The Shout NZ May 2022

NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST LIQUOR AUDIENCE

MAY 2022 | www.theshout.co.nz

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May 2022

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The Shout NZ Editor, Charlotte Cowan

CONSUMER FAVES

Remember in the ’80s when the only options for a crisp white wine often came out of a box and your Dad popped a chilled Rheineck on a Friday night? Oh friends, how time has changed. While some FMCG categories remain pretty stagnant in terms of innovation, liquor producers both locally and globally are continually coming up with new and exciting ways to highlight convenience, flavour and quality in the liquor category. This month we delve into two of the consistent up-and-comers – pre-batched (or bottled) cocktails on pgs 12-14, and low and no alcohol beer on pgs 30-32. Both completely different, both very well received by the liquor consumer.

But along with the new, always comes the classic, so our spirits expert Tash McGill shares the latest on whisky (pgs 16-21), while Cameron Douglas MS tastes some amazing Pinot Noir and Single Variety Reds that you need to stock in your venue (pgs 24-27).

And, of course, we can’t forget our industry advice for the on- and off-premise. This month we share how to recruit and retain amazing on-premise staff, and how to deal with angry and irrational customers in the off-premise. We hope you enjoy the issue! Cheers!

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4 INDUSTRY NEWS AND INSIGHTS 10 THE NON-PRICE FACTOR

22 SPOTLIGHT ON NZ LOCALS

Five of the best Kiwi wine bars where you can relax and sip a deep red this winter

Insights from Andrew Arnold, NZ Country Manager, Shopper Intelligence

A look at the increasingly premium and diverse pre-batched cocktail category

15 ON SHOW

Managing Director Paul Wootton

Tips from Stephanie Axtens, Barcats Venue Partner

Low and no alcohol beer is here to stay, writes Cicerone Denise Garland

Tash McGill delves into the highlights and challenges in the world of whisky

Executive Chairman Simon Grover

28 THE NEW AGE OF RECRUITMENT 30 THE LOW DOWN

This month’s must-try classics and new releases

PUBLISHED BY The Intermedia Group (NZ) Ltd PO Box 109 342, Newmarket, Auckland 1149

24 PINOT NOIR AND SINGLE VARIETY REDS Tasting notes from Cameron Douglas MS

12 SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED

16 A SQUEEZE ON WHISKY

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34 WHEN ANGER TAKES OVER

Advice for front-line staff on how to deal with angry and aggressive customers

Group Publisher Craig Hawtin-Butcher craig@intermedia.com.au

Digital and Print Coordinator Eclypse Lee elee@intermedianz.co.nz

Editor Charlotte Cowan ccowan@intermedianz.co.nz ph 021 774 080

Art Director Ryan Vizcarra ryanv@intermedia.com.au

Sales Director Wendy Steele wsteele@intermedianz.co.nz ph 021 300 473

Production Manager Jacqui Cooper jacqui@intermedia.com.au Subscription Enquiries subscriptions@intermedia.com.au

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Please return to designated soft plastic collection points for recycling.

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THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022 3

news

New Zealand on-premise consumers cautiously optimistic New research from liquor analysts CGA shows that consumers in New Zealand continue to feel cautiously optimistic as they return to the on-premise, but COVID-19 concerns and ongoing restrictions continue to play a part in reduced visitation. Meanwhile, polarisation is setting in, with many consumers opting for premium options to treat themselves, whilst others are choosing value brands as they deal with the increased cost of living.

CGA says that while there is clearly some reticence, the New Zealand on-premise seems to be on the road to recovery, with 87% of consumers visiting venues over the last month.

With visitation slowly returning, many consumers are actively looking to treat themselves with one in four purchasing a premium drink in the last month. However, increases to the cost of living have also led more than a third of consumers to opt for value drinks and brands when they visit the on-premise.

“Globally we are seeing this trend towards polarisation amongst on-premise visitors, and while some New Zealand consumers are looking to treat themselves, others are facing the challenge of reduced disposable income,” says CGA’s Managing Director, Americas and Asia Pacific, Scott Elliott. “Key to attracting bargain-hunting visitors to the channel will be targeted drinks promotions. In many markets at this stage of recovery, we have seen reticence from operators to run promotions with the goal to maximise visit spend after a prolonged period of poor traffic.

“For many thrifty consumers however, the way to drive traffic in the first place is via interesting promotions and specific events... all hosted in an overtly safe (COVID-related) and professionally managed environment, of course. In contrast, those looking for premium options will respond well to upselling strategies now, albeit new tactics are required to do this effectively given a vastly changed in-venue path to purchase," says Elliott.

WHAT’S ON May 12 NEW ZEALAND SPIRITS AWARDS 2022 MEDAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED www.spiritsawardsnz.nz

May 13 WORLD COCKTAIL DAY May 17 INTERNATIONAL PINOT GRIS DAY May 21 WORLD WHISKY DAY May 26 INTERNATIONAL CHARDONNAY DAY May 26-29 THE CHARDONNAY AFFAIR Gisborne www.thechardonnayaffair.co.nz June 3 WORLD CIDER DAY June 3-26 WINTER F.A.W.C! Hawke’s Bay www.fawc.co.nz June 10 NEW ZEALAND SPIRITS AWARDS 2022 TROPHY DINNER The Hilton, Auckland www.spiritsawardsnz.nz June 11 WORLD GIN DAY

New brewery planned for Mangawhai Pacific Coast Beverages, a start-up microbrewery, is set to begin construction of its production facility on the coast of the Mangawhai Harbour. The site will boast a vineyard, distillery and brewery, with a courtyard bistro overlooking the vines to open in 2023.

Pacific Coast’s packaged beer and spirits will launch late 2022 and operations will be headed by brewing expert and beer judge Sam Williamson, who has 20 years’ experience working in various New Zealand breweries.

“The last year has seen a huge revolution in brewing knowledge, with the advancement of analytical technology and the evolution of beer styles”, says Williamson. “Brewers are now challenging their own preconceptions on the correct way to brew, and making hugely accessible styles with techniques that bat against tradition. I have intertwined my experience, theory and research to develop some tasty, contemporary recipes.”

The brewery’s passion for experimentation will also be used to spice up the generally traditional spirits market using an American-designed still. And with a vineyard in its early stages, wine is expected to be produced in 2024.

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June 25 GABS CRAFT BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL Auckland Showgrounds www.gabsfestival.com July 1-2 WINETOPIA TSB Arena, Wellington www.winetopia.co.nz July 25-27 NEGOCIANTS FINE WINE TOUR Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch www.negociants.com/nz/events At the time of publication, all event dates were correct but are subject to change due to COVID restrictions. Please check event websites for any updates.

news

Kiwis launch world-first visual wine tasting language

John Pointon, Jessica Wood, Maciej Zimny

Three sommeliers from Noble Rot Wine Bar and Noble Wine Delivery, Wellington, have launched a new emoji-style wine tasting language named Wine-oji.

Maciej Zimny, Josh Pointon and Jessica Wood created the modern language for wine to help people understand its complexities in a

Dan Shea

Christiaan Crous

New appointments

simple, fun, and engaging way.

“Time and time again we had customers asking what a particular wine tasted like or were faced with so many choices, it was hard to make a decision,” says Pointon. “For a lot of people, choosing a wine can be complex and intimidating.”

The Wine-oji system takes the guesswork out of what consumers are buying, so that they know they’ll enjoy it. The trio also created Wine-oji profiles of classic wine styles of New Zealand and the world, to hep consumers learn about regional wine flavour profiles.

To use Wine-oji, wine producers receive digital and physical cards that provide a quick reference to the makeup of the wine – for example, sweet, dry, acidic, or oaky.

“The feedback from producers has been really positive, particularly because they need a fresh, modern take on wine communication with other beverage industries like craft beer and spirits forging ahead in this aspect,” says Wood.

“In short, producers believe this is an innovative way for them to promote their business, build their wine profile and tap into a whole new market.”

For more information, visit www.wineoji.com.

Aotearoa NZ Fine Wine Estates – owner of fine wine brands Pyramid Valley, Smith & Sheth and Lowburn Ferry – has appointed Dan Shea as National Sales Manager. Shea spent 17 years at Mills Reef Winery where he held a variety of positions and in his new role, he will manage all domestic sales and distribution efforts for Aotearoa NZ Fine Wine Estates, supporting national distributor Negociants New Zealand.

DB Breweries has promoted Christiaan Crous to Sales Director, where he will sit in the DB Management Team and lead the sales function. Previously holding the Head of Off-Premise role, Crous replaces Paul Millward, who is leaving DB after almost 12 years with the company.

UNIQUELY KIWI GIN BY 1919 DISTILLING info@1919distilling.com

industry insights

Pour yourself a glass of New Zealand New Zealand Winegrowers are calling on white wine lovers across the world to celebrate New Zealand white wine this May. The theme of the month, Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand, comes at a time when New Zealand’s top three exported white wine varieties are internationally celebrated with International Sauvignon Blanc Day (6 May), International Pinot Gris Day (17 May) and International Chardonnay Day (26 May) all falling in the same month.

New Zealand white wine varieties make up 93% of our global exports. While Sauvignon Blanc is the variety that awoke the world to New Zealand wine, and now represents 85% of our exports, other world-class white wine varieties such as Pinot Gris and Chardonnay are gaining increasing attention from discerning consumers.

During May, New Zealand Winegrowers will be running a series of activations to celebrate New Zealand white wine varieties, as well as petitioning the Unicode

Amber Silvester Communications Manager, New Zealand Winegrowers

Consortium to develop a white wine emoji. It’s a bit of fun that might help secure the emoji that has long been missing from the keyboards of digital devices, since emojis were created in the late 1990s, but we also anticipate that it will shine a spotlight on the breadth of high-quality white wine that New Zealand produces.

We are calling on all wine lovers across the globe to sign the petition, which is available at nzwine.com. As May ends, the petition will then be submitted to the Unicode Consortium along with a submission requesting the inclusion of the emoji.

With your help we might soon have a white wine glass emoji for use at our fingertips!

You can view more information about the 'Pour Yourself a Glass of New Zealand' campaign and sign the White Wine Emoji petition at nzwine.com/glass-of-nz.

Winning spirits The energy around the New Zealand Spirits Awards is ramping up again, with our Awards back for the fourth year, bigger and brighter. Entries are now in, in preparation for the four days of judging this month.

Our judges are fully New Zealand-based this year, but we hope a COVID-free 2023 will bring some international judges back into the panels. Fortunately, our local pool of experts is large and continues to be of the highest calibre.

We have selected experienced and professional judges with a range of amazing backgrounds, including restauranteurs, professional bar tenders, distillers, flavour specialists, retail spirits buyers, distributors, and importers, amongst others.

This year our Awards has joined with WSET® (the Wine & Spirit Education Trust – a UK-based internationally recognised training centre) as educational partners. Our educational partnership is the first initiative of its kind in the New Zealand market and is part of our shared commitment to advance education and training in spirits. Many of our judges already have the WSET® Level 2 Award in Spirits and going forward, it will be a requirement to have some sort of formal alcohol beverage judging qualification for our Awards.

All our judges will attend a pre-session on the systematic approach to tasting spirits. Our trainer is a WSET® certified spirits educator, working through the NZ School Wine & Spirits. The judges will be taken through the WSET®/ NZ Spirits Awards judging system, including types of spirits to be

6 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

Sue James Chairperson, Distilled Spirits Aotearoa

tasted, method of tasting and the spirit lexicon. This session is a refresher for the judges to assist with the accuracy of judging and scoring, and ensures we have a consistent and a respectful approach to the entrants and their spirits being judged.

Over the last three years we’ve realised that the success of the Awards has been due to the spirits’ community working together. The Awards assesses spirits which are on the market in New Zealand, and we have more or less equal numbers of New Zealand and international entries. Our growing reputation as a world-class Spirits Awards means that Spirits New Zealand, representing the largest global spirits producers, continues to be confident in under-writing the cost of the event. The increase in number of entries, plus funding from our enthusiastically loyal sponsors, all helps balance our operating costs. And we can’t forget our grand gala Awards evening, which has become the not-to-be-missed party of the year – don’t miss out on your tickets!

industry insights

Normal Kiwi social occasions A Bill in the Members’ ballot proposes to stop the “normalisation and glamourisation” of alcohol and reduce alcohol-related harm by banning sports advertising and sponsorship. As an industry, we 100% support reducing the misuse of alcohol and harm. However, advertising and sponsorship are already well-regulated by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act and the Code for Advertising and Promotion of Alcohol. Industry supporters of local clubs and international teams operate to high social responsibility standards, and we support consequences for breaches.

Government statistics show most Kiwis are responsible drinkers and consume 25% less alcohol than in the ’70s.

So, is ‘normal’ problematic? What are Kiwis’ thoughts on advertising and sponsorship? Would the Bill reduce harm?

Four out of five (78%) agreed with the statement: “I am comfortable with beer, wine and spirits being part of our normal Kiwi social occasions”, 12% disagreed, and 8% couldn’t decide. Even 78% of non-drinkers agreed.

Our drinking culture is evolving and establishing new norms toward moderation and a balanced lifestyle. It’s okay to choose a no-alcohol beer, enjoy your low-alcohol wine or sip and savour a full-strength spirit. It’s about socialising and connecting with friends and family over food and a drink – it’s the sociability, not the alcohol, that is the reason for getting together. It’s likely why around two-thirds (65%) of Kiwis feel comfortable not drinking alcohol on a night out.

Advertising spending by the industry has increased over the past few years, yet alcohol consumption has decreased

Bridget MacDonald Executive Director, New Zealand Alcohol Beverages Council

steadily. Sponsorship and advertising are not about encouraging people to drink more, nor promoting heavy drinking – it’s about promoting one brand over another.

There’s no clear evidence that sports sponsorship leads to harmful drinking, while evidence is clear the major influences on drinking behaviour of young people are peer-group norms and parental drinking behaviour. Would banning sponsorship make a difference? Are Kiwis concerned about alcohol advertising?

Well, more than half (53%) of Kiwis think the level of industry sponsorship of sport is about right or could be more (33% say it’s too much), and more than half (58%) say advertising levels are acceptable or could be more (35% say it’s too high).

The pathway to reducing alcohol-related harm isn’t achieved by banning advertising or sponsorship; it’s by taking a pragmatic approach through targeted education and support. We can also normalise moderation and empower people to make better drinking decisions based on their personal situation and lifestyle.

A tin for the tax collector Every year on the first of July, brewers across New Zealand are required to pay higher excise tax. Some years it’s relatively small, others it can be tough to swallow. In 2022, it looks to be the biggest increase in alcohol excise tax for over 30 years.

For a refresher on how this works: every year the level of increase in alcohol excise tax is determined by a calculation which is close to the March Consumer Price Index, aka inflation.

The new rate then comes into effect on 1 July. Inflation figures for the December quarter were 5.9%. At the time of writing, the projected inflation figure for the March quarter is approximately 6-6.5%. Based on last year’s total of $1.2b, a 6% level would see an increase in excise tax of an estimated $72m. That’s an exceptional amount of money for an industry that has been dealing with a difficult two years and faces a raft of other cost pressures through materials, transport, rents etc.

For beer, this means $24.6m is added to the cost of production nationwide. Like anything, the cost of production is reflected in the sale point at some point, only so much increase can be absorbed. So, if brewers decided to pass on this increase, it would bring the new rate of excise tax on a

8 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

Dylan Firth Executive Director, Brewers Association of New Zealand

5% ABV beer at 330 ml to $0.54 per bottle. Or for a 425ml (NZ pint) tap beer at 5% ABV to $0.70; or for a 50L keg of 5% ABV beer $82.35 would be excise tax.

At current dozen prices, that means one out of four beers paid for is for the taxman.

In 2021, the Brewers Association requested the government look at innovative way to reduce some of the overall cost burden on brewing and hospitality businesses through a targeted 50% excise tax reduction on kegs. At the time there was little interest in this. However, with rates of inflation at record levels we think it is time for some further reflection by the government on this request. Wouldn’t you?

BEST IN SHOW WINNER

2022 PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old

Super Liquor are proud to be the principal sponsor for the 2022 New Zealand Whisk(e)y Awards for a fifth year. The awards programme was developed to showcase whiskies from around the world available in the New Zealand market.

This exclusive Glenfiddich expression has been matured for 23 years in American and European oak casks and elegantly finished in rare French cuvee casks. Tasting flavours of rich vanilla oak, sweet brioche, sandalwood, pear sorbet and white grape.

This year, The Drammys had over 150 entries and 8 judges with very impressive backgrounds.

In respect of the current climate, Super Liquor were elated with the number of entries and the New Zealand category which has grown significantly over the last few years.

We are pleased to announce the winners of The Drammys 2022.

Congratulations to all whiskies entered this year.

NEW ZEALAND BRONZE

Waiheke Whisky, The Sweetwater Waiheke Whisky, Cantankerous

SILVER

SCOTLAND NON-AGED BLENDED BRONZE

Grant’s Rum Cask Glenalmond Highland Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Johnnie Walker Blue

SCOTLAND SINGLE MALT NON-AGED BRONZE Tamnavulin Double Cask

SILVER

The New Zealand Whisky Collection Ltd, The Otago 30 Year Old Single Malt

SILVER

Scapa Skiren Single Malt Glenfiddich Project XX Experiment Bruichladdich Classic Laddie

GOLD

SCOTLAND BLENDED 12YO++ BRONZE

GOLD

Thomson Whisky Mix Tape Single Cask Single Malt Waiheke Whisky, Dyad - Chardonnay Thomson Whisky Grain & Grape Single Cask Single Malt - Best In Class

INTERNATIONAL WORLD BRONZE

The Famous Grouse Smoky Black - Best In Class

Ballantines 17 Year Old

SILVER

Johnnie Walker Green

The Glenlivet Captains Reserve Glenfiddich Fire & Cane - Best In Class

SCOTLAND SINGLE MALT 12YO AND UNDER BRONZE

GOLD

Talisker 10 Year Old Benriach 10 Year Old The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Aberlour Highland Single Malt 12 Year Old

SCOTLAND PEATED BRONZE

SILVER

Tin Cup Colorado Whiskey Templeton Rye 4 Year Old

Benriach The Smoky Ten 10 Year Old Benriach The Smoky 12 Year Old Ardmore Legacy

The Dalmore 12 Year Old Single Malt Aerstone 10 Year Old Land Cask Aerstone 10 Year Old Sea Cask Caol Ila 12 Year Old Glen Grant 10 Year Old

SILVER

SILVER

GOLD

The Chita, Suntory Whisky

SILVER

Canadian Club 12 Year Old - Best In Class

INTERNATIONAL USA BRONZE

Makers Mark 46 Wild Turkey Rare Breed - Best In Class

INTERNATIONAL IRELAND BRONZE Bushmills Original Jameson Irish Whiskey Jameson Black Barrel Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition

SILVER

Sailor’s Home, The Journey Teeling Potstill The Busker Single Malt Irish Whiskey Teeling Single Malt

GOLD

The Sexton Irish Whiskey Bushmills 10 Year 0ld The Horizon 10 Year Old Redbreast Single Pot Still 15 Year Old Teeling Single Grain - Best In Class

Chivas Regal Extra 13 Year Old Rye Cask Chivas Regal 18 Year Old - Best In Class

Highland Park 12 Year Old Single Malt Laphroaig Select Smokehead Rum Rebel Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Bowmore No1 Laphroaig Quarter Cask Jura 10 Year Old

GOLD

Laphroaig 10 Year Old Smokehead High Voltage Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Bowmore 12 Year Old Highland Park 15 Year Old Single Malt Jura Seven Wood Smokehead Sherry Bomb Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Highland Park 18 Year Old Single Malt Jura Journey Smokehead Single Malt Scotch Whisky Port Charlotte 10 Year Old Jura 18 Year Old Single Malt - Best In Class

Best in Class. The whisky within a category with the highest judging score. *Scotland Single Malt 17-20 Year Old & Scotland Single Malt 21 Year Old + have low levels of winners due to limited space for entries.

Benriach 12 Year Old Glen Grant 12 Year Old The Balvenie 12 Year Old Doublewood - Best In Class

SCOTLAND SINGLE MALT 13 - 16YO BRONZE Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old

SILVER

Longmorn Single Malt 16 Year Old Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt The Glenlivet French Oak 15 Year Old Oban 14 Year Old Aberlour Highland Single Malt 14 Year Old

GOLD

Lagavulin 16 Year Old - Best In Class

SCOTLAND SINGLE MALT 17-20YO GOLD

Glen Grant 18 Year Old The Glenlivet Single Malt 18 Year Old - Best In Class

SCOTLAND SINGLE MALT 21YO+ GOLD

Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old - Best In Class

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT THEDRAMMYS.CO.NZ

the non-price factor Andrew Arnold, NZ Country Manager, Shopper Intelligence, shares his insights on the non-price messages that matter to liquor shoppers.

i

n my last column, I wrote about the role of price in an age of high inflation; about how it was important to understand the exact role price plays in a category to determine the best way to minimise the impact rising prices will have on sales. In the weeks since, it has become clear that inflation isn’t going away, and that we are facing the prospect of inflation at historically high levels for at least the next 12 months, if not longer. So that got me thinking about the other side of the equation – the non-price factors that we can use to our advantage to help insulate us from the spectre of prices continuing to go up and up.

THE QUALITY ANGLE It's no secret that price is an important factor when shopping for anything; be it food, liquor, cars, or appliances. But while price 10 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

is always looming on the horizon, there are other things that factor into a shopper’s thinking. Put yourself into the mindset of a shopper for a moment – if quality matters to you in whatever category or product you are thinking about, if the choice came down to a small difference in price between a basic product or a higher quality one, then there is a good chance you as a shopper will take the higher quality item for a premium. Why? Because whether it has happened at the shelf or earlier on in the path to purchase, a piece of information has convinced you that it is worth investing a little extra money in the better-quality product. This is what is often referred to as the Trade Up Story; in effect, a shopper is willing to spend a little bit more to buy the better-quality item, because they perceive that the product is going to deliver them a better experience than if they went for the cheaper item.

The crucial aspect to this is the information

Andrew Arnold, NZ Country Manager, Shopper Intelligence With 20 years’ worth of experience in NZ FMCG, Andrew has worked in a wide variety of sales and insights roles with the likes of Red Bull, Gordon & Gotch and Energizer.

During his career he has led sales and insights teams to develop insight-led strategies that drive both retailer and category growth.

off-premise

the shopper uses to make their decision.

Whenever they see this information, whether it is pre-store or in the store itself, this quality/premium messaging convinces them that it is worth spending a little more to buy the higher quality item. So, where you have a category where this is a factor, make sure you are still investing in that level of messaging, because that will make a difference to your sales. Red wine, bourbon, and RTD rum are prime examples of categories where that quality messaging is integral for shoppers to make their decisions.

TAKEOUT #1 – SHOPPERS ARE WILLING TO INVEST A LITTLE MORE IN A PRODUCT IF QUALITY OR PREMIUM IS IMPORTANT TO THEM. MAKE SURE THAT MESSAGING DOESN’T FALL BY THE WAYSIDE IN CATEGORIES WHERE THIS MATTERS.

THE FEEL-GOOD FACTOR Sometimes this is less about quality or premium cues and more about a “Better for Me” or “Better for the World” scenario.

“Better for Me”, with the rise of healthy options: i.e. low sugar, low salt, low alcohol, gluten-free, etc is a long-term trend and one that isn’t likely to go away.

Shoppers are often prepared to pay more for a product that meets their dietary needs or makes them feel better about what they are putting into their bodies.

Categories that have high importance attached to healthier options include tequila, craft beer, and craft cider. These types of products need to have these “low in” or “free-from” options clearly differentiated through appropriate triggers, so shoppers understand why they might be paying more and are comfortable in doing so.

“Better For the World” is another area where shoppers have demonstrated consistently in recent years that they are willing to pay more if they feel the product demonstrates some aspect of corporate or social responsibility; be it Fair Trade, recyclability, or some other kind of sustainability. Again, price is less of a factor if the shopper places more emphasis on being a good global citizen, but the key is to make the shopper aware that this is the case. Simply saying the product is sustainable is no longer enough – the information needs to be there behind the claim if the shopper goes digging – so the whole path to purchase must make it clear what makes the product sustainable. If this doesn’t happen, then rising prices will make the shopper dismiss the product as high-priced without understanding why.

Brandy, rosé wine, and RTD gin shoppers rate sustainability importance highly, so these shoppers need to be taken on this journey.

TAKEOUT #2 – MAKE SHOPPERS AWARE OF “BETTER FOR ME” AND/OR “BETTER FOR THE WORLD” ATTRIBUTES IF IT MATTERS TO THEM. MAKE IT FEEL AUTHENTIC If it’s not about the product quality, the premium nature of the product, or the feel-good aspect, there is still one other way that focuses can be drawn away from pricing: the authentic nature of the product. Authenticity, as we at Shopper Intelligence measure it, is all about the

brand heritage or brand history, the goodwill or runs in the bank that the brand has built up over the course of many years. In categories where authenticity matters (for example red wine, dessert wine, RTD rum) shoppers have built up in their mind perception of what their favourite brands stand for, and in many cases are prepared to pay a premium for that brand. With the other areas we have looked at, it's all about the messaging.

If the brand in question has a lot going for it in terms of authenticity, make sure you tell shoppers about it every chance you get. In an inflationary environment, being reassured by a familiar product or a familiar brand will go a long way toward making you feel like the purchase was worth it.

TAKEOUT #3 – IF SHOPPERS TRUST A BRAND, THEY ARE MORE WILLING TO PAY FOR THE BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. IF YOUR BRAND HAS THAT TYPE OF HISTORY, TALK ABOUT IT EVERY CHANCE YOU GET. Inflation – we’re going to be sick of hearing that word for the next year or so.

But if shoppers see (and more importantly, understand) the non-price messages that matter to them along the path to purchase, then the effects of price rises can be mitigated. Combined with knowing the role price plays in your category, the toolbox is there to ride this situation out to the best possible result. It’s all about the execution. ■

SHOPPER INTELLIGENCE NZ We believe only by understanding how shoppers think and behave, can we influence what they buy. Shopper Intelligence interviews more than 45,000 shoppers in New Zealand across the Supermarket, P&C and Traditional Liquor channels in order to drive strategic shopper-led commercial decisions at retailer, category, segment and brand levels. If you want to understand your shopper better, contact Andrew Arnold, NZ Country Manager at Shopper Intelligence, at andrew.arnold@shopperintelligence.co.nz.

THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022 11

shaken,

NOT STIRRED

i

t’s not unusual to see a range of bottled, readymade, pre-mixed, premade, pre-batched – or however you want to reference them – cocktails on shelves in 2022. With many brands initially dipping their toes into the bottled cocktail sector with the classic highly sought-after espresso martini, many have now branched further afield into the Negroni, Gin Sour and various alternative styles of Martini. Larger format bottled cocktails – which contain between two and 10 servings – are popular and, as consumers continue to search for quality cocktails at home or on-the-go, the bottled cocktail category offers significant opportunities.

12 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

SHAKING TAILS There are a huge number of international bottled cocktail producers churning out premium offerings over the past few years.

The latest being Bacardi – the largest privately held spirits company in the world – which launched its first ready-made cocktail offering, Tails Cocktails, to the offpremise just last month. Originally created for the hospitality industry to offer “a hassle-free solution for serving premium quality cocktails”, the Tails range is made using the Bacardi portfolio of premium brands including Bombay Sapphire, 42Below, Dewar’s and, of course, Bacardi.

“Over the last two years, cocktail awareness has boomed as people served up daiquiris, espresso martini cocktails

Over the past two to three years, the bottled or ‘pre-batched’ cocktail category has become increasingly premium and diverse, writes The Shout NZ Editor, Charlotte Cowan.

pre-batched cocktails

“AS A PRE-BATCHED OFFERING, WE NEED TO ADD TO HOW WE BUILD THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE AROUND OUR PRODUCTS, USING BETTER QUALITY, MORE THOUGHTFUL AND OVERALL MORE DELICIOUS PRODUCT.” MIKEY BALL, BALLIN’ DRINKS

Ballin’ Drinks founder Mikey Ball

and mojitos,” said Evert-Jan Bos, General Manager of Tails. “Now, as the on-trade reopens, consumers are enjoying the experience of being back in the bar and they’re ordering cocktails more than ever before.” Available in Australia but not New Zealand as yet, Tails includes five different ‘ready-to-shake’ cocktails including the Gin Gimblet and Passionfruit Martini.

According to global beverage research analysts, IWSR, the two main directions in the current craft RTD cocktail market have seen some producers focus on creating the best expression of classic cocktails that they can (or subtle twists on those classics), with others returning to the drawing board to develop unique flavour combinations of their own.

KIWI COCKTAIL CREATORS There are a number of innovators in the Kiwi pre-batched cocktail realm producing high-quality bottled cocktails, including Batched, Ballin’ Drinks, J.M.R & Co and more.

Batched Premium Cocktails launched to market in 2018, first offering a ready-made premium Espresso Martini. Today, Batched has three more cocktails in its stable – Strawberry & Rhubarb Gin Sour, Salted Grapefruit Margarita and Whiskey Sour made with American Whiskey.

“Five years ago premixed, ready-made cocktails weren’t readily available and what was on the shelf was lacklustre in taste, outdated flavours and made with low-quality ingredients,” says CMO

The Ballin’ Drinks range includes a Honey Malt Old Fashioned, Office Martini and French Quarter Sazerac.

THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022 13

pre-batched cocktails

THE GLOBAL RTD COCKTAIL MARKET IS PROJECTED TO EXPAND AT 11.60% CAGR, REACHING US$104.9 BILLION IN 2032. of Premium Liquor, Kate Smith. “[Our] cocktails are made by mixologists using high-quality, locally sourced ingredients and our innovative technology ensures every glass has the signature cocktail foam top, with a simple shake and pour.”

Ballin’ Drinks was launched in 2020 by Kiwi hospitality consultant Mikey Ball, who built his company around the ethos of championing flavour “in the most effective, most thoughtful and most educated way possible”. The Ballin’ Drinks range includes a Honey Malt Old Fashioned, Office Martini and French Quarter Sazerac, with a 50/50 base of rye whiskey and Cognac. “My big focus with drinks was to bring to the table not only recognisably classic and world-class drinks in style, but, further to that, showcase local ingredients for what they are – whether spirit, botanical or fresh produce and integrate them as balanced ingredients in delicious beverages,” says Ball.

J.M.R Cocktail & Co was founded in 2017 by hospitality professionals Amy Alexander and Jonny McKenzie, who bonded over a love of cocktails, bars and providing memorable experiences. The J.M.R Cocktail & Co range is based on classic cocktails and includes a Gin Martini, Chocolate Martini, Espresso Martini, Negroni, Old Fashioned and Manhattan.

“Our range sits at a higher ABV than some of the pre-mix options on the market,” says Alexander. “We aren’t able to hide imperfections with mixers or extra sugar, so for us, using quality ingredients is key.”

QUALITY AND FLAVOUR According to industry experts, the top factors that will drive market growth in the ready-made cocktail category are highquality ingredients and perfecting the right flavours. Plus, how this quality is conveyed to the end consumer.

According to Mikey Ball, quality ingredients are immensely important in pre-batched cocktails, as they can affect how batched drinks bind and act in the bottle over time. “But also I feel, as a prebatched offering, we need to add to how we build the whole experience around 14 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

Batched Premium Cocktails launched to market in 2018.

our products, using better quality, more thoughtful and overall more delicious product,” he told The Shout NZ. “This helps to showcase that it's not just a ‘bashed together’ drink and actually, it can be much more methodical, a super-refined beverage that you can enjoy with ease.”

Ball says that consumers are looking for flavours of comfort in pre-batched drink, “such as recognisable versions of classic drinks either from their favourite cocktail bars or drinks that have a special meaning to them”.

“Consumers on the whole are getting more experimental and are open to new flavours and ingredients in classic expressions,” says Ball. “So I think we will definitely see many more experimental pieces from our local producers in the future.”

PRE-BATCHED AND THE ON-PREMISE Is there a space for pre-batched cocktails in the on-premise? “One hundred percent,” says Mikey Ball. “The field they seem to work amazingly well in is the small restaurants that would like a world-class beverage but don’t have the staff, the focus or the space to produce cocktails on a daily basis,” he says.

Charlotte Booth, Brand Manager at Premium Liquor, agrees. “One major

barrier of making cocktails from scratch is the time involved and the quantity produced at one time,” she says. “On average, a single bar grade shaker can create one to two cocktails at a time, making the wait time for customers who are wanting multiple at a time quite a while. Pre-mixed cocktails remove this barrier, especially when put into kegs which allow for the cocktails to be served on mass in no time at all and without degrading the quality of the cocktail.”

Ball says one place he sees on-premise opportunity is custom collaborations between venues and producers. “[These] can provide a fast, high-end and matched beverage for a venue, but, in turn, this could lead to any level of coverage or awareness for venues through a commercial or off-premise market should those same drinks be sold to the general consumer.”

Whatever you choose to call them, pre-batched cocktails have their place in both the off- and on-premise in New Zealand. With more local companies choosing to produce premium offerings with high-quality spirits and ingredients, pre-batched cocktails can offer convenience and classic flavours to both trade and consumers. ■

product showcase

J.M.R COCKTAIL & CO Curated by two of the best in the hospitality business, J.M.R Cocktail & Co includes all your favourite classics – Gin Martini, Negroni, Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Espresso Martini and more. These cocktails are handcrafted in Wellington and are available in glass bottles of varying sizes. Made to traditional recipes with a dash of filtered water, which helps to replicate the crucial dilution process you’d otherwise receive in a cocktail bar, these high-quality cocktails are ready to sip wherever you may be!

RRP $62.99 (four cocktail gift set) J.M.R Cocktail & Co Classic four giftset Contact: (021) 522505 or pour@jmrcocktail.com www.jmrcocktail.com

MAC’S STUNT DOUBLE ALCOHOL FREE* GOLDEN ALE Brewed to have less than 0.5% alcohol, this bright and refreshing golden ale is brewed with pale and crystal malts to give a smooth caramelised malt flavour and full body.

A smooth, easy-drinking brew, Stunt Double is a thirst quencher without the alcohol. *Contains no more than 0.5% ABV RRP $17.99 (6-pack) Contact: (0800) 10 72 72 or enquiriesnz@lionco.com www.macs.co.nz

w o h s on This

LUNATIC & LOVER FUNDAMENTAL RUM Lunatic & Lover’s latest product, Fundamental, is an un-aged spirit and the first certified organic rum in the country. Following two years of recipe development, Fundamental is versatile and approachable, packs enough flavour and vibrance to hold its own against the complexities of other ingredients, and yet is refined enough to sample neat.

Using only the three basic ingredients of molasses, water and yeast, with no filtration or additives, Fundamental is a true test of the distiller’s talents.

RRP $85.00 (44% ABV) Contact: (09) 281 0572 www.lunaticandlover.com

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GRACE O’MALLEY IRISH WHISKEY Following the independent spirit of heroine Grace O’ Malley, these are whiskeys with a fresh contemporary twist. The majority of whiskey flavour comes from the barrels used in the ageing process (up to 80%). The best distillates are sourced locally, while some of the world’s finest barrels are used for aging. Under the supervision of master blender, the legendary Paul Caris, the whiskeys are tested analysed and aged in their casks until they gain their final flavour profile in specially hand-picked and self-imported casks (rum, sherry, amarone). The different levels of maturity and different woods used are what set these apart as something special.

RRP $85-$155 (40-42% ABV) Contact: (021) 058 7894 www.kanabeverages.co.nz

THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022 15

A SQUEEZE ON

whisky Spirits expert Tash McGill explores the increasingly diverse and challenging world of whisky.

f

resh from judging The Drammys for 2022, the line-up of New Zealand whiskies entered told a story decades in the making. From the 30 year old Oamaruvian by the NZ Whisky Collection, to Thomson’s latest release Mixtape, the five year old barrel sample of 1919 Distilling’s Kirikiriroa and the upcoming Waiheke Whisky range – New Zealand whisky is definitely something to talk about. After all, the 16 entries represented only some of the full roster of whiskies being made in New Zealand.

16 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

Competition in the local market is about to heat up with the imminent release of Waiheke Whisky, with pre-release samples already performing exceptionally well in judging and assessment, and the New Zealand Spirit Awards just around the corner. In addition to longtime stalwarts Thomson and Cardrona Distillery, there are now readily-available brands on the market, ranging in profile from fresh and sweet to sherry and peat bombs, or balanced cask finishes using wine barrels. There is a deepening pool of flavour and profile to explore for those interested in exploring

Tash McGill is a spirits and hospitality writer who regularly hosts tastings and education classes for those wanting to know more about spirits and their uses – from cocktails to culinary food matches.

She has been in the spirits and cocktail industry for more than 10 years, writing, tasting and judging competitions.

Proudly imported & distributed by

Whisky Galore

p: 0800 944 759 trade@whiskygalore.co.nz

whisky

“THERE IS A DEEPENING POOL OF FLAVOUR AND PROFILE TO EXPLORE FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING NEW ZEALAND WHISKY THAT WAS MADE 30 YEARS AGO, 10 YEARS AGO, SIX YEARS AGO AND THREE YEARS AGO.”

New Zealand whisky that was made 30 years ago, 10 years ago, six years ago and three years ago. The growth, development and refinement is beginning to become clear, even amongst the odd cowboy here and there.

Also crystal clear? The shimmering, colourless hue of 1919 Distilling’s new release White Barley. It’s a nod to international trends and curiosity about the new-make spirit that comes off the still before maturing into whisky in casks.

Available in very limited release to onpremise and off-premise, White Barley promises a sneaky look at the spirit character and backbone that will become eventually become whisky. Overseas, the use of new-make spirits in cocktails has been a provocative way of adding spirit and barley character to cocktails.

Fans of local whisky should also pay close attention to the limited release of 18 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

1919 Distilling’s Kirikiriroa, this time at five years old.

The Drammys also told a very real and present story about the challenges of moving stock around the country and around the world. Divergence Whisky’s PX Sherry Cask release got stuck in transit and didn’t make it to the judging table. Producers of the only known sloe gin finished whisky in the world, Divergence is chasing bold flavours with its cask and maturation programme that uses smaller casks and the Canterbury climate to develop flavour in the spirit quickly. “The PX is my favourite release so far, but the latest one is always my favourite,” said Antony Michalik, Managing Director of the home of Divergence, The Spirits Workshop in Christchurch.

Beyond grain, yeast, water and wood, the whisky industry relies on one thing

above all else: transport. If getting a bottle of whisky from Christchurch to Auckland on an overnight courier can take a week, the even larger impact of shipping delays, driver strikes and shortages and increasing fuel prices has doubled the length of the supply chain across Scotland and the UK and all the way down to New Zealand. In the US, it’s a glass shortage that is creating havoc at the bottling plant for many popular brands. Here in New Zealand, it’s access to everything from custom glass bottles, bottling accessories and closures that are causing delays and congestion. And that’s not going away anytime soon.

A TASTE OF SOMETHING NEW New Zealand’s whisky market has always felt the squeeze of international allocation from the larger spirits conglomerates – there are whiskies we just don’t get

whisky access to en masse or sell out before they hit retail shelves. That’s a great problem for distributors, but a challenge as well.

While customers might feel the benefit of a quick price gouge here and there from parallel imported spirits available online, on-premise stockists have to do battle with consumer demand and limited supply to keep a vital and interesting stocklist on hand. It’s a tension that larger distributors feel keenly. This year has seen only moderate splash for genuinely exciting releases such as Glenmorangie’s X – a single malt designed just for cocktail mixing should be in every well, while the Aberlour 14 is an elevated addition to the core range. Similarly The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve deserves much more talk about town.

For devoted consumers and the endlessly curious, Whisky Galore and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) are a trusted wholesale and retail supplier of the new, interesting and high-quality whiskies that taste buds are longing for. As Australasia’s home of whisky expertise and knowledge, their constant stream of new independent releases

and monthly outturns for the SMWS are enough to inspire every specialist whisky bar and enthusiast.

SECONDARY SQUEEZE The secondary market for whisky is increasingly important here in New Zealand with a number of players entering the local market with offerings for resellers and collectors. Whisky Galore has recently responded to the opportunity to provide secondary market auction services through Whisky Galore Auctions (whiskygaloreauctions.co.nz). For a $20 listing fee, collectors can choose to list their bottles through Whisky Galore’s online auction platform and benefit from the wisdom, input and knowledge of the Whisky Galore team. It’s a long way from some of the under the table selling that has gone on in Facebook groups and private collector forums over the last few years.

Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve

VALUE IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER For consumers, a reliable and trusted auction platform provides a range of reassurances. To begin with, Whisky

trade@whiskygalore.co.n

z

whisky Galore is offering a valuation service to help set expectation and offer input to what sellers can expect. You’re unlikely to see retail gift packs in auction listing on the Whisky Galore site as opposed to some other online auction sites here in New Zealand. We will hopefully see an end to unnecessary inflated value in the reseller market here but more equity for people interested in genuine collection and experience rather than profiteering of quick turnaround bottles. What happens underground will likely always happen to some degree, but having trustworthy platforms and auctions to facilitate a healthy reseller market will benefit all.

TO NFT OR NOT TO NFT Uisge beatha might be one of the most ancient of spirits but the train of digitisation has left the station well and truly. Ardbeg joined the ranks of the luxury spirits brands releasing NFT whiskies in April with Fon Fhòid, which was buried in cask in peat bog by the Ardbeg Fon Fhòid

distillery for nearly three years prior to bottling. The limited release is available for purchase for 1ETH and will be authenticated, verified and managed by blockbar.com, which will either store or manage the trading of said NFT whisky until the owners wish to enjoy it.

Unlike other NFTs, where the owner simply holds a digital image, owners of spirits NFTs do own the bottle in addition to the digital certification. One might almost consider it more of a digital investment platform for spirits where you will always have the option to ‘burn’ the bottle by actually taking it off the market, opening it and drinking it. While the bottles are listed as tradable assets, everyone can see the value and how it's impacted as value goes up as soon as one is removed from trading. You could make the case that this kind of NFT is the only one that makes sense, where the transparency around tradable assets benefits all collectors and any eventual consumer of your unicorn bottles. ■

SPOTLIGHT ON NZ LOCALS:

wine bars

As the hospitality industry continues its recovery from extended lockdowns, The Shout NZ is dedicated to supporting Kiwi locals. This month we’re exploring New Zealand’s best spots to relax with a delicious vino... and maybe even a warming fire!

MATAKANA: THE VINTRY

A small boutique wine bar in the heart of Matakana, The Vintry is rustic and quaint with a hint of sophistication. With a cosy fireplace nook for the winter and a sunbathed balcony for warm summer evenings, it is where both locals and visitors can go to relax, laugh and try one of the more than 40 local wines on offer.

Top must-try wine: Mahurangi River Winery ‘Field of Grace’ Chardonnay – a local favourite that is exclusively sold at The Vintry.

Number one food and wine pairing: The Gabion Merlot Cabernet Franc paired with their braised beef cheek. Rich and decadent.

WELLINGTON: NOBLE ROT WINE BAR Situated inside an old red-brick bakehouse, Noble Rot is a cosy European-inspired wine bar, tucked away on the corner of Swan Lane in Wellington. You are drawn by its twinkling lights and candles and immediately struck by the bespoke, two-tier bottle chandeliers and the wine bottles displayed on almost every surface, shelf and wall. Noble Rot’s real character and charm is felt when it’s busy, offering a vibrant atmosphere for regulars and newcomers alike. Offering an extensive wine list, showcasing a wide variety of grapes, regions and wine styles from around the world, Noble Rot has a truly special vibe.

Top must-try wine: Sommelier favourites at the moment include Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko from Santorini Island, Greece – perfect for those lingering warmer days and seafood dishes. Or for a red, the Trapiche Finca Ambrosia Malbec from Mendoza in Argentina – full-bodied and rich with notes of chocolate and cherry for the cooler evenings.

Number one food and wine pairing: If you usually pair oysters with Champagne but are willing to try something different, ask for a Fino or Manzanilla Sherry. These fortified wines from Jerez in Spain are dry and saline, matching the briny liquor of oysters, and made near the ocean, which makes them a perfect pairing to begin any occasion.

22 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

on-premise

NEW PLYMOUTH: ITCH WINE BAR A beautiful and intimate space offering a bespoke wine experience in the heart of the West End Precinct in New Plymouth, Itch offers a selection of wines from around the world served by knowledgeable staff. All wines are available in a tasting size, so you can try anything and everything you like, enjoyed with beautiful cheese and cured meats.

Number one must-try wine: All wine is! Don't be afraid to move out of your comfort zone and give something new a go.

Number one food and wine pairing: Champagne and fish 'n' chips.

AUCKLAND: DIDA’S WINE LOUNGE Dida’s is a local wine bar in Ponsonby that has a welcoming vibe. Unintimidating and educational, whether you know your Bordeaux from your Burgundy or just want to be guided to a great glass of vino, this is the place for you. Dida’s is a place to enjoy a quality wine list that is second-tonone and delicious sharing plates.

Top must-try wine: Champagne Pol Roger or the recently released Matawhero Pinot Gris 2021 – a stunning vintage and possibly the best Pinot Gris they’ve made at Matawhero.

Number one food and wine pairing: Prawn tacos with the Jules Taylor Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021.

ARROWTOWN: THE WINERY A new venue in the historic village of Arrowtown, The Winery has a colloquial cottage style immersing natural colours, textures, and Central Otago schist with wall-to-wall wine. Offering 64 wines by the glass (plus more than 80 Champagnes and sparkling wines chilled and ready by the bottle), ‘The Cellar’ – which is stocked with some of the world’s finest wines – leather lounge chairs and a large central fireplace, it is a comfy and relaxed space where the subtle lighting and background music sets an upbeat vibe without drowning out conversations.

Number one must-try wine: The single vineyard Takapoto Estate Pinot Noirs from Bannockburn and Gibbston Valley are drinking fantastically now.

Number food and wine pairing: When you’ve got your nose deep into that glass of Pinot Noir, it’s hard to go past the truffle and parmesan twice cooked fries, simple but yum!

THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022 23

r i o n t o n i p LAS MS

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As we go to print with this edition of The Shout NZ, I will have been to London to judge the Decanter World Wine Awards as the chair for the New Zealand panel.

The five days of judging includes a significant number of Pinot Noir from the main regions of Aotearoa. In preparing for this challenge, tasting through quite a few Pinots Noir to ensure I have some proper reference points and style ideas is a necessary and enjoyable preparation task. This helps me set some reference points to discuss with my fellow judges as the need arises.

Pinot Noir has become more than a serious wine for brand New Zealand and the producers who make these wines. With so many influences on the final blend in bottle – from aromatic profile, taste and texture, vintage and soil type, clone and cropping levels to winemaking choices – the range and styles available are endless, or so it seems. The one attribute I feel all Pinot Noir wines should display is ‘pinosity’.

What I mean by this, is they should not only reflect the variety’s natural light red fruit profile, but show a delicate side or prettiness, floral; fine tannins with an abundance of texture, a balanced line of acidity and judicious use of oak. Regional signatures are becoming more apparent as well. What’s not so good for Pinot Noir is alcohol that is too high unbalancing the wine, jammy or cooked fruit flavours, overuse of oak and sometimes wines that are released somewhat too late, leaving little cellar time available to those buyers who like to use this option.

Temperature of service and glassware have a significant impact on aromas and textures of Pinot Noir as well. Cellar temperature wine of 12.5 °Celsius is perfect when wine is poured with the glass doing the rest.

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QUARTZ REEF BENDIGO SINGLE FERMENT PINOT NOIR 2020 Fantastic bouquet, delicate, fine, layered, fruity, complex and seductive. Layers of red berries and dried roses woven between oak and mineral qualities.

There a fine savoury, mineral and organic quality that adds its own mystery and sense of place. Equally fantastic on the palate with texture and energy, a core of red berries and cherry, floral and mineral flavours then a frame of oak and acidity. Complex and youthful, a wine that will continue to develop and age well. Best drinking from 2024 through 2034+. Be quick!

Points 97 RRP $90.00 Distributor: Vintners Phone: (0800) 687 9463 www.quartzreef.co.nz

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AUNTSFIELD HAWK HILL MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 Complex and detailed bouquet with intensity of fruit, oak and pinosity.

Youthful core of fruit with darker cherry and raspberry plum flavours, no mistaking the statement of oak, but marries into the wine seamlessly.

A firm youthful structure with coarse chalk tannins and plenty of acidity accentuating the fruit and youthful side of the wine. Delicious, fresh and lengthy finish. Excellent drinking from 2024 through 2034+.

Points 96 RRP $58.00 Distributor: Negociants NZ Phone: (09) 531 5222 www.auntsfield.co.nz

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AUNTSFIELD HERITAGE MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 Deeply complex and seductive bouquet.

Aromas and flavours of mineral then fruit, flowers and oak. A satin texture touches the palate first followed by flavours of dark red berries, boysenberry, plum, cherry then oak and wood spices. Firm and taut texture with vibrant tannins and acidity requiring cellar time to settle and integrate. A delicious wine that will reward those who can wait. Best drinking from 2025 through 2035+.

Points 96 RRP $95.00 Distributor: Negociants NZ Phone: (09) 531 5222 www.auntsfield.co.nz

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Cameron Douglas is New Zealand’s first and only Master Sommelier. An experienced wine writer, commentator, judge, reviewer, presenter and consultant, he is the Beverage Director & Group Sommelier for Rodd & Gunn and is Patron of the New Zealand Sommeliers and Wine Professionals Association. Formerly academically in charge of the Wine and Beverage at AUT in Auckland, Douglas has also consulted to a variety of establishments, taking care of their wine lists, wine and food pairings, and staff training matters and he currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas.

24 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

tasting notes 6

CLOUDY BAY TE WAHI CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2018 Sophisticated, plush, elegant and deeply complex bouquet. Aromas and flavours suggest sweet roses and red cherry, some plum and sweet baking spices, dried raspberry and a fine stony mineral quality. The abundance of tannins are fine and perfectly textured, acidity contrasts the myriad fruit flavours and floral tones.

Complex and delicious with a judicious oak frame adding foundation and complexity.

Lengthy and well made with best drinking from 2022 through 2030+.

Points 96 RRP $99.99 Distributor: Moet Hennessy NZ Phone: (09) 308 9640 www.cloudybay.co.nz

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DOMAIN ROAD VINEYARD DEFIANCE CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2018 Complex and concentrated, but also subtle and fruity with aromas of mineral and red berries, layers of oak spice and pressed flowers. Cherry, cranberry, plum and vanilla.

Youthful and enticing bouquet. Delicious on the palate with a taut, juicy mouthfeel.

Fruit flavours mirror the bouquet with a firm structure from ripe polished tannins, medium+ acidity and long complex finish.

A wine that will benefit from cellar time, allowing it to develop to its full potential.

Best drinking from 2025 through 2035.

Points 96 RRP $65.00 Distributor: Co Pilot Distributors Phone: (027) 297 0137 www.domainroad.co.nz

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PALLISER ESTATE HUA NUI VINEYARD MARTINBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2019 Ripe, fruity, complex, rich in aromas of dark red berries and fine oak with toasty wood spices and sweetness. Pure varietal fruit core with aromas of black cocktail cherry and plum, moments of raspberry and old roses. Equally detailed and complex on the palate with flavours and textures of richness, ripeness and attention to detail in the vineyard. An abundance of fine tannins with acidity to match to carry the flavours of minerality as well as fruit. Toasty barrel and sweet oak flavours add depth and complexity. A delicious wine with power, a core of fruit and lengthy complex finish. It is also young so no rush with best drinking from late 2022 through 2030.

Points 96 RRP $85.00 Distributor: Negociants NZ Phone: (0800) 634624 www.palliser.co.nz

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AUNTSFIELD SINGLE VINEYARD MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 Complex, mineral, varietal and alluring bouquet. Aromas and flavours of dark red

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berry fruits, blackcurrant and spicy plum suggestions. The voice of oak is clear, new and layers in texture, weight, mouthfeel and complexity. A delicious wine with a core of ripe fruit, firm youthful tannins and a back bone of acidity. Stony minerality, fresh red berry fruit flavours, a fine savoury quality and a ripe, plush pinosity deliver an excellent example. Best drinking from late 2023 through 2033+.

Points 95 RRP $45.00 Distributor: Negociants NZ Phone: (09) 531 5222 www.auntsfield.co.nz BRUCE BY MATAHIWI ESTATE WAIRARAPA PINOT NOIR 2019 Very bright with a core of dark purple and ruby hues leading to aromas of richness, complexity and personality. Dark cherry with a fine savoury complexity, plum and dried raspberry, moments of blackcurrant and a youthful almost urgent layer of oak adding complexity, spice and breadth. On the palate – delicious, very youthful, a core of fruit with more fine savoury elements, there's tension and poise, a tautness that reminds me this wine is young and vibrant, tannins and acidity set the foundation for fruit flavours that coat the palate. A wine I feel should be cellared till late 2023 /early 2024 then enjoyed through 2030+.

Points 95 RRP $89.99 Distributor: Winery Direct Phone: (06) 370 1000 www.matahiwi.co.nz

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CROWN RANGE GRANT TAYLOR SIGNATURE COLLECTION PINOT NOIR 2018 A complete and complete bouquet with a core of pinosity, fine savoury and earthy qualities, mineral and dried rose attributes.

There's an old world feel about this wine with flavours of fallen leaves and red cherry, rose and myriad red berry fruits. Delicate, savoury, fruity and dry on the palate with a core of flavours that reflect the bouquet, complex tannins and contrasting acid line, oak tannins and flavours are seamless throughout. Balanced, salivating, still ageing, but offering an excellent drink today and through 2029.

Points 95 RRP $150.00 Distributor: Crown Range Cellar Phone: (021) 174 2955 www.crownrangecellar.com

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PEREGRINE CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2019 Wonderful complexity with a core of dark cherry and raspberry, there's a sweet dried herb quality, a mix of new oak and baking spice qualities, dark rose and stony mineral complexity. Very youthful with a core of pinosity. A silky texture touches the palate briefly before the core of dark berries, sweet oak spice and tannins engage.

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Salivating, mineral, toasty and dry, this wine has a delicious flavour and texture profile, is youthful and will continue to age and develop over the next 3-5 years. Best drinking from 2024 through 2034+.

Points 95 RRP $50.00 Distributor: Peregrine Wines Phone: (03) 442 4000 www.peregrinewines.co.nz Q WINE WAITAKI VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2021 Fabulous bouquet with aromas of fresh, ripe and pure fruit aromas including red and dark cherry, plum and cranberry, Complex, youthful and floral. Plush, ripe, taut and delicious on the palate, a wine with pinosity and style. Chalky tannins and acidity deliver mouthfeel and foundation while the fruit, floral and abundant mineral attributes showcase the variety. Excellent drinking from late 2023 through 2033.

Points 95 RRP $58.00 Distributor: Q Wine Phone: (021) 349 400 www.qwine.co.nz

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ASTROLABE COMELYBANK VINEYARD WAIHPOAI VALLEY PINOT NOIR 2020 Complex and pure with aromas of mineral and gentle savoury spices, a core of red berries and dark cherry then wood spices from vanilla to a dusty clove quality.

Delicious on the palate with flavours of plum and cherry, a fine savoury complexity and dried herb quality. Firm-ish youthful tannins and acidity allow for further bottle ageing with best drinking from late 2023 through 2030+.

Points 94 RRP $50.00 Distributor: Astrolabe Wines Phone: (03) 577 6794 www.astrolabewines.co.nz

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FORREST MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 With an average vine age fast approaching 40 years the concentration and purity of fruit are unmistakable. Aromas and flavours are classic with a ripe red fruits core surrounded by a touch of mystery with truffle and mushroom then a stony clay quality. Personality and pinosity are the key attributes of this wine enhanced by a taut youthful mouthfeel, fine tannins and some barrel flavours with wood spice highlights.

Well made with a lengthy persistent finish. Solid. Best drinking from 2023 through 2033+.

Points 94 RRP $35.00 Distributor: Forrest Wines Phone: (03) 572 9084 www.forrest.co.nz

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THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022 25

tasting notes 15

HAWKSHEAD RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2021 Fragrant, varietal, a core of fruit and sense of place with a mineral quality. Aromas of roses and sweet red cherry fruits, raspberry flesh and a soft savoury quality. The oak is new, sweet, spicy and adds complexity as well as a youthful energy. Plenty of flavour and texture on the palate, this tautly textured wines is full of fruit flavours, flowers and mineral qualities. The oak is the same and will all the elements vying for attention, all this wine needs is time.

Delicious, fresh, lengthy. Best drinking from 2024 through 2030+.

Points 94 RRP $69.50 Distributor: Dhall and Nash Phone: (021) 541 467 www.hawksheadwine.com

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HUNTER'S OFFSHOOT MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 A floral bouquet precedes aromas and flavours of red berries and cherry, a fine saline and gravel mineral quality, fresh red apple skin and delicate baking spices of oak. Complex and textured on the palate with a satin mouthfeel that moves to fine grained tannins and medium+ acidity for freshness carrying the core fruit and mineral attributes. Baking spices are consistent and a lees quality emerges after a time. Well made, youthful still and with best drinking from 2023 through 2029.

Points 94 RRP $34.90 Distributor: EuroVintage Phone: (0800) 338 766 www.eurovintage.co.nz

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PEGASUS BAY NORTH CANTERBURY PINOT NOIR 2020 Youthful, varietal, smoky and intense with aromas of dark berries and baking spices, a clay stony soil quality and fresh blackcurrant flower. Delicious on the palate with a salivating, saline and core of fruit flavours that reflect the bouquet. Earthy and oaky with baking spices and dark soil flavours, firm tannins and contrasting acid line. A wine that needs time to settle and integrate, but will be fantastic when ready.

Best drinking from 2024 through 2034+.

Points 94 RRP $55.00 Distributor: EuroVintage Phone: (0800) 338 766 www.pegasusbay.com

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HUIA ORGANIC MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2017 Myriad aromas of mineral and varietal fruit scents, there's a core of flowers and oak, soil and fruit, an integrated oak and savoury spice complexity then aromas of cherry and red apple, plum and redcurrant. Salivating and youthful on the palate with flavours of dried herb then red currant, fine oak spices then a savoury mineral quality. Fine tannins

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26 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

and decent acid line keep add texture and mouthfeel, but also a foundation of texture and structure. Well made, youthful still. Best drinking from 2022 through 2028+.

Points 93 RRP $45.00 Distributor: Mineral Phone: (027) 580 7325 www.mineral.co.nz LEEFIELD STATION MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 Aromas of dark cherry and red apple skin, redcurrant and sweet raspberry. There's a fine mineral quality and layers of rose and softly spoken barrel spices. Fresh, youthful and precise bouquet. Delicious on the palate with vibrant new berry fruit flavours, salivating acidity, fine tannins and mild wood flavours with a touch of vanilla and clove. Balanced, refreshing and well made. Ready to drink from late 2022 through 2027.

Points 93 RRP $27.99 Distributor: Lion Phone: (0800) 835 554 www.marisco.co.nz

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STONEWEAVER ORGANIC MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 Aromas and flavours of fresh red cherry and cranberry, there's a fine mineral quality as well as a floral note with clay and stone then rose. Baking spices of vanilla and a whisper of cinnamon add complexity and mystery. Dry, floral, fruity and textured as the wine touches the palate. There's a youthful taut quality emphasising the acidity and tannins, but these will ease as the wine ages. Flavours of fruits and flowers, barrel spices and textures combine to showcase a wine that is tasty and youthful. Best drinking from 2024 through 2030.

Points 93 RRP $27.00 Distributor: Mineral Phone: (027) 580 7325 www.mineral.co.nz

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THE KING'S WRATH MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 There's no mistaking the pinosity and pizazz of this wine with core aromas and flavours of cherries, red apple and plum. A layer of fruit spice and mild oak qualities along with a stony soil note bring together a wine of freshness and balance, pinosity and charm.

Tannins are fine to moderate and acidity adds crunch and freshness. Balanced and well made, ready to drink from late 2022 through 2026+.

Points 93 RRP $28.99 Distributor: Lion Phone: (0800) 835 554 www.marisco.co.nz

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THE DOCTORS' MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 Varietal, ripe, fleshy, fruity and floral.

Aromas and flavours of plums and dark cherries, there’s a fine mineral and gentle savoury complexity, scents of fresh red rose and pomegranate. Satin textured with fine fruit-led tannins, a decent acid line and with a naturally lower alcohol there’s an evenness across the palate promoting flavour and texture. A wine that can be served cool and suits many lightweight through moderately spiced dishes.

Best drinking from day of purchase and through 2026+.

Points 92 RRP $25.00 Distributor: Forrest Wines Phone: (03) 572 9084 www.forrest.co.nz

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THE NED MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2020 Precise, fresh, pure red fruits bouquet showcasing plum and cranberry then red cherry and a mix of flowers and clayish soils. Lovely on the palate with fruit flavours that mirror the bouquet, fine tannins and a refreshing acid line and mineral clay, earthy qualities. Balanced, well made and ready to drink from 2022 through 2026.

Points 92 RRP $25.99 Distributor: Lion Phone: (0800) 835 554 www.marisco.co.nz

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WAIRAU RIVER WINES ESTATE MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR 2021 Bright, fruity, youthful and varietal. Aromas and flavours of crunchy red cherry and redcurrant, roses and mineral, violet and blackcurrant leaf. Youthful, fresh, salivating and satisfying on the palate with a core of fruit flavours that reflect the bouquet, fine tannins with a light chalky texture, crunch and freshness from the acidity and a balanced youthful charm. Best drinking from late 2022 through 2027+.

Points 92 RRP $25.00 Distributor: Federal Merchants Phone: (09) 578 1823 www.wairauriverwines.com

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tasting notes

single variety reds

BY CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

I’ve been pulling a few shifts at the Lodge Bar recently, keeping my service skills sharpened and helping out the team. These opportunities get me a lot closer to what guests and staff have to say about the wine they like to drink, the styles within and even brands they prefer. I guess we all do that to a greater or lesser degree – we know what we like. Now that summer is finished, I have noticed the annual migration of customer palate away from Rosé and lighter bodied white wines and some Pinots Noir and into richer, fuller-bodied wines – wines with more power and impact. While more obvious oak flavours and tannin textures do add weight to a wine, they are not necessarily the reason why we shift to bigger wines through the winter months. A lot of this change has to do with menu changes as chefs, along

CHURCH ROAD GRAND RESERVE HAWKE'S BAY SYRAH 2020 Varietal, toasty, dark fruited, spicy and broody, youthful, complex and engaging. Delicious, and wonderfully expressive on the palate with textures from fruit and wood, flavours of dark raspberry and roasted plum, black currant and dry gravel soil qualities.

Lengthy, complex, with a core of fruit and dark spices of wood. Best drinking from 2023 through 2033+.

Points 95 RRP $39.99 Distributor: Pernod Ricard Winemakers NZ Phone: (0800) 655 550 www.church-road.com

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with us at home, start to add creamy soups and more red meat options, heavier pasta dishes and fattier fish options. When we start to feel cold and wear warmer clothes, we start to think about food that will keep us sustained and warmer for longer too. This is where and why red wines feature more with bottle purchases and by-the-glass sales in winter – they work better with food and they make us feel good as well.

Red wines can be made as single variety expressions or as a blend of more than one variety. All the red grapes you could list can be vinified into single variety bottlings.

Merlot on its own often showcases its silky softness, a mid-palate cushion and maintains a happy relationship with oak when used, both tannins from the fruit and oak harmonise easily which is why you’ll

ORLANDO JACARANDA RIDGE COONAWARRA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016 Showcases aromas and flavours of blackcurrant and purple fruits, Doris plum and baked vanilla, toasty cove and dark soils, old roses, raspberry and wood smoke. Delicious on the palate with a core of black and purple fruits, plums and currant, raspberry, sweet tobacco, baked bell-pepper, blackberry, cedar and baking spices.

Ripe tannins, fleshy textures, a back bone of acidity and some aniseed, licoricey flavours. Great drinking from 2023 through 2033.

Points 94 RRP $74.99 Distributor: Pernod Ricard Winemakers NZ Phone: (0800) 655 550 www.orlandowines.com

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TE KANO "LAND SERIES" NORTHBURN CABERNET FRANC 2021 Deep purple and ruby hues lead to a focussed and concentrated bouquet of violets and dark berries, dark skinned plum and blackberry, olive and dried herb qualities, dark cherry and toasty barrel and sweet oak suggestions. Salivating, fruity, varietal and delicious on the palate.

Taut textures from tannins and acidity require some cellar time to fuse into the core of fruit and oak intensity. A lengthy finish with core fruit flavours suggest this wine will age well. Best drinking from 2024 through 2034.

Points 94 RRP $55.00 Distributor: Te Kano Estate Phone: (03) 928 6951 www.tekanoestate.com

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find some Merlot with lots of barrel flavours.

The classic wines of Bordeaux, France (the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or Sauvignon) have muscle and power, bold tannins and often a back bone of acidity.

These wines, as single variety bottlings, must have core ripeness of fruit, bold, but highly polished tannins and flavours that can reflect the place and time they were grown. This is very hard to achieve, so experimenting with different producers is important to discovering some of the great wines. Syrah is a variety I am very fond of and the New Zealand examples show great promise in a good vintage. Hawke’s Bay is a good appellation to start when looking for good Syrah, but do remember you can find excellent wines from Northland, Gisborne and Marlborough as well.

ORLANDO LAWSON’S PADTHAWAY SHIRAZ 2016 Ripe, juicy, fleshy and enticing bouquet. Aromas and flavours of dark raspberry and blackcurrant, toasty barrel spices and peppery fruit, sweet vanilla and a caramel nut quality. Plump and juicy with moderate tannins, contrasting acid line, judicious oak use and fleshy, lengthy finish. Well made, lots to like about this wine. Best drinking from 2022 through 2030.

Points 93 RRP $74.99 Distributor: Pernod Ricard Winemakers NZ Phone: (0800) 655 550 www.orlandowines.com

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VINA BORGIA BY BORSAO ORGANIC GARNACHA 2020 Earthy, floral, fresh then fruity with aromas and flavours of clay and floral spices, plums and layers of lees and oak. Taut and youthful with fine to moderate tannins, plenty of acidity and flavours that mirror the bouquet – plum and cherry, clay and violet, spice and crispness. Balanced and well made, ready to drink from late 2022 through 2027.

Points 92 RRP $18.99 Distributor: Vintners NZ Ltd Phone: (0800) 687 9463 www.vintners.nz

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THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022 27

recruitment THE NEW AGE OF

Stephanie Axtens, Barcats Venue Partner, shares insights on how to recruit and retain staff in the current climate. inding hospitality staff over the last couple of years has been almost impossible. With restrictions changing like the weather, vaccination and mask mandates, public restrictions, and venues closing left right and centre, restoring faith in the industry for hospitality workers has been, and still is, incredibly difficult.

We reminisce the days where you could post a sign in the front window and have 20 CVs piled at the end of the bar within a week. Nowadays, we’re turning towards social media and spending money on paid advertising for little-to-no reward.

The constant battle of trying to pay more than the bar next door, or forking out large amounts on sign up bonuses, is wearing

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28 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

thin. Gone are the days where a staff meal, an early knock-off, and a Saturday night off here or there would be enough to keep employees. We’re now finding more success by leaning on our industry partnerships, and going above and beyond to support our staff as people, not just workers.

Proven practises from employers that attract staff to new workplaces seem to be ones that support staff in their everyday life and encourage them to embrace more aspects of the job, including: • Paid on-the-job training tacked on to the normal shift.

• Performance incentives – upselling in venue = bonuses.

• Referral incentives – Invite a friend and receive $100 if they stay for six months.

• Uniform allowance – Often staff pay out of their own pocket.

• Staff coffee run pre-shift and staff meal on their breaks.

• Travel allowance post-shift.

• Staff social events outside of the workplace.

Finding staff and then providing them with training, however, can be difficult and expensive. Job seekers are weighing their options just as much as you are, and let's be serious – the ball is in their court and will be for the foreseeable future.

TAKE A MOMENT TO ASK YOURSELF, ARE YOU A GOOD EMPLOYER? This question might make you feel defensive, however, this is the time to have an honest look at who you are at what your venue stands for.

• Do you have staff that have worked for you for a long time?

• Do you have regulars that come in just to see the friendly face of your bartender or waitress?

on-premise gatherings, even a discount at the venue.

Really evaluate what you are willing to do to invest in your staff. This is extremely important and will separate you from your competition.

• Do you take the time to get to know your staff – what their goals are, where they see themselves in the future, or what they do for fun?

These are just a few of the questions you should ask yourself.

STAFF RETENTION Whether you are a small cocktail bar or a large pub – staff can make or break your business. People will continue to come back, not because the food was incredible or the drinks were cheap, they will come back because of the great experience they had at your venue.

Whether it was an attentive server who was cheerful and quick with the drink refills, or a bartender who had stories behind his cocktail menu – this is the reason people go out. They are spending their hard-earned money and want to have an experience. How can you create this?

You might be thinking it's all about the wages, and yes, I am not going to tell you that that is not important – your staff needs to live and live well. But it goes beyond this.

• That bartender I mentioned clearly has a passion for cocktails and maybe also wine, so invite your suppliers in for tastings, provide education for your staff and create experiences for them.

• That waitress I mentioned might be studying business in her free time – show her how you created your procedures, your profile and loss statements, and invest in her and her future.

The experiences these staff members are receiving are essential to your business, and they will show in their work ethic which, in turn, creates a happy and

positive work environment and guess who will notice that first? Your customers.

So before you start hiring, have you checked in with your current staff?

Does that waitress want to move into management? Has that bartender taken over ordering and inventory yet and naturally progressed into the bar manager position? Promoting within your business is important, as it is much easier to hire for entry-level positions than senior roles in today's market.

WRITING JOB ADS After you have taken the time to invest in your current staff, you may still be short a few bodies. So let's talk about writing an ad. I have written more than 1000 job ads for Barcats – for all types of venues and sizes – and I have one structure that I follow that has seen the best results.

First off all, start with an intro to your business. Tell the job seeker about your venue – brag if you like. If you have an awesome crowd of regulars every Friday with a local DJ playing, or your quiz night every week is packed, talk about it. Job seekers want to know what life would be like working for you and always make sure you name your venue and location.

“Busy restaurant in the CBD” is not going to attract anyone, you need to sell your business – create that vibe right off the bat.

Secondly, name the position, what you are looking for and what the general duties would be, hours, etc. Mentioning wages can be beneficial, however, I do believe talking about all perks is a better way to go. Perks can be all sorts of things – whether it's free lunch or parking, industry training, no evenings or late nights, weekly staff incentives or

POSTING ADS The next step is to assess the best place to post your ad. You could start with the free options of social media – a very saturated market but could still work since you have taken the time to write an eye-catching ad. However, does your venue have a social media presence?

Do you have an active Instagram or Facebook page that reflects all the amazing things you have mentioned about your venue in your ad? We live in a social media-driven world now, those job seekers will be looking your venue up!

If you are thinking ‛no, I don’t have a social media presence’, that's ok.

Then you might want to look into paid advertising or a recruitment company.

If you do have a social media presence, then post away! Have your staff share it to their network and let them comment on what it's like to work with you – after all, you have spent time to invest in them, they are now free advertising of what it's like to work for your business.

APPLICANTS AND INTERVIEWING Call every single candidate that applied for your opening – everyone! They have taken the time to prepare a CV and they deserve to be contacted either way.

You also never know, they could have a teachable, bubbly personality that is perfect for your business which isn’t shown on a piece of paper. Setting up interviews and asking specific questions is very personal to your business and what positions you are needing to fill.

I always suggest keeping it light and asking personal questions. Most people are quite shy when they first meet someone, and can find being interviewed intimidating, so it's important to take the time to explore their personality. Show them around the venue, introduce them to a few staff members, ask them what their interests are. This should be fun, after all – we are in the business of hospitality. Always remember, staff is an investment and the face of your business.

The Barcats platform provides a unique service and another means of support for managers and HR teams from venues of all shapes and sizes. Barcats is striving to pull back the industry from the brink of breaking and their website site connects venues with staff and vice versa. For more information, visit www.barcats.co.nz ■ THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022 29

n w do ow l

ON THE

Low and no alcohol beer is quickly becoming one of the most exciting and innovative categories, writes beer expert and Cicerone Denise Garland.

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here’s no denying it – consumers are increasingly choosing to change their drinking and eating habits, whether that be for health, environmental or economic reasons.

New Zealand’s beer sector is seeing that change too; beer consumption was down ever-so-slightly last year, with Stats NZ reporting the volume of beer sold fell 0.3% to 292 million litres in 2021.

But that data also shows the volume of beer 2.5% ABV and under rose for the first time in five years to 7.9 million litres. While low- and no-alcohol beer is the smallest segment of the market, it is the one seeing the largest growth by far – particularly the alcohol-free segment (comprising beer under 1.15% ABV), which rose a whopping 177% in 2021 to 2.77 million litres.

Chris Anderson, Head of Deli, Bakery, 30 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

Chilled, Beverages and Liquor at Foodstuffs North Island, says they are definitely seeing an increasing demand for zero alcohol beers in New World supermarkets.

“While zero alcohol beers are still a very small portion of overall beer sales by value, they’ve seen big growth over the last year – up nearly 40%,” he says. “The latest figures (to March 27, 2022) show that, for the first time, zero alcohol beer is outgrowing and outpacing low alcohol beer.”

Anderson says New Zealanders are now making conscious decisions to change their alcohol drinking habits. “It’s clear that customers are continuing to look for lighter and healthier alternatives in their alcohol choices, and suppliers are meeting the demand with more and more innovative creations coming onto shelves.”

Traditionally, the low and no alcohol beer segment has been filled by international

Denise Garland is a journalist and a Certified Cicerone with with a love of all things beer. She has been writing about beer for a decade and was the winner of the 2019 Brewers Guild Beer Media Award. She has previously worked in hospitality in Christchurch, Wellington and Edinburgh. Denise home brews – though not as often as she’d like – and has been a judge in several home brew and commercial beer competitions.

low and no alcohol beer

beer brands, with beers under 2.5% ABV being difficult to brew. The challenge lies in trying to provide consumers with a low or no alcohol option that is still as fullbodied and flavoursome as a full-strength beer. But recently, that is a challenge many New Zealand breweries have chosen to take on.

has a wide range of options to suit GARAGE PROJECT all consumers, so it made sense to Wellington’s Garage Project had its develop an alcohol-free beer to add expectations blown out of the water to the portfolio. [Stunt Double] is a when it came to the demand for full bodied, full flavour alcohol-free their first alcohol-free beer. Cocraft beer and means consumers founder Jos Ruffle says since they can lead a balanced lifestyle launched their non-alcoholic hazy without compromising on flavour.”

IPA Tiny in November, they just Futcher says Mac’s Stunt haven’t been able to keep up Double performed even better with demand. “We haven't seen a than Lion expected. “We have beer release like it for a six pack,” been out of stock recently due he says. “It really did catch us by to constraints on production surprise, and we've been playing because of COVID-19. However, catch-up for the last four-plus when Stunt Double was months now.” launched, we saw higher than The low alcohol market is not expected demand and positive new to Garage Project though. comments from consumers While Tiny was their first foray into Steinlager Zero around having the choice to alcohol-free territory, they’ve been drink a no-alcohol beer whilst not brewing their 2.2% ABV hoppy compromising on flavour.” session ale Fugazi since 2015.

One of the newest players in the Ruffle says Fugazi was initially brewed alcohol-free beer market is one of out of necessity when they opened New Zealand’s most well-known beer their taproom in Aro Street. “It’s a legal brands: Steinlager. Steinlager Zero has requirement to have a low-alcohol offering been available in venues and on retail and, at the time, a lot of bars just had a shelves for just a matter of months, with macro low alcohol European lager option Steinlager Brand Manager Lauren Dyke sitting gathering dust in their fridge. We saying the chance to provide consumers didn’t want to do that, so we challenged with an non-alcoholic version of one of the ourselves to make a great low-alcohol IPA country’s favourite lagers was one they and that was Fugazi. couldn’t pass up.

“With increasing numbers of New Zealanders seeking out low or zero alcohol drink options, Steinlager Zero has joined the line-up at the perfect moment,” Dyke says. “Steinlager Zero gives people diversity of choice to flex between traditional or zero alcohol options depending on the day, occasion, or how they’re feeling, without judgment.”

Steinlager Zero provides drinkers with that signature dry bitterness of the Classic version, only without the alcohol. While it’s only been available for a short time, Dyke Garage Project Tiny says they’ve had terrific feedback.

KIWI BREWERS TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE LION BREWERIES Lion Breweries’ Senior Brand Manager Craft, Alison Futcher, says that shift in mentality by consumers to a healthier alternative was what encouraged Mac’s to enter the market with its alcohol-free beer, Stunt Double. “Increased consumer focus on wellbeing and maintaining a balanced lifestyle has driven the need for more low or non-alcoholic beer,” she says. “Mac’s

Garage Project’s Pete Gillespie and Jos Ruffell

THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022 31

low and no alcohol beer

“IT’S CLEAR THAT CUSTOMERS ARE CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR LIGHTER AND HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES IN THEIR ALCOHOL CHOICES, AND SUPPLIERS ARE MEETING THE DEMAND WITH MORE AND MORE INNOVATIVE CREATIONS COMING ONTO SHELVES.” CHRIS ANDERSON, FOODSTUFFS NORTH ISLAND.

Garage Project Fugazi

“Initially, we thought it would just be available for the taproom, but it just proved so popular we decided to can it… now I think it's the number one craft low alcohol beer in the country.”

URBANAUT Auckland’s Urbanaut has also moved into brewing a low alcohol offering in the past 12 months, launching its 2.5% Juno Hazy Pale Ale in May 2021. Similarly to Garage Project, Urbanaut co-founder and Head Brewer, Bruce Turner, says they did so purely because of the legal obligations for all bars to provide a low-alcohol option to customers.

“On the back of us expanding our taproom, we needed to have a low ABV offering. We started looking at what was out there and there were really only two prominent players in the craft market at the time, so we sort of said ‘oh, let's just do one ourselves, even if it's just to supply the tap room’.”

Urbanaut’s Bruce Turner

32 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

Turner says it was a no-brainer to try to 1.7% sour beer called Fizz Palace, which brew a low alcohol hazy, with hazies being included an unusual ingredient called one of the most popular styles of the past Phantasm powder. While complicated to few years. “We hadn't noticed anybody explain, the powder is essentially made brewing a permanently available, 2.5% from Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc hazy at the time, and…a hazy lends itself to grapes and accentuates any tropical a lower alcohol product because they’re fruit characters. typically a bit sweeter anyway, and you've Sour beer, with their strong fruity got unfermentable adjuncts like wheat and aromas and flavours are an easy way to oats that fill out the mouthfeel.” provide beer drinkers with a lot of flavour Turner says in order to make it work, without the alcohol, and are a soughttheir brewery manager Dave Huff after style these days. Anything that uses designed Juno’s recipe to unfermentable grains like include 13 different malts – wheat and oats, also provides including oats and wheat drinkers with the experience – to mimic the complexity of a full-bodied beer. of a full-strength hazy.

Styles like hazies give Urbanaut also hops it as brewers a strong base to much as they would a 6% pack with hop aroma and beer, using New Zealand’s flavour, without the beer new darling hop Nectaron, coming across as too bitter alongside American or grassy. favourites Mosaic and Foodstuffs’ Chris Amarillo in cryo hop form.

Anderson says the “Juno has only been increasing variety of around for probably 10 0-2.5% beers on the months in trade, and shelves also seems to it’s about to become be boosting customer our biggest selling beer demand. “Since the first variety,” Turner says. big beer brands entered “I didn't see that coming the zero alcohol sector – it just really shows what's in New Zealand a few years Urbanaut Juno happening in the market. ago, we’ve seen more and more “What we're really happy with is it breweries join in. The range in the beer actually drinks like a 4-4.5% beer, so you aisle has just exploded, and customers don't feel like you're drinking a low ABV are really loving being able to have that beer. But I think the popularity is through same taste and variety in choice without people drinking smarter and having a the alcohol content.” bit more of a health-focused approach to drinking.”

It’s an exciting time for beer, with the increasing demand from consumers VARIETY AND INNOVATION IN THE in the low and no alcohol beer market CATEGORY showing no sign of abating. With such Bruce Turner says Urbanaut definitely a focus on people’s wellbeing these sees an opportunity for much further days, New Zealanders are rethinking growth and variety of styles in the low their traditional buying habits – brewers and no alcohol market, and would like are beginning to get on board, and to challenge themselves to create a alcohol retailers, bars and restaurants delicious alcohol-free beer too. are beginning to expand their low and no Jos Ruffle agrees there’s a lot of room alcohol ranges, as consumers increasingly for experimentation within this space, realise that alcohol-free no longer means and Garage Project recently released a free of flavour. ■

on-premise

personal GETTING

New research shows that personalisation is essential for on-premise venues.

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he new ‘Make It Personal’ report from global liquor analysts CGA – in partnership with Zonal and Airship – reveals how personalisation can deepen consumer’s engagement with pubs, clubs, bars and other on-premise venues, and suggests what businesses need to do to master it.

Here are five of the top messages…

1

FOUR IN FIVE CONSUMERS WANT PERSONALISATION The headline statistic from the ‘Make it Personal’ report is that 80% of consumers are interested in some form of personalisation from pubs and bars. “It’s becoming a mainstream expectation that you get some kind of personalisation,” said Zonal’s chief sales and marketing officer Olivia FitzGerald.

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PEOPLE WANT TAILORED REWARDS Financial incentives are the main drivers of interest in personalisation. Just over a quarter (29%) of consumers say customised offers, promotions and loyalty schemes appeal to them – though non-

monetary perks like recommendations, priority seating and order updates can be attractive too. “People expect to see a reward when they sign up to something,” said Airship’s CEO Dan Brookman.

3

DATA PROTECTION IS CRUCIAL The report highlights resistance about sharing data without guarantees of protection. Two thirds (64%) of consumers could be persuaded to share more data in order to personalise their visits, providing it isn’t shared for other purposes.

“Transparency is really important,” said CGA’s Karl Chessell. And some data is off limits. Nearly half (47%) of consumers will tell venues about their favourite drinks, and many will supply generic information like birthday (42%) and gender (39%)—but there is wariness about sharing addresses (11%) and parental status (11%), especially among women.

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THERE’S A GENERATION GAP Views on personalisation and data vary widely according to age. Only one in 10 (9%) of those aged 18 to 24 have no interest in personalisation, but the number

soars to nearly half (46%) of people aged 65 or over, who are also much less willing to share personal data. It’s still possible to reach older demographics though.

“It might be more difficult to persuade those people to join your database… but they can be a very loyal and engaged audience once they’re on board,” said FitzGerald.

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PERSONALISATION IS A JOURNEY Knowing the demographics of guests is a good start, but proper personalisation requires deeper knowledge, Chessell said. “If we’re going to get to true personalisation, we need to go beyond age and gender… to the behavioural information that you can gather over time.

It’s a journey—segmentation is a good start, but the ultimate goal is to get to that one-to-one relationship.”

The ‘Make it Personal’ report is part of GO Technology, Zonal and CGA’s joint research platform that reveals consumers’ attitudes to technology in the on-premise.

To read the report in full, visit cgastrategy.com THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022 33

last round

WHEN ANGER TAKES OVER

John Faisandier, Director of TUF: Thriving Under Fire, shares advice for front-line staff on how to deal with angry and aggressive customers.

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s James browsed the well-stocked Pinot Noir shelves of his neighborhood liquor store he was jolted into high alert by shouting in the Chardonnay aisles.

“I don't care what you say this just isn't good enough,” the angry gentleman yelled at the stunned shop assistant. With a few added expletives he demanded that he speak with the manager – “now!”.

Even before the pandemic, scenes like this were increasing across most retail outlets. Post-lockdown, they are even greater. Staff members are consistently challenged by these outbursts. Some businesses might even want to trespass aggressive customers, but that may unnecessarily lose future sales, and be a high-cost solution that adds even more stress to the situation.

WHAT DRIVES AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR? The simple answer is emotion. Emotional regulation is something that we all learn as we mature, but it requires effort.

Toddlers don't have much emotional regulation when they throw tantrums, but it happens with stressed adults, too.

Increased stress in the world has led to more emotional outbursts.

Resilience, on the other hand, is the ability to bounce back under pressure and maintain John Faisandier equilibrium.

34 THE SHOUT NZ – MAY 2022

WHAT CAN YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE FACED WITH AN ANGRY AND UPSET CUSTOMER? The best response is counterintuitive.

And that is: acknowledge the other person’s emotion. The stressedout person wants you to ‘get it’ that they are upset, distressed, annoyed, frustrated, etc.

WHAT STOPS US ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR EMOTIONS? When someone shouts at you, you feel attacked. Your rational brain shuts down.

Your emotional brain goes into fight, flight or freeze mode to defend yourself from this perceived attack.

CAN WE CHANGE? You can get yourself out of the ‘war zone’ and back to serving the distressed customer. The simple although challenging thing to do is take a BATH. B is for Breathe. Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering ‘rest and digest’ rather than ‘fight or flight’. This goes a long way to helping you calm down. Deep breathing also gets good quality oxygen to the brain which otherwise has been hijacked by the emotional brain.

A is for Acknowledge. First, acknowledge your own feelings without judging yourself. It's understandable that you feel scared or annoyed or powerless.

However, you don't have to act on those feelings, just acknowledge them to yourself.

Next, you want to acknowledge their feelings – out loud – without judgment.

Naming feelings is one of the most powerful things that you can do for yourself and for the other person. To name them is to tame them.

T is for Think. Think what else might be going on for them. It's unlikely that anything you have done has generated this amount of emotional expression in them. There are probably many life stressors that cause them to be so upset.

It’s not just about you.

H is for Hit the reset button. You need to let go of this incident and this person when they leave. The next customer will most likely be just fine. Remind yourself of the good people who love you and the good things in life. Later, when you get a chance, you might need to debrief with somebody who can listen and accept you – but in the meantime, hit the reset button, and carry on.

FOR MANAGERS… The four steps above seem very simple and yet they are a challenge. Smart managers provide staff with training to deal with upset customers but for a start, you can: • Notice signs of stress such as excessive sick leave, time spent telling ‘war stories’ or worried looks. This is high cost to the business.

• Generate a positive attitude towards customers no matter what. Don’t talk about them as the enemy, no matter how upset or aggressive they might get.

• Debrief staff well when they have had an upsetting incident. Listen to their feelings, validate their experience and reassure them they have done well in the circumstances. Take their concerns seriously.

• Respect your staff. The way you relate to your staff is important for helping them deal with upset customers. Treat your staff the way you would like them to treat your customers.

• Get professional help when required such as a training programme that gives staff the knowledge and skills to change the way they relate to customers. Increased customer loyalty, plus reduced health and safety risks from stress (and even possible physical attacks), can provide good returns on such training investment.

Thriving Under Fire has specialised in online and face-to-face training for more than 20 years. Get free tips on managing emotions at work at www.tuf.co.nz/tuftips-signup/ ■

COMING SOON

WINTER 2021 NZ$9.95

THREE TOP CHEFS

Their Recipes, Cameron’s Wine Matches

100

WINES TASTED AND RATED

ISSN 2624-3342

9 772624

Vineyard Team Members – Furry & Feathered

10

New Zealand Winemakers to watch

08

THE WINTER ISSUE OF

334007

Fermenting Style FROM STEEL TO OAK, TERRACOTTA TO PLASTIC. CAMERON EXPLAINS THE DIFFERENCES IN FERMENTATION TECHNIQUES.

W

ine quality and style are determined by several key factors including farming philosophy, vineyard management, vintage conditions, quality of fruit at harvest, and winemaking. The winemaking part sounds simple, but is in fact the product of many hundreds of decisions made by winemakers throughout a vintage.

Fermentation decisions including choice of vessel, size and shape, what it is made from and length of time an emerging wine spends inside a container for ageing all contribute to style, complexity and quality.

Fermentation is an immediate reaction between wine yeasts and the simple liquid sugars of glucose and fructose released from crushed grape berries. The yeast itself can be from the skin of the grape or introduced as a particular strain. Used on its own, the yeast from the skin of grapes causes a natural or wild ferment reaction producing aroma and flavour esters that can add texture and complexity in wine often reflecting the environment they originate from. Some winemakers use a piedde-cuve method using wild yeast to start a ferment in the vineyard first before transferring the must into the winery.

The next vital step is the size, shape and material of the containers used to ferment wine, it is critical to the outcomes of quality and style. >>

WORLD OF WINE – WINTER 2021

15

TASTING NOTES BEST OF THE REST - REDS

Best Of The Rest

I

- Reds

love a glass of full-bodied red wine with a steak,” is a not an uncommon phrase I hear from customers. It’s also when the complete wrong wine can be selected if the textures, protein level and medium for cooking are not considered properly.

With the right food, a glass of red wine can be a great pairing. But it’s also easy to spoil a match or change it to something less than ideal when for example, I observe a customer adding too much mustard, pepper or chilli flakes as their own special garnish on the meat. Don’t get me wrong I like a little mustard or pepper on my steak too, just not both together and piled on like there’s no tomorrow. One of the more interesting pairings you can try is to forget the mustard and pepper and grate some bitter chocolate into the jus or gravy to add a little South-American flair. Fuller-bodied red wines can be particularly good with bitter chocolate.

Merlot on its own or in a blended red wine is often the lead player in a pairing because it has an inherent silky softness and mid-palate core of fruit and weight to pair with food. It doesn’t carry too much acidity or tannin and loves oak – French and American equally – though not together.

Syrah, which also goes by the name Shiraz in some countries, can be just as floral and pretty as Pinot Noir, can be intriguing with its meaty, spicy flavours, complex core of fruit and firm texture. When aged it can be very compelling and seductive. With the right food, incredible. Syrah will often have dark cherry fruit and raspberry flavours when young. When less oak is used it can be the right alternative to Merlot and Pinot Noir. Typically, however Syrah does have a lot more power and impact on the palate with bold tannins, sometimes more oak and a noticeable back bone of acidity.

Red wine blends, sometimes referred to as Bordeaux Blends, are often made with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and often Malbec and Petit Verdot.

The best of those produced have a powerful fruit profile, can be herbaceous and vegetal, ripe and bold textures on the palate displaying very expressive and abundant tannins, plenty of acidity and oak. Some of the best examples I have encountered recently come from plantings in Hawke’s Bay, Waiheke Island, Clevedon, Wairarapa and North Canterbury. Expect more oak to complement a complex and varied fruit profile, bolder tannins and a lot more texture.

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FURRY AND FEATHERED TEAM MEMBERS

NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING CONSUMER WINE MAGAZINE IN COLLABORATION WITH MASTER SOMMELIER

Tasked with weed and grass control, the Himmeslfeld sheep show an interest in the end product.

CAMERON DOUGLAS

HIMMELSFELD VINEYARD Sheep Beth Eggers owns the vineyard, manages the vines and makes the wine at her Himmelsfeld Vineyard in the Upper Moutere, Nelson.

There’s a beautiful little church on the property along with a wine tasting room for visitors. Be sure to try her Chardonnay and aged Sauvignon Blanc, as well as her Cabernet Sauvignon. When we visited, we enjoyed time with her Romney sheep who were keeping the vineyard rows tidy and grass very short.

Hermann Seifried, a pioneer vigneron of the region, told Beth she was the first to introduce sheep into a vineyard. This was back in 1995 when Beth adopted two sheep onto the property. “I visited a sheep farm in Gore back in 1994, there was an orphan lamb there and I asked if I could bring her home. 1000 kms later we were back. I named her Grace, after my mother.” A nurse colleague of Beth’s

happened to have an orphaned black lamb and Hanover ended up coming home with Beth to keep Grace company.

Many of the sheep bear the names of Beth’s ancestors (her forebears came from Germany, near Hanover) – there’s Hansel, Liesel, Gretchen, Heidi, Louis and Lillibet. The sheep on the farm are mostly descendants of Grace, and there is usually a (new) Hanover. “I frequently get a new ram, to keep the genetics healthy,” says Beth.

The sheep on the property are mainly tasked with weed and grass control and some leaf plucking so there’s no need for weed sprays or mowing. There’s actually reduced spraying overall and less disease risk as a result.

Beth speaks of her relationships with the sheep and how intensely they mother their lambs. She says the sheep communicate with each other constantly with their bleats and she is familiar with the individual voices. She

also speaks of their gentleness and general defencelessness, and enjoys leaving the sheep mothers with woolly fleece for the warmth and protection of their little ones.

From her experience over the years, Beth’s worked out that when the sheep get keen on the fruit, she knows to get them out so nets can go on, as it won’t be long till the birds turn up. She marvels at how gentle they are at leaf plucking and how they balance their diets between grass and leaves. They follow her in the vineyard and eat the sweet cane trimmings as quickly as she can trim. In the spring she puts them in before pollination takes place, to open-up the canopy a little.

There’s a definite team/family relationship here and Beth speaks of ensuring the sheep are cared for properly, including with adequate water readily available, emphasising that the relaxed animals live a more natural life, and are less likely to stress eat and do damage.

WORLD OF WINE – WINTER 2021

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TASTING NOTES PINOT NOIR

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3

Valli Waitaki Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019, North Otago

Complex and detailed, mineral and fruit centric bouquet. Aromas of limestone and hard clay, red berry fruits then sweet new oak.

Flavours of raspberry and red cherry lead the palate, then sweet wood and mineral, red apple and spice. An abundance of tannins and acidity, then roses and a lightweight salinity. Wonderful texture and length, purity and pinosity.

Best drinking from early 2023 through 2030.

POINTS: 96 RRP $79.00 valliwine.com

Craft Series The Journey Pinot Noir 2015, Marlborough

Integrating and complex, varietal and enticing. A bouquet with aromas of cherries and autum leaves, oak spices and barrel toast.

A savoury mineral complexity adds breadth and a sense of place.

Tense, youthful and dry on the palate with flavours that mirror the nose plus mushroom and autumn leaves with a savoury earthy quality. Decent level of tannins and acidity to contrast. Well made, still developing, a wine to watch. Best drinking from 2022 through 2026+.

POINTS: 95 RRP $100.00 marisco.co.nz

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3

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Valli Bendigo Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019, Central Otago

4

Domain Road Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019, Bannockburn

Distinctive, powerful, ripe, pure and intriguing. Punnets of raspberries and blackcurrant, wild thyme and rocky countryside scents. Baking spices of oak and toasty wood, then dark velvet roses. Tense and dry, taut and fruity, very young and tight in texture. Fruit flavours mirror the nose, tannins are firm and chalky, acidity in abundance. A fantastic wine, but needs to be cellared to develop more complexity and fuse the attributes together. Best drinking 2024 through 2034+.

POINTS: 96 RRP $69.00 valliwine.com

Combinations of ripe red berry fruits and stony almost silty mineral layers weaving through aromas of new barrel and spice. There’s a smoky baked nut complexity with vanilla and a whisper of bacon oak. Very tense and poised on the palate with firm texture of tannin and acidity contrasting fruit flavours of red berries and plum.

Plenty of spice and acidity, length and complexity. A wine for the cellar with best drinking from 2024 through 2030+.

POINTS: 95 RRP $40.00 domainroad.co.nz

5

Loveblock Pinot Noir 2020, Central Otago

4

5

Vibrant, complex, ripe, varietal and intense pinosity with aromas of crushed black cherry, dried raspberry and plum compote.

There’s a core of mineral and toasty leesy complexity. Bright, fresh, precise, fruity and quite delicious on the palate. Flavours of berries and mineral, some exotic spice moments and toasty barrel layers. Fine chalky tannins, a refreshing acid line add grip and mouthfeel. With a core of pinosity this is excellent drinking now, but will age beautifully as well with ideal drinking from late 2022 through 2028.

POINTS: 95 RRP $31.99 loveblockwine.com

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Worldof Wine VOLUME 2 WINTER 2019

IT'S A MATCH

Food and wine pairs to love

CAMERON DOUGLAS MS

CELLAR SECRETS

Backstage at the vineyard PLUS finding your favourite drop

CON N ECT YO U R BR A N D TO AN AU D I E N CE O F OV ER 20,0 0 0 W I N E LOV E R S

WINE LABEL LANGUAGE EXPLAINED

Reds on the Rise

CONTACT WENDY STEELE EMAIL wsteele@intermedianz.co.nz PHONE 021 300 473

ELEVATE YOUR COCKTAIL GAME

L UNAT I C AND L O VER. C OM