[yellow tales] Issue 1 2023

PETER LEHMANN TEAMS UP WITH MATT MORAN STONEWELL

CONTENTS

Message from John Casella

Page 3

Parliament DrinkWise Nolo Tasting Page 4

[yellow tail] x Logos Page 5

[yellow tail] Helps others Page 6

[yellow tail] Consumer feedback Page 7

Peter Lehmann partners with Matt Moran Page 8

Peter Lehmann Stonewell: little black jewels Page 9

A day on the green with Peter Lehmann Page 12

Peter Lehmann partners with Etihad Page 13

Brand's Laira's Brooke Blair's profile Page 14

Bailey's Sip & Savour

Bailey's in Delicious Magazine

Page 15

Page 16

Morris Ruby Spritz Page 17

Valentine's with Atmata

Page 18

Morris Whisky Sherry Barrel wins Page 19

Vintage update

Page 20-21

CFB Supporting our communities Page 22

CFB's Japanese importer, Sapporo, visits Page 23

[yellow tail] expands across Africa Page 24

Sales update with Mark Churi

Page 25

CFB awards & accolades Page 26-28

Sustainability Page 29-31

CFB Employee Assistance Program Page 32

Exciting life of a pallet Page 33

Vintage 2023 recruitment Page 34

CFB history timeline Page 35-36

CFB key facts Page 37

CFB Pillars Page 38-39

New starters & years of service Page 40

Dear All,

Welcome to the first [yellow tales] for 2023. The year is off to a busy start, with big projects and exciting new ventures both domestically and internationally.

Vintage is well underway, and I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved for their incredible effort and ongoing dedication.

Despite a later start to harvest and cooler conditions, the overall fruit condition is looking good with vibrant fruit. We are confident we will have a high-quality 2023 vintage – a tremendous effort from everyone working extremely hard to create outstanding wine across the brands.

The premium portfolio has kicked off the year with a partnership with Chef Matt Moran. The two year partnership will showcase the grape-toglass, farm-to-table philosophy, which celebrates producers and the origin of our quality food and wine. As part of the partnership, Moran will collaborate with Peter Lehmann’s winemakers to create memorable moments through unique

food and wine experiences, including the listing of award-winning Peter Lehmann Wines at key Matt Moran venues such as the Rockley Pub. The Matt Moran partnership will coincide with the celebration of 30 vintages of Stonewell, one of Peter Lehmann’s flagship wines. The Copper & Grain team have had some outstanding accolades so far this year with Morris Whisky and are going from strength to strength, anticipating the launch of cellar-door exclusives of Muscat and Single Malt – with a higher ABV.

On the other side of the world, [yellow tail] has been speaking to new consumers with Fresh Twist – with three fruity flavours; Peach & Mango, Strawberry and Lime and Tropical Pineapple. I’m so proud to see how much the Casella community continues to give back with charity and support with volunteer work in Australia and overseas. I look forward to seeing this continued effort into 2023.

I am also thrilled to announce that the Sydney team have a new office in St Leonards – only metres from the old office.

Enjoy the read. Please look after yourselves and each other.

Warm regards,

John

PARLIAMENT DRINKWISE NOLO TASTING

DrinkWise and the Parliamentary Friends of Preventative and Public Health recently co-hosted an event at Parliament House in Canberra to share DrinkWise research on consumer attitudes towards zero and lowerstrength products. Dr. Michael Freelander MP, Dr. Helen Haines MP and DrinkWise CEO Simon Strahan spoke at the event to discuss the role these products can play in preventing Australians from drinking at risky levels and reducing their overall alcohol consumption.

Emergency Physician Dr. Andrew Rochford also gave his perspective on the cultural change around alcohol we’ve seen over the past 15 years. This event highlighted how government, researchers, industry, and other stakeholders working together in a wholeof-community approach can lead to a safer and healthier drinking culture in Australia. Members of Parliament – including Bill Shorten, Steve Georganas, Marielle Smith, and Allegra Spender – were joined by CEOs, academics and representatives from the alcohol industry to sample some zero and lower-strength wine, beer and spirits.

Ongoing education is critical to ensure Australians make responsible decisions about their alcohol consumption, which is why DrinkWise will continue to work with all stakeholders to create greater awareness of the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines and the importance of moderation as conscious consumers.

[YELLOW TAIL] X LOGOS

An exciting new collaboration between [yellow tail] and Japanese outdoor brand, Logos, includes five recipes for dishes that are a perfect match for our wine. Alongside beautiful images of food and wine pairings, co-branded products to commemorate the collaboration were created. These original prizes were given to customers who purchased [yellow tail] for a limited time, including a [yellow tail] x LOGOS stainless steel bean plate and wooden chopstick rest.

[YELLOW TAIL] HELPS OTHERS

[yellow tail] have supported numerous charity events in the last few months, including the Evans River Community Fundraiser and Suncorp Youngcare Charity Event.

Following the 2022 Evans River floods in February and March, [yellow tail] decided to donate a case each of [yellow tail] Chardonnay and [yellow tail] Shiraz to the Evans River Community Fundraiser in October. This fundraiser was organised by the Evans River K-12 Community School P & C whose community was greatly affected by the floods, with many students and staff still not back in their homes at the time. The P & C held a Trivia night on the 29th of October to bring their community together to raise much-needed funds for the school and community.

$4000. It was lots of fun and there was lots of laughter. Thank you so much! The bottles of wine were much appreciated for the winners, runners up, 2nd, 3rd and other prizes throughout the night. Thank you so much!” – Tara

Suncorp is a proud foundation partner of Youngcare, a not-for-profit organisation creating choice and independence for young people with high-care needs. Hosting a Silent Auction and Trivia fundraiser on March 24, 2 cases of [yellow tail] – Bubbles and Bubbles Rose –were donated to the cause. To further support the organisation through a fundraising event, Suncorp’s Executive Manager, Todd Finney, will embark on a journey trekking across the Simpson

[YELLOW TAIL]

CAKE: MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM

[YELLOW TAIL] CUSTOMER

FEEDBACK – SOMETHING FROM OUR FANS

I am writing to tell you what a flavourful and satisfying complement (and compliment) to my meal I found your Chardonnay wine to be! Now when I return to that store to buy wine, I will be looking for your distinctive label. Australia is not the first country that comes to mind when it comes to wines, but you have made both a believer and a satisfied customer of me! - Anthony

PETER LEHMANN WINES PARTNERS WITH RENOWNED CHEF AND RESTAURATEUR MATT MORAN

Peter Lehmann Wines, one of the Barossa Valley’s most respected wineries, has unveiled a new two-year partnership with celebrated chef and restaurateur Matt Moran. The collaboration unites two of Australia’s most esteemed names in wine and hospitality.

Upholding similar philosophies of ‘paddockto-plate’ and ‘grape-to-glass’, Matt Moran and Peter Lehmann Wines share many core values. Both are known for bringing people together and creating experiences and memories with outstanding produce. Peter Lehmann Wines and Moran’s restaurants are both iconic and highly regarded, with a range of options for various occasions and price points.

Matt Moran is a trailblazer in the Australian food and dining scene, with over three decades of experience running some of Australia’s best and most-loved venues. He is renowned for championing the ‘paddock to plate’ ethos, which emphasises the importance of locally sourced, sustainable produce that has seasonality front of mind.

Similarly, an icon and a pioneer, Peter Lehmann was committed to quality and provenance. In the early years, when local grape growers were struggling to make ends meet, Peter Lehmann stepped up to create a wine that not only sourced local grapes but embodied the spirit of the local community, creating a wine legacy like no other.

As part of the partnership, Moran collaborated with Peter Lehmann’s winemakers to create memorable moments through unique food

and wine experiences, with consumer events, bespoke recipes and in-venue activity, including the listing of award-winning Peter Lehmann Wines at key Matt Moran venues such as the Rockley Pub.

The two-year partnership commenced with activity surrounding the celebration of 30 vintages of Stonewell, one of the world’s greatest Shiraz.

This collaboration promises to be a perfect pairing of expertise, passion and quality.

LITTLE BLACK JEWELS

30 vintages of Stonewell presents an important milestone for the Peter Lehmann brand, as our ‘Little Black Jewels’ are celebrated for their success and history. Shiraz has clearly found a home in the Barossa Valley where we continue to grow vines that are nearly 180 years old.

When Peter Lehmann released the first Stonewell wine in 1987, the aim was to showcase the very best of Barossa Shiraz and make the most powerful expression of Shiraz from our legacy of growers’ vineyards each vintage.

Over the years, sixty growers from regions across the Barossa have provided fruit for Stonewell, some of them for more than ten of the thirty vintages. Ralph Shrapel has provided grapes for twelve vintages of Stonewell, including the very first vintage in 1987 and the newly released 2017. With each generation, the approach to vineyard health has evolved from really working the ground in the early years, to being increasingly ‘hands off’, and letting the fruit truly express itself. The Schrapels believe that investing in establishing the vines well while young will minimise intervention as they mature.

“Peter Lehmann’s legacy lives on through the many accolades Stonewell Shiraz has accumulated to cement itself as an iconic wine. We are known for crafting wines that showcase the incredible fruit from the Barossa and our long-standing relationships with growers. We are committed to making high quality Shiraz wines that are beautifully balanced and structured.”

Nigel Westblade, Chief Winemaker From 2016 - Present

A DAY ON THE GREEN WITH PETER LEHMANN WINES

In December of 2022, Peter Lehmann Wines hosted the incredible 21st season of A Day on The Green where acts such as The Killers, Jack Ladder and Floodlights performed. A Day on The Green is a much-loved regional festival in the Barossa Valley, and The Killers could not turn down the chance to tour Australia and commemorate musicians like INXS, Midnight Oil and Icehouse. The show was a huge success and live music is back!

CONSUMER FEEDBACK

We wanted to say a belated thank you for the service and tasting on Sunday and thank Jemma for her hospitality (and always good to see Roxanne as well). We appreciated Jemma's welcome and knowledge and we love coming up to Tanunda for a platter and tasting.

Thank you for continuing to provide a high-quality experience.

Warm regards, Ros and John Mattner.

PETER LEHMANN X ETIHAD

Following a successful tender process, Peter Lehmann’s The Barossan Shiraz is now being served on Etihad Business Class. The Etihad tasting panel chose our signature wine as the main Australian red wine to be served in business class. The reason for its success on

the drinks menu includes the long list of awards received, including Best of Show Australian Red in Mundus Vini 2021 and a Double Gold in the China Wine and Spirits Awards. Well done to the Peter Lehmann Wines team!

BROOKE BLAIR PROFILE SENIOR

WINEMAKER

Growing up only forty minutes away from Coonawarra in South Australia’s Limestone Coast meant that Brooke Blair was constantly surrounded by winemaking and viticulture. Initially studying Commerce, Brooke transferred to winemaking when she discovered the science of oenology and its freedom to travel overseas for work experience.

Starting off in Coonawarra’s Jack Estate and Hollick Wines during her university holidays, Brooke’s love for winemaking thrived, followed by her graduation from the University of Adelaide with a degree in Oenology. Brooke’s experience working three vintages at Hollick Wines as an assistant winemaker led her to spend several influential years at vintages overseas in Spain, Chile and Canada. Her first vintage in Spain highlighted the significance of the vineyard, and the importance of fruit prior to being delivered to the winery. With such a focus, Brooke’s viticultural skills were enhanced to realise the imperative nature of cultivating and harvesting grapes for premium wine production. Chile’s 2008 vintage saw Brooke working with nine different wineries, ultimately introducing her to a range of different winemakers, ideas, and practices. The art of winemaking can be seen in its ability to harness and encapsulate the winemakers’ personality,

with Brooke’s newfound approach incorporating “reflection of the terroir, balance and harmony” to let the fruit express itself.

Returning to Australia over a decade later with a wealth of experience in both local and abroad vintages, Brooke continued her winemaking career in The Riverland and Currency Creek wine regions.

Since joining the Casella Family Brands team in 2017, with the acquisition of Shaw Family Vintners, Brooke has showcased her adventurous spirit and extensive skill set following her years spent abroad. Consistently working on improving the quality and consistency of the brand, her success was fully celebrated in the 2022 wine show season, with every wine produced receiving a gold medal at one of the major capital city shows. Gold medalwinning merlot wines in Australia are rare and worthy of high praise.

Coming completely full circle, an opportunity as Lead Winemaker with Brand’s Laira Coonawarra opened up. Interestingly, Brooke’s parents were close friends with Jim and Jo Brand, with her father even attending their wedding all those years ago. She recalls fond memories of playing with the Brand sons while the adults socialised. In more recent times, the importance of tradition, family and friendship to this wine label can be seen in a shared love of championing the fruit from Coonawarra, with Sam Brand also having his own winery. Now returning to her hometown and working as Lead Winemaker, Brooke is excited to uphold the “to embrace the past for inspiration to craft a contemporary future”.

Brooke looks forward to evolving Brand’s Laira into a contemporary space and audience by adding new wines to the portfolio, while respecting its long and influential legacy.

SIP & SAVOUR

In early February, Baileys of Glenrowan exhibited at the Albury Sip and Savour event in QEII Square. A stall was set up amongst many other local wineries, breweries and distilleries, with numerous ticket holders sampling Baileys organic and premium wines. Accompanied by live music, Baileys’

organic wines were popular over the warm weekend, with the 2022 Organic Fiano and 2019 Organic 1920s Shiraz proving extremely popular. Baileys of Glenrowan also hosted a master class featuring organic wine, which was well-attended. Cellar Door Assistant, Dylan Talbot, is pictured in the below images.

BAILEYS FEATURES IN DELICIOUS MAGAZINE

Our Baileys 1920s Block Shiraz 2013 was recently featured in Delicious magazine as one of their top picks of Australian reds!

“What could be more Australian than a rich, silky-textured shiraz from vines (planted circa 1920) grown in the bushranger country of Glenrowan? This drop seduces with its moreish dark fruit and gentle herbal complexity and comes to the fore with a charred piece of beef.”

CONSUMER FEEDBACK

In 1982 a friend gave me a bottle of your Bin 53 Vintage Port 1974. I promised him that we would share a glass at a future time and received a disbelieving look. He moved to Adelaide and we fell out of contact. Last night we had dinner with our wives in Adelaide and I arranged for the restaurant to serve that port at the end of the meal. As it had not been ideally cellared over the past 41 years I

was somewhat fearful! I need not have been! Despite the cork needing to be removed in sections, the contents could not have caused more delight — very dark, so smooth and wonderful intensity! 49 years of maturation had certainly delivered a stunning result, it was the highlight of our reunion!

Regards, David

Adams.

"This drop seduces with its moreish dark fruit and gentle herbal complexity"

MORRIS RUBY SPRITZ

MORRIS Whisky and Morris of Rutherglen Wines have partnered up to create this refreshing summer spritz serve which is super simple to recreate at home. Create this refreshing summer spritz service which is very easy to recreate at home. A super vibrant and refreshing drink that’s best enjoyed as a pre-dinner drink at sunset with friends.

INGREDIENTS

• 45ml MORRIS Signature Whisky

• 22.5ml MORRIS of Rutherglen Classic Ruby

• 30ml Pineapple juice

• 22.5ml Lemon juice

• 15ml Simple syrup

• Topped up with Prosecco

• Edible flowers or a lemon wheel for garnishing

METHOD

Shake all ingredients (except Prosecco) with ice, then fine strain into a coupe glass. Top it up with Prosecco and garnish.

VALENTINE’S WITH ATMATA

For Valentine's Day this year, Atmata wines collaborated with one of Sydney’s top florists, Floreat, to create a limited edition Valentine’s Day pack.

Both Atmata and Floreat adopt a holistic approach that provides products to encapsulate the very nature of grape to glass and rose-bush to bouquet.

Sydneysiders could choose from one, two

or three dozen roses, to be delivered with a beautiful bottle of Atmata rosé. Additionally, $50 from each gift pack sold is being donated to the Royal Women’s Hospital Foundation.

Promoting the collaboration, we sent gift packs to influencers and media across the city and, in exchange, received amazing feedback and engagement across social media.

MORRIS SHERRY BARREL WHISKY IN TOP 15

We are thrilled to be included in The Weekend Australian, with Morris's Sherry Barrel Whisky placed in Nick Ryan's Top 15 High Spirits! Congratulations to all involved.

VINTAGE UPDATE

With the 2023 vintage underway, each winery site has shared its progress and expectations for vintage 2023. We wish everyone a safe and happy rest of the season!

NEW SOUTH WALES

temperatures have been ideal for fruit development and maturation which resulted in greater fruit flavour. We are still at the very beginning of our crush, and it is too early to say how the rest of the harvest will be, but so far, we are happy with the quality of the Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Sparkling varieties.”

David Joeky | Head Senior Winemaker

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Yenda

“The growing season did start off with high rainfall across the country and very mild temperatures. Due to the cooler temperatures, our veraison and harvest timing have been pushed out by approximately 3 weeks. Since the start of the ripening period, we have had

Peter Lehmann Wines, Barossa

overall, due to mild and sunny conditions at the critical times. A generally cool start to summer has further slowed development and we are only now just seeing some colour development in reds and softening of white fruit. Although maturation is probably around 3 weeks later than ‘average’, slow fruit development is conducive to positive structural development of tannins, colour and flavour components in the berry. The challenge with a later start to vintage is with varieties that ripen later in the season. There may be a difficulty in achieving optimum fruit ripeness if the autumn period is cool and wet also. The grapes taste very acidic still, with no flavour development yet.”

a solid dry run with nice bright days and mild to cool nights. Overall, cooler day and night

“The lead up to vintage saw above average rainfall throughout spring, keeping sub-surface moisture levels healthy throughout flowering and fruit set. Fruit set well

Brett Schutz | Head Senior Winemaker Brand’s Laira

“The growing season has been cooler than ‘normal’ and the rainfall higher. This has led to a delay in ripening by 2-3 weeks. The fruit development and maturation have been slower than ‘normal’ and are still developing. The grapes are still

“FRUIT SET WELL OVERALL, DUE TO MILD AND SUNNY CONDITIONS”

“WE ARE HAPPY WITH THE QUALITY OF THE PINOT GRIGIO, SAUVIGNON BLANC AND SPARKLING VARIETIES”

VINTAGE UPDATE

ripening so we haven’t tasted any yet. At this stage, they are still quite tart. In comparison to recent years, this vintage is a lot later than a typical year and I have a feeling it’s going to be very compressed. We do

plan to try and hang our reds out for a bit longer on the vine this year (weather permitting) to enhance flavour and colour development. I’m very excited to be taking the reins this vintage for Brand's Laira and am eager to see what the vintage brings.”

Brooke Blair | Lead Winemaker

VICTORIA

Baileys of Glenrowan

“Glenrowan has received above average rainfall with a wetter and cooler than average

approximately two weeks behind recent vintages. Grapes have just completed veraison with full-colour change now complete. It’s early, and sugars are starting. It’s a bit early to pick a standout and due to late season, flavours have just started. In comparison to recent years, the season is cooler and later. This has been a high input season due to above-average rainfall and Baileys vineyard is fully certified organic, making

Spring. The cooler conditions have slowed the growing and we are currently running

it extra difficult. To the credit of the vineyard team, with diligent management and going the extra mile, Baileys have maintained high-quality fruit for vintage 2023 and vines look in excellent health – a truly magnificent effort under the most trying conditions.”

Paul Dahlenburg | Chief Winemaker

Morris of Rutherglen

“Temperatures are much cooler than average (all through growing season). Rainfall has been substantially higher than the average. At

present, we are approximately 50% through veraison (berry colouring and softening) which is approximately 3 weeks later than the average. In comparison to last year’s vintage, much cooler conditions have led to the harvest starting to be delayed by approximately 3 weeks. The cool ripening conditions will result in the wines showing good, fresh and vibrant fruit, with characters of higher natural acid levels. All the fruit is in very good condition, and the climate conditions experienced look like the resultant wines will be very good quality.”

David Morris | Chief Winemaker

“THE GROWING SEASON HAS BEEN COOLER THAN NORMAL”

“ALL THE FRUIT IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION”

“BAILEYS HAVE MAINTAINED HIGHQUALITY FRUIT FOR VINTAGE 2023”

CASELLA DONATES TO CAMBRIDGE FOODBANK

CFBE volunteered time and much-needed products to a local Cambridge Foodbank to help them prepare for the tough winter. We donated over 100 tins of food, 14kg of rice and pasta, 400 tea bags, 5kg of desserts, chocolates, and sweets and 40 toilet rolls

CFBE is also celebrating getting [yellow tail] Chardonnay into Costco. This is due to the strong performance of our [yellow tail] Shiraz and Jammy Red Roo which were listed in May 2022.

VISIT BY CFB JAPAN IMPORTER SAPPORO BREWERIES

In February 2023, CFB welcomed Sapporo Breweries’ Head of Marketing, Mr Yasushi Sato, and Brand Manager for [yellow tail] and Peter Lehmann, Mr Haruki Toma, to Australia. Sapporo Breweries are one of Japan’s largest beer companies and a major importer of wine and spirits. James Wilson and Shirley Song accompanied the guests to visit the [yellow tail] and Peter Lehmann wineries where they toured the vineyards and met several key personnel, including David Joeky, Les Worland, Nigel Westblade, Brett Schutz and Jade Rogge. Numerous tastings were held with some fabulous wines – the highlight being a 2015 Masterson Shiraz. John Casella also hosted

a memorable dinner where he showed off his cooking skills! Thank you to Shirley and James for making Sapporo Breweries feel welcome in their Australia travels.

[YELLOW TAIL] EXPANDS ACROSS AFRICA

Over the past two years we have launched [yellow tail] in four new African countries –Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon and Uganda, as well as re-engage with our importer in Nigeria. Wine consumption is generally still low in most African countries but continues to grow with a developing middle class and as consumer behaviour changes. Most wine has originated from either South Africa or imports coming from Europe, especially Italy or Spain. There is a growing demand for new world wines from Australia. CFB plans to selectively seed the markets we have recently entered and launch into new markets which offer the highest potential for imported wine.

WE HAVE A NEW HOME!

The Sydney team are thrilled to have a new home in St Leonards. The new office address is: Level 4, Building A 207 Pacific Highway St Leonards NSW 2065

A WORD FROM MARK CHURI: GENERAL

MANAGER - SALES

Dear all,

On behalf of the Domestic Sales team at Casella Family Brands (CFB), hello and welcome to the first edition of [yellow tales]!

Our key business focus here at CFB is to ensure we stay relevant to customers’ needs and the market’s ever-changing demands. Through the Advantage report, consumers have provided us with valuable feedback on our core strengths and opportunities. Armed with this insight, we are focused on ensuring that our future business strategies and ways of working better align to consumer goals and aspirations.

2022 marked the 20th birthday of [yellow tail] in Australia, and the brand has come a long way since its inception. We were delighted to celebrate this milestone with the title of ‘World’s Most Powerful Wine Brand’ for the fifth consecutive year. Furthermore, [yellow tail]’s position as a known and trusted wine brand is further cemented by the latest IRI MAT read. [yellow tail] is now Australia’s number 1 wine brand in the sub $10.00 price segment.

The journey of Casella Family Brands has accelerated in pace over the past 6 months. From a single brand-led wine business in 2001, we have now evolved into a truly diversified multi-beverage company boasting world-class operational facilities and infrastructure across wine, beer (ABCo), spirits (Copper and Grain Co.) and private label (Austral).

As we face an ever-evolving drinks landscape and the challenges of recruiting a younger

demographic, we recognise that we must win by maintaining an entrepreneurial and agile mindset – delivering innovative beverage solutions to our customers and consumers.

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2023. I look forward to meeting the challenges of our industry jointly as we navigate rapidly changing consumer preferences and evolving retailer landscapes.

Mark Churi, General Manager - Sales

#1 WINE BRAND

in the sub $10 price segment

[yellow tail] is Australia's 1

MORRIS WINS AT GLOBAL FINE WINE CHALLENGE

Judged by Toni Paterson, Andrea Pritzker and Andrew Caillard, the Global Fine Wine Challenge is said to be the “perfect Grand Prix event to celebrate, promote and endorse the finest wines” (Andrew Caillard MW). Accessible by invitation only and restricted to the very top wines of each country, Morris Wines achieved an incredible four wins this year!

In addition to Morris’ Old Premium Rare Fortified Tawny NV being awarded an impressive Double Gold, the Old Premium Rare Topaque NV, Old Premium Rare Muscat NV and 2018 CHM Durif won a Runner-Up Double Gold, Gold and Judges Selection respectively.

WORLD WHISKIES AWARDS

Morris’ Australian Single Malt Whisky achieved an incredible Gold Medal and Category Winner in the World Whiskies Awards! Marketing Manager, Lara Gardner, shared her insights on the wonderful win and how proud the team are.

“To win a gold for our Morris Australian Single Malt Whisky Muscat Barrel expression at the World Whisky Awards is incredible, as we were up against some tough competition,” she said.

“It’s such a good feeling to see all our efforts in creating a unique whisky from our home in Rutherglen Victoria make it to the world stage. The whole Morris team are delighted.”

The World Whiskies Awards are the global awards selecting the very best in all the international recognised styles. It is an

honour to be awarded the winning title in the Australian Single Malt Whisky category.

Congratulations to the Morris Whisky team!

THE WHISKY CLUB WHISKY OF THE YEAR 2022

What a way to kick off 2023!

Morris Whisky was voted by the people as the top Australian whisky with our inaugural, exclusive release of MORRIS Australian Single Malt Whisky Tokay Barrel Whisky for The Whisky Club's Top 10 whiskies of 2022. With Bushmill’s Irish Whisky taking the #1 position – massive congratulations to the team at Proximo Spirits Australia!

MORRIS REAL REVIEW WINS

Both Peter Lehmann and Morris Wines were included, and awarded merits, in The Real Review Wine Classification. Only the best wines within Australia and New Zealand are included in such an esteemed collection of blind tastings by the most respected wine writers!

3 Merit Wines are the iconic wines of the country, showcasing true provenance and an exemplary track record. Most of these wines have received gold ribbons for recent vintages, with top vintages scoring an incredible 98 points or more. Less than 0.5% of wines produced achieve this tier. Congratulations to the Morris Wines team whose Old Premium Rare Liqueur Muscat and Topaque ranked first in their respective categories of NV Muscat À Petits Grains from Rutherglen and NV

Muscadelle from Rutherglen and are now 3 Merit Wines!

2 Merit Wines achieve gold and high silver ribbons in recent vintages, with top vintages achieving 96 points or more. Peter Lehmann’s Black Queen Sparkling Vintage Shiraz and Stonewell Shiraz were handed such respected titles!

Well done to Peter Lehmann Wines whose Margaret Barossa Semillon was given the title of a 1 Merit Wine! This merit tier showcases wines that reliably achieve gold and silver ribbons in recent vintages, with top vintages achieving 95 points or more.

Such an outstanding achievement is a true depiction of the hard work and winemaking expertise that goes on behind the scenes.

[YELLOW TAIL] FRESH TWIST STRAWBERRY & LIME

Congratulations to the Team whose Fresh Twist Strawberry & Lime won numerous awards, including a Director’s Award for Best Fruit/Grape Blend at the San Diego Wine & Spirits Challenge! [yellow tail]’s Buttery

Chardonnay, Fresh Twist Tropical

Pineapple and Peach & Mango also

achieved Gold Medals at the challenge. Fresh Twist is launching as we speak and having these awards already in the bag will make a big difference. The same is true for Buttery Chardonnay, which is launching at the same time as Fresh Twist!

SUSTAINABILITY GETTING ACTIVE IN THE INDUSTRY

SHARING OUR KNOWLEDGE IN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

Casella Family Brands was recently invited to participate at the 2023 Sustainable Wine Roundtable Climate Change Series Conference, being the first of three events. Casella’s Sustainability Manager, Sarah Braude, joined a panel to discuss how companies can strategically manage climate change, starting with measuring their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Drawing on Casella’s recent undertaking in these areas, Sarah shared the company’s experience in developing a GHG emissions inventory. This inventory consists of both direct operations, but also for the entire wine portfolio life cycle.

Sarah said, “it was great to share our insights on how to measure GHG emissions of both products and operations. We are in a strong position armed with both types of emissions data, and it’s fantastic that we can share our experience with companies looking to do similar.”

Other areas discussed at the Roundtable included the cost versus benefit analysis of emission reduction initiatives, engaging the right expertise in your business to implement emissions reductions, and connecting employees to customers’ expectations in climate change management.

THE WILD WORLD OF WINE PACKAGING

The wine industry is thousands of years old and inherently steeped in strong traditions, including how it is stored and sold. Before the first glass

bottle was formed in 1,600BC in Mesopotamia, wine was stored in clay flasks called amphorae. Clay didn’t offer much flexibility in terms of market differentiation or complement the taste profile like glass does. Glass bottles still reign supreme, but new entrants and reinvention of old classics in the packaging race are appearing as more brands focus on lowering their greenhouse gas emissions footprint. However, there is a lot more to consider across environmental, winemaking, taste and aesthetic impacts. P Packaging company Packamama has come out with a ‘flat wine bottle’ made from 100% recycled PET (‘rPET’). Its emphasis is on plastic lightweight bottles because of their greenhouse gas emissions savings (a glass bottle takes a lot more energy to make and move around). This writer thought it made a good cricket bat, but this is one change in wine packaging to watch. Will consumers latch on? Currently, the closure is not recyclable, so that is one technical hurdle that needs to be overcome, along with the implications on taste and propensity to end up discarded outdoors. Whilst some people love its portability, others think that the wine’s taste is impacted, with the format not lending itself to ageing of wine and being better suited to consumption close to purchasing.

A Aluminium canned wine continues to grow in popularity by catering to the single-serve segment. Full 750mL aluminium bottles have also made a new market appearance. Similar to PET bottles, these formats are lighter than

glass, easy to transport, recyclable and harder to break. Aluminium, like glass, is also infinitely recyclable – unlike plastic. CCL, a manufacturer of these bottles, says that "with higher thermal conductivity and chill retention than glass and plastic, aluminium bottles cool quickly and stay cooler for a longer period of time". Some additives and byproducts in wine, such as copper and sulphur dioxide, can react with the aluminium – causing issues with taste and smell. A liner is typically installed inside the can, but more acidic wines can also erode this, making it a better choice for ready-to-drink wine with short shelf lives.

materials. Although, recycling of the bladder can be problematic, and usually needs to be put in the general waste bin meaning the materials are not recovered or reused.

C Cask Wine, or bag in box, is still featured on shelves since its inception in South Australia in 1965, with Covid-19 catalysing a resurgence. They usually consist of a plastic or foil bladder inside a cardboard box. It is suitable for large quantities of wine, with the ability to maintain an air-tight seal for long periods of time (around 1 month) with use. It is also a tick on the GHG emission side, with lower emissions compared to other formats due to its less energy-intense

K Kegs are used in the hospitality industry for wine and beer on tap - eliminating the need for individual bottles and packaging. We are seeing more BYO container wine refill stations appearing, inspired by the humble keg. The Drink Hive, ReWine, Glou, P&V, Cowpunk and Fourth Wave Wine are just a few players in the refillable wine space. Accolade has also been trialing distributing Banrock Station wine to bars in 4.5-litre glass containers that can then be sent back, washed and refilled. This is not a new concept, with the milk industry’s refill being prevalent after World War II, due to bottle shortages. There are legal, health and safety barriers to overcome but are we seeing wine take a foray more seriously into this space?

A ‘All-Cork’ wine bottles, made entirely from cork, were also a more radical (and still theoretical) idea proposed in recent years. Cork is harvested from the bark of the Cork Tree (with no harm to the tree itself if done correctly), which regenerates every 10 years. Like its cork closure counterparts, some kind of binder material is

needed to stop absorption and leaking of the bottle and ‘stick’ the cork together, this can be natural or synthetic (e.g. plastic) based. Unfortunately, cork is hard to recycle and requires separate collection outside of our curbside recycling bins and so usually ends up in general waste bins.

G Glass bottles are made from 100% recycled glass content and/or lightweight. Recycled glass has a lower emissions footprint but can be competitive to source and, on average in Australia, most glass bottles contain 30% recycled content. One small UK brand, WiseWolf, has debuted a bottle made from 100% recycled glass. Bottle lightweight also continues to improve, including our supplier Orora’s 330g glass bottle and 680g sparkling bottle options. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario, which distributes alcohol across Canada including some of our brands, last year introduced requirements that 750ml glass bottles could only have a maximum weight of 420g. Lightweighting is certainly taking off and challenging consumers’ perceptions that better wine is in heavier bottles!

I International travel is back! A few Italian brands have joined forces with the manufacturing company, Frugal Bottle, to release wine in a paper bottle. To ensure an adequate moisture barrier, the bottle is lined with plastic which subsequently makes the whole thing hard to recycle depending on where you live. Is this just a bag-in-bottle or something more?

N Nothing to put here … But wine in TetraPak has been released by a few small brands. Tetra-Pak is a container with 6 different layers of aluminium, plastic and paper. It protects the liquid from light, oxygen and other factors

allowing typical refrigeration to be avoided e.g. milk. Tetra-Pak is durable, lightweight and space efficient, but some consumers feel it negatively impacts taste and smell. Unfortunately, these packs are not recyclable in Australia and many other markers due to all their different components which is a major drawback and limitation. Like other formats above, it is not suitable for ageing wines.

G ‘Goon sacks’ is a colloquial term for bag-inbox wine but it seems to be being replaced by a fancier concept these days, with the evolution of ‘pouch’ wine. The same concept is sweeping across the laundry detergent and yogurt aisle so don’t get them mistaken! Whilst lending itself to single-serve convenience, they are made of soft plastic though which can’t be put in your curbside recycling bin.

Wine has a number of technical barriers to consider when it comes to packaging, which is why glass has remained so popular. Taste, shelf life, ageing, moisture barriers and oxidation are just some of the considerations needed to sell good wine. Sustainability is another consideration to sell good wine – questions like do you prioritise recyclability, water usage, emissions, material availability or economics are all at the forefront of wine packaging discussions. Finding a balance is certainly challenging and it is clear there is no one right answer. For now, the industry is in experimentation mode with consumer preconceptions being challenged by new ideas and formats. How will it all play out?

CFB EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Casella Family Brands believes it is in the interest of our employees and the company to provide an effective program to assist our employees and their families in resolving problems such as these as the need arises. Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides consultation services for referrals to local community treatment sources and can be accessed by our employees confidentially at any time by contacting Human Resources or by calling 1300 361 008 and advising that you work for Casella Family Brands.

WHAT EAP ASSISTS YOU WITH?

The EAP will help you to identify, explore and manage any issues impacting your life, which can include:

• Conflict and communication

• Maximising performance

• Depression, anxiety and stress

• Relationship and marital problems

• Children, elder care or family member concerns

• Grief and bereavement

• Addictions

• Career path issues

• Retirement

• Work life balance

WHAT CAN THE EAP DO TO HELP YOU?

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 aid in finding an appropriate outside resource in the community.

WHO CAN USE THE EAP?

All employees and their immediate family members are free to use this program and are encouraged to do so. Employee visits to the EAP are held in confidence to the maximum possible extent. 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.

IS THERE A COST?

No, EAP services are offered to employees at no cost. These services are paid for by Casella Family Brands.

WHEN SHOULD I CALL THE EAP?

As soon as you recognises that you or a family member may have a problem, you may access the EAP. It is always better to seek help before a situation becomes critical. Even if you are not sure you need help, a call to the EAP counsellor may put a critical issue in a better perspective. Remember, no problem is too big or too small, seek help early, before a minor problem becomes more serious. The EAP is designed to address short-term issues and to identify resources and referrals for emergency and longterm issues.

THE EXCITING LIFE OF A PALLET - WHO KNEW?!

Everything we do at Casella Family Brands depends on pallets. Without pallets the production stops. The only thing worse than running out of pallets would be running out of wine.

From empty bottles, cartons and labels coming in, to finished goods leaving the warehouse and everything in between the number of pallet movements at CFB runs into millions every year.

In fact just about the only thing that does not move on a pallet are the grapes during vintage!

There are five main types of pallet we have on site here in Yenda; and the numbers are quite extraordinary.

The Exciting Life of a Pallet WhoKnew!

Rental Pool (Chep and Loscam) : are used for transferring goods between ourselves and our onshore trading partners. These pallets are charged by the day and last year we had over ten million rental days.

Everything we do at Casella Family Brands depends on pallets. Without pallets the production stops. The only thing worse than running out of pallets would be running out of wine.

From empty bottles, cartons and labels coming in, to finished goods leaving the warehouse and everything in between the number of pallet movements at CFB runs into millions every year.

Pallets have been very high focus for the company over the past 6 months with a lot of energy surrounding working smarter. We have implemented better approaches to managing pallets, with costs, usage and sustainability all in the focus. We are now starting to see the benefits of these improvements across our sites.

In fact just about the only thing that does not move on a pallet are the grapes during vintage!

Casella Export : Used to store finished products prior to being loaded into containers. With up to forty containers a day leaving the site and the amazing stock held in the warehouses the number of these pallets held on site is in the tens of thousands.

Deposit Scheme (Visy, Ausperl, Koala etc.) : Which come from our suppliers and are returned when empty to get our deposit back. This year we will handle in excess of 16,000 pallets . That ’s over $600,000 in deposits to track. If we lose the pallet we lose the deposit.

Non returnable : Which come from a variety of suppliers but have no return value. There will be somewhere near 5,000 of these to process this year. Historically these have had to be disposed of as waste and as we all know waste is a bad thing ...which brings us to the NEW addition to the Family...

Reconditioned for Re-Use : The whole of CFB works hard to reduce waste and recycle and Pallets are no different. Pallets are now being repaired, repurposed and reused in surprising numbers.

There are five main types of pallet we have on site here in Yenda; and the numbers are quite extraordinary.

We are busy repairing and painting pallets from the Non returnable pool for three main areas of use.

Deposit Scheme (Visy, Ausperl, Koala etc.): Which come from our suppliers and are returned when empty to get our deposit back. This year we will handle in excess of 16,000 pallets . That’s over $600,000 in deposits to track. If we lose the pallet we lose the deposit. Non returnable: Which come from a variety of suppliers but have no return value. There will be somewhere near 5,000 of these to process this year. Historically these have had to be disposed of as waste and as we all know waste is a bad thing ...which brings us to the NEW addition to the Family...

Rental Pool (Chep and Loscam) : are used for transferring goods between ourselves and our onshore trading partners. These pallets are charged by the day and last year we had over ten million rental days.

Everything we do at Casella Family Brands depends on pallets. Without pallets the production stops. The only thing worse than running out of pallets would be running out of wine.

Casella Export : Used to store finished products prior to being loaded into containers. With up to forty containers a day leaving the site and the amazing stock held in the warehouses the number of these pallets held on site is in the tens of thousands.

The Cooperage, which will have up to 800 bright green pallets for the transport and long term storage of Barrels. Waste Management which will have 600 blue pallets for the collection and storage of Plastic and Cardboard bales from around the winery site prior to the bales going for recycling; and then there will be 400 Yellow Pallets for every body to use, whenever they need a pallet for what ever purpose. The introduction of these pallets will reduce wastage by 1800 pallets and reduce rentals by 648,000 pallet days. Well done and thankyou to everyone for helping introduce these changes. It makes a difference!

Deposit Scheme (Visy, Ausperl, Koala etc.) : Which come from our suppliers and are returned when empty to get our deposit back. This year we will handle in excess of 16,000 pallets . That ’s over $600,000 in deposits to track. If we lose the pallet we lose the deposit.

Reconditioned for Re-Use: The whole of CFB works hard to reduce waste and recycle and Pallets are no different. Pallets are now being repaired, repurposed and reused in surprising numbers. We are busy repairing and painting pallets from the Non returnable pool for three main areas of use.

Non returnable : Which come from a variety of suppliers but have no return value. There will be somewhere near 5,000 of these to process this year. Historically these have had to be disposed of as waste and as we all know waste is a bad thing ...which brings us to the NEW addition to the Family...

Reconditioned for Re-Use : The whole of CFB works hard to reduce waste and recycle and Pallets are no different. Pallets are now being repaired, repurposed and reused in surprising numbers.

From empty bottles, cartons and labels coming in, to finished goods leaving the warehouse and everything in between the number of pallet movements at CFB runs into millions every year. In fact just about the only thing that does not move on a pallet are the grapes during vintage! There are five main types of pallet we have on site here in Yenda; and the numbers are quite extraordinary.

Rental Pool (Chep and Loscam): Used for transferring goods between ourselves and our onshore trading partners. These pallets are charged by the day and last year we had over ten million rental days.

We are busy repairing and painting pallets from the Non returnable pool for three main areas of use.

The Cooperage, which will have up to 800 bright green pallets for the transport and long term storage of Barrels. Waste Management which will have 600 blue pallets for the collection and storage of Plastic and Cardboard bales from around the winery site prior to the bales going for recycling; and then there will be 400 Yellow Pallets for every body to use, whenever they need a pallet for what ever purpose. The introduction of these pallets will reduce wastage by 1800 pallets and reduce rentals by 648,000 pallet days. Well done and thankyou to everyone for helping introduce these changes. It makes a difference!

Casella Export: Used to store finished products prior to being loaded into containers. With up to forty containers a day leaving the site and the amazing stock held in the warehouses the number of these pallets held on site is in the tens of thousands.

The Cooperage, which will have up to 800 bright green pallets for the transport and long term storage of Barrels. Waste Management which will have 600 blue pallets for the collection and storage of Plastic and Cardboard bales from around the winery site—prior to the bales going for recycling; and then there will be 400 Yellow Pallets for every body to use, whenever they need a pallet for what ever purpose. The introduction of these pallets will reduce wastage by 1800 pallets and reduce rentals by 648,000 pallet days.

Well done and thank you to everyone for helping introduce these changes. It makes a difference!

Bryan Doyle – Pallet Controller

VINTAGE 2023 RECRUITMENT

Recruiting for Vintage 2023 started in September last year when our job applications opened for Yenda, Peter Lehmann, Baileys and Morris. We were very happy to see an increase in applications from the previous year as more working holiday makers make their way back to Australia post covid.

This year we have hired a total of 208 casual workers to help us process the 2023 Vintage. This includes 146 workers at Yenda, 44 at Peter Lehmann, 12 at Baileys and 6 at Morris. We love having our Vintage workers return each year and this year we were lucky to have 65 people who worked Vintage 2022 return for 2023.

The positions that we recruit for Vintage include Cellar Hands, Weighbridge Operators, Lab Assistants, Vineyard Sampling Officers, Administration Assistants, a Grower Liaison Officer, a Water Truck Driver, and a Waste Operator.

Interviews were conducted face to face with locals and via zoom video calls with hundreds of others, in one day we travelled virtually from Yenda to Hamilton Island, to Perth, to Argentina to Estonia!

Our Vintage workers mostly comprise of Working Holiday Makers, local School leavers taking a gap year and locals and out of towners who want short term work.

Our Vintage teams consist of hardworking, safety conscious people from around Australia and the world. This vintage we have Working Holiday Makers from Argentina, Estonia, United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, Indonesia, South Korea, Belgium, Germany, China, Canada, and France!

If you know someone who would like to work with us for Vintage 2024, they can apply on our website from September this year. It is a great opportunity to learn about the Wine Industry firsthand, especially for Year 12 leavers wanting to take a gap year and Working Holiday makers.

Kate Fraser – Senior HR Officer

As the company grows, more and more people join the Casella family, alongside its special history. This piece has been compiled to inform new employees of the company’s history and key information about one of the most successful families in the winemaking world.

1950s - 1990s

1957 - Filippo and Maria Casella emigrated from Sicily to Australia with their children, settling in Yenda, NSW.

[yellow tail] wine leaves Australia for the US.

2002 - Sales exceeded all expectations, reaching 1.2 million cases.

2003 - Global sales of [yellow tail] soared to five million cases.

2004 - [yellow tail] Premium Cabernet

Sauvignon 2003 is awarded the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy.

2005 - Casella Family Brands was inducted into the Export Hall of Fame for its ongoing contribution to the Australian wine industry.

1969 - The Casella family winery was established and the first bottled wine was produced.

1971 - Casella’s first ever vintage. Fifty tonnes of grapes were crushed.

1975 - The winery started to grow - a stainless steel tank and 12-tonne fermenter was installed.

1995 - Middle son, John Casella, joins the family business as Managing Director.

1998 - John Casella identified a gap in the market for a wine brand that is easy to drink and delivers consistent quality, taste and value.

2000s - 2010s

2000 - [yellow tail] Chardonnay and 2000 [yellow tail] Shiraz highlight the beginning of a remarkable global success story.

2001 - The first shipment of 25,000 cases of

2006 - The fastest wine bottling line in the world was installed at the Yenda winery, capable of processing 36,000 bottles per hour.

2010s - 2020s

2011 - [yellow tail] celebrated its 10th birthday. Available in over 50 countries worldwide, [yellow tail] becomes Australia’s greatest wine export.

2012 - Casella constructs a world-class brewery at the family Yenda site.

2013 - The one billionth bottle of [yellow tail] wine is produced. The Australian Beer Company is formed, operating from the Yenda brewery.

2014 - Peter Lehmann Wines, an iconic Barossa winery, is the first premium winery to join the family.

2015 - The acquisition of Brand’s Laira extends the premium portfolio to include a reputable brand representing the regional excellence of the Coonawarra.

2016 - Morris Wines of Rutherglen, one of Australia's most highly awarded family-owned wineries, joins the premium wine portfolio.

2016 - Copper & Grain Distilling Co. is formed with a vision to bring premium Australian spirits to the world.

2017 - Baileys of Glenrowan, a winery rich in history, brings exceptional organic wines to the premium range.

2019 - It’s a year of celebrations! This year marks 50 years for Casella Family Brands. Peter Lehmann Wines celebrates its 40th anniversary, and Morris of Rutherglen reaches a milestone of 160 years.

2021 - Happy birthday [yellow tail]! From the first shipment in 2001, it is now a 13.5 million (9LE) case brand, available in over 60 countries worldwide.

2021 - Copper & Grain Distilling Co. launches 2 Australian Single Malt Whiskies – Signature and Muscat Barrel.

2022 - [yellow tail] remains the world’s Most Powerful Wine Brand in The Wine Intelligence Global Brand Power Index for five consecutive years (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).

2021 - 2022

CFB KEY FACTS

[yellow tail] is the #1 IMPORTED WINE AND #1 RED WINE IN THE USA

The Yenda winery is the LARGEST WINE PROCESSING FACILITY in Australia

CFB accounts for approximately

11.3%

of the total annual Australian grape crush.

#1

[yellow tail] is

MOST POWERFUL WINE BRAND

and the most loved wine brand for five years in a row!

(Source: Wine Intelligence Global Wine Brand Power Index 2018-2022).

CFB is Australia's

LARGEST FAMILY-OWNED

wine company

CFB is Australia’s 3rd LARGEST EXPORTER by volume and thirdlargest wine company by total wine production

[yellow tail] is the 5

#5 WINE BRAND

globally by volume

(Source: the Drinks Business, 2019).

CFB has over

900 EMPLOYEES

[yellow tail] accounts for approximately

17%

CFB is Australia’s 2nd LARGEST EXPORTER of branded wine by value of all Australian exported wine

Casella's bottling line can process 36,000 BOTTLES PER HOUR!

It is the fastest-bottling line in the world.

CFB holds the record for the FASTESTGROWING imported wine in US market history

Casella has bottled over 1 BILLION BOTTLES

and close to 1 billion litres of [yellow tail] wine. Enough to fill 400 olympic-sized swimming pools!

CFB STAFF RECOGNISED FOR BRINGING OUR PILLARS TO LIFE!

ACCOUNTABILITY IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO?

Simon Healy - Solving issues on Can line filler that the Germans could fix

Willem Lourens - Solving issues on Can line filler that the Germans could fix

Geff Cook - He stepped up in his new role. Completing tasks outside his responsibility

Vince Bugge - Work on rebuilding Centro’s, bring issue to the attention of Supervisor ( Christian )

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

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

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

George Fifita - For showing a consistently high work ethic

Erin Hathaway - For showing a consistently high work ethic

Franco Pisan - He is and has consistently over delivered and turned up all year. Today he picked up a breakdown at Walla Ave, directly related to quality.

Jimema Valdez - Jimena has really focused in the last 2 months and in particular with being accountable for getting key projects across the line e.g. Finalising

Portrait refresh, working on NPD and innovation projects, leading brand planning for PLW. She is often here till 7pm and diligently working away. She ensures she finishes a project, communicates well and leaves no one hanging. She is good at keeping everyone involved and on track – working cross functionally

Frankie Harding - Frankie has led the comms internally and externally with passion and ease and in particular on the recent vineyard sale. In my absence while travelling Frankie has kept the SMSLT on track, organising (and rescheduling ) the sales and marketing roadshow and the monthly JC meetings  throughout the year.

Robert Foote - Taking ownership in the waste area, doing the extra duty’s while short staffed

Makayla Kennett - She stepped up and led a number of YT projects while Maddy was transitioning into her role. Thanks to her all Alina’s previous projects were kept on track during that transition period. She also helped with organising the numerous agency meetings as part of the global YT creative pitch, which was not an easy task considering the number of people involved and different time zones.

Kym Wheeler - Taking care of equipment, making room for safe keeping large parts for Line 4 shutdown

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)

Ann Waters - Processing pays in compressed times frames due to Christmas holidays

Josie Sergi - Processing pays in compressed times frames due to Christmas holidays

Mandy Bradley - Processing pays in compressed times frames due to Christmas holidays

Luke Vearing - Luke delivered and operated a scissor lift and assisted with cleaning up a pallet collapse.

Angelo Panarello - His attention to detail picked up a quality issue for us yesterday and has done in the past.

Samuel Menegazzo - Making a sugestion that improved productivity

PEOPLE WE COMES BEFORE ME

Brad McDermott - Assisting others and Mentoring staff

Andries de Meyer - Always willing to help, good can do attitude

Mathew Hosking - Wonderful job on the RO and centritherm

Michael De Valentin - For an all round excellent year including leading red press crew during vintage and blends crew post vintage

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

Aveli Noortoots - As she picked up spelling mistake on our labels yesterday

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

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.

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

Anthony Zuccato - For going over and above for the scheduling role

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

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT THE BRAVE & CONFIDENT SPIRIT WE EMBODY

Daniel Hillam - Electrical programming above expectations

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

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

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

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

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

James Wilson - 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.

Pip Antoon - 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.

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

HOW TO USE CODES

These are the internal codes used to specify and warehouse our own products. The first two characters detail the product’s vintage or lack thereof. The following three characters represent the varietal of grape or juice, and the next three are the range or brand, for example, POR for Portrait. The next number stands for what bottle format the product is packaged in, with the most common being a 750ml – represented with 7. The subsequent two numbers clarify the product’s market and the last is the pack size, with a blank highlighting a typical six-pack.

NEW STARTERS Welcome to Casella Family Brands

Riley Brookes Distribution

Clerk - Domestic, Yenda

Stacey Nicholas

Laboratory AssistantMorris

Charles Manning

Operations Attendant

Bottling, Yenda

John McCormick

Inventory Forklift Driver, Yenda

Martin Eckholdt

Business Development Management, VIC

Alexandra Dahlenburg

Area Sales Manager Regional, NSW

Rachel Rosenboom QA

Materials Technician, Yenda

Cayleb Wilson-Flynn

Packaging Line OperatorBrewery, Yenda

Justine Gardiner Brand

PR & Communications Manager, Sydney

Carlie Hart Administration Clerk - PLW

Damian Bordignon QA Lab Assistant, Yenda

Samantha Klippert

Packaging Line OperatorBrewery, Yenda

Maika Maika Warehouse

Forklift Driver, Yenda

Alfred Loo Senior Brand Manager - PLW, Sydney

Mason Ashcroft

Apprentice Electrician, Yenda

Katelyn Mills Automation

App Electrician, Yenda

Ben Signor

Apprentice Electrician, Yenda

Gurvir Singh Apprentice

Fitter Machinist, Yenda

Luca Vecchio Apprentice

Electrician Brewery, Yenda

Daniel Fisher Maintenance

Electrician Brewer, Yenda

Sonia Bennett Distribution Officer, Sydney

Glen Ceccato Warehouse

Forklift Driver, Yenda

Abigail Griffiths

Distribution Clerk, Yenda

Meena Kumari QA Lab Assistant, Yenda

CELEBRATING long service

Lincoln Price Operations

Attendant Bottling, Yenda

Sian Ryan Marketing Manager - ABC, Sydney

Fiamma Guercini

Inventory Forklift Driver, Yenda

Caleb Sam Operations

Attendant Bottling, Yenda

Tony Agresta Maintenance

Trade Assistant Pk, Yenda

Engela Alexander Inventory Purchasing Officer, Yenda

Mark Salau General Hand, Waste Management, Yenda

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.

Jeffrey Heintze

35 years

Rocco Catanzariti

20 years

Graham Monk

15 years

Parmjeet Singh

10 years

Mathew Cirillo

15 years

Stephen Tagliapietra

20 years

Simone Codemo

10 years

Frankie Furore

10 years

Delvine Varasia

20 years

Francesco Mallamace

20 years

Paul Wood

10 years

Nathan Marschall

15 years

Agostino Laruffa

20 years

Todd Ferguson

10 years

Mathew Hosking

20 years

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

Robin Codemo

15 years

Mark Churi

10 years

Paul Mahon

10 years

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