Drinks Trade - SPRING 2020

your news, your views Spring 2020 issue 76

AUSTRALIAN DRINKS AWARDS WINNERS

DIAGEO WINS BIG VIEWPOINT

KRISTY RYAN

Creating Meaningful Partnerships International Wines

PROVENCE AND LOIRE WINES SHINE Exploring Whisky

THE NEW WORLD Spiced Bacardi is here

Hazy IPA

St Hugo releases back vintages

DOUBLE MELLOWED FOR EXTRA SMOOTHNESS

F R O M T H E M A K E R S O F J A C K D A N I E L’ S

A G E N T L E M A N A LWAY S D R I N K S R E S P O N S I B LY.

GENTLEMAN JACK IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK. ©️2019 JACK DANIEL’S. GENTLEMAN JACK RARE TENNESSEE WHISKEY 40% ALCOHOL BY VOLUME (80 PROOF). DISTILLED AND BOTTLED BY JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY, LYNCHBURG, TENNESSEE. JACK DANIEL’S.COM

WINE MAKER’S SERIES

Born out of The Kindergarten and trialled through Cellar Door and Limited Release before graduation, experience the NEW Brown Brothers Winemaker’s Series!

The Kindergarten is where the magic of Winemaker’s Series begins. Our micro-winery was built in the 1980s and has been the seasonal home to ambitious winemakers from all over the world. It’s also where you’ll find our team of winemakers, tinkering away after hours – including Geoff Alexander, mastermind behind the series.

Since John Charles Brown was winemaker, the Brown Brothers philosophy has been to push the boundaries and to always try something new. Some of these trials have led to great success, many others have not!

It was the customers who visited John C Brown at his cellar door that were at the heart of his experimentation. This was his testing and learning ground, and it still is for us today.

Winemaker’s Series is an expertly crafted range boasting small batch alternative varietals, unique blends, and single vineyard expressions. These calling cards are communicated elegantly through a unique icon on each bottle.

SHIRAZ Shiraz #2 varietal growth in wine +$22m*

22m

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FIANO

Shiraz NPD driving growth of +$29m*

+$

29m*

Drinkers <45 years display the highest spend per visit+

Younger drinkers are more likely to purchase alternative varietals^

<45

TEMPRANILLO & GRACIANO Tempranillo growing at 88% since 2018*

2 in 5 regular wine drinkers looking for new and different^

+88% 2in5

www.brownbrothers.com.au

*IRi Aztec Aus MAT to 31/5/2020 ^Wine Intelligence reports +Shoppertracker

Family winemakers since 1889 246757_BB_WMS_FPTrade_Ad_210x275.indd 1

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Editor’s Note CONTENTS NEWS

INTERNATIONAL

6

14 Felicity Carter,

Top Ten online news stories

by Alana House

VIEWPOINT

Selling International Wines

18 Ken Gargett, Sauvignon Blanc and Sancerre

12 Kristy Ryan, William Grants & Sons

20 Ken Gargett, The Wines of Provence

INTERVIEW

42 Young Henrys FEATURE

THE REVIEW

38 Pale Ale, Summer Ale, Tropical Ale and IPA

23 Australian Drinks Awards 34 Dominic Roskrow, World Whisky

NEW PRODUCTS AND RELEASES

44 New packs, new ranges and vintage releases

CREDITS

PUBLISHER The Drinks Association

www.drinkscentral.com.au All enquiries to: The Drinks Association Locked Bag 4100, Chatswood NSW 2067 ABN 26 001 376 423 The views expressed in Drinks Trade are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily those of the magazine or The Drinks Association. Copyright is held by The Drinks Association and reproduction in whole or in part, without prior consent, is not permitted.

EDITORIAL PUBLISHING EDITOR Ashley Pini..................................................................................... ashley@hipmedia.com.au DIGITAL EDITOR Alana House..................................................................................................alanah@drinks.asn.au PHOTOGRAPHERS Wesley Nel, Francois Nillo, Marie l’Enfer, Patricia Brochu CONTRIBUTORS Matt Dunne, Felicity Carter, Ken Gargett, Hannah Sparks, David Messum, Neal Cameron, Ian Kingham, John McLaughlin, Dom Roskrow

DESIGN SENIOR DESIGNER Racs Salcedo ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ryan@hipmedia.com.au

ADVERTISING NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Jenny Park �������������������������������������������������������������������������jenny@hipmedia.com.au

WELCOME TO THE SPRING EDITION OF DRINKS TRADE, 2020.

This is the 76th edition of Drinks Trade magazine, and it would be fair to say that it has been a very different experience to the previous 75.

The saying, “we’re all in this together” may be highly over-used and evokes annoying advertising slogans, but the reality seems to support the theory as wide ranging fallout from COVID 19 has made 2020 a year to forget. A meme that jumps to mind depicts the ruling out of time travel as a theory, noting that, if true, someone would have returned to warn us by now.

The team at Drinks Trade is committed to bringing you insights, interviews and information covering retail formats including, online, travel, off-premise and on-premise, and during these times we are doing that in a more condensed format, with the same quality writers and insight from industry leaders such as The Advantage Group.

Consumption is definitely up in some areas, and contrary to premature reports, categories such as Champagne are not doing that badly. We’ll have a much closer look at this in the summer edition with our annual tasting and Sparkling special. In this edition we talk to Felicity Carter on how International Wine is sold overseas, and ask Ken Gargett to take a closer look at the ubiquitous Sancerre, and the home of sauvignon blanc. He also unveils some of the beauty associated with the wines of Provence. If we can’t travel there, grab a glass from the south of France and dream of turquoise bays and super expensive yachts.

We also had the pleasure of sitting down with Kristy Ryan, one of our industry’s rising stars, to get her view on the current climate and her journey in the drinks industry. As head of sales for the family business William Grants and Sons, Ryan lives and breathes quality spirits with a legacy stretching back to the 19th century, alongside an enviable track record of innovation and bringing brands to life such as Sailor Jerry and Hendricks. See Kristy’s “Viewpoint” on page 12.

A highlight for this edition is the 2020 Australian Drinks Awards. The annual event was reformatted this year to be a 30 minute broadcast via Zoom. The results of these sort after and prestigious awards start on page 23, with insight into how and why the suppliers and brands have won these awards. John McLoughlin leads the section with an overview of the Advantage Survey results, underpinning the awards.

There were two Drinks Trade tasting panels tackling Pale Ale, Dom Roskrow reports from around the world of whisky and our feature interview is with the team at Young Henrys. A lot to cram into 52 pages.

Here’s to a strong recovery in the run up to this Christmas and summer trading season.

Until summer,

PRODUCED AND CONTRACT PUBLISHED BY:

ACCOUNTS: accounts@hipmedia.com.au Bay 8 / 6 Middlemiss Street, Lavender Bay, NSW 2060 Ph. 02 9492 7999 www.hipmedia.com.au | facebook.com/drinksmedia ABN: 42 126 291 914

Ashley Pini ashley@hipmedia.com.au

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TOP 10

Drinks Trade digital stories THE ROUND UP OF THE BIGGEST STORIES OVER THE LAST 12 WEEKS. FROM THE CARLSBERG LIVERPOOL ‘CHAMPIONS CAN’ TO VB AFTER SHAVE, WE’VE GOT THE ROUND UP OF ALL THE EYE CATCHING STORIES.

1. CARLSBERG RELEASES LIMITED EDITION LIVERPOOL FC CANS Carlsberg celebrated Liverpool FC winning the Premier League by launching a limited edition ‘champions can’ for fans in 25 countries around the world.

The limited-edition packaging saw Carlsberg switch its iconic green colour to Liverpool FC’s equally iconic red, while the club’s crest and player signatures appeared on the cans.

Approximately 20,000 cartons were produced for the Australian market under licence by Coopers Brewery, bound for liquor stores around Australia.

Almost 100 Liverpool FC fans who had pre-purchased celebration cans gathered at the Highway Hotel at Plympton in Adelaide in early July, where the first delivery was made to the Thirsty Camel bottle shop.

Some fans drove up to five hours to collect their cans.

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2. VICTORIA BITTER RELEASES A FRAGRANCE CALLED THIRST Victoria Bitter has launched its first fragrance – Thirst. A scent by VB – featuring the essence of the Super Pride hops used to brew the beer.

The packaging is inspired by the iconic Victoria Bitter stubby and features the slogan “eau de hard work”.

Victoria Bitter’s Marketing Director, Hayden Turner said: “We love hard work, but let’s be honest, no one wants to be the person who brings the smell of the worksite to the pub, which is why we created Thirst.”

“It enhances that perfect knock off moment – a spray of Thirst, followed by an ice cold VB at the pub with your mates.

We wanted to honour that moment with a fragrance that every hard-working, VB drinking, Aussie man would be proud to wear.”

3. ALCOHOLIC SELTZER THREATENS BEER SALES Nielsen is predicting alcoholic seltzer will erode beer and wine sales as the segment

continues to gather momentum during COVID-19.

The verdict comes as Lion prepares to launch the world’s biggest selling brand – White Claw – in Australia.

In a new report Nielsen cautions suppliers not to underestimate alcoholic seltzers, saying they pose a threat to traditional flavoured beverages and core beer options.

During the 15-week period ended June 13, 2020, alcoholic seltzer off-premise sales within US retail quadrupled on a year-overyear basis, an increase of $900 million.

“Total hard seltzer sales for the 52week period ended June 13, 2020 were $2.7 billion, and dollar share of total beer/ flavoured malt beverage/cider has now exceeded 10% for four consecutive weeks (more than double the 4.4% share it held as of the 52-week period ending February 29, 2020),” Nielsen reports.

“Given this trajectory, we think it’s possible that hard seltzer’s share could reach 15% before the end of the summer.”

Section header

Winner Best Sparkling Wine 2021 JAMES HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION AWARDS

- 99 POINTS -

Enjoy House of Arras responsibly

House of Arras E.J. Carr Late Disgorged 2005

drinks trade 7

News 4

4. TWE TIPS HYBRID DRINKS AS THE NEXT BIG TREND Treasury Wine Estates has released two new hybrid drinks – Squealing Pig Pinot Noir Gin and Lindeman’s Gentleman’s Collection Coffee Shiraz - as it seeks to tap into the “new conversation” about wine.

According to the winemaker, today’s wine consumers are more open-minded than ever before and are waiting for brands to create memories or experiences that drive talkability among friends over a drink.

The Pinot Noir Gin is infused with 12 botanicals and features berry fruit flavours and includes a dash of Squealing Pig’s popular Pinot Noir.

Lindeman’s Gentleman’s Collection Coffee Shiraz is a medium-bodied shiraz blended with a dash of cold brew made from 100% Colombian Arabica coffee beans.

5. TOP SUPPLIERS REVEALED AT 2020 AUSTRALIAN DRINKS AWARDS Diageo was crowned Supplier of the Year at the 2020 Australian Drinks Awards.

The Drinks Association’s annual celebration of industry excellence was celebrated virtually on July 30.

The trophies went to: Category Management Award – Diageo Supply Chain Management Award – Treasury Wine Estates Most Improved Supplier of the Year – Asahi Premium Beverages Supplier of the Year – Diageo Turn to page xx to read more.

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CUB has created a separate sales and marketing team, called CUB Premium Beverages, dedicated to the Cider, Spirits, RTDs, Wine and Seltzers portfolio.

CUB has also introduced Fire & Earth Ventures, which is ZX Ventures rebranded.

Peter Filipovic will lead the combined CUB busin`ess. His executive team is: • Michael Ritoli, GM CUB Premium Beverages • David Stingl, GM Fire & Earth Ventures • Peter Bingeman, GM Sales – CUB • Brian Phan, GM Marketing – CUB • Asha Skyring, GM Strategy & Analytics The company noted: “The combination will deliver our customers Australia’s leading range of alcohol beverages, including Asahi Super Dry, Great Northern, Carlton Draught, Peroni, Corona, VB, Carlton Dry, Pure Blonde, Mountain Goat, Vodka Cruiser, Somersby Cider, Woodstock Bourbon, the Yaks, Pirate Life, 4Pines and Balter.”

7. THE WORST PUB FOR COVID BREACHES The Garry Owen Hotel in Rozelle was singled out in August by NSW Liquor & Gaming inspectors as ‘the worst pub seen so far’ for a litany of COVID safety breaches.

The pub was issued with two fines worth a total of $10,000 for its “disregard of mandated COVID safety measures”.

Liquor & Gaming NSW Director of Compliance, Dimitri Argeres, said when inspectors arrived at the Garry Owen Hotel there were only three staff in the whole venue despite being packed with patrons.

“The list of breaches grew from there. In fact the venue was essentially being operated as though there were no restrictions in place,” Argeres said.

“The venue was letting down its workers, the community, and all the other businesses trying to do the right thing to keep their doors open.”

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6. CUB REVEALS NEW STRUCTURE AND EXECUTIVE TEAM Asahi Beverages completed its acquisition of Carlton & United Breweries on June 1 and announced in August that CUB and Asahi Premium Beverages would both operate under the iconic CUB name by Q4 2020.

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drinks trade 8

McG

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News 8

8. COOPERS RELEASES HAZY IPA Coopers Brewery has launched Hazy IPA, a limited-edition seasonal release available in kegs and 375ml cans across Australia.

Hazy beers are characterised by their intense juicy, fruitforward aroma, soft carbonation, creamy mouthfeel and hazy, opaque appearance that take cloudy beers to a whole new level.

Coopers Managing Director and Chief Brewer, Dr Tim Cooper said Coopers Hazy IPA was a hoppy, sessionable, easy to drink beer providing tangerine, orange, citrus and exotic fruit flavours and aromas as a result of the liberal use of Ahtanum and Strata hops.

It has an ABV of 6.2% and a bitterness level of 27 International Bitterness Units and is sold in four packs.

9. SPARKLING WINE SALES SKYROCKET DURING PANDEMIC Champagne and sparkling wine sales have surged in Australia during COVID-19, as consumers treat themselves to affordable luxuries.

IRI reports that the total Sparkling category, inclusive of Champagne, has experienced nearly 5% value growth for the last 12 months, with growth accelerating greatly in the last few months. For the quarter ending May 31, the category saw 9.4% growth compared to last year.

Champagne is driving growth, with value up more than 13% for the quarter compared to last year. Sparkling, which accounts for 66.5% of the segment, is also seeing growth, up 2%.

The pink sparkling segment is growing three times faster than total sparkling wine for the year and more than four times faster for the quarter.

10. METCASH REVEALS LIQUOR ACQUISITIONS Metcash announced two liquor acquisitions during its FY20 results presentation - the purchase of Kollaras & Co’s private label brands and the Liquor Centre in New Zealand.

Metcash said the acquisition of the Kollaras Trading’s private label portfolio was a key accelerator of the company’s private label growth strategy.

“The acquisition of the Kollaras Trading Company branded business in Australia and New Zealand includes the ownership of brands such as Two Truths and Seahorse Bay, plus taking on the exclusive supply of imported brands such as Mr Boston Bourbon and Molly’s Irish Cream,” Liquor CEO Chris Baddock said.

“This acquisition is consistent with ALM’s purpose to champion successful Independents, which includes a strong focus on growing private label; ensuring that ALM has full control over this portfolio, which offers consumers great quality and value as well as growing margin for our retail partners.”

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Viewpoint

KRISTY RYAN Head of Sales, Australia WILLIAM GRANT & SONS AUSTRALIA

IT’S BEST TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS OF KRISTY RYAN WITH A COFFEE IN REACH. SHE’S QUICK-WITTED, STRAIGHT DOWN THE LINE AND ISN’T AFRAID TO STICK TO HER GUNS. William Grant’s vision to become one of the world’s great distillers started way back in 1887 as he and his extended family built the Glenfiddich Distillery by hand, brick by brick.

Six generations later, William Grant & Sons distributes brands to 200 markets and the company employs 2800 people internationally.

One of those is Kristy Ryan, head of sales for Australia. However, she didn’t rise to the top by resting on her laurels.

She was born and raised in Sydney and her introduction to the alcohol industry in 2008 was not through spirits but wine.

Her first day as the national account executive for Woolworths at Hardy Wine Company would teach her to stay fast on her feet to succeed. Just 24 hours later, Hardy’s became Constellation Wines, reflective of the industry’s ever-changing nature.

Ryan held onto Woolworths when she took a position with William Grant & Sons as national account manager two years later before taking on a role within William Grant & Sons global travel retail business in 2012, which could take her beyond the limits of Australia - reporting into Singapore and looking after Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific & Thailand.

For a short six months after 4 years and a half of eye-opening travel, Ryan set her sights on a career change with Nestle, but William Grant & Sons’ general manager Colin Rochester had other plans for her.

“I was talking to Colin about coming back within three months of being at Nestle. You could say the lure of the industry pulled me back,” Ryan said.

“I think we are lucky to work in liquor. It’s got an art to it that you can’t experience in many other industries: the passion we have for our brands, the stories behind them, the fact that you can see where the ingredients come from, how they are produced, meet the makers and see the final product consumed in a bar or someone’s house.”

Ryan is described as a rising star in the Australian drinks industry and hangs her reputation on her customer-focused approach and results.

“My style has always been fast-paced and honest. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the only thing that has changed is the conversation, so I’ll be honest about what we’re experiencing with COVID-19 as much as I was pre-COVID-19 and will be after. As long as you’ve got trust with your partners you’re going to learn and win together,” Ryan said.

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William Grant & Sons’ reputation as one of the world’s leading distillers opens many doors however, passion and knowledge of product is a key component of building trust in brands and the partnership you develop with the trade.

Thankfully, Ryan’s glass is truly full when it comes to both of those things and she can easily talk to the legacy and history of the company’s household whiskies while expressing enthusiasm for the newer, innovative spirits in the portfolio.

“I think we forget that in 1970’s, which wasn’t that long ago, single malts were innovative and Glenfiddich was at the center of that. Then in the 80’s, we were playing with cask finishes, another innovative space. So while we’re built on whisky, and that’s a fantastic reputation, we have always been at the forefront of pioneering and innovating,” Ryan said.

“And being whisky specialists doesn’t stop us from going into other categories as we did with Hendrick’s Gin in the 90’s, then Sailor Jerry Rum. “The good thing about William Grant & Sons as a family business is that we can innovate easily. We don’t have shareholders to report to and we’ve got the capital there to experiment with. Of course, not all innovation work, but I know the company is right behind it when we do launch something new. That history of successful innovation allows us to have authentic conversations and challenge the norm.”

The new norm in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic is fewer face-to-face meetings and less time in the office. However, despite facing a completely new way of working, Ryan remains optimistic.

“I’ll admit, the hardest thing for me and the sales team has been losing the best part of our jobs - getting out and seeing new things, whether it’s talking to a consumer, retailer or bartender or seeing different markets, you lose that ability to come up with new ideas. But COVID-19 has given us a new learning experience and taught us the ability to adapt and work as a team,” Ryan said.

“Our brand ambassadors have been concentrating on education people in a different way. Even in the retail world, while it’s open and booming, for every person inside the store there

is another outside, because of the restrictions on capacity. However, online education is booming at the moment and cocktails are going crazy because people are wanting to experiment at home, so our ambassadors have been pushing social campaigns.

Meanwhile, they need to stay close and connected to the on-premise because it will re-open.”

William Grant & Sons has built strong onpremise relationships over the years with credit to its comprehensive brand ambassador program.

However, Ryan is careful to keep one eye on retail while the other is on the on-premise.

“Our brand ambassadors do typically focus on the on-premise because we know that’s where a lot of people learn about whisky. But they’re also doing a great job with retailers because whisky is a tough category for anyone to navigate and I think we forget that our retailers need a bit of help with training their staff. So if we can help our partners by helping educate their staff and spending time in their stores educating their consumers, then it’s good for our industry and brands,” Ryan said.

When asked what Ryan thinks is next on the horizon, she could have easily run with the corporate line and rolled off William Grant & Sons’ latest plans, but instead, she was eager to talk about what’s going on more broadly.

“I think the emergence of local distilling is amazing and good for the industry. It’s really exciting to see. We’ve got talented people and great ingredients here,” Ryan said.

“Wine did an exceptional job with cellar doors and that’s why Australians love wine. Now we can bring more people into spirits through distilleries where people can touch, see and understand the product. I think more competition is better and let’s face it, right now we can’t fly people to the UK to visit our distilleries, so I’m grateful if more people can see a local one. It means more people coming into the category who will eventually explore our brands.”

But at the end of the day, the young gun likes to settle on a drop from what you could say is her new home away from home.

“If I had to pick one drink, it would be a boilermaker- a good stout paired with Balvenie 19-Year-Old!”

drinks trade 13

International Trends - Europe

Navigating appellations Words Felicity Carter The French were on top of the world.

Until they weren’t.

In the late 1980s, their ever-reliable British customers were suddenly buying less. After centuries of loyalty, the Brits were choosing the uncomplicated, reliable wines from the New World over the difficult, unreliable wines of the Old. Leading the charge were the upstart Australians, whose technically perfect wines made from fully ripe grapes were an unbeatable offer.

It was an assault on centuries of tradition and one that forced European wineries to invest in technology, winemaking knowledge and better viticulture.

Now, they’re about to return the favour.

Australians have been buying increasing amounts of imported wines in the past decade, sure, but that trickle is about

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to become a flood. And if retailers and educators understand how to sell them, it could be good news for everybody – including Australian producers.

WHY NOW?

The Europeans need new markets, urgently.

Not only has Trump has slapped 25% tariffs on French and German wines, making the lucrative US market a more difficult place to do business, but the pandemic has had a catastrophic effect on the international on-trade. Up to 50% of the wine market has simply vanished.

And word has been going around that not only do Australian wine buyers know what they’re doing, but they also pay fair prices (which is rarer than you might think).

Not only that, but consumers are actively

looking for lower-alcohol, more refreshing wines, which Europe can produce at keen prices. For retailers looking for market share, the wines of the Loire Valley or Picpoul de Pinet are a major opportunity.

There’s only one small snag: the European appellation system is incredibly difficult for consumers to navigate. There is, fortunately, a way to deal with this – do what the British retailers do.

THE EUROPEAN APPROACH

Australians have a longstanding belief in the sophistication of Europeans, imagining that they are wine knowledgeable and able to navigate complexity with ease.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

With rare exceptions, consumers across the continent drink by proximity. Those who

live in or near wine regions drink the local wines, while people from urban regions drink the wines of whoever is closest. Wine bars in Munich serve German wines, plus the wines of Northern Italy and Austria, their closest neighbours. In Poland, expect to see wines from Moldova. Vinous diversity only exists in big, international cities like Hamburg, Amsterdam and London. And even there, consumers stick to what they know.

“People get used to names slowly, whether they’re brands or appellations,” says British consultant Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, who has been a buyer for Safeway, Sainsburys, Waitrose and Direct Wines.

He says it can take years to familiarise consumers with new knowledge –in 1997, he says consumers at tastings would stick out their glasses and ask for “red”; it was another ten years before they felt safe asking for specific varieties.

That doesn’t mean there’s not a place for exciting new wines. “If your goal is to impress the press and excite shoppers on the cutting edge who will tell their friends,” then it’s good to introduce obscure wines, he says.

“It’s the kind of thing that journalists love, and it will burnish the image of the retailer.

But if the goal is to sell lots of bottles, a different strategy is needed.

Grouping wines together by style and taste, where the light, unoaked reds are

all in one place, and the heavier reds are somewhere else, is one way to do it.

Another is to yoke wines together by theme.

Howard-Sneyd says the best experience he had was at Waitrose, which ran showcases.

“They might have a Mediterranean showcase and put a bay of unfamiliar wine in there, accompanied by good point of sale material,” he says. “There might be a Greek and a Croatian wine, and it was tied together with food, like ‘you’re having a paella, so you must have a red like this’ and so on.” Howard-Sneyd says this gave people the confidence to try new wines. “Obviously price discounts help and so do nice labels.”

Howard-Sneyd says that appellations that tend to stick in the memory are those which have a consistent taste, like Rioja.

“You’ve got a very limited opportunity to explain wine to people,” he says. “You have to do your communicating by display and shelf tickets.”

He says another problem is that because it’s hard to describe taste, consumers struggle to articulate what styles they like.

“What happens is that people associate positive words with the words they see on the label, whether it’s a brand, grape or region. They learn by association. If they taste enough wines with the word ‘Shiraz’ on the label, they say they like Shiraz.” This makes it hard to present consumers with something new and expect them to love it, if

they don’t have a reference point.

Howard-Sneyd says, however, he thinks it will be easier for Australian retailers to introduce new and unusual wines, because Australians are already sophisticated drinkers with a good grasp of varieties. “A simple route to get people to trial something is to link it to something they already know,” he says. “If you like classic Sauvignon Blanc, then try this Rueda or maybe this Colombard, which you put on the shelf below. Or if you like Grenache, try Rioja.”

Of course, many European labels don’t display the variety, a problem that Tanisha Townsend, an American wine educator working in Paris, knows all too well. The mostly American and Australian clients who go on her Girl Meets Glass wine tours are sophisticated travellers who are, nevertheless, intimidated by European wine labels. After plenty of trial and error, Townsend has learned to introduce a new wine by comparing it to something the group is already familiar with. “It has to be related to something they already know.

If I say the wines of southwest France are like Bordeaux, that makes sense to them,” she says. If, on the other hand, she has to start from scratch, she talks about flavour, “whether it’s light and fruity, tannic or heavily oaked.” Townsend says if she ever starts her own shop, she will organise it by style, not by region.

drinks trade 15

International Trends - Europe

HOW DO EUROPEANS SELL WINE?

While Townsend agrees that Europeans themselves are no more knowledgeable about wine than their New World counterparts – “even French wine professionals mostly know about French wine” – she says they generally prefer to be told about the region, not the grape.

European wine retailers know that some customers prefer region, while some prefer grapes or styles, and their websites reflect that, as a stroll through some of Europe’s biggest wine sites, including Systembolaget in Sweden, Hawesko in Germany and Wein & Co in Austria shows. In general, the first thing that consumers are asked to choose is style: red, white, rosé or sparkling. Next, they’re asked to choose a variety, region or country – it’s up to the consumer to decide whether they will navigate by style or region. Finally, they are asked to choose a price. The websites are simpler; while the offerings are complex, they make it simple.

Contrast this with many Australian sites, which are crowded and packed with options, from price range to brands to style to region.

The European sites don’t assume prior knowledge, while the Australian sites do.

In the end, however, it doesn’t matter how much thought and preparation goes into selling wine, some wines will fly off the shelf and some won’t. “You never know why it’s not working,” says Howard-Sneyd.

“It could be the label or the price, or some combination.” He says he would often see a wine that sold well on promotion, only for its sales to drop off afterwards. “People just didn’t like the taste.”

And then there are the wines that succeed beyond all expectation. “Picpoul de Pinet is a good example,” he says. “It was a random, reasonably inexpensive French wine in a tall green bottle that performed really well from the word go.”

In the end, selling wine is about taste, familiarity and price. Howard-Sneyd says he’s not surprised that international

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wines are taking off in Australia, because Australians are not only renowned travellers, who are willing to try new things abroad, but they are also exposed to a range of wine styles at home.

The good news in all of this is that when Australian wines hit British shelves in the 1980s, it dented French sales, badly.

Consumers flocked to the new wines that weren’t just well-priced, but clean and well made.

But the French learned their lesson and sent their children off to study winemaking at Montpellier, leading to the great renaissance of French winemaking that’s taking place today. The influx of international wines into Australia will definitely pose a challenge to domestic producers – but it will also push them to new heights. Wine is, after all, about socialising – the rule is, the more the merrier.

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#loirevalleywinesaus drinks trade 17

International Trends - Europe

The Origins of Sauvignon Blanc and the New wave of Loire Producers bringing it up to date THE LOIRE VALLEY IS ONE OF FRANCE’S GREAT WINE REGIONS. AS ONE ENTERS THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER AND TRAVELS EAST TOWARDS THE SOURCE, STYLES AND VARIETIES CHANGE TO SUIT THE TERROIR, THE CUISINE AND THE PEOPLE. IT IS HERE, DESPITE RECENT EFFORTS BY THE NEW WORLD, THAT ONE FINDS THE GREATEST EXAMPLES OF THE SAUVIGNON BLANC GRAPE. Words Ken Gargett Some years ago, a clever man from New Zealand took an obscure Chinese fruit, the Chinese gooseberry, renamed it and turned it into an international phenomenon called Kiwi fruit. They did much the same thing with Sauvignon Blanc, often shortened to Sauv Blanc or even just Savvy, taking a grape few knew and transforming it into a global smash for those who like a cheap and cheerful shot of flavour.

Regions that formed part of the Loire, like Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, had been making Sauvignon Blanc wines for a great many years but under the French system, wines are labelled by region and not variety, so many wine lovers had no idea that they had been enjoying Sauv Blanc for years.

Prior to New Zealand’s entry into this market, Sancerre, especially, had been extremely popular as a go-to wine in bistros

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and restaurants. Its suitability to a range of foods, and the value it represented, made it an ideal choice.

As popular as Kiwi Sauv Blanc is, if there is one thing that we know about wine lovers, it is that they graduate. After a while, simple and pleasant is not enough. They want complexity, character, texture and quality. And for this, with Sauvignon Blanc, they must turn to the Loire. The Loire Valley is the spiritual home for this variety, the place it originated and the location to look to experience what the future holds for it.

Despite competing claims, authorities believe the grape originated in the Loire Valley. There are mentions of it as far back as the 1500s. Sauvignon Blanc offers an appealing burst of acidity and flavours that are alluringly fresh and vibrant – grassy

notes, nettles, gooseberries, sometimes moving to more tropical characters, notably passionfruit.

Grown widely throughout France, it is, as Jancis Robinson says, “in the Loire that Sauvignon Blanc finds its purest expression”. The main regions are Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume where, usually offered as a single, unoaked varietal, it reflects its terroir most definitively. Other Loire regions where Sauvignon thrives include Reuilly and Menetou-Salon, where limestone soils provide a more rounder style, which many love. The aromatics from Sauvignon Blanc grown in Menetou-Salon are especially prized. These regions are gaining more and more interest in Australia, not least as they offer such good value. Quincy and Coteaux du Giennois are other Loire

regions worth exploring. Quincy can have 10% of Sauvignon Gris blended with the Sauv Blanc. It offers a vibrant, ‘rustic’ style.

Coteaux du Giennois, with its flint and calcareous soils, is more of a crisp, light, fresh style.

Good Sancerre is an intense wine, powerfully aromatic and racy.

The region, which has 14 communes, can basically be divided into three subdistricts, although the soils can and do vary, almost from row to row.

First, in general terms, what are termed the ‘white western vineyards’ where the soils are clay and limestone with some Kimmeridgian marne (these soils sometimes referred to as caillottes).

This is around the Chavignol district.

Expect a more powerful style of Sancerre from here.

Secondly, moving back towards the town of Sancerre, where the soils do contain some limestone, but gravel dominates. The wines from here are elegant and much more delicate.

Finally, around the town of Sancerre itself, which looks out on the surrounding vineyards from its lofty position, where the soils include flint – the famous silex. The wines offer delightfully perfumed aromatics and have a reputation, contrary to what is the conventional wisdom relating to this variety, for being long-lived.

In all sub-districts, care needs to be taken in the vineyard to ensure that the vines do not overcrop or that the canopy is too extensive, which can lead to unwanted herbaceousness. In some years, there have even been sweet Sancerre wines made (vendange tardive) by a few adventurous producers, though this is far from the norm.

A fresh, light Pinot Noir is also made but this is very much a minority in terms of production. There is a feeling that climate change might see these red wines gain more attention.

Innovation continues in the winery with some of the more adventurous producers.

Maturation in oak is one example. Skin contact another.

As has been mentioned, Sancerre is a fabulous food wine. It is perhaps most famously paired with the region’s speciality,

goats cheese, but there are many options.

Vying with Sancerre for top Sauvignon Blanc region in the Loire is nearby PouillyFume. It is less than half the size in terms of production and considered a more homogeneous region. The soils are mostly limestone with some of the legendary flint (silex). This is considered to give the wines a smoky note. Again, experimentation has been taking place, with maturation in oak especially popular with some makers, some in the Loire even using acacia wood.

This leads to wines with increased levels of complexity and texture. Unoaked remains the dominant style, though.

This is the region that was home to the man known as perhaps the most famous producer of Sauvignon Blanc in the world, Didier Dagueneau. Sadly, Dagueneau passed away around a decade ago, killed in

an ultra-light plane accident, however, his cult winery continues under the stewardship of his son, Benjamin. Wines made by Didier attract huge prices in the secondary market from collectors.

While the legacy of innovation Didier created will live on, there are many superb producers across both Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume – Vacheron, Alphonse Mellot, Domaine Girard, François Crochet, Claude Riffault, Francois Cotat (who is seen as the new King of the region), Henri Bourgeois, Domaine du Nozay, Domaine des Berthiers, Fournier Pere, Pascal Jolivet and more.

Anyone interested in great Sauvignon Blanc can no longer afford to ignore the Loire and its superstar regions of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume.

EXPERT VIEWPOINT

DAVID MESSUM Just The Drop

What is getting you excited about The Loire at the moment?

We’re seeing a great influx of Organic, Bio Dynamic and thoughtfully farmed wines coming through the smaller importer network here in Australia.

The Loire has more Organic and DB producers than anywhere else in Europe, likely the world.

I’m also getting excited about whites, I’ve personally been on a rediscovery of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, obviously two of Loire’s hero varieties. The texture and minerality of these are just great drinking, across all price points.

Have you seen an increase in interest in wines from The Loire over the last two years?

We’ve been working with the associations for four years and can honestly say we’ve seen a big increase in both volume and value of the exports coming to Australia.

Until Covid we were up virtually across

the board in AOP wines. The trade has certainly been well engaged through our marketing activities and our research shows a 74% increase in on-trade being more aware of Loire wines than they were in 2018.

What makes the Loire wines so unique?

There are simply so many climates, soils, and ancient wine growing cultures along the length that diversity is the Loire’s strength. They can do so much across the board at a very high level. It’s an embarrassment of riches.

How do Australians relate to wines from Sancerre, and Sauvignon Blanc more broadly?

Sancerre exports to Australia peaked in 2015 and we’re now down approx. 30% on those figures (to the end of 2019).

However the value of exports hasn’t dropped as far and it really shows how Sancerre is considered, higher end more on-premise focused.

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International Trends - Europe Photo Credit: Marie l’Enfer

The Artistry of Provence THE AUSTRALIAN SPRING HAS ARRIVED IN TIMELY FASHION, AND ALONG WITH IT THE PROMISE OF SUMMER JUST AROUND THE CORNER - AKA ROSÉ SEASON. ROSÉ HAS BEEN BOOMING IN RECENT YEARS AND, GIVEN IT MAKES UP 9% OF GLOBAL WINE*, THERE’S NO REASON TO THINK IT’S POPULARITY WILL FADE. THE ROSÉ REVOLUTION IS HERE TO STAY. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, OUR THOUGHTS TURNED TO THE HOME OF ROSÉ, SET ON THE BACKDROP OF THE SPARKLING BLUE WATERS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA AND SOUTH EAST OF FRANCE; PROVENCE. Words Ken Gargett and Ash Pini Winelovers will immediately imagine crisp, chilled, pale pink glasses of the world’s best Rosés, but there is so much more. Wines that reflect their terroir and are evergrowing in respect and popularity around the world. Grapes have been grown here, and wines made, since 600 BC. Greeks and Romans both enjoyed the region’s output, and as highly revered as the region was then, the wines have never been better.

We see an array of offerings including: Rolle (Vermentino), Ugni Blanc, Semillon, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Bourboulenc, for white grapes.

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For reds, which provide the majority of the grapes grown in the Provençal region, Grenache is the dominant variety, supported

by Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan, CabernetSauvignon, Mourvèdre, Tibouren, Counoise, Barbaroux and Calitor.

The largest AOC in the region is Côtes de Provence, with almost a hundred communes, followed by Coteaux d’Aix-enProvence, and Coteaux Varois en Provence.

These three appellations represent 95% of the AOP production. Côtes de Provence, in the East, is the largest, and divided in terroir designations (there are five of them)

recognising the uniqueness of each area of this big appellation.

Coteaux Varois en Provence, in the heart of Provence, is the highest of the three. The altitude of the vineyards varies between 350 and 500 metres. Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, in the west, is most exposed the the Mistral wind, which blows from the Rhône Valley.

As makers understand their region more and more, we are seeing grapes planted on slopes best suited. Also benefiting the growing international attention is that this is a region which adapts easily to both organic and biodynamic viticulture, a sector of the

Photo Credit: Francois Millo

EXPERT VIEWPOINT

MATT DUNNE Joval Wine Group

What is getting you excited in Provence Rose at the moment?

The diversity in terroir and styles of Rose and the region’s commitment to the environment and sustainability.

We’ve seen an explosion of Rose in the Australian market in recent years, how do you see Provence wines positioned to take advantage of this as the market matures?

A greater focus on the sub-regions when it comes to adding balance to a restaurant wine list or retail outlet.

A deeper understanding of what the consumer is looking for and having a finger on the pulse with what they want to drink. market growing every year. Sustainability is an important consideration for Provençal winemakers.

The region benefits from the famed mistral, the wind from the north which ensures that the vines dry quickly after any rain, inhibiting the growth of any potential disease. The heat and sun play vital roles in ensuring early ripening. Adding to the interest is the wide selection of different soils – everything from deposits of limestone and shale to quartz and schist near the coast, with clay and sandstone dominating inland.

This all ensures incredible diversity of styles across Provence.

Their glorious Rosés, however, dominate production, understandably so. Rosé is now made all over the globe but nowhere has mastered it in the way the makers across Provence have done. More than 90% of the wine made here is Rosé. Regulators understand the importance of maintaining standards and ensure that at least two grape varieties are used in the blending of AOP Provence Rosé and at least 50% of the blending of an AOP Provence Rosé must come from main varietals, and the other 50% can come from main or secondary varietals.

This has not stopped winemakers from experimenting in their search for higher standards. Some have trialled the

use of oak while almost everyone now works with temperature controlled tanks.

Biodynamic and organic viticulture have ensured that the grapes they use are superior to past vintages.

Winemakers in the region created a research centre dedicated to Rosé wine based in the town of Vidauban located in the center of Provence.

Lovers of the wonderful Rosés from Provence are even more thrilled by the diversity we are seeing across the region in wines from different locations.

The world has welcomed the ‘celebrity winemaker’, keen to involve themselves with Provençal Rosé. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie with their Chateau Miraval led the way, but anyone who has seen this wine will attest that this is no cosmetic gesture. They are superb wines, deserving of all the accolades coming their way. John Legend, Idris Elba, Lisa Vanderpump, George Lucas and Kylie Minogue have joined them.

It is no surprise to find that Australia now ranks sixth in the world for importing Provençal Rosé and, while the entire world seems to have joined this bandwagon, expect us to climb even higher.

Wine Intelligence report 2018

We’re seeing more emphasis on sustainable viticulture around the world, how are the Provence producers adapting their viticulture with this in mind?

More and more producers are going down the sustainable path with an increase of 65% or organic vines between 2010 and 2016.

Are there any innovations (winemaking, packaging, marketing, technical, Organic/BD) that you see Provence leading the charge on?

Many producers gave turned to wine cellars that function by gravity to preserve their natural authenticity and quality. Wines of Provence have launched a collective plan of passage in the “HVE”certification – High Environmental Value.

If you’re drinking with friends, what’s your perfect Provence rose occasion?

The notion that rose is a summer’s drink is over – it’s now an all year round drink and the gender ratio of drinkers is a more even split! One of the best matches with soft cow’s milk cheese is Provence Rosé!

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DIAGEO WINS SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

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PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

Australian Drinks Awards

What retailers want from suppliers in 2020 Words John McLoughlin, Managing Director APAC at the Advantage Group

There is no doubt that issues arising from COVID-19 have dominated focus for suppliers this year.

However, we will eventually emerge from this situation, and as we do, we will return our attention to the issues that relate to a more normal trading environment.

Retailers provided some very clear feedback to the supplier community via the 2020 Drinks Association Advantage Engagement Survey this year on areas of focus beyond collaboration during the pandemic.

Rapid changes in shopper transaction, business models, technology and emerging new channels are making the path to high performance less clear.

Retailers are looking for trading partners who can help them manage and achieve expectations in their business today, as well as help them get ready for changing requirements tomorrow.

Here are some of the most prevalent themes from the feedback as they relate to “managing for today”, and “helping me get ready for tomorrow”.

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“This supplier proactively seeks to understand how we’re evolving our high-level objectives. They find a way to make it work with their business. It unlocks a lot of opportunity for both parties to have those high level, upfront conversations. Then we get into the detail and develop a strategy to get there.” – Australian liquor retailer

MANAGING FOR TODAY 1. Demonstrate partnership through understanding retailer strategies When retailers describe suppliers as “partners”, they are talking about suppliers who understand their business and who jointly build and deliver plans that demonstrate a willingness and capability to help them achieve outcomes aligned to their unique strategies.

Many liquor retailers have been actively reassessing their strategies over the last 12-18 months. Retailers believe there is an opportunity for many suppliers to improve their understanding of these changes.

Suppliers need to stay curious, seeking to understand what their customers are trying to achieve, and using that knowledge as they develop internal plans and engage through joint planning.

“Suppliers need to demonstrate thinking about the category holistically. Their attitude needs to be about playing a role for the greater good of the category. Certain suppliers have jumped on this and understand that all boats rise with the rising tide.

Others are so dependent on market share, focusing only on their own brands, that they lose relevance in our growth plans.” – Australian liquor retailer 2. Execution as a driver of category growth When evaluating supplier execution, retailers will assess operational effectiveness and capability to manage brands through the lens of how this contributes to the growth of the category. It includes marketing, range management and in-store promotion, as well as reliable, efficient stock availability.

The point that retailers often feel is missed by suppliers is the importance of category growth outcomes. Retailers are, more than ever, alert to a share-shift focus, and feedback shows that there is a real opportunity for suppliers to secure a higher level of support from retailers if they employ a more category-centric approach.

Liquor is a category brimming with exciting and innovative brands. Suppliers who are able to look beyond the power and growth of individual brands, focusing first on how to grow the category through their brands, will find it easier to align their execution plans with retailers.

GETTING READY FOR TOMORROW 1. Reputation and the growing impact of e-commerce At the core of reputation is an assessment by retailers about who you are as a supplier. It represents their trust in you, how reliable are you in doing what you say you will do, how closely do you align with their values, and do they believe you will be a good partner into the future.

It is the latter area that is being heavily impacted by quickly evolving changes in technology and shopper transactions.

Reputations are being built more rapidly in the emerging e-commerce arena. The recent COVID-19 crisis has turbocharged retailer investment and focus in their e-commerce platforms and digital traffic.

Partnership opportunities will develop quickly, and the pace and capability you demonstrate in this growth area will likely also have a disproportionate impact on the overall reputation of your business.

“During the crisis, every supplier came out of the woodwork to talk to us about online, and capability varied dramatically.

Online will be more front of mind moving forward, and we have seen evidence of this already. If they are not already activating in this space, suppliers will struggle. Regardless of the percentage of online in their business, suppliers will have to invest.” – Australian liquor retailer 2. Vision grounded in insight Retailers highly value suppliers who are able to help them prepare for and navigate

an uncertain future through a capability for identifying opportunity and risk from current trends.

This capability begins with the depth of understanding the current situation, and the trust retailers show in a suppliers vision will be based on the degree to which a supplier can demonstrate this understanding.

Retailer expectations of how suppliers utilise insight and knowledge to support future thinking are generally not being met.

Understanding shopping and consumption drivers is a foundation skill, without which it will be difficult to partner with retailers to drive future growth.

For suppliers, it is clear that retailers are beginning to think about your engagement with them not only in managing the business for today, but also in getting ready for tomorrow.

TOP SUPPLIERS REVEALED AT 2020 AUSTRALIAN DRINKS AWARDS

The results of the 2020 Advantage Engagement Survey were used to determine the winners of the 2020 Australian Drinks Awards, which were announced during a virtual ceremony on July 30, hosted by Shelly Horton.

I want thank all of our retail partners for taking the time to provide feedback to the supplier community. While we carried out our research mid crisis this year, our retailer partners and suppliers prioritised our work in an incredibly disrupted environment to ensure we got the response we needed for our program.

And so, onto the winners….

“Supplier capability with regards to utilising insights, understanding shopping decisions and anticipating future consumption is still not close to where the FMCG companies are. A challenge we have in liquor is there are a couple of big players and then it drops away quite quickly. Small to medium suppliers have to make an investment choice to get ahead of the game rather than always following.” – Australian liquor retailer drinks trade 25

Australian Drinks Awards

Diageo wins 2020 Supplier of the Year DIAGEO IS CELEBRATING WINNING ITS THIRD SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR TROPHY IN FIVE YEARS AT THE DRINKS ASSOCIATIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 2020 AUSTRALIAN DRINKS AWARDS.

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The Australian Drinks Awards were live streamed this year and hosted by TV personality Shelly Horton.

Hundreds of drinks industry members watched via Zoom as four awards were handed out for Supplier of the Year, Most Improved Supplier, Category Management and Supply Chain Management.

The winners were chosen via the annual Advantage Engagement Survey. The Drinks Association has been commissioning Advantage Australia for the past decade to conduct the annual survey, which provides members with favourability ratings and qualitative retailer feedback from the off trade, on premise and wholesale channels.

“The whole team at Diageo are proud beyond measure at being named 2020 Supplier of the Year at the Australian Drinks Awards,” said Diageo Commercial Director Chris Shaw (pictured right).

“In a year that’s been like no other and that has brought challenges like none we’ve faced before, the Australian Drinks Awards are a moment of celebration and recognition of our industry when those moments are currently few and far between.

“I know how difficult the last six months have been for so many in our industry, in particularly our on-premise partners who have been so hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m proud of how suppliers as a group have stepped up to the support the hospitality industry and it was great to see that collective industry response recognised in the awards ceremony.

“Thank you to the award organisers The Drinks Association, and the Advantage Group, which runs the Advantage Survey.

If the detailed survey results are anything like last year, then I think we’ll continue to see the evolving expectations of retailers, wholesalers and the on-premise being met by ever rising standards of service from all suppliers. We’re seeing increased capabilities and greater collaboration between supplier and customer which is fantastic, and bodes well for the future of our industry.

“Thank you also to the entire team at Diageo Australia who all contributed to this result. With much change in the leadership

of our commercial business units, it’s fantastic so see our new teams continuing to build upon the collaborative relationships with all our partners.”

John McLoughlin, Managing Director APAC at the Advantage Group, said the traits that most describe Diageo are focus and consistency.

“Focus because every year this business sets out to be a retailer-centric supplier that excels in engaging its partners and consistency because Diageo has been placed in the top three for this award for six of the last seven years,” he explained.

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Australian Drinks Awards

DIAGEO WINS INAUGURAL CATEGORY MANAGEMENT AWARD Diageo also won the Category Management Award, which is new to the Australian Drinks Awards and has been introduced to inspire excellence in the sector.

It celebrates the critical competency of category management, including planning to meet category objectives, providing valuable insights, optimising category assortment and shelving.

“Category management is a key contributor to the retailer supplier interface,” said McLoughlin.

“I like to think of category management as the common language that both retailers and suppliers speak. We know from our data that the skills of building insightful category development plans are highly valued by retailers and as such this is a key driver of retailer engagement.

“We congratulate Diageo on also collecting the Category Management Award this year. Well done Diageo on again delivering excellence in retailer engagement.”

Shaw said: “I’m so proud of our category management team led by Kate Bean.

Winning this new award is recognition of our intent to put the customer and the

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shopper at the heart of everything we do in this space. We know that the biggest opportunity for our business and for our customers’ business comes from unlocking category growth, so we go into every planning session with a shared category agenda as our focus.

“It may be Diageo’s name on the award, but it’s not our award alone. It’s shared with our customers. It’s only through our

collaborative efforts to build compelling joint category strategies and plans that we drive growth for all of us, led by market and retail insights, shopping insights, and consumer understanding.

“Our significant investment in our digital capabilities means we’ve been able to adapt at pace to a fast changing retail environment that will only continue to evolve in the months and years ahead.”

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THANK YOU to all of our Customers and Partners

Supplier of the Year 2020 Category Management Award 2020

CELEBRATING LIFE, EVERY DAY, EVERYWHERE drinks trade 29

Australian Drinks Awards

Asahi celebrates winning Most Improved Supplier DEDICATION, DETERMINATION AND HARD WORK WERE KEY TO ASAHI PREMIUM BEVERAGES WINNING MOST IMPROVED SUPPLIER AT THE 2020 AUSTRALIAN DRINKS AWARDS.

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all functions of the business, with many people contributing, ensuring that the feedback was actioned and we closed the gaps from the prior year.”

Winners at the 2020 Australian Drinks Awards were determined by the annual Advantage Engagement Survey.

“The purpose of the Most Improved Supplier Award is to recognise a supplier that has made significant improvements in the way it works with retailers,” said John McLoughlin (above), Managing Director APAC at the Advantage Group.

“This award recognises a supplier that has made a step change in their engagement capability. It was won by Asahi in a landslide this year, with a massive increase in its Net Favourable Score to 21 points, seven points more than the next placed supplier. This improvement has been driven by a strong intent and focus from the team to drive engagement with their retailer partners. Congratulations to Asahi!”

THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE FOR SUPPLIERS

It’s been a huge six months for Asahi Premium Beverages (APB), from supporting its on-premise customers during lockdown to winning Most Improved Supplier of the Year at the 2020 Australian Drinks Awards and the recent announcement that it is combining with CUB. But one thing has remained constant for APB: the importance of being responsive and agile as its customers’ needs rapidly evolve.

Michael Ritoli (above, right), General Manager Sales, said taking out Most Improved Supplier of the Year is proof of the outstanding performance by his team.

“It’s fair to say, our team were elated with winning this award and it’s a credit to everyone across the Asahi business who has contributed to this achievement,” said Ritoli.

“With any industry award, it’s always a combined effort; we’re incredibly lucky to

have an amazing team at Asahi. Spanning across sales, marketing, supply chain and the many other support structures, we all unite in making Asahi a superb place to work.

“It’s a fantastic achievement to win the Most Improved Supplier as it recognises all the hard work our people put into providing the best service we can to our valued partners.”

Ritoli said it was the dedication, determination and hard work of the team over the last 12 months that contributed to the win. Examining the results from the 2019 Advantage Engagement Survey proved invaluable in identifying areas of improvement.

“We analysed the feedback from the previous year and put in place a strategy to address areas that we believed required us to lift our game,” he explained.

“An action plan was developed engaging

Ritoli said he believes empathy is the most important attribute for suppliers to have during current restrictions and lockdowns.

“We know how difficult it has been, and will be, for our customers, particularly those in the hospitality world,” he noted. “We’ve tried to understand their most immediate challenges, which for many, as mentioned already, is cash flow and have been working closely with them to ensure they are supported through this demanding period.

“We continue to remain nimble and flexible in our approach to problem solving, identifying opportunities and putting measures in place to act quickly in a considered manner. Above all, we remain focused on our customers, ensuring they have access to our resources.

“Through the Open Arms program, for example, we’ve been busily commissioning hibernated equipment and providing cash flow solutions to those customers most in need through the help of our sales and credit teams.”

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Australian Drinks Awards

Why Treasury Wine Estates won the Supply Chain Management Award TREASURY WINE ESTATES’ PROACTIVE PROJECT TO IMPROVE THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN ENGAGEMENTS TWO YEARS AGO HAS BEEN REWARDED, WITH THE COMPANY WINNING THE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AWARD AT THE 2020 AUSTRALIAN DRINKS AWARDS. “This award is a fantastic recognition of our team’s hard work and ongoing commitment to deliver service excellence to our customers,” TWE Regional Operating Officer David Alpen said.

“We have a strong focus on continuous improvement and collaboration in our supply chain, this has shown through in recent times as we have navigated the challenges of COVID-19.

“I also want to acknowledge the efforts and support from our customers and valued partners who have worked closely with us throughout the year.”

“The purpose of the Supply Chain Management Award is to recognise the supply chain community and in 2020 and during the COVID crisis, no discipline has been more important than supply chain,” added John McLoughlin (above), Managing

Director APAC at the Advantage Group.

“The focus for the award is on driving partnership behaviours that ultimately will improve availability. In the last few months collaboration has been the critical ingredient in navigating through the crisis and supply chain teams have been at the epicentre of that.

“Congratulations to TWE on winning the Supply Chain Management award.”

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Open Byron drinks trade 33

Feature

Tomorrow’s World IT’S NEVER BEEN EASY TO ACCURATELY PREDICT WHAT’S LIKELY TO HAPPEN IN THE WORLD OF WHISKY, BUT, AS DOMINIC ROSKROW REPORTS, IT ALL JUST GOT A LOT HARDER

“If one more person talks about ‘a new normal,’ I think I’m going to hit them.”

Who can’t empathise with this exclamation of frustration from one anonymous social media pundit? For in our increasingly dumbed down world of sound bites and slogans (thank you, Mr Trump), ‘a new normal’ is particularly dumbed down and meaningless.

There will be no ‘new normal.’ in the short and medium terms certainly, there will be no new world order. The pandemic hasn’t just cost the world hundreds of thousands of lives, it has tipped economies across the world on their heads, emptied their contents and strewn them far and wide, and left us all to try and pick up the pieces.

And around the world that’s what we’re now starting to do. Trouble is, different countries are tidying up at

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different rates, and where once the world economy worked in some form of harmony, the teutonic plates more or less shifting in the same direction, now it’s shattered and scattered, and it’s every person for themselves in a market free for all. Frankly, the view from the bar in Melbourne right now is a million miles away from the view from the bar in Manchester.

It may well be that never again will a global brand ambassador fly business class from Glasgow to Sydney, stay in a top hotel, and host three or four dinners/tasting events for 20 or 30 bar managers, bloggers and opinion formers. Instead local brand ambassadors will host events simultaneously in cities across Australia and New Zealand and the global brand ambassador will link through Zoom from one of his or her distilleries. In this way he or she can take his viewers in to the still rooms and warehouses,

show them the rugged shoreline of Loch Indaal or the dramatic slopes of Benrinnes, adding a truly local flavour to proceedings.

There are two other areas that I think will flourish in the months going forward.

Firstly, for some time now the big companies have acknowledged that whiskies from around the world are attracting new drinkers, and that such whiskies are not attempting to emulate the wonderful flavours of Scotland and Ireland. More than that, they have accepted that the people making whisky in Sweden, Denmark and Australia know more about local wood and peat, and what appeals to the domestic palate than they do.

Diageo is so committed to the concept that it is funding Distill Ventures, a company set up to seek out at the best new distillery businesses and to guide and mentor them while allowing them to control their

businesses, and the products they make.

Beneficiaries so far include Melbournebased Starward and Danish distillery Stauning.

Expect to see more of this - and for whiskies from around the world to find their way to our cities and bars, as new players benefit from big company muscle and expansive distribution chains.

The other trend to watch for is the development of new malt based spirits drinks which aren’t strictly whiskies but have much to recommend them. In America particularly the new micro distilleries are playing foot loose and fancy free with the rules governing whisk(e)y but are producing some very tasty spirits indeed.

The biggest new distilleries aren’t afraid of fronting up to the big bourbon boys, either. In Louisville, the main city of Kentucky, three distilleries are making whiskey under the very noses of their peers.

The first, just off Whiskey Row in the heart of Louisville, is appropriately called Kentucky Peerless, and is making high end rye and bourbon. But it’s breaking with conventional wisdom by eschewing the sour mash process, when the final spend grains are added in to the new mash of the next batch. The distillery also fills its barrels with white dog spirit at a temperature significantly lower than accepted industry wisdom. The whiskeys aren’t cheap ei-ther.

Not far away Angel’s Envy, owned by the sons and grandsons of former Woodford Reserve master distiller Lincoln Henderson, makes superb whiskey, but having made a world class bourbon and rye, they finish them to great effect in ruby port and rums casks respectively. Nothing wrong with that at all. But calling the whiskey ‘Port Barrel finished Bourbon’ certainly is - if it’s been in a port cask, it isn’t a bourbon by definition.

A new category of Single Malt Whiskey or American Whiskey is also bringing a whole new range of flavour to the world of whisky. In the case of the former, single malt

Westward Whiskey, Portland USA

from America is often matured in virgin oak white oak casks in the same way as bourbon.

The resulting whiskey can be phenomenal.

Experiments with wood types beyond oak, flavour additives, and the use of unusual drying material during the malting process are adding a whole host of new flavours.

The mainstay of American Whiskeys, including Bourbons, have also stepped up to the plate. Woodford Reserve has just released its Baccarat Edition: a limited release, super-premium Kentucky bourbon whiskey finished in XO Cognac oak,

encased in a striking Baccarat crystal glass decanter. It retails for a cool A$3,000 a bottle. And the ubiquitous Jack Daniel’s with the premium Gentleman Jack tribute to Mr JD himself, and the higher abv Single Barrel offering - all adding interest into this highly competitive market.

So as nations around the world peak out from behind the barriers, the most daring innovators will be desperate to kick on. It might be chaos out there, but it certainly won’t be boring. Expect to be surprised and delighted.

drinks trade 35

Tasting Notes

Premium American Whiskey

JACK DANIEL’S TENNESSEE RYE

With the bold spice of rye and the smooth character of Jack, this presents a new way to drink Jack Daniel’s. The second aged rye from Jack Daniel’s, following on from Single Barrel Rye, this has been produced from a mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn and 12% malted barley, and is aged in new barrels handcrafted by Jack Daniel’s themselves.

GENTLEMAN JACK

Introduced in 1988 as a tribute Mr Jack Daniel himself, Gentleman Jack is known as “the smoother side of Jack”. Gentleman Jack is charcoal mellowed not once, but twice for ultimate smoothness. Our hand-crafted barrels are matured exclusively on the lower floors of the barrel house where the climate is less intense for a softer, lighter flavour.

Aroma: Softer vanilla, citrus and floral notes

Aroma: An enticing blend full of sweet, soft fruit layered with an underlying rye spice and oak Taste: Sweet caramel and dry baking spice, followed by a peppery rye character finish

Taste: Sweet vanilla, fruit and light spice with a crisp clean finish

JACK DANIEL’S SINGLE BARREL

Its distinct and unique taste comes from refining “mellowing” the freshly distilled whiskey drop by drop through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal. The distilled whiskey is then matured in American Oak barrels hand-made by Jack Daniel’s for a minimum of four plus years and is bottled one barrel at a time as a single individual expression.

Bottled at 45% abv (90 Proof), each single barrel expression can vary in flavour profile from soft spice to full bodied and robust.

Aroma: Robust and complex with rich caramel, toasted oak and subtle fruit Taste: Rich, toasted oak with complex barrel spices, leading to a warm lingering finish

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LIMITED STOCK AVAILABLE NOW drinks trade 37

Tasting Bench

PALE ALE Tasting Panel

SUMMER IS AROUND THE CORNER AND THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT CUSTOMERS WILL BE REACHING FOR AN ICE-COLD BEER ON THOSE SCORCHER DAYS. WONDERING WHAT TO STOCK? DRINKS TRADE ORGANISED FOR TWO PANELS - ONE IN THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS AND THE OTHER IN SYDNEY - TO JUDGE MORE THAN 40 BEERS ON THEIR APPEARANCE, AROMA, PALATE AND FINISH. NOTES WERE COMPARED AND WINNERS WERE REVEALED. HERE ARE OUR TOP PICKS...

THE PANEL LEADS • NEAL CAMERON Southern Highlands team • IAN KINGHAM Sydney team

TASTING

COOPERS SESSION ALE Style: Pale Ale Package: 440ml can ABV: 4.2% Panel notes: A noticeable Coopers yeast with extras. A significant improvement on the standard one. Really caught the attention of both panels.

Score: 7.7

WHITE BAY SUNNY PALE ALE Style: Pale Ale Package: 355ml can ABV: 4.5% Panel notes: An easy-drinking, light beer that passes the pint test and is suitable for summer.

Score: 7.7

MOUNTAIN GOAT PALE ALE Style: Pale Ale Package: 375ml can ABV: 5.2% Panel notes: Really lovely malty aroma with American hop character. It’s quite full but very drinkable.

Score: 7

BAD SHEPHERD VICTORIA PALE ALE Style: Pale Ale Package: 375ml can ABV: 4.2% Panel notes: A great, sessionable beer. It’s light, easy-drinking and balanced.

Score: 7.5

WOLF OF THE WILLOWS WOLF PUP Style: Pale Ale Package: 355ml can ABV: 4% Panel notes: A cracking beer with nice biscuit malt notes.

Score: 8

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JB_2

Tasting Bench

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Contact the Smart Media team: ContentCreationSales@gs1au.org www.gs1au.org/product-to-market drinks trade 39

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CHAMPIONING SUCCESSFUL INDEPENDENTS 40 drinks trade

Tasting Bench

JAMES SQUIRE MID RIVER PALE ALE Style: Pale Ale Package: 345ml bottle ABV: 3.5% Panel notes: This beer is low on alcohol but it’s not apparent. It’s full of flavour with a nice Amarillo aroma. Could easily be a goto beer in any fridge.

Score: 7.8 SLIPSTREAM TROPICAL PALE ALE Style: Pale Ale Package: 375ml can ABV: 4.1% Panel notes: A quality beer with tropical fruits, grassy hops and a nice clean finish.

Score: 8 4 PINES PACIFIC ALE Style: Ale Package: 375ml can ABV: 3.5% Panel notes: This deserves a silver medal - it’s a beer that really delivers behind the midstrength.

Score: 8 FURPHY ALE Style: Ale Package: 375ml bottle ABV: 4% Panel notes: A pale ale with summer ale yeast.

Good body texturally.

Score: 7.5 4 PINES INDIAN SUMMER ALE Style: Summer Ale Package: 375ml can ABV: 4.2% Panel notes: Light and refreshing - very sessionable. Grassy hop notes and a hint of melon.

Score: 7.5 STONE & WOOD THE ORIGINAL Style: Pacific Ale Package: 330ml bottle ABV: 4.4% Panel notes: Galaxy hops give this beer a refreshing and deeply flavoursome palate. It has light fruity notes with good malt weight.

Score: 8.5

PIRATE LIFE IPA Style: India Pale Ale Package: 355ml can ABV: 6.8% Panel notes: A big, aggressive, no-nonsense IPA that packs plenty of hops. It lacks finesse but who cares.

Score: 8 YOUNG HENRYS IPA Style: India Pale Ale Package: 375ml can ABV: 6% Panel notes: Exactly what an IPA should be - nicely balanced with plenty of hops and malt. It has Cryo hop at the forefront, which is the way many IPAs are going - get used to it.

Score: 7.5 WHITE BAY CREATURES OF HABIT IPA Style: India Pale Ale Package: 440ml can ABV: 6.6% Panel notes: The pick of White Bay’s range, made to drink. It’s floral, fruity and sweet with some light malt layering.

Score: 7.5 HOPE ESTATE RHINO IIIIIPA Style: India Pale Ale Package: 375ml can ABV: 18% Panel notes: Sweet, honey, good hop flavour.

It’s big and sherry-like, definitely a sipper in front of the fire.

Score: 7.9 PIRATE LIFE STRONG PALE ALE Style: Strong Pale Ale Package: 355ml can ABV: 6% Panel notes: It’s not elegant but it sure is pretty. It’s got a great bitterness to it and it’s strong but balanced.

Score: 8

Panel notes: A go-to beer. It’s light, fresh, has a great aroma and that trademark Mosaic hop character.

Score: 7.5 ONE DROP XPA Style: Extra Pale Ale Package: 375ml can ABV: 4.3% Panel notes: A good beer with a good body, malt layering and excellent hop additions.

Score: 7 WOLF OF THE WILLOWS XPA Style: Extra Pale Ale Package: 355ml can ABV: 4.7% Panel notes: A good representation of the style. Can’t fault the palate - it’s slightly bitter with a hop finish. Clean, sweet malt on the nose and a touch of lemon.

Score: 7.5%

JOINT WINNERS

STOMPING GROUND GIPPS ST PALE ALE Style: Pale Ale Package: 355ml can ABV: 5.2% Panel notes: Quite outstanding, even among 40 other beers.

Great character and big American hop.

Score: 9 PIRATE LIFE IPA Style: India Pale Ale Package: 355ml can ABV: 6.8% Panel notes: Unashamedly lovely - piney, malty and robust.

Score: 9

BALTER XPA Style: Extra Pale Ale Package: 375ml can ABV: 5.0%

drinks trade 41

Interview

Against the grain YOUNG HENRYS CO-FOUNDERS RICHARD ADAMSON AND OSCAR MCMAHON MAY HAVE THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING IT ALONE WHEN THEY WENT AGAINST THE GRAIN IN 2012 AND BEGAN BREWING MORE ADVENTUROUS BEERS, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN ANYTHING BUT. THEIR INDEPENDENT CRAFT BEERS HAVE ATTRACTED A STRONG FOLLOWING OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, FROM THOSE WHO WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE BEER AND COULD AT YOUNG HENRYS EARLY ON, TO OTHERS WHO SIMPLY WANTED EASY-DRINKING CRAFT BEERS. DRINKS TRADE’S ASHLEY PINI CAUGHT UP WITH RICHARD AND OSCAR TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY’VE CARVED OUT A UNIQUE PATH TO CONSUMERS AND PLACE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY. How did you meet?

Richard and Oscar: At the pub.

Richard: I was on my way out of a project and looking for a brewery to experiment in that had a face-to-face presence with consumers (Richard’s background was in brewing and Oscar’s was in hospitality).

Was Newtown your first choice for where the brewery would be located?

Richard: The Inner West but not Newtown to begin with.

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Oscar: We were looking everywhere, from St Peters to Paddington for a space big enough and where people could get to on foot.

What type of experience were you hoping to provide at the brewery?

Richard: We were looking at a restaurant/bar with a brewery attached but had to move into a wholesale model because of some issues with the council.

Oscar: So we started wholesaling without little know-how.

How many staff did you have back then and how many do you have now?

Oscar: There were about three or four of us working here at the start. Luckily, we were about the only ones on this side of town you could get a brewing job with. So in the first two years, we were propped up by people who wanted to learn about brewing and who would trade their time to learn because we didn’t have any paid jobs to offer.

Usually now we have 60 full-time and usually 20 casual staff, but due to COVID-19 we’ve got 60 staff on Jobkeeper.

“We predict that support for independent businesses is going to intensify with the recession. People are going to be more interested in supporting Australian products and jobs.” Young Henrys co-founder Oscar McMahon

So COVID-19 has had a big impact on your revenue?

Both: Yes, massively.

Did the boom in the off-premise from panic-buying off-set that?

Richard: It helped but having keg sales go from a good rate to zero because bars and pubs were closed was pretty tough.

Oscar: Our business was about 65 to 35 keg to pack volume and all of our margin is in kegs. So we lost 65 per cent of our revenue that also had all of our margin in it.

How many people are you restricted to letting into the tasting bar now?

Oscar: 50, which is great. We actually didn’t open up our bar as soon as we could or do bottle shop sales from our bar because we were able to do wholesale.

All of the bars and restaurants around us could only do takeaway so we stopped to give everyone a share of the market.

They’re businesses that supported us before, throughout and will again so we had to look after them.

Richard: We also didn’t want our staff to be exposed to COVID-19.

Do you think all craft breweries would be feeling some sort of pain from COVID-19?

Richard: Yes, some more acutely. Others are doing it tougher; we’re seeing some closures already.

Oscar: Everyone’s pack to keg ratio is going to change how this has impacted them.

Jobkeeper has been important for us and I’d say every independent brewer would say the same thing. Breweries are capital intensive businesses - most breweries have an element of debt, probably more than bars and restaurants, so to have a financial prop on our headcount was a Godsend.

Can you forecast to September, do you think you’ll be back to pre-COVID-19 figures by then?

Richard: By Christmas, we might be back to where we should have been a few months ago. You have to remember that we had bushfires before this. Our bank account was 20 per cent down from summer because of the smoke, people weren’t going out.

Oscar: And people in rural areas couldn’t drink because they were prepared to leave or fight a fire. Fires also came close to our hop crops which were already droughtaffected and challenging us in the brewery to maintain quality.

I wanted to ask you about the independent nature of Young Henrys.

How important is that?

Richard: The independent beer industry is a large employer, about 47 per cent of the industry is employed by independent producers even though we only represent about two to three per cent of beer sales.

A lot more hands go into making independent beer.

I think independence matters; people care about where their beer comes from and who owns it.

Oscar: We predict that support for independent businesses is going to intensify with the recession. People are going to be more interested in supporting Australian products and jobs.

drinks trade 43

New Products and Releases

CERTAINTY IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD HERITAGE

While Accolade Wines is a young company, our history runs deep, with a proud heritage that includes some of the first wineries established in Australia.

Hardys, a brand that pioneered the great tradition of wine blending, crushed its first grapes in 1853, while the roots of our flagship Western Australian brand, Houghton, go back to the mid-1830s. This rich heritage has helped build one of the world’s leading wine companies that today delivers approximately 27 million cases to 132 countries worldwide every year.

“Hardys is one of Australia’s oldest brands and has been one of Australia’s Top 5 wine brands for over a decade,” says Nicola Paroissien, Head of Global Marketing,

44 drinks trade

Core Brands for Accolade Wines. “Its success is testament to the brand’s relentless desire to produce quality wines at every price point, consistently, year after year.” ‘’We have built on these strong foundations to create a unified global approach across our Hardys portfolio to elevate our brand and put product quality and consistency at the heart of all that we do.”

HARDYS

Hardys was launched by Thomas Hardy in 1853 against a backdrop of global uncertainty. This was the inspiration for the new creative theme, which guarantees certainty in an uncertain world.

“This bold positioning is a testament to the high level of confidence we have in Hardys, which has won over 9000 global awards and

has delivered exceptional wines to our consumers for decades,” Nicola says.

Accolade Wines will invest over $9 million globally in Hardys, its largest wine brand, with a new strategy, creative campaign, pack reposition and a Money Back Guarantee.

As part of the through-the-line campaign, Hardys will offer consumers a no questions asked ‘money back guarantee’ if they are dissatisfied with their purchase. The guarantee will be communicated through digital advertising, on pack, in store and social media channels in Australia and the UK from October to December.

The campaign, ‘Certainty in an Uncertain World’, will champion Hardys’ quality and heritage through in-store

activity, digital advertising, social media and PR, with a $1M+ spend behind the brand in Australia in the next 12 months.

The new platform marks a milestone for Hardys as it moves towards a globally consistent creative platform that supports its position as Australia’s No 3 wine brand, with retail sales of $113M and a clear gap to its nearest competitor.

BRANDS

Hardys has also unveiled a full brand packaging update being rolled out across the entire range, including consumer favourites- Hardys VR, Hardys Stamp of Australia, Tintara, Hardys Brave New World, Hardys The Chronicles and William Hardy. The design premiumises and unifies the portfolio, with strong and consistent visibility of the Hardys logo and Thomas Hardy & Sons crest, featuring the brand’s distinctive black and gold colours, on every bottle.

“Hardys has demonstrated its status with pioneering winemaking and wine consistency over the decades,” Nicola says. “We continue to have the desire to delight our consumers with every occasion they enjoy our wines. We are confident in the quality that we provide at Hardys, that we will provide a money back guarantee to any consumer that isn’t completely satisfied with the bottle that they purchased.

It’s a bold, creative statement, and fitting for a brand that has always set the standard for consistent quality at each price point.”

• Hardys has over 165 years of winemaking history with 9000+ awards across its portfolio • Hardys is Australia’s No 3 wine brand in value and No 2 in volume • Hardys is the UK’s No 1 wine brand and the UK’s most trusted wine brand *Source (IRI Red & White Bottles wine Only MAT 21/06/20)

MONEY BACK GUARANTEE – HOW DOES IT WORK?

If you are dissatisfied with a participating Hardys product bought from 1st October 2020 to 30th November 2020, you can receive your money back via bank transfer to the maximum RRP. To do so: • Go online to www.Hardysmoneyback.com microsite.

• Enter your personal details • In 15 words or more, tell us why you are dissatisfied with the product • Upload a copy of your purchase receipt, showing a participating product and dated within the promotional period and redated as per date of entry.

Claim period ends 15th December 2020.

RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION

Accolade Wines is committed to encouraging the responsible consumption of alcohol. Accolade Wines are active supporters of Drink Wise Australia and Drinkaware in the UK, both of which campaign to raise awareness of alcohol harm and help educate consumers on maintaining a healthy relationship with alcohol.

Aus. res. 18+ only. Offer starts 12.01am AEST on 1/10/20 and ends 11.59pm AEDT on 30/11/20 (for purchases) and 15/12/20 (for online claim submission). Claimant will receive money back for the eligible product, to the product value listed on the receipt (capped at max RRP of product, as specified in the T&Cs). Keep receipt/s & photo of empty eligible product packaging. Limit 1 money-back claim per person/email/bank account/mobile no. (regardless of no. of eligible bottles in excess of 1 purchased). See www.hardysmoneyback.com for Terms and Conditions. The Promoter supports the responsible service of alcohol.

drinks trade 45

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SSAAMMEE GGRREEAATT TTAASSTTEE. .

ININSTORES STORES NOW. NOW.

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New Products and Releases

One of Australia’s favourite brands now in new look packs IT STARTED IN 1795 WHEN JACOB BEAM FIRST SOLD HIS OLD JAKE SOUR BEAM MASH, AND GREW FROM THERE. 225 YEARS LATER AND JIM BEAM IS ONE OF WORLD’S FAVOURITE DRINKS, AND THIS YEAR IS GETTING A NEW, MODERN PACK THAT EMBODIES JIM BEAM’S PREMIUM LOOK AND FEEL. The refresh of the Jim Beam White and Black RTD range began rolling out in July and is focused on modernizing the packaging, bringing to life a new sleek visual identity.

Jim Beam’s Stephanie Jericevich told Drinks Trade, “we wanted to help consumers navigate through our range more easily than ever before. To support this, we added sharper colour coding of the variants

and differentiated the layout between our core and high ABV ranges.”

This is the first time since 2016 that the Jim Beam RTD range has been refreshed adding to what is already a significant milestone in the history of the brand - its 225th birthday.

Importantly though, while the packaging has changed, the great tasting liquid from the world’s no.1 bourbon remains the same.

OLD

NEW

“For 225 years Jim Beam has prided itself on going above and beyond to make the world’s no.1 Bourbon, and we’re thrilled that our new packaging gives the brand a more modern, distinctive and premium look moving forward” – Stephanie Jericevich, Beam Suntory Group Marketing Manager RTD

drinks trade 47

New Products and Releases

SQUEALING PIG

GINSECCO POPULAR WINE LABEL SQUEALING PIG CONTINUES TO PROVE THAT BRANDS CAN CROSS CATEGORIES, AND APPEAL TO MORE OCCASSIONS. GINSECCO IS THEIR LATEST RELEASE – A REFRESHING COMBINATION OF CRISP PROSECCO, PERFECTLY BALANCED GIN AND SPRITZED SODA, HITTING THE TRADE THIS SPRING. THE SPRITZED GIN COMES IN TWO STYLES AND HAS SOME SERIOUS CREDIBILITY WITH INDUSTRY FIGUREHEAD JASON CRAWLEY A KEEN ADVOCATE FOR THE BRAND. WE ASKED HIM MORE...

You first started working with Squealing Pig before the launch of their Squealing Pig Rosé Gin, can you tell us about how the gin range has evolved since then?

I’m a long-time fan of Squealing Pig Rosé, so when the gin came along in 2019 it won me over immediately! Since then, the brand recently released a Pinot Noir Gin – an equally cracking offering, packed full of flavor. The gin-evolution has now moved into smaller format, with the release of Squealing Pig Ginsecco and Rosé Ginsecco – two refreshing new gin and prosecco spritzers.

What are your thoughts on the latest NPD – Squealing Pig Ginsecco?

Ginsecco is an exciting debut – taking the popular cocktail into a ready-mixed and convenient format will no doubt garner a solid following heading into the summer months. The product is refreshing and merges two very sought-after drinks - and as we’ve seen in-market the popularity for both shows no signs of slowing down.

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What style of gin is it? What are the key botanicals?

The gin really punches above its weight and is made in an approachable drinking style. The 10 botanicals in the gin include juniper berries, citrus peels, lavender blossoms, coriander seeds, angelica seeds, rosemary, cardamom, fennel, peppermint and laurel leaf.

The Rosé Ginsecco features two additional botanicals; clove and cinnamon.

Others have tried the ‘cross category’ approach and failed, but NPD out of Squealing Pig seems to get traction.

Why do you think the continued extension of the Squealing Pig brand resonates with consumers?

I think the quality behind Squealing Pig really speaks volumes - consumers know they are going to enjoy a great drop, whether it be one of their table wines or now gins or wine (and ginsecco!) in can. Each new release is well considered and delivered in Squealing Pig’s signature playful manner, allowing customers and bartenders license to get creative and try new signature serves.

www.squealingpig.com @squealingpigwines

Section header

this little pig x x market xxxxxx went to

ginny fizz fizz new

Introducing our gin-licious new Ginseccoâ&#x201E;˘, with crisp prosecco, perfectly balanced gin, and spritzed soda

1 standard drink per can

Chills fast

Convenient for on the go

To speak to a local Treasury Wine Estates representative, contact 134 893 drinks trade 49

New Products and Releases 1

2

1. GRANT BURGE’S NEW PREMIUM REDS Distributor: Accolade Wines Grant Burge has dropped its latest range of premium red wines including the iconic 2016 Meshach Shiraz and 2016 Shadrach Cabernet Sauvignon, which both scored 95 points in the Halliday Wine Companion 2021. Named after Grant Burge’s great grandfather, the Meshach is only released in exceptional vintages. The 2016 is dense and elegant and described by chief winemaker Craig Stansborough as “an outstanding wine from an outstanding vintage”. The 2016 Shadrach also features great depth and sophistication and caught the attention of judges at last year’s Barossa and Adelaide Royal Wine Shows.

16 years of maturation. “This wine has reached a rare level of sophistication that demonstrates what great Australian sparkling wine can achieve,” he said.

3. ST HUGO RELEASES RARE COLLECTION Distributor: Pernod Ricard Winemakers The name says it all - St Hugo’s new Fine and Rare Collection showcases a range of scarce back vintages of Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon from 1998, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. The oldest almost dates back to the South Australian winery’s first vintage in 1980. The wines were hand-selected after rigorous tasting by chief winemaker Peter Munro who said it was fascinating to monitor the evolutionary transformation of these wines. “The 1998 is a fully mature wine from an exceptional vintage that is still displaying primary blackcurrant flavours twenty years on,” he said.

2. HOUSE OF ARRAS UNVEILS FIRST NEW WINE IN SIX YEARS Distributor: Accolade Wines Australian sparkling wine producer, House of Arras, has unveiled its first new wine in more than six years. The House of Arras Blanc de Blancs NV was crafted to give consumers access to the luxury Australian sparkling category for just $34.99 per bottle. The launch was timed with the release of the house’s annual vintage collection. House of Arras chief winemaker Ed Carr was excited to release the magnum, in particular, after 4

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4. BACARDI SPICED ARRIVES DOWN UNDER • Bacardi Spiced RRP $48 Distributor: Bacardi-Martini Australia

natural flavours and spices. And unlike its competitors, Bacardi Spiced doesn’t use artificial sweeteners to enhance the flavours of its spices.

5. NUSA CANA BRINGS BALI TO AUSSIE BACKYARDS • Nusa Cana Rum (700ml) RRP $58 Distributor: Craft Revolution Nusa Cana Rum is now available in nearly 100 BWS stores along Australia’s eastern seaboard. Renewals and locals BWS manager Richard Mok says, “We think this Indonesian spiced rum will appeal to customers with a beach lifestyle.

We are seeing more Australian drinks lovers discovering and rediscovering rum, especially spiced and craft rum.”

6. COOPERS GOES HAZY • Hazy IPA (four-pack of 375ml cans) RRP $22 Distributor: Coopers Brewery Coopers Brewery, already known for its cloudy ales, is going hazy! The Australian-owned brewer has launched Hazy IPA, a limited-edition, seasonal release available in kegs and 375ml cans. It comes in at 6.2% ABV and has a bitterness level of 35-40 International Bitterness Units.

Bacardi Spiced landed in Australia in August in response to the global demand for flavoured rums. It’s made with gold rum, mellowed in charred American oak for a hint of smokiness and blended with 5

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C ÔTES DE PROVENC E C OTEAUX D’AIX-EN-PROVENC E C OTEAUX VAROIS EN PROVENC E VINSDEPROVENC E.C OM drinks trade 51