Many different facets of the Barossa

From new experiences, new tastes and new places to stay, the Barossa is one of the liveliest wine regions to visit in Australia.

New at Jacob's Creek, as part of its membership with Ultimate Winery Experiences, is a suite of horse riding experiences from their Barossa cellar door, created in collaboration with Olympic medallist and eventer Megan Jones and her team at Hallmark Farm.

The partnership aims to blend the best of wine tourism and agritourism, offering guests the chance to explore the beautiful vineyards and surrounding landscapes on horseback before returning to enjoy a taste of the local product.

The experiences range from a horse ride and picnic, to a scenic trail ride and private curated tasting.

Meanwhile, Barossa Grand Retreats’ Benbullen Pavilions (above), set within 10 acres of peaceful countryside in the Barossa, are aimed at couples or groups seeking privacy and comfort.

Surrounded by rolling vineyards and native landscapes, each pavilion features three suites, each with its own en-suite bathroom and private deck.

Open-plan living areas include gourmet kitchens with premium European appliances and a spacious butler’s pantry.

Located just outside Angaston, Benbullen Pavilions offers high-speed wifi and sustainable design principles.



When you've had enough wine but still want a drink, The Distillery Door at the Barossa Valley Distillery (above) might fit the bill.

The Distillery Door Tasting Room & Cocktail Bar is housed in the Old Penfolds Distillery in Nuriootpa.

It is home to some of the oldest commercial stills in Australia, including a Coffey Still of which there are only three in the world.

The Distillery is a celebration of all things spirits, offering tasting paddles of gins and cocktails, alongside local Barossa wines and beers from smaller producers. 

imbibe in the historic bar or in the botanical garden seating area outside. There are pizzas from Friday-Sunday.

See https://www.barossa.com/

Major changes for the Australian wine industry

It has been a week of big changes in the Australian wine industry with the families behind Wirra Wirra and Ashton Hills acquiring star Adelaide Hills producer Hahndorf Hill, and Australian Wine Holdco Limited - a group of international investors - announcing the creation of Vinarchy, a new global wine company.

Vinarchy combines Accolade Wines and its multiple brands with the Australian, New Zealand and Spanish wine businesses formerly owned by Pernod Ricard. The new business is one of the largest wine companies in the world.

As reported first by Wine Business Monthly, the acquisition of Austrian varietals specialist Hahndorf Hill adds depth to the Wirra Wirra group’s presence in the Adelaide Hills,

Founded in 2002 by former Mulderbosch vigneron Larry Jacobs and Marc Dobson, Hahndorf Hill has built a loyal following for its wines, including being regarded as the leading Australian producer of Austrian white varietal gruner veltliner.

The six-hectare estate, just outside the historic village of Hahndorf, also features a popular cellar door and thriving wine tourism experience.

“At a time when the Australian wine industry is facing real challenges, we’re choosing to invest in quality, authenticity and long-term growth,” said Matthew Deller MW, CEO of Wirra Wirra.

“Larry and Marc have created something truly special. Hahndorf Hill fits perfectly with our vision for the future.”

Jacobs and Dobson will retire from the wine industry following the transition.

“Marc and I are thrilled that Wirra Wirra will be taking over the reins,” said Jacobs. “The Wirra Wirra team has all the skills and enthusiasm to take Hahndorf Hill to the next level.”

The Hahndorf Hill portfolio includes four expressions of grüner veltliner, and a range that includes blaufränkisch, St Laurent, and zweigelt. Hahndorf Hill wines are distributed nationally by Domaine Wine Shippers.

Vinarchy, meanwhile, will feature a large number of leading wine brands, ranging from Berri Estates, Hardy's, Jacob's Creek, Petaluma, Grant Burge, St Hallett, St Hugo and Orlando to New Zealand brands Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate, Church Road and Mud House.

It also includes Campo Viejo – the best selling Rioja brand, Ysios and Tarsus.

Helen McCarthy, from St Hallett, has been named to the new position as director of global winemaking at Vinarchy. 

Vinarchy is led by executive chairman Ben Clarke, who held a similar role at Accolade Wines. 

“We believe Vinarchy can lead the future of the wine category," Clarke said. "We will be a dedicated wine company, with scale, capability, reach, resources, talent, and an exceptional portfolio of leading brands. We want to redefine wine.

“The global wine industry faces serious structural challenges. Global wine consumption has been

declining for years, driven by changing consumer preferences and a shift to lower-alcohol drinks.

"Vinarchy will be bold and imaginative in meeting these challenges. With our enhanced scale, brand

investment program, innovation capability and industry-leading talent, we believe can meet many of

the challenges that the industry faces."

WBM reports the name Vinarchy combines Vin (the French word for wine), with Archy (from the Ancient Greek word for leadership). Together it means wine leadership.

Image: Matthew Deller, Larry Jacobs and Marc Dobson at Hahndorf Hill 

ACCC gives go ahead for Accolade to acquire Pernod wine brands

Accolade Wines has been given the green light to buy several wine brands, including Jacob's Creek, from Pernod Richard Winemakers.

The ACCC, Australia's business regulatory body, said today that it will not oppose the proposed acquisition of Pernod Ricard Winemakers by Australian Wine HoldCo Limited, through its subsidiary Accolade.

Accolade’s acquisition relates to Pernod Ricard Winemakers’ BrandCo division, which owns and manages a portfolio of Australian, New Zealand and Spanish wines including Campo Viejo, St Hugo, Church Road, Stoneleigh, and Jacob’s Creek.

Accolade already owns major wine brands including Berri Estates, Grant Burge, Petaluma, Hardy's and St Hallett.

“Based on our investigation, we consider the proposed acquisition is unlikely to substantially lessen competition in wine processing and packaging services, and similarly is unlikely to substantially impact competition in the wholesale supply of wine,” ACCC commissioner Dr Philip Williams said in a statement.

“We considered that if the acquisition went ahead, a number of other businesses will continue to offer competing processing services and also wine,” he said.

Information and feedback gathered during the ACCC’s investigation also indicated that the acquisition is unlikely to substantially lessen competition in the market for the purchase of wine grapes.

“We found that the acquisition would not materially alter competition in grape acquisition markets where Accolade and Pernod Ricard currently overlap,” Williams said.

Concerns relating to whether Accolade, following the acquisition, could disadvantage rival winemakers’ access to processing or packaging services were also examined by the ACCC.

The ACCC concluded that Accolade is unlikely to have the incentive or ability to engage in this conduct, and that even if such conduct occurred it would be unlikely to substantially lessen competition in the wholesale supply of wine.

The ACCC heard from a range of market participants, including grape growers, competing winemakers, wine retailers, and industry bodies during its investigation.

New owner for major Australian and New Zealand wine labels

 

Some of the most famous wine brands in Australia and New Zealand have a new owner.

Labels including Jacob's Creek, St Hugo and Brancott Estate will now come under the Accolade banner, if government approval is forthcoming.

Accolade Wines and Pernod Ricard reached an agreement concerning the sale of 10 key wine brands, Drinks Trade is reporting.

The deal, signed in Paris on Tuesday night, will see Accolade. Australia’s second-largest wine producer acquire Pernod Ricard’s Australian, New Zealand, and Spanish wine brand portfolios. 

“Combining Accolade Wines with the Pernod Ricard assets will create a more certain and financially sustainable future for the business, allowing us to better serve our customers, in more segments and more geographies," said Joshua Hartz, spokesperson for Australian Wine Holdco Limited (AWL).

AWL became the equity owners of Accolade Wines in February this year.

The transaction includes the sale of Australian brands Jacob’s Creek, Orlando, and St Hugo, New Zealand brands Stoneleigh, Brancott Estate and Church Road, and Spanish brands Campo Viejo, Ysios, Tarsus and Azpilicueta.

Accolade Wines will acquire all associated assets of each brand, which includes an integrated platform from vineyard to bottle alongside seven wineries, Drinks Trade says.

Accolade is an international wine business with headquarters in South Australia. It has been owned by the Carlyle Group, an American company, since 2018. Bain Capital now holds a controlling interest. 

It makes wines under labels including Hardys, St Hallett, Grant Burge and Banrock Station, as well as Mud House in New Zealand.

Meet the wine matured in Caribbean rum barrels

I am not a huge fans of wines that divert from tradition. I'm a Chablis, Clare Valley riesling, Tassie pinot noir kind of guy. 

So to be honest, I was not expecting to enjoy the latest addition to the Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel collection: Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Shiraz Cabernet Rum 2021. 

This is the first time the JC team has used rum barrels to finish a Double Barrel wine. 

The new release joins a range consisting of Chardonnay, Shiraz Cabernet, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. These wines are finished in aged Scotch whisky barrels (for the Shiraz, Shiraz Cabernet and Chardonnay) and Irish whiskey (for Cabernet Sauvignon) barrels.

Winemaker Dan Swincer says the barrel finishes lead to deeper, richer and more complex wines. 

"Rum is perfect for this time of year as the weather cools and we look to share time with friends over heartier-style meals, or by the fire," Swincer says. 

He's right. There is a whole lot of rich flavour to the blend and the wine would pair well with big dishes like steak with monkey gland sauce (look it up), or Americans spare ribs with lashings of smoky barbecue sauce. 

"The Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel range has always given us a chance to innovate," Swincer says. "With this new release we wanted to go beyond the expected and take varietal styles to a new level. 

"For a wine finished in Caribbean rum barrels, it was important to start with a rich and deeply fruited red wine. We went with a blend of shiraz and cabernet sauvignon; the shiraz offering the plushness and richness from the fruit and the cabernet sauvignon providing structure, density and the tannin profile - a fantastic base to start.

The Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Shiraz Cabernet Rum 2021 ($25 RRP) is first matured in traditional French and American oak wine barrels. Once blended, portions are matured in oak casks that previously aged Caribbean rum. 

"The result is a combination of rich flavours; on the nose you’ll find lifted aromatics, dark fruits and a slight leafiness, while the palate is lush with notes of cocoa and vanilla from the traditional oak." Swincer says. 

"The rum barrel also imparts rum and raisin flavours with a hint of Christmas cake." 

Give it a go. You might be surprised. 

Whisky-accented wine stars as Jacob's Creek goes a little bit fancy

 

When Jacob's Creek first launched its Double Barrel wines I was a little bit sceptical. 

Wines aged/finished in whisky barrels? Who would that appeal to? 

A few years down the track the concept has proved a huge success, with the range now expanded to four different Double Barrel wines. 

The Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Collection now showcases a chardonnay, shiraz, shiraz cabernet blend and a cabernet sauvignon, all finished in a combination of aged whisky barrels leaving each wine with a unique oak flavour. 

The 2018 shiraz, 2019 shiraz cabernet and 2018 chardonnay are finished in Scotch whisky barrels, while Irish whiskey barrels are used for the 2018 cabernet sauvignon. 

Whisky barrels with narrower staves and extra toast allow the tannins and fruit to integrate more readily and impart more flavour.

I also think winemaker Dan Swincer (above) and his team have got more knowledge of working with different barrels and the new releases are better, more integrated, wines as a result. 

"Perfecting this range took much perseverance and persistence," Swincer says. 

The wines are available from all good liquor retailers for RRP $27.00.

The standouts for me are the shiraz, where the powerful fruit offers an ideal foil for the oak characters; and the shiraz cabernet, which shows darker spice notes and paired well with a spicy roast chicken dish.

  

My wife, with an aversion to obvious oak, gave the nod to the well-balanced chardonnay, where ripe stone fruit flavours still shone through - and it also paired well with the chicken dish. 

The cabernet sauvignon is probably best paired with aged Cheddar cheese, while the shiraz calls out for a hearty winter stew. 

Something different. Something a little bit fancy for the whisky-loving wine drinker in your life. 

Jacob's Creek goes for new Classic look and a sustainable future

Changing a wine label that consumers easily recognise and are comfortable with can be fraught with danger.

Australia’s No.1. selling wine brand, Jacob’s Creek, has nonetheless gambled on visual refresh to its Classic (entry level) packaging across all formats and varietals.

Designed to reflect a modern Australian style with a nod to the brand’s heritage, the new look is described as "stylish with greater timeless appeal". Most importantly, the new labels still look like those consumers are comfortable with - just a little more modern and colourful.

With a winemaking history dating back over 170 years to the banks of Jacob’s Creek in the Barossa - where Johann Gramp planted his first vines, the new label dials up links to rich history and the brand story.

Premium new colours differentiate between the different varieties, while a new label shape is designed to catches the eye on busy bottle shop shelves.

The refresh is rolling out along with point-of-sale support, as well as print, digital and social media info. 

Not a lot of people know that the Jacob’s Creek logo communicates the story behind Jacob’s Creek. 

The two vine leaves represent the vineyard that Gramp planted on the banks of Jacob’s Creek in 1847. Between the vine leaves flows the creek itself. 

s Creek in 1847. Between the vine leaves flows the creek itself, from it’s humble beginnings to the flourishing 

The refresh also includes the brand’s claim, "committed to sustainability at our winery in Australia"’.

JC's sustainability credentials include being home to the largest combined solar winery installation in Australia and being the first large wine company in Australia to achieve 100% renewable electricity.

The winery aims to minimise waste wherever possible and 99% of solid and organic waste is recycled, winning several awards. 

There is a commitment to carbon net zero by 2030 and Jacob's Creek is also a founding member of the Wildlife for Wine program, a project focused on balancing the environment and viticulture. 

It is also a member of the sustainability program Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. 

See www.jacobscreek.com.au/