THOUGHTS OF
CHAIRMAN DON

The drought in Australia is having a drastic effect on the grape harvest. The projected total for 2008 is for 900,000 tonnes, instead of the 2,300,000 initially expected! So there is some fancy dancing about to commence.

Be careful if you are buying some of the big brands in the future. The CEO of Fosters, who own Wolf Blass, Rosemount, Wynns, Annie’s Lane & Penfolds, amongst others (not one of whom make wines of the high standards of a decade ago) recently justified the fact that the ailing Lindemans range now fills their bottles with cheap plonk from Chile and South Africa, by saying:
“We want to use our intellectual capital to source product from regions all around the world and maybe brand over the top of them, so you can get your brand equities.” So there you have it. Forget the mangled syntax …. Whatever happened to the magic of wine?

Another of the many great reasons to stay away from the big Aussie names!
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Castel, the owners of Oddbins (remember them, they used to be dynamic wine merchants?) have attempted to put a few matters right by buying into the Loire Valley. Their boss said:
“The Loire is a region with a great future, because it makes a range of wines that corresponds well to evolving consumer tastes.”

See elsewhere in this News for our latest shipment. The guy is 100% correct. User friendly stuff at the right alcohol level, and at the right price. You obviously agree. After launching our new Loire Estates range last October, we have sold over 4,000 bottles!
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“If your heart is warm with happiness, you’ll need a glass – if sorrow chills your heart, have two” - Hannu Lehmusvuori

“Wine to me is passion. It’s family and friends. It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It’s culture. It’s the essence of civilisation and the art of living“
- Robert Mondavi