Latest news with #DeBortoli
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
Some wines demand a double dip
With the bygone wine (C8) discussion turning to the customs of the bulk buyer, we have this item from Warren Menteith of Bali: 'In 1966 I taught in Griffith and subsequently moved to Moree. You could also buy the kegs from De Bortoli and have them shipped. A Thibenzol drench gun had a perfect seal with the keg bung. Use your imagination. Keg parties took on a whole new meaning and had some interesting activities.' 'We kids well remember father's home-bottling night,' writes Helen Lewin of Tumbi Umbi. 'There were no baths for a week beforehand as all manner of bottles were being sterilised in it (yes, we did shower). We also couldn't get the car into the garage for days before the 'bottling party' due to the intricate set-up, nor ourselves days afterwards due to the fumes. I would be more appreciative these days.' 'I don't recall seeing that beer survey in Australian Playboy (C8), which is odd because I only ever bought that magazine for the articles,' says Jim Sabine of Kellyville. On to the search for the Foucault pendulum (C8) undertaken by Anne Baillie. While they are not sure if it's the one from the Science and Technology Museum in Ultimo, both Joel Alexander of Eastlakes and Geoffrey Leeson of Stanmore say there's one in the stairwell of the School of Physics in the Old Main Building at the University of NSW. 'I remember seeing a Foucault pendulum in the Paris Pantheon,' says Peter Miniutti of Ashbury. 'If Anne is ever in Paris she should swing on by to see it.' Paris actually has two of them, and Nola Tucker of Kiama has viewed the other, which is housed in the Musee des Arts et Metiers and is 'immense and unmissable'. This offering, from Martin Field of Noosa Heads (Qld), is dedicated to Joan Anderson, the unsung Australian who introduced the hula hoop to the US: 'A friend, recently decluttering her garage, found a hula hoop she had used when she was more active. She asked a younger and fitter friend if they would like to have it. The friend, born long after the hoop era, replied, 'Does it still work?'' It's a small world. Michael Britt of MacMasters Beach says, 'My parents, both teachers, thought you earned the dunce cap (C8), Bob Pitts, when you backed through their milk bottles on the front porch in Wyong in 1966!'
The Age
7 days ago
- General
- The Age
Some wines demand a double dip
With the bygone wine (C8) discussion turning to the customs of the bulk buyer, we have this item from Warren Menteith of Bali: 'In 1966 I taught in Griffith and subsequently moved to Moree. You could also buy the kegs from De Bortoli and have them shipped. A Thibenzol drench gun had a perfect seal with the keg bung. Use your imagination. Keg parties took on a whole new meaning and had some interesting activities.' 'We kids well remember father's home-bottling night,' writes Helen Lewin of Tumbi Umbi. 'There were no baths for a week beforehand as all manner of bottles were being sterilised in it (yes, we did shower). We also couldn't get the car into the garage for days before the 'bottling party' due to the intricate set-up, nor ourselves days afterwards due to the fumes. I would be more appreciative these days.' 'I don't recall seeing that beer survey in Australian Playboy (C8), which is odd because I only ever bought that magazine for the articles,' says Jim Sabine of Kellyville. On to the search for the Foucault pendulum (C8) undertaken by Anne Baillie. While they are not sure if it's the one from the Science and Technology Museum in Ultimo, both Joel Alexander of Eastlakes and Geoffrey Leeson of Stanmore say there's one in the stairwell of the School of Physics in the Old Main Building at the University of NSW. 'I remember seeing a Foucault pendulum in the Paris Pantheon,' says Peter Miniutti of Ashbury. 'If Anne is ever in Paris she should swing on by to see it.' Paris actually has two of them, and Nola Tucker of Kiama has viewed the other, which is housed in the Musee des Arts et Metiers and is 'immense and unmissable'. This offering, from Martin Field of Noosa Heads (Qld), is dedicated to Joan Anderson, the unsung Australian who introduced the hula hoop to the US: 'A friend, recently decluttering her garage, found a hula hoop she had used when she was more active. She asked a younger and fitter friend if they would like to have it. The friend, born long after the hoop era, replied, 'Does it still work?'' It's a small world. Michael Britt of MacMasters Beach says, 'My parents, both teachers, thought you earned the dunce cap (C8), Bob Pitts, when you backed through their milk bottles on the front porch in Wyong in 1966!'
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The classic drink Generation Z refuses to touch - as producers take drastic action and call in the BULLDOZERS
Prominent Australian wine-makers are bulldozing red wine grapevines as Gen Z Aussies ditch booze. Wine industry officials believe social trends - such as being 'sober curious' and 'mindful drinking' - are leading to gluts in the market of once-popular varieties, such as shiraz. Big-name wineries have stripped red wine from their vineyards altogether - with De Bortoli Wines in the Riverina region pulling healthy shiraz vines due to an oversupply. Darren De Bortoli told Daily Mail Australia that his growers face the tough decision of selecting new grapes to better suit the changing market. Mr De Bortoli said his business faced 'quite a severe problem... but it's got to be remembered all our competition are facing the same problems as us.' He said Murphy's law - that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong - had taken hold after he and other growers 'had such a large, massive crop' in recent seasons. Entire wine regions (above, the Hunter Valley) are considering ways to reinvent themselves for a younger market that's less interested in red wine 'It's really just getting to that realisation that you have to do something,' he said. 'The funny part is everyone expects their next-door neighbour to do it, before they go 'well, we'll do it too".' He said there's only one replacement he is seriously considering – prosecco. However, the company faces the challenge of naming rights after a free-trade agreement barred Australian growers from using region-specific names from Europe. Anthony Albanese said earlier this year he was determined not to bend to pressure and change the names of products such as prosecco and feta if the country strikes a trade deal with Europe. Meanwhile, Wine Australia has expressed concern that Gen Z may never take up drinking thanks to social movements including Dry July, 'mindful drinking', and 'sober curiosity'. At the beginning of July, Wine Australia listed the youth market as a strategic development priority. The government body will research new products to meet the change in demands. Some wineries have dipped their toes into the production and marketing of wine cocktails, liquor-wine blends, and lower-alcohol offerings to cater to youths. Others are ripping up existing crops entirely. Globally, the five years leading to 2023 saw global wine consumption fall by 3.1 billion litres. In Australia - which boasts 60 wine regions - wine-makers are losing space to 'functional beverages', those which offer benefits in boosting energy, immune system support and improving digestion and health and wellness movements. Wine ranks last of all desired beverages amongst younger consumers. Beer is the most commonly chosen single beverage, followed by ready-to-drink offerings, including seltzers and pre-mixes, and spirits. 'The opportunity for Australian wine is to make our wines more relevant and appealing to Millennials and Gen Zs as part of their experiences and lifestyles,' the peak body said. 'We need to give these drinkers a reason to choose wine over other alcohol options, particularly as preferences continue to evolve.' The organisation identified a growing affection amongst young people for white, sparkling, and rosé varieties, with rosé particularly attractive due to its pleasant, pink hue. Alternative packaging formats were also identified as a way for wine brands to better address the younger demographic. However, Wine Australia did note that there are still some 380million people who drink wine regularly worldwide. Of those, just 68 million drink Australian wine, suggesting 'there is an untapped pool of over 300 million people that currently drink wine' who 'have yet to discover Australian wine'.
ABC News
20-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Shiraz hits dry patch as wine drinkers opt for sweeter whites like moscato
An oversupply of shiraz grapes and young drinkers trending towards lighter whites are putting the number one grape variety grown in Australia in a "diabolical situation". The world's oldest continuously productive shiraz vines were planted in the Barossa Valley in 1843. But despite the long history, drinkers are falling out of love with the heavy reds, prompting wine makers to pull out hectares of vines. The managing director of De Bortoli Wines, Darren De Bortoli, said consumers were moving away from reds in favour of whites. "Shiraz is in a diabolical situation at the moment," Mr De Bortoli said. According to the 2024 Wine Australia national vintage report, the shiraz crush dropped to its lowest levels since 2007. It's a far cry from Australia's record shiraz crush of 535,000 tonnes in 2021, with just 297,868 tonnes crushed last year. De Bortoli has vineyards in several wine regions, including the Hunter Valley, King Valley, Rutherglen, Heathcote, and the Riverina. Over the past two years, they have removed 130 hectares of red wine varieties in Rutherglen and the Riverina. Mr De Bortoli said there was a range of factors at play. "Leading up to COVID, the demand from China was exceptionally strong and a lot of new vineyards went in," Mr De Bortoli said. "Then we had an altercation between our prime minister and the Chinese government and were effectively banned from sales into China." He said that had now been resolved, but demand had not returned to the same levels. "Additionally, we've seen an anti-alcohol theme as well," he said. Data by the International Wine and Spirit Record shows drinkers aged 18–39 years old were more likely to choose wines described as sweet, delicate, soft and simple. The demographic also preferred low-alcohol options and were reducing the amount they drank. One such wine is moscato, an industry quiet achiever that is low alcohol and sweet. Katherine Brown is a fourth-generation family winemaker at Brown Brothers in Milawa, Victoria. She said moscato, which is made from muscat grape varieties, had grown to become their biggest product. "We released our first moscato about 35 years ago, and at the time it felt like the wine industry was having a laugh at us," Ms Brown said. Out of the 14,000 tonnes of fruit Brown Brothers produced in their 2025 vintage, 40 per cent will go towards making 20 different moscato-based products. "We have a theory that the next generation doesn't want to be seen drinking what their parents drank," Ms Brown said. "Crouchen riesling is a sweet white wine, but it's now old-fashioned." Ms Brown said prosecco had been the other big performer. "I've never seen growth like that before." Zero-alcohol wines were also increasing in popularity across all generations. "Gen Z is not going out as much, and we're seeing the baby boomers who are asked to drink less for their health," Ms Brown said. "I think there are big pressures on people at the moment about not drinking." Brown Brothers had also seen a decline in demand for red wine varieties, however, Ms Brown noted that wines came in and out of fashion. "Yes, there's a decline in red wine, but red wine grapes also make rosé, which is growing in popularity," she said. "This issue is not new. My grandfather was doing this over 60 years ago, when there was a pivot point and it was mostly red wine production. Mr De Bortoli said he was confident gen Z would discover wine as they aged. "It's definitely a demographic the wine industry is missing out on," he said.
