Gilbeys will be missed - very soon.

I have often said that every market needs a strong leader. One who offers quality service levels and top class products. Back before Diageo came to these fair lands Gilbey's of Ireland was (arguably) that leader in our wine market. Gilbey's of Ireland wine distribution will now soon become part of the Gleeson Group's business operating out of Ballyfermot.

'In the old days' when a Gilbey's rep called to our store, The Vintage on Newtownpark Avenue (Barbara was her name), it wasn't seen as a waste of time. Sure, they were selling tons of Piat d'Or to the fledgling super market chains. Sure, we were having a row with their late Frank O'Connor over the agency rights for Jaboulet wines ( I still have a Jaboulet Hermitage with 'imported by The Vintage' on the bottle!). But they were also bringing us quality advice and quality wines, delivered on time, with fair margins attached. They made money. We made money. It was a good relationship.

They employed people we could relate to and they made damn sure the relationship worked. Remember Paul Harvey anyone? The best ambassador any company could have. I can remember Vincent Egan storing empty wooden boxes in his office so that I could collect them for a window display. No questions asked. He just did it.

Gilbeys Portfolio Tasting 2010

That sort of heart and soul dropped out of the company many years ago. Many argue that demands on modern and large distribution companies to supply margin to the multiple grocers have turned these companies 'grey'. I complimented Gilbey's two years ago on their magnificent portfolio tasting. I opened a blog, on John Duval and David Fatches' Songlines and Bylines in June of 2009, with the lines 'At a truly excellent Gilbeys portfolio tasting earlier this year I tasted a Songlines Shiraz'. Shortly after I was asked by a Gilbey's person to write a short piece on how important I felt portfolio tastings are as senior management at the company felt they were just a big waste of money!

Current thinking in the trade is that Gleeson's haven't a hope of holding the agencies together. Just think of  the following making their way up to the beer and water distribution warehousing in Ballyfermot: Louis Fabrice Latour, Jonathan Maltus, Laurenz Moser, Jane Hunter and others. Clearly Yellow Tail, Piat d'Or, Santa Rita and even Molini won't have to bother. All they need to do is monitor exports.

Louis Fabrice Latour at Gilbeys Portfolio Tasting 2010

For a few years now the Gilbey's portfolio has run out of control both in depth and length. It has probably come as a relief to many senior Diageo Ireland managers that they are getting out of this messy end of the wine trade. (Mind you with Diageo selling Barton and Guestier in France to Castel it was going to get messier and messier!) Nevertheless it was a fine portfolio and set beside Edward Dillon's contraction, and the Findlater Wine and Spirits Groups' apparent inability to relate to anyone, Gilbeys' of Ireland was beginning to adopt the mantle of leader once again. Dash it all but its gone again.

Opportunity beckons. Anyone for an agency. Take your pick and make your pitch . Roll up, roll up. Within a year there will be scores of disappointed overseas sales managers from the current portfolio looking for a new home. Indeed there will likely be quite a few refugees long before then! 

I wish the Gleeson Group well into the future and I look forward to telling the story of their success. I do however reserve the right to mourn the passing of one of the cornerstones of the Irish wine trade. Let's hope someone has a plan for the hole left behind.

   

'Champagne' for kids - a drink too far?

Had a fun couple of weeks in Spain recently. Wine was brill, sun shone and everyone had a good time. So good that the kids came home telling everyone they had been drinking Kids Champagne!

Here's the (offending) bottle.

I'm no kill joy and grew up 'smoking' candy cigarettes and drinking Cidona like it was the 'real thing'! Aye a pre Coke kid in Ireland - innocent. 

Back then no-one knew any better and there was no EU to tell us. Statistics wasn't even a recognised science so smoking and lung cancer hadn't been connected. Drinking and driving was the norm - I can remember an uncle being asked by a Guard whether he could still see the road - ah well then on you go..

Today we are enlightened. Whether we have gone too far is a debate for another day. We do know that drinking and driving is not safe. We do know that smoking is not good for your health. We also know that selling non alcoholic drinks to children by dressing them up to look like the 'Real Thing' is not acceptable.

I wasn't going to be a kill joy on our holliers. It was our Spanish hosts who served up the bottles to the kids. For once though I was hoping some form of an EU Special Agent would hop out from behind the swimming pool and ban this sale and consumption straight away!!!

It didn't happen. The kids loved it.

Now all I can do is wait and see what they develop into over the next fifteen to twenty years. Maybe I'll lend a hand in the meantime. After all I don't smoke (any longer) regardless of the candy smokes; I don't find myself craving cider in the afternoon regardless of my Cidona days. It's complicated. Just don't fool ourselves into believing that we haven't moved on.

Should this be on sale? Surely it's just a novelty for the kids to have fun with.

 

 Our Daniel liked it - a lot!!

Tim Adams of the Clare Valley and Phil Sexton of the Yarra Valley are coming our way soon. Brilliant wine maker evenings from Wines of Australia

Wines of Australia continues its education programme this autumn with two brilliant winemakers talking about their regions. These are well worth attending. John McDonnell of Wines of Australia sent through the following info re Tim Adam's (Clare Valley) and Phil Sexton's (Yarra Valley) visits and events in September. These really should not be missed.

It’s a long way from Clare to Here
The Story of Australia’s Clare Valley
Tuesday 7th September, Castle Trattoria, Blackrock Castle, Cork.
Wednesday 8th September, Glor Music Centre, Ennis, Co Clare.
Thursday 9th September, Café 8, Galway City Museum, Spanish Arch, Galway.

Entitled It’s a long Way from Clare to here, these evenings set out to tell the story of one of Australia’s most famous wine regions, the Clare Valley in South Australia. Located about 2 hours drive north of Adelaide in South Australia, the valley has a wine making history that goes back to the 1840’s. And with a name like the Clare Valley, the region obviously has strong Irish links. It was named by Edward Gleeson (known as the King of the Clare) who left Sixmilebridge in Co Clare in 1850.

Tim Adams in the fabulous Clare Valley

 Now home to about 40 small to medium sized wine companies (most family owned), not only is it one of Australia’s prettiest wine regions, but it is also producing some stunning wines. Our evenings will give you a chance to taste many of these wines and learn more about Australia’s ‘Irish’ wine region.
Tasty nibbles will also be served on the night.
Leading our tour of the valley we are delighted to have Tim Adams, owner and winemaker of Tim Adams Wines.

 John McDonnell sharing a story with Tim Adams in the Clare Valley this summer

 
With over 30 years experience growing and making wine in the valley, there is no better man to take us on a tour of his Clare. For more information on Tim and his wines log onto www.timadamswines.com.au

Cost and Bookings
The cost of the evening is 20 Euro per person and places can be reserved as follows;
1) For the Cork and Galway events, direct with our office 065 7077264 or ireland@wineaustralia.com.
2) For the Ennis evening, direct with the Glor box office on www.glor.ie or (065) 6843103
If you need any further information about these events please contact us.
Best wishes and I look forward to hopefully welcoming you at one of our Clare Valley nights in September

An Evening in the Yarra Valley
Wednesday 15th September
6.45 pm – 8.30pm followed by some tasty bites
Fallon and Byrne, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2

Wine Australia is delighted to send you details of a delicious evening we have planned in the Yarra Valley.
Located a handy 45 minutes drive from the great city of Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is one of Australia’s cooler climate wine regions. Originally planted back in the 1838, the region developed a reputation in both Australia and beyond for producing elegant, restrained wines. However during the first half of the twentieth century, when fortified wines were in vogue, the region struggled to survive as consumer tastes changed away from what the valley had to offer.
However since 1980 the region has rediscovered both its mojo and an audience who appreciate the wines it produces. Home to some of the great names of the Australian wine world including De Bortoli, Yering Station, Domaine Chandon, Yarra Yering, Yarra Burn and Coldstream Hills, this is one Australian wine region that is making waves of late.
If you’d like to learn more about this beautiful region and its delicious wines, join us on Wednesday 15th September for our Evening in the Yarra Valley. For more on the Yarra www.wineyarravalley.com

 

 Giant Steps: Winery/Restaurant Playroom!

 
Our guide for the evening is Phil Sexton, owner of Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander wines. But this is a winery with a difference, including as it does a pizzeria, cheese room, wine sales, coffee roaster, bakery, table football and one of Australia’s finest wine lists. Passion, enthusiasm and fun are at the centre of everything that Phil does. So no better man to take on us on a tour of the Yarra and give us a feel for what’s happening in his region.

For more information on Phil, Giants Steps and Innocent Bystander log onto www.giant-steps.com.au
Places cost 20 Euro per person and can be reserved with our office on 065 7077264 or
ireland@wineaustralia.com

Phil Sexton. Really worth Llstening to

Notes from Australia. Note 12: Yalumba wines and nursery

Scott Washington (Export Sales Manager) met us at Yalumba. He was a great host and apologised that there were no wine makers available to meet with us. None we cried. Nope not a single one. They were all in lock down mode. Seems that once year they lock themselves away from the world and decide on the final Yalumba blends before they unlock themselves again. Worse than the Vatican! Welcome to Note 12 of my trip to the vineyards of Australia earlier this year.

The first thing you notice at Yalumba is that it's very peaceful, old and settled. Nothing New Worldy about its external appearance. It was, after all, founded in 1849 and six generations of the Smith family later it lays claim to being Australia's oldest family owned winery.

Scott showed us into a tasting room that was the the Hill Smith private area. It was full of signed cricket bats and other sporty things. Seems that when the England cricket team took a days rest from Test matches v the Aussies they'd come on out to Yalumba, hang out, drink wine and well, sign cricket bats!

For whatever reason this tasting was the best and most consistent of all the tastings I had in Australia. Each wine showed quite brilliantly and each wine impressed me no end. The lock down thing must work!.

Yalumba Wines Tasted :

Y Series Riesling South Australia 2009 

Y Series Unwooded Chardonnay South Australia 2009
Y Series Viognier South Australia 2009
Y Series Shiraz Viognier South Australia 2008
Barossa Eden Wild Ferment Chardonnay Eden Valley 2008
Barossa Eden Viognier Eden Valley 2008
Barossa Eden Bush Vine Grenache Barossa 2008
Barossa Eden Shiraz Viognier Barossa 2006
Barossa Eden Patchwork Shiraz Barossa 2008
The Scribbler Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Barossa 2008
Yalumba Hand Picked Shiraz Viognier Barossa 2007
The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Barossa 2005
Coonawarra Estate The Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra 2008
Coonawarra Estate The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra 2006
The Octavius Old Vine Shiraz Barossa 2005

After Scott showed us around the Cooperage. Yes, they make a lot of their their own barrels and use a 90 litre size for the Octavius! When  he mentioned that they also had their own vine nursery all I could hear myself say was something sensible along the lines of, " Can I go, Can I go, Can I, Can I,.....".

Later that evening as the sun was setting Tim Jones, Production Manager at the Yalumba Nursery, showed us around the future of the Barossa. There was something quite humbling to be shown a 140 year old Shiraz vine in the vineyard and immediately after in the nursery a Tempranillo just out of quarantine or a Verdejo ready for planting out. A really good visit.

Glamour, wine and does Superquinn breach its Code of Practice?

Something strange happened 'on the way to the forum' last weekend. I dropped into Superquinn Lucan to have a decco at their New World Wine Sale. Hadn't heard anything through the usual pr channels.

Let's get it out of the way quickly - great value sale with some amazing bargains - any time Yalumba wines dip below the tenner its a good sale.

Strumming, singing and beating quietly against an amp was an apparition! Nay a CREATION! The Gallo band dedecked in pink summer suits and Gallo branded guitar and amp. Hilarious and very entertaining. I thought it was great craic.

(I snapped them with my camera phone - poor shot; sorry lads)

They were playing in support of a Gallo Family Vineyards Rose promotion and they were doing a fine job. 

The thing is last year Superquinn (along with all other major retailers of alcohol in Ireland) signed up to a Voluntary Code of Practice with respect to the sale of alcohol. Get this. Part of the code prohibits  a glamourisation of any alcoholic product!!!

Now, I ask you. Are these guys glam or wha?

When the Minister for Justice and Ibec came together and agreed the Code of Practice I doubt if they had these lads in mind when they thought of glamour! But you know it is all in the eye of the beholder - Beach Volley Ball this is not but it's breaking the Code all the same!!!  (Oh, and the other guy handing out money off coupons for the same wine- well he was most definitely off side.)

WSET in Ireland - this week

Yesterday the Wine and Spirit Education Trust held a seminar at Wynn's Hotel in Dublin. Ian Harris CEO and Jude Mullins International Development Manager were our speakers.

The purpose of the meeting was to show what the WSET is doing around the world and in Ireland, what its strategy for the future is and to scope out ideas as to how it can become more effective everywhere but especially in Ireland.

 Ian Harris CEO WSET speaking with Maureen O'Hara in Dublin

The presentation was very good. Ian avoided blaming anyone for the fact that WSET student numbers in Ireland have fallen from a high in 2000/2001of 1000 with one service provider (The Wine Board of Ireland- no longer in business) to 200 today with twelve service providers in place. Ian also avoided raking over the coals of the past. He is a fine presenter who then showed in good detail the WSET as a highly professional and successful business operating in over fifty countries with a wide range of wine and spirit education courses. 

   

Spot your Wine lecturer!

We then had a wide ranging discussion about all aspects of how the WSET operates in Ireland. This is where I felt that the audience was of little benefit. Let me explain.

When the Wine Board of Ireland was allowed to collapse( by the Irish wine trade I must emphasize - nothing to do with the WSET who were in fact victims of the debacle) this month last year (July'09) there was only one other approved service provider in Ireland for WSET courses. That was Mary Gaynor's Wine Academy Ireland. Since then the WSET has approved a further twelve centers to run its courses. (You can see who these are by looking up the WSET web site.) One of these has since folded leaving a total of twelve. As far as I could make out nine of these were represented at yesterdays meeting. In addition the audience was made up of quite a few ex Wine Board lecturers. Then there was little old me. Because I was (continually) questioning the WSET on  a lot of detail I was asked at one stage what I had against the WSET! This audience loves the WSET. After all they have already signed up to run their courses for them They are the converted and are now eager to fill their courses. Surely they should already know all there is to know about what the WSET has to offer?

The net result was that the audience wasn't all that critical. Where were all those industry leaders who seem reluctant to get excited about keeping our trade a knowledge based one? Where were the press who might  have cast a critical eye over the proceedings? Well, they weren't invited as this was really only a briefing exercise for the approved service providers. So, is there another day organised for everyone else. No, there isn't.

A few major points to note from the meeting are:

• The WSET is prepared to fund a wine course for as many as thirty employees of a major wine retailer in Ireland to prove that wine education increases the rate and quality of sales. They point to a very successful retail initiative of this nature that they ran in the UK with Unwins. Applications to the WSET please.

• The WSET will engage with the 'captains of our industry' with a view to encouraging them to once more embrace wine education. The WSET would like us to tell them who they are. Suggestions anyone?

• The WSET would like to identify trade events that they might attend with a view to selling its courses and to promote the value of wine education. Suggestions to the WSET please. 

Was this a big waste of time? I hope not. I learnt a lot from it and anything and everything that promotes and explores wine education should be encouraged.

Could this have been a lot better. Absolutely!

A discussion with the likes of me (or/and others!) beforehand might have taken some of the naivety out of the discussion. The WSET should have had a list of trade events and personnel prepared in advance. Why, oh why, would they say that they don't know who the key players are?

Guests should have included a wide range of wine industry types. 

These are perhaps minor niggles. If yesterday was the beginning of a process then it was a good beginning. But you know this is the first event of its kind I have been invited to attend since I passed my first WSET exam - and that was over 25 years ago. I don't have that sort of time left to me to wait until the next one!

Wise heads! Alain Bras from Kenmare and Paddy Keogh of Wines Direct at WSET briefing in Dublin

Notes from Australia: Note 11 The Barossa, Jacobs Creek and Yalumba

As we drove across to the Barossa Valley it was night time and we were following a major storm. Lightning flashes and a soaked roadway preceded us. Somehow we stayed dry and were in fine fettle when it was suggested we stop for a ('customary' - I like the customs) beer at Angaston. At first it was like walking into a country pub in deepest Ireland - the locals stopped talking and looked up at the strangers before going back into their small huddles. Then I noticed one big difference. Two strong looking weather beaten lads were elbows to the bar having a chat over their drinks. Their arms were toughened by powerful tattoos. In Ireland these boyos would have been sucking pints after a hard day in the fields. Here they had a glass of red wine each!  Welcome to Note 11 of my wanderings earlier this year through the vineyards of Australia.

Sun drenched morning in the Barossa Valley

We were staying at the Novotel in Barossa. I'd recommend it. We tried to get out onto the golf course early the next day but found it was booked out - shot gun start for the workers and friends of Jacob's Creek! That was a good start as our first visit was to none other than Jacobs Creek. Always good to know who your friends are before you meet up with them!

Family resemblance to Johann Gramps is remarkable!

Jacobs Creek treated us to a tasting at the 1847 Heritage Vineyard by white and sparkling wine maker Rebekah Richardson. Before she arrived James Keane, Orlando Wines PR and Promotions Manager, gave us an excellent potted history of the company and I even had my photo taken beside founder Gramps' head! James left us with a promise that he would have a bottle waiting for us at a Steingarten sunrise. We had to wait a few days to work that one out!

The photo everyone wants to take!

Rebekah showed us through the following wines. Except for the Classic Shiraz Cabernet 2007, which looked tired, each wine showed well. They are testament to a very fine wine making team headed up until  his recent retirement last month by Phil Laffer. (See Checkout magazine in September for my extensive interview with Phil and his successor Bernard Hickin.)
I was very taken by the Chardonnays. They are crisp, delicious and modern styles with a lot of emphasis on fresh clean fruit. I hope they sell well.

Jacob's Creek Blanc de Blancs NV
Jacob's Creek Classic Pinot Grigio 2009
Jacob's Creek Classic Riesling 2009
Jacob's Creek Reserve Riesling 2009
Jacob's Creek Classic Chardonnay 2009
Jacob's Creek Reserve Chardonnay 2008
Jacob's Creek Grenache Shiraz 2009
Jacob's Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Jacob's Creek Classic Shiraz Cabernet 2007
Wyndham Estate Bin 515 Shiraz Viognier 2007
George Wyndham Adelaide Hills/Barossa Shiraz Tempranillo 2007
Jacob's Creek Classic Shiraz 2008
Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz 2008
Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz 2007

George Wyndham Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2007
Wyndham Estate Black Cluster Hunter Valley Shiraz 2006

Rebekah is a great story teller - oh, and she makes some smashing wines as well!.