senior electricians. He managed the guys he was working with and completed the job with no issues on startup and testing.

Brooke Aloisi - Finding wrong labels at line 4. Also, she has such a positive, confident attitude

Adam Portolesi - On Monday he was on his way home, we were having issues with the b3 casepacker, I called him for assistance and he stayed back 3.5hrs to fix the issue, on Thursday night there was a issue with a wine

change on b4, Tim had to call him for assistance.

Adam got the wine change going from his laptop at home, his attitude was top notch.

Gregg Colbert - For being nominated and taking on responsibility of representing the SA Fleurieu Casella Management Staff during the recent Enterprise Bargaining.

Ben Stirling, Craig Sanford - The reworking program has taken a huge leap forward and will significantly decrease our pruning costs for winter 2023

Andrew Hill, Geoff Warren, Simon Chinner, Kim Tyler - Have gone above and beyond to ensure the planting program at Currency Creek has run smoothly and within budget. The team have planted just over 351,000 vines in 20 days. Thanks to tweaks to the planting and guarding processes they have been able to increase productivity while maintaining labour numbers.

Scott Duncan, Pardeep Deol, Joe Ratu, Samuel Menegazzo - Cancelled leave due to covid and helped run production.

George Moala, Aiden Brown - Going above and beyond doing oak dust jobs.

Leigh Stokes - For his efforts in data collection, analysing and testing to improve product quality and reduce waste.

Michael De Valentin - For maintaining a high standard of work within his team at all times.

Tim Golden - Whilst installing the corker jaws at line 4 he noticed a major defect which could have caused a quality issue when the machine was running, great attention to detail.

Montanna Crabb - She has taken ownership and led influencer content generation projects for the regional gem wine portfolio with excellent results and return on investment.

Jai Braddick - For raising safety issue on cask racks.

Kamaljeet Kaur - For picking up that line 4 had hooked up to the wrong tank during the night.

Eric Jennings - For his attentiveness and leading by example.

Dora Cameron - Doing the due diligence, asking questions and engaging stakeholders to deliver the Morris and BL plans.

Rodney Kay - Focus on finding solutions & achieving results. For increasing wash water storage capacity at the McWilliams still site.

Jake McGarry - For doing the right thing at the right time and stopping for safety.

Jordan Cunial - Came out in his own time on a Saturday and assisted in the recovery of a sprayer.

Kit Baleimoala - Came in Tuesday and found Michaels filler operator losing wine to drain (1200L lost but could have been 9000L).

Mele Fifita - Mele went above and beyond in helping out with the Sales & Marketing Roadshow.

Nathan Bischard - TFor exemplary attention to detail and diligence on deliveries, appropriately escalating issues to ensure resolution, and creating a process to deal with future queries.

CFB STAFF RECOGNISED FOR BRINGING OUR PILLARS TO LIFE!

PEOPLE WE COMES BEFORE ME

Tamara Ingold, Tevita Mahe, Joe Roberts

Schmezter,

Lolohea,

Reti,

Finefeuiaki,

Chuadhary, John Teaupa, Jitu

Henry,

Vitucci,

- For an outstanding result in EOFY stocktake, our best result to date. The effort our staff members put in, while short staffed, is very much appreciated.

Damian Boyle - Given our shortage of winemakers at PLW, Damian has stepped up from the cellar to help until the winemaking positions are filled.

Ronak Patel - For helping pull out micro samples with particular time stamp for micro testing yesterday.

Ronak restacked 3 casks pallets to get to the bottom samples, wrapped and removed pallets that were not required any more. He did this job with a great attitude, so willing and more than happy to help.

Erin Hathaway - For being proactive and helpful when working with winemakers.

Emma Andersen - For being proactive and supportive to the winemaking team in handling bulk tankers.

Joonathan-Anty Adamoniene - T For doing an excellent job supporting his supervisor.

Brett Robertson - For cancelling his annual leave last week when had lost so many staff due to covid.

Todd Ferguson - Working in personal time to help commission capital projects.

Andrew Digby, Heath Thorpe, Nick Murch - Have been based in Padthaway for the entire vintage period, ensuring the Padthaway vineyards were harvested.

Merlin Kav - For being so nice & flexible with her start day at the cellar lab due to staff shortages at the QA lab.

Bernadette Barnes- In the past has on her own expenses improved minor things that actually has a big impact on routine activities. She cares about her work and fellow staff.

Mele Fifita - For willingness to help out and for creating a positive work environment.

Chris Mattes - For being patient, understanding and working collaboratively  with all teams to deliver to the brand/ innovation plans and category range reviews.

Lara Gardner, Jill Miles, Sara Al-Alami, Paul Succar - Since becoming our resident manual pick, pack and despatch team and going over and above to coordinate getting over 100 orders out.

Charlie Panarello - For his willingness to help and flexibility when it comes to work? Charlie gladly extended his work experience in QA lab for a month when the brewery line checks came on board and we needed extra staff.

Chris Richards - For being flexible with start times and helping out whenever needed.

COMMUNITY

OUR EXTENDED CASELLA FAMILY

of a accident.

Tamara Ingold - We had a pallet of wine that had to be sent to Germany on Monday for testing of a new inspection machine we have purchased, she went above and beyond in assisting us to get it sent there, her efforts were much appreciated.

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT THE BRAVE & CONFIDENT SPIRIT WE EMBODY

Stephen Short - Showing initiative to develop a 750ml bottle carrying system that alleviates carrying heavy loads.

Luke Favaro - Liaising with external resources to ensure that tartaric dosing issues were dealt with and procuring replacement parts.

Jake Villata, Lochlan Zanesco - Volunteering to work with another department to assist in meeting critical deadlines and further develop their own skills and experience.

Narelle Hillsley - working with the spirits team and the printer and going over and above to find a solution to print the upcoming LTD edition Morris Smoked Muscat Whisky labels.

Trevor Schmetzer, Lucila Lopez Barcos - Assisting at the scene

Murray

Semisi Fifita, Samuel

Mafi

Rajesh

Patel, Hare

Eddie

Giovanni

Dominic Barbaro, Lucila Lopez-Barcos, Fatongia Onetaka, Trevor Schmetzer, Peter Faavesi

to

Merilin Karv

Laboratory Assistant

Michiel Jordaan

Packaging Electician

Francis Lavatai

Operations Attendant Bottling

Michael Duncan Operations Attendant Bottling

William Vaeono

Inventory Forklift Driver

Marian Octaviano

QA Lab Assistant

Jamaine Morgan Operations Attendant Bottling

Marie Milne

Clerical - LCreek/MVale/AHills

Madeleine Legoe

Brand Manager - [yellow tail]

Marshall Blackman Brewery Technician

Rudolf Skof Warehouse Forklift Driver

Shafikah Azhari

Packaging Line Attendant

Darrren John

Building & Grounds Main Person

Nicola Northey

Cellar Laboratory Supervisor

Mitchell Harrison

Trades Assistant - Cooperage

Andrew Scott Trades Assistant - Cooperage

Vicki Gough

Packaging Line Attendant

Antonio Calabro Warehouse Forklift Driver

Aaron Daly Maintenance Trades Person

Jitendra Singh Warehouse Forklift Driver

Mengxi Zhang Lab Assistant Meghann Petersen Purchasing Officer

Jemma Hampel Hospitality Attendant - PLW

Brett Schutz

Senor Winemaker - PLW

Christopher Brugger Purchasing Officer

Denise de Almeida Maia Brewing & Distillery Administrator

Andrew Cockram Winemaker - PLW

Carmelo Trifogli Maintenance Tradesperson - ABC Dale Evans

Warehouse Forklift Driver

Mitchell Lane Warehouse Forklift Driver

Codey Smith

Vineyard OperatorWrattonbully

Gladys Douglas

Vineyard Operator - Morris Wines

Erin Mooney

Communications Assistant

CELEBRATING long service

Olex Vongpraseuth

Vineyard OperatorWrattonbully

James Nancarrow Electrician

Samantha Paguiga

Operations Attendant Bottling

Inderpal Singh Operations Attendant Bottling

Craig Lindley

Brewery Technician

Dijana Vrankovic

Manager - Special Projects

Shayne Boyle

Vineyard Mechanic - Fleurieu

Lauren Hutton

Assistant Winemaker - PLW

Roxanne Mathew

Hospitality Attendant - PLW

Olivia Heidrich

Head of Communications

Bianca Barnes Packaging Line Attendant

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.

John West 10 years Geoffrey Warren 10 years

Sharon Laviano 10 years Jill Miles 10 years Shanna Harris 10 years

Terence Nolan 20 years

Geoffrey Cartmel 20 years

Narelle Hillsley 10 years Kym Wheeler 15 years Kamaljeet Kaur 15 years

Jeffrey Brettschneider 15 years

Andrew Hill 10 years

Elijah Calabria 15 years

Linton Pritchard 40 years Andre Turner 20 years

Elizabeth Irvin 15 years

Francesca Harding 10 years

Christopher Longford 10 years

Christopher Blockley 10 years

Nazaren Messina 10 years

Erin Hunt 20 years Rodney Kay 15 years

Dino Menegazzo 20 years

Kitione Baleimoala 15 years Andrew Cox 15 years