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Newsletter February 2010

INNOVATIVE MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR THE AUSTRALIAN WINE INDUSTRY

Marketing driven or production driven?

Vintage! No sooner have you go the 2009 wines in bottle or bedded down in oak, and veraison (and the birds) are back.

With vintage firmly in your sights, it's a good time to take a break and consider are you a marketing driven business, or a production driven business.

Production driven wineries will pick all their fruit and make as much wine as they can - not a thought for how much the market requires, or where they think they are going to sell this great wine.

Here's a couple of tips to ensure that you are a marketing driven business;

• work out your next 12 month budgets (be realistic);
• cross check them with your stock on hand;
• work out how much wine you need for the next 12 months; and
• look for new opportunities such as new products (eg, sweeter styles, less oaked wines, etc).

If it means making less wine, then it's a better decision to make now then realise it once the warehouse, and the overdraft, is full. If you have bulk wine on hand now, try to sell it as bulk rather than incur further costs through bottling and labelling it.

The market is very competitive (no news there), so make sure that you survive the next few years, as things will improve. It's all one big cycle.

If you need help working through budgets, or are looking for a home for some excess wine, call us on 02 6361 9898 or email us at team@definewine.com.au

Cheers, David

"Wine growing is an enticing pursuit. It is an art, a bond of hospitality, pride to the host and good humor to his friend."

Hubert de Castella, 1886

The Henry Review

The Henry review of the Australian tax system is an issue that will affect all winemakers. 

Here are a few links to articles from various industry bodies and commentators. These are in no particular order and do not represent the opinions of Define Wine. We have listed these links to build awareness for the issues.

Submission from Alcohol Edication Rehabilitation Foundation to the Federal Goverment

Article by Paul Sellars, "Wine Tax Rebate Rorted"

WFA - Tax review vital to industry's future, Winescope, newsletter of The Winemakers Federation of Australia.

Article by Adele Ferguson "A flat tax for wine will brings its own hangover"

This will continue to be a lively debate, with the result affecting growers and winemakers in one way or another.