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Organic & Biodynamic - Michelle Gadd - Organic Wine Australia
93 Plays3 years ago
On this week’s episode of Fine Vines and Wine, I’m joined by Michelle Gadd, founder of the online retailer Organic Wines Australia.
We discuss how Michelle came to be in the wine industry and what sparked her wine journey and passion, as well as what goes into running a successful online wine store and what also makes a great organic wine.
We delve deep into what a biodynamic wine actually is and the process behind making one plus how the moon and it’s cycles can actually effect the vines.
We also talk about how 2021 is the year of consumer and wine maker experimentation when it comes drinking and making wines plus the consumer trends that they’re seeing through their website.
We hear what’s in store for Organic Wines Australia this year with them stocking everything that the organic wine consumer wants and needs, a different selection of wine packs and a potential wine subscription service too.
So grab a wine, get comfy and listen to learn all about the organic wine space.
As always, all wines mentioned in this week’s episode will be listed on the @finevinesandwine instagram page.
Links for this episode:
https://www.organicwine.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/organicwineaustralia/
https://www.instagram.com/finevinesandwine/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Purpose
00:00:07
Speaker
Hi everyone and welcome to Fine Vines and Wine.
00:00:10
Speaker
I'm your host Karis Pixie and each week I'll be giving you all an insight into the behind the scenes of our favourite beverage, wine.
00:00:18
Speaker
I'd love for you to use this podcast platform as a winery guide for your next weekend away.
00:00:23
Speaker
exploring everything Australia has to offer.
00:00:26
Speaker
You never know, you might discover a new spot or two to visit.
Acknowledgment of Traditional Custodians
00:00:30
Speaker
I acknowledge the Cadigal and the Boon Wurrung Boon Wurrung and the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples, traditional custodians of the land that we recorded today's podcast episode on.
00:00:40
Speaker
I pay my respects to the elders past, present and emerging, for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the nation.
Guest Introduction: Michelle Gad
00:00:52
Speaker
On this episode of Fine Vines and Wine, I'm joined by Michelle Gad from the online retailer Organic Wine Australia.
00:00:59
Speaker
Thank you for joining me today.
00:01:01
Speaker
How is the beginning of your week going?
00:01:03
Speaker
Oh, hi, Karis.
00:01:03
Speaker
Thanks for having me.
00:01:05
Speaker
Look, busy as always at the moment.
Impact of COVID-19 on Wine Sales and Organic Options
00:01:08
Speaker
We are adding new wines all the time and looking for new products for our customers.
00:01:15
Speaker
So, yeah, it's a very, very, very busy week, but they have been over the last 18 months.
00:01:21
Speaker
Yeah.
00:01:21
Speaker
Yeah, definitely.
00:01:22
Speaker
Especially because I feel like because of COVID and everyone being in lockdown, I feel like buying wine online has really risen.
00:01:29
Speaker
A lot of people are just buying so much wine online at the moment.
00:01:33
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:01:34
Speaker
People who've never had to go down that route before have definitely got online and popped in some orders, which is great.
00:01:43
Speaker
Perfect.
00:01:44
Speaker
We're hopefully providing a great range.
00:01:45
Speaker
But also people have taken the opportunity, I just think, to have a little bit of a breath and go, okay, what wines do I want?
00:01:52
Speaker
And maybe if they've in the past drank more conventional wines, they've taken the opportunity to think,
00:01:58
Speaker
for my health and for the environment, I'm just going to have a look at some organic wines.
00:02:02
Speaker
And the quality and range these days is fantastic.
00:02:06
Speaker
So they won't be disappointed.
Wine Experimentation During Lockdown
00:02:09
Speaker
No, I think as well, people are sort of because they obviously can't go out for dinner and everything.
00:02:13
Speaker
Well, I found that I did, especially I'm trying new wines or wines I wouldn't normally have tried if I was just going out for dinner.
00:02:20
Speaker
So I feel like that's also great, would be great for you guys as well.
00:02:25
Speaker
Absolutely, because when you go out to dinner, obviously, you're buying sort of $30, $40, $60 bottle of wine.
00:02:31
Speaker
And for those dollars, when you're buying retail, you can get very good quality wines and indulge a little bit and treat yourself.
00:02:39
Speaker
So it's been a fantastic opportunity for people.
Sourcing and Certifying Organic Wines
00:02:42
Speaker
You have the most comprehensive list of organic, biodynamic and minimal interference wines available in Australia so congratulations for that!
00:02:50
Speaker
What's your sourcing process for your website and how do you decide which wines you're going to sell?
00:02:56
Speaker
Look, in the early days, it was really a task to find people organic and biodynamic and a good range of wines.
00:03:03
Speaker
But now we're reasonably well known.
00:03:05
Speaker
So we have a lot of producers who are going down the organic path or just got their certification coming to us and presenting their products.
00:03:13
Speaker
We would like to stock everything we're given, really, you know, providing it reaches a certain quality point.
00:03:20
Speaker
But it's just a matter of finding those that fit with perhaps areas we don't have on our list, such as Tassie wines.
00:03:28
Speaker
We've added Stefano Rubiana recently.
00:03:30
Speaker
We really didn't have any Tasmanian offerings, so it was great to get them on board.
00:03:35
Speaker
But really anybody who's producing quality organic, biodynamic, natural products,
00:03:43
Speaker
We are interested in having a look at and sourcing them.
00:03:46
Speaker
We'll taste them and sort of evaluate them on value for money.
00:03:51
Speaker
But we want to stock as much as we can and as many wines as possible.
00:03:55
Speaker
We just want to continue to have the biggest range and expand our list as we grow.
00:04:00
Speaker
Yeah, no, that sounds amazing.
00:04:01
Speaker
So do they, if someone was to write to you and say, oh, I have an organic wine, could you please stock it on your website?
00:04:09
Speaker
Do they have to send you like certifications?
00:04:12
Speaker
And do you have to do a little bit of research to make sure that they're all like they're following all the rules and stuff like that?
00:04:18
Speaker
Oh, absolutely.
00:04:19
Speaker
Look, most of the time the certification will be on the back of the bottle, so that would be the first place we'd look.
00:04:25
Speaker
We would obviously get some samples to try and check out their website or whatever information they've got for us.
00:04:33
Speaker
But, yeah, look...
00:04:35
Speaker
If you're certified organic, then it's very easy to find that out very quickly as it is on the back of each bottle or you ask them for those details.
00:04:45
Speaker
They don't always put it on every bottle, but they have the certification in the background.
00:04:48
Speaker
So sometimes we will ask for certificates or we'll search the publicly available databases through Australian Organic or NASAA, whoever their certifying body is.
00:05:01
Speaker
That information can soon be verified.
00:05:04
Speaker
Okay, perfect.
00:05:04
Speaker
So it's pretty easy to find out if they're not doing what they say they're doing.
00:05:09
Speaker
Legitimate, yes.
00:05:10
Speaker
The legitimate ones are certified organic and biodynamics.
00:05:12
Speaker
Very easy to verify that.
00:05:15
Speaker
Perfect.
Michelle Gad's Career Journey
00:05:16
Speaker
How long have you been working in wine for?
00:05:18
Speaker
It's about 18 to 19 years now.
00:05:22
Speaker
I didn't originally work in wine.
00:05:24
Speaker
I've come from an IT background.
00:05:26
Speaker
Oh, wow.
00:05:28
Speaker
Yeah, but I wanted to – it's about 20 to 25 years ago.
00:05:32
Speaker
I was looking to move out of the city and have a little bit of land.
00:05:35
Speaker
So I was considering planting some grapes because wine had become –
00:05:39
Speaker
a really strong interest for me.
00:05:41
Speaker
I just loved all the different wines and the flavours and the stories behind the wines and the producers.
00:05:47
Speaker
So it had become a bit of a passion.
00:05:49
Speaker
And so I went to do a graduate diploma of viticulture, which is more about how you grow the grapes if I'm going to have my little few acres of land.
00:05:59
Speaker
And through that course, I did a wine appreciation component.
00:06:03
Speaker
And that really ignited my passion.
00:06:08
Speaker
And that's probably one of my most memorable wine moments was doing one of those wine appreciation sessions.
00:06:15
Speaker
sessions and they had smells so they had just some wine and they had adulterated it a little bit and it's a great experiment people can do at home is just pour some wine in a glass but say add a little bit of juice out of your jar of olives into that wine and mix it in and then smell it
00:06:40
Speaker
and you will pick up you'll go oh yeah I can I can smell uh green olive and even though when you have a real wine that's not a dolta that might not quite be that obvious you start to train your your palate and your nose to remember that smell and identify it so and it was during one of these sessions where we're doing something like that they had 10 glasses we didn't know what
00:07:03
Speaker
smell we were meant to be able to smell but we smelled each one and all of a sudden I could really pick up those smells and it was it was a bit of an epiphany of wow all those tasting notes I've read that say
00:07:15
Speaker
there's fennel or there's red berries or there's capsicum, whatever it might be in that smell, all of a sudden I could start to smell it.
00:07:23
Speaker
And that was a really light bulb moment where I go, this is so interesting and so much fun.
00:07:29
Speaker
And that's probably where it all started back then as part of the wine appreciation.
00:07:34
Speaker
And then I decided I wanted to be involved in some way in the wine industry before I got this magical
Starting an Organic Wine Business
00:07:40
Speaker
piece of land.
00:07:40
Speaker
Yeah.
00:07:41
Speaker
And so my philosophy had always been very green and natural.
00:07:47
Speaker
I thought we were doing such a bad job of it 20, 25 years ago that I wanted to be involved in that area of wine.
00:07:54
Speaker
So I really wanted to...
00:07:57
Speaker
start just a little business um selling selling wine but really selling organic wine on its quality basis because i didn't think it was being promoted enough from that regard nobody can argue with quality if you put a product in front of them they taste it and they go wow that's fantastic they're going to be buying it so and the fact that it's organic so it's better for the environment and better for our health
00:08:22
Speaker
are fantastic benefits but if it's quality first then nobody's ever going to argue with that no definitely I feel like organic wine is really people are starting to want to want to drink it more and it's starting to really come out and people are really going for it now which is really great to see
00:08:40
Speaker
The other thing is just an interest perspective.
00:08:42
Speaker
Organic wines are really going to reflect where they're grown, the climate in which they're grown, because they're forced to get the nutrients from the soil.
00:08:50
Speaker
They get the amount of sunshine that comes from the sky in that particular plot of land.
00:08:54
Speaker
And that's where the story and the romance of wine comes from.
00:08:59
Speaker
This bunch of grapes that is in this bottle, and roughly it's about nine bunches of grapes will go into a bottle of wine once it's fermented and bottled.
00:09:10
Speaker
So those nine bunches of grapes, I really want to know where they're grown and I really want to taste where they're grown.
00:09:15
Speaker
And that's, I think, what organic and biodynamic really gives us, amplifies that so that each wine is so individual and it's such a,
00:09:25
Speaker
pleasure to taste and interest and uniqueness and authenticity.
00:09:29
Speaker
So it's all of those things.
Passion for Wine and Working with Farmers
00:09:32
Speaker
What made you want to work in the wine industry?
00:09:34
Speaker
Like why did you pick wine?
00:09:36
Speaker
I guess you kind of covered it a little bit, but was there anything that really drew you towards it?
00:09:41
Speaker
Yeah, look, the passion was ignited, but also I love the thought you're just working with
00:09:47
Speaker
A lot of farmers, very down-to-earth people, salt-of-the-land people.
00:09:51
Speaker
Yes.
00:09:52
Speaker
And they're great people to be associated with and, you know, to wake up every day and be able to talk to these people, to be able to represent their products out in the world.
00:10:04
Speaker
is another part of what I love about the wine industry.
00:10:07
Speaker
And also just the variety.
00:10:08
Speaker
You get so much variety, you know.
00:10:10
Speaker
Tastes are so varied.
00:10:12
Speaker
People have so many different tastes, but there's something for just about everybody, you know, from whites to reds to sparklings.
00:10:18
Speaker
The variety, the interest, and every bottle of wine has a story to tell.
00:10:22
Speaker
So I think that's really what drives me and why the wine industry is so appealing.
00:10:29
Speaker
You know, I love that.
00:10:30
Speaker
I kind of feel the same as you.
00:10:32
Speaker
Like I love trying so many different wines and also love learning about wine and everything like that.
00:10:38
Speaker
The more I learn about it, the more courses I want to do, the more wines I want to try.
00:10:42
Speaker
So, yeah, I think once you get started, it's definitely a bit of an addiction.
00:10:47
Speaker
It can be, yes.
00:10:48
Speaker
You really become a wine adventurer and want to try more and more different
Understanding Biodynamic Wine
00:10:53
Speaker
wines.
00:10:53
Speaker
Stick organic and preservative free wines and they're sparkling, au naturel sparkling.
00:10:59
Speaker
is our biggest seller on our website when it's in Stockham.
00:11:01
Speaker
Oh, wow.
00:11:02
Speaker
And it's only just come back into vintage.
00:11:04
Speaker
So many people were waiting for it to come back into vintage and it was just released a couple of weeks ago.
00:11:10
Speaker
So we're very happy to have it back on board.
00:11:13
Speaker
And I just tasted it again recently and it's fantastic drinking.
00:11:17
Speaker
They really do a great job of their preservative-free wines.
00:11:22
Speaker
For people listening, can you describe what goes into making a biodynamic wine and what sort of a biodynamic wine is?
00:11:29
Speaker
Yeah, biodynamics is such an interesting topic and it's one that's really hard to put into a few words.
00:11:35
Speaker
But it's from the teachings of Rudolf Steiner.
00:11:38
Speaker
Okay.
00:11:39
Speaker
He was an Austrian philosopher back in the 1920s and 30s.
00:11:45
Speaker
And he was asked by German farmers, German and Austrian farmers,
00:11:51
Speaker
so the chemical industry had sort of just started back then and the farmers on the ground were noticing that they just it was a bit of a downward spiral they started using chemicals but the results were decreasing over over time and they were worried about this so um he gave a series of lectures on on agriculture and biodynamics and how to grow
00:12:14
Speaker
without using chemicals, basically.
00:12:17
Speaker
So this is where the teachings come from.
00:12:19
Speaker
Okay.
00:12:20
Speaker
And it's a lot about your soil health and it's a lot about soil preparations.
00:12:25
Speaker
So these are homeopathic preparations in a way from cow manure.
00:12:33
Speaker
Okay.
00:12:34
Speaker
So one of the main preparations is called 501 and it's a cow manure preparation.
00:12:38
Speaker
Basically, they bury cow manure in a cow horn over the winter and then they dig it up.
00:12:43
Speaker
Yes.
00:12:44
Speaker
in uh in spring and it's just full of microbiological activity supercharged it's then diluted in water and sprayed across your vineyard and oh wow it enlivens the soils i mean we're talking you only need a very small amount of the uh the uh manure from the start and it's diluted in quite a lot of water and then sprayed so it is sort of homeopathic quantities
00:13:07
Speaker
but it just does enliven the soils so much.
00:13:11
Speaker
And so that's one element of it is just having good, alive, balanced soils and a balanced vineyard.
00:13:16
Speaker
So you're using no chemicals and you have, you know, good beneficial insects are taking care of problem insects and everything's in balance.
00:13:25
Speaker
You're also using the energy from the sun, the light, and water, obviously.
00:13:32
Speaker
But so...
00:13:33
Speaker
It's what we call supercharged organics with this philosophy laid on top of it, which is all about just being in balance.
00:13:42
Speaker
Now, the other part of biodynamics, which people find a little harder to grasp, is based on cycles of the moon.
00:13:49
Speaker
Yeah, especially lunar cycles.
00:13:51
Speaker
And, I mean, we sort of take for granted the effect that the moon has on tides.
00:13:57
Speaker
Yes.
00:13:57
Speaker
So it shouldn't be too hard to conceptualise that water in a plant, that the moon is going to have an effect on waters running in a plant as well, which is sort of the basics of those cosmic rhythms on plants as well.
00:14:12
Speaker
So things are timed according to lunar cycles as to when you should plant the vines, when you should pick them, all sorts of interesting things
Traits of Great Organic Wines
00:14:22
Speaker
like that.
00:14:22
Speaker
And when you talk to...
00:14:24
Speaker
older generations of people they'll say oh my my dad used to farm especially coming from sort of areas of europe my dad used to farm like that you know he'd always he'd always do something just before the full moon or yeah so
00:14:38
Speaker
Again, it's harking back to some of those older techniques.
00:14:42
Speaker
So, yeah, biodynamics is a very interesting topic and I would implore listeners to just do a bit of a Google on it and read up on it yourself because it's quite an interesting area.
00:14:54
Speaker
Yes, no, when I went to last October, I think it was, I went down to McLaren Vale and went to down the rabbit hole wines and they do a lot of biodynamic wine practices.
00:15:05
Speaker
So I learned all about it then, but I find it so fascinating.
00:15:09
Speaker
Yeah, it really is fascinating.
00:15:11
Speaker
And look, I've still got lots to learn about it, but yeah, it's the proof is in the pudding somewhat with your biodynamic wines.
00:15:18
Speaker
You've got some of your best wineries in Australia, such as Cullen's,
00:15:23
Speaker
in Margaret River.
00:15:24
Speaker
Vanya Cullen has won Winemaker of the Year as ranked by James Halliday several times in her career.
00:15:34
Speaker
And they're just fantastic wines.
00:15:35
Speaker
And your Koleskis and your Paxton's and your Stefano Lubiana, they're all following biodynamic practices.
00:15:44
Speaker
Amazing.
00:15:45
Speaker
What do you think makes a great organic wine?
00:15:49
Speaker
A quality, individual, authentic product.
00:15:52
Speaker
And it doesn't necessarily have to be the most expensive wine.
00:15:55
Speaker
It's just something that really talks to your palate and...
00:16:00
Speaker
It's individual and you recognise that there's a flavour or there's a component or a texture that you really love about it.
00:16:08
Speaker
So, yeah, an authentic wine from a producer who...
00:16:16
Speaker
who is really taking care of their product.
00:16:18
Speaker
And, I mean, anyone thinks certified organic and biodynamic, you're sort of assured of that anyway.
00:16:22
Speaker
Yeah.
00:16:23
Speaker
And something that delivers value for money in whatever price range it's in.
00:16:27
Speaker
So, you know, you want your good organic wines at around the 15 to 20 mark as well as your great organic wines at, you know, your $40 to $50.
00:16:38
Speaker
But we can't all afford to be drinking $40 or $50 bottles of wine.
00:16:40
Speaker
Yeah.
The Story Behind the Wine
00:16:43
Speaker
every day so and like anything wine is about an experience so sometimes what makes the bottle of wine is where you are what you're doing and who you're sharing it with um but when you've got definitely you know when you've got a great bottle to talk about an individual bottle you know this has come from uh you know a little vineyard in mclaren vale or whatever the story is behind it it's it's fantastic to share that yeah definitely no i love finding out like
00:17:11
Speaker
I love wineries that have like those little hidden stories and kind of have a story behind them.
00:17:16
Speaker
I think it's so lovely to hear about.
00:17:18
Speaker
And then you think about it more when you're drinking the wine as well.
00:17:21
Speaker
Yeah, fantastic.
00:17:22
Speaker
And I mean, I guess that's what's lost on some of the huge conventional things.
00:17:28
Speaker
Wines that are drunk at times, there isn't that story behind it really.
00:17:34
Speaker
So many labels are just sort of made up because they sound good in the marketing.
00:17:39
Speaker
They have a catchy label or a really catchy name or interesting looking label.
00:17:47
Speaker
But the story behind a wine is really what makes a great bottle for me.
00:17:52
Speaker
Yeah, no, definitely.
00:17:53
Speaker
Same here.
00:17:54
Speaker
What do you think the wine industry and also the organic wine industry will see more or less
Wine Trends and Predictions for 2021
00:18:00
Speaker
of in 2021?
00:18:00
Speaker
Definitely more wines coming out all the time.
00:18:05
Speaker
And sort of the natural wine movement has expanded people's horizons.
00:18:11
Speaker
Definitely.
00:18:12
Speaker
as tastes as well which is great natural wine doesn't really have any certification behind it at this point in time so it's sort of it's one you really want to research and know what the producer is doing if they're calling in a natural wine exactly what are they doing is it from certified organic fruit or not yes but it's been great in a way that people are now appreciate a bigger range of wines which is fantastic
00:18:36
Speaker
You've got your skin contact whites.
00:18:38
Speaker
You've got your pet gnats.
00:18:39
Speaker
You've got a whole interesting array of different wines.
00:18:43
Speaker
And so it's great.
00:18:45
Speaker
It's a great range for people, especially natural wines being low in a preservative in general.
00:18:51
Speaker
Yeah.
00:18:52
Speaker
much lower in preservative and no additives and, you know, sometimes they're made in ceramic eggs or amphora.
00:18:59
Speaker
So, again, it's all part of that story to tell.
00:19:02
Speaker
But I really think 2021 is going to be more about that.
00:19:05
Speaker
So just getting...
00:19:07
Speaker
more of those interesting smaller varietals that from europe that we don't see that often um you'll start getting organic wines you know more organic vermentinos or uh zinfandels or whatever whatever varieties that uh are still very small here but we'll start to get some organic varieties of those but the other thing that's interesting of course is a
00:19:31
Speaker
is the lower alcohol, no alcohol movement that's happening.
Demand for Low and No-Alcohol Wines
00:19:36
Speaker
Yes.
00:19:37
Speaker
Really, really taking on a much more professional range of products so that you can find good low alcohol and no alcohol organic options down the track.
00:19:49
Speaker
Yes, definitely.
00:19:50
Speaker
So it's still lacking a little bit at the moment.
00:19:52
Speaker
We're waiting for some
00:19:54
Speaker
some suppliers who've been talking about making some low or no alcohol wines.
00:20:00
Speaker
We've only got a couple on the site that are low alcohol at the moment.
00:20:03
Speaker
We're really looking forward to be able to cater to
00:20:08
Speaker
people who don't want to drink alcohol ever or people who perhaps, you know, they're driving or they're just having a healthy month so they just want those non-alcohol options that are still adult drinks and still interesting drinks.
00:20:25
Speaker
Yes.
00:20:26
Speaker
And they don't feel like they're the outcast because they're not, you know, they're not having a standard glass of wine or something like that.
00:20:34
Speaker
So I think that's really, there's a lot of buzz around that and you've probably seen that as well, that it's really a growing area.
00:20:42
Speaker
Yeah, definitely.
00:20:43
Speaker
I feel like I did an episode with Plus and Minus Wines, which is a non-alcoholic wine brand, and just trying their sparkling.
00:20:50
Speaker
I thought it tasted exactly the same as a normal sparkling, which is so amazing to see because a few years ago, non-alcoholic wines definitely didn't taste like alcohol.
00:20:59
Speaker
And I think if someone isn't drinking because of health reasons or if they're pregnant or if they're having a healthy month, they at least want it to taste like what they're used to and not have some random taste.
00:21:12
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely.
00:21:13
Speaker
So it's fantastic those options coming.
00:21:15
Speaker
But also things that are better for not that, well, we're hopefully going to have a lot more outdoor events and things in the next 12 months.
00:21:24
Speaker
But just things like wine in cans and better options both for breakability and also convenience and weight and environment, you know, if it's...
00:21:36
Speaker
People are being able to just consume a smaller amount because, you know, they only want to have one glass.
00:21:41
Speaker
So wine in cans or different packaging can allow that to happen.
Acceptance of Canned and Boxed Wines
00:21:47
Speaker
So that is another area that certainly will grow.
00:21:50
Speaker
I think the acceptance of wine, not necessarily in glass bottles, will become more and more acceptable to have wine in a can and things like that.
00:22:02
Speaker
Definitely.
00:22:02
Speaker
No, I love – I've been getting into boxed wine and also wine in a can as well.
00:22:06
Speaker
Do you have any boxed or canned wine on the website or do you have plans to – We've got piccolos at the moment, which are the small format.
00:22:16
Speaker
We do have some wine seltzers in a can at the moment.
00:22:20
Speaker
Oh, awesome.
00:22:20
Speaker
Now –
00:22:21
Speaker
Technically, you can't call them wine because there's been some flavour additives just as natural fruit like ginger or strawberry or things like that.
00:22:32
Speaker
But, yeah, they're wine-based products and they're wine services.
00:22:36
Speaker
So lower in alcohol, lower in calories, lower in sugar.
00:22:41
Speaker
in cans.
00:22:43
Speaker
But we do hope down the track to have more formats to offer people as far as smaller bottles or cans or wine in a box and stuff like that.
00:22:55
Speaker
It's all coming as the industry grows and expands.
00:23:00
Speaker
Yeah, definitely.
00:23:01
Speaker
As an online retail store, what consumer trends are you seeing at the moment?
Current Wine Trends: Preservative-Free and Small Packaging
00:23:06
Speaker
Definitely preservative-free has always been big and it's really a lot of interest around preservative-free for all sorts of health reasons.
00:23:16
Speaker
And also, yeah, as you said, definitely the smaller formats, the lower alcohol formats,
00:23:21
Speaker
And people just wanting to taste a range of wines.
00:23:25
Speaker
So we're finding our wine packs where you might have, you know, six Shirazes from across Australia in six different regions.
00:23:33
Speaker
Yeah.
00:23:33
Speaker
People are wanting to explore.
00:23:35
Speaker
They're wanting to work out the difference.
00:23:38
Speaker
Okay, what does a McLaren Vale Shiraz taste like compared to a Margaret River Shiraz?
00:23:43
Speaker
And just to explore and understand wine a little bit more and be on part of that wine adventure where you sort of become
00:23:51
Speaker
intrigued as to why are there different flavours and where do these flavours come from and what's it all about?
00:23:57
Speaker
For someone who hasn't tried many organic wines, I definitely am getting more into it, but I haven't tried a lot.
00:24:04
Speaker
What would you recommend trying first?
00:24:06
Speaker
Because as you said, you do the wine packs and stuff like that, which is such a great idea.
00:24:10
Speaker
Are there any like beginner level wines or wines you suggest trying?
00:24:15
Speaker
Oh, certainly, yeah.
00:24:15
Speaker
And our packs are really, we try and put those together with value in mind as well as a good variety.
00:24:22
Speaker
And what we know is popular and people love,
00:24:24
Speaker
will get the pack and be impressed with the quality and the variety and go on a little adventure when they're tasting their way through it.
00:24:32
Speaker
So there's some great entry-level packs there.
00:24:37
Speaker
If your motivation is preservative-free, there'll be preservative-free packs.
00:24:41
Speaker
If perhaps your motivation is organic and vegan, there'll be organic and vegan packs there.
00:24:47
Speaker
So, yeah, and we're always happy to tailor packs if people want to email or give us a call.
00:24:54
Speaker
We can certainly help out in that regard.
00:24:56
Speaker
But, yeah, look, definitely on the website there's an area for recommended wine packs, and if you have a look in there and choose your particular interest area, whether it's a red pack, a charise pack,
00:25:08
Speaker
a preservative free white pack, you'll find a pack that will suit.
00:25:12
Speaker
And it's a great introduction to what's available on the website.
00:25:17
Speaker
No, definitely.
00:25:17
Speaker
And I feel like having the packs as well, it's a great way to sort of share with friends and sort of get your friends involved in organic wine as well.
00:25:24
Speaker
So yeah, the packs seem like a great idea.
00:25:27
Speaker
And they do, yeah, they challenge you perhaps to, you know, you might always just drink Shiraz, but you might go for a red pack and, you know, there might be a varietal in there such as a Tempranillo or a Grenache that you've never really tried that much before and you taste it.
00:25:41
Speaker
And you're all of a sudden like, wow, I really like that varietal.
00:25:44
Speaker
So it's a good way to explore some of the other options as well.
Expanding Wine Offerings and Subscriptions
00:25:49
Speaker
Do you have anything new for us to look forward to in 2021 in regards to the website or are there any goals you're hoping to smash as well?
00:25:57
Speaker
Yeah, look, as far as the website, we're just expanding the offerings for more varietals and more wines from more regions of Australia, which is fantastic, and making sure we have –
00:26:11
Speaker
all the producers that people instantly identify as organic.
00:26:16
Speaker
We've got about 90% of that covered probably, but we do want to have all wineries, such as one of the wines I mentioned before, Cullen.
00:26:24
Speaker
We don't have those on our website at the moment.
00:26:26
Speaker
The reason for that, we used to stock them, but they were more widely available, so everyone was able to access those wines already, and we tried to support some smaller, lesser-known producers.
00:26:37
Speaker
But now we're just at the point where we'd love to, you know, be stocking.
00:26:41
Speaker
Every quality organic and biodynamic wine.
00:26:46
Speaker
So we want people to be able to come to us and get everything they've heard of or they know about.
00:26:54
Speaker
So that's part of what we'll be doing.
00:26:57
Speaker
Also, we're going to be looking at more, certainly more packs, and we're going to be looking at some wine subscriptions down the track for people that do like that adventure where they just want to sign up and say, send me six bottles every month because every two months, three months, you know, it'll be so that you can curate it to your own requirements.
00:27:18
Speaker
Yeah.
00:27:19
Speaker
So we're working on that this year.
00:27:21
Speaker
I don't think that'll be quite ready for this year, but that's certainly something that's in the pipeline in the next six to 12 months.
00:27:29
Speaker
Oh, amazing.
00:27:30
Speaker
That sounds exciting.
00:27:31
Speaker
Yeah, because I feel like that's great.
00:27:32
Speaker
People love that sort of habit.
00:27:35
Speaker
Sometimes people don't want to pick it themselves.
00:27:37
Speaker
They just want the experts to tell them what they think is good at the moment and what to drink.
00:27:41
Speaker
So I think that'll be so successful.
00:27:44
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, we hope so.
00:27:45
Speaker
And look, I do it manually for a few people at the moment.
00:27:49
Speaker
Once a month I've got a list of customers that just want me to send them such as a case of preservative-free reds or six bottles of organic white.
00:28:01
Speaker
So I do it on a little bit more of a manual basis at the moment.
00:28:04
Speaker
We're hoping to automate that down the track.
00:28:07
Speaker
The other interesting area, we've sort of touched on it,
00:28:11
Speaker
We want to explore some no alcohol options that are certified organic.
00:28:15
Speaker
There's plenty out there at the moment.
00:28:17
Speaker
Well, there's starting to be plenty, but none of them are certified organic.
00:28:21
Speaker
And we know that some of our big suppliers are looking at that option and formulating plans to have some products available in the next six to 12 months.
00:28:31
Speaker
So that would be amazing as well.
00:28:34
Speaker
Yes, definitely.
00:28:35
Speaker
There's some other great beverages out there that aren't.
00:28:38
Speaker
We do have a few spirits on our website at the moment, such as organic gin and organic vodka.
00:28:44
Speaker
We'd really like to expand that as well because there's some other great offerings.
00:28:49
Speaker
such as some organic scotch whiskeys, some ciders.
00:28:53
Speaker
We've got a couple of organic ciders on the site, but we'd love to expand that a little bit more.
00:28:58
Speaker
And just all sorts of other beverages, such as, you know, organic kombucha that's very slightly alcoholic and stuff like that.
00:29:08
Speaker
There's some great products out there.
00:29:09
Speaker
So we'll certainly be looking at some of those options as well.
Including a Wider Range of Organic Beverages
00:29:13
Speaker
No, that sounds so exciting because I feel like so many people are getting into the organic space that if they don't drink wine but they do like alcohol, it's nice to sort of cater to everyone.
00:29:24
Speaker
It is, it is.
00:29:26
Speaker
And, you know, you might only buy a bottle of gin and 11 bottles of wine to pop into your box with us and you get a, you know, they all get, once you get that 12-bottle limit, they all get discounted.
00:29:39
Speaker
So you can have your one bottle of gin and your 11 bottles of wine or you can have your,
00:29:43
Speaker
your, you know, three bottles of cider plus nine bottles of wine, however you want to put it together, then we want to be able to provide those options.
00:29:54
Speaker
And piccolos, we're finding people are putting, you know, six piccolos as well as 12 bottles of wine in a box because they want those options when they might be just wanting one drink at night or they might be
00:30:06
Speaker
They might want to take it out somewhere, take it to a friend's place or whatever, and they just want a piccolo.
00:30:12
Speaker
So all those sort of options and different formats and different combinations, we allow people to order them all together and get them in one box.
00:30:23
Speaker
So continue to provide those sort of options.
00:30:27
Speaker
You know, I think that's great, especially for families.
00:30:29
Speaker
For example, my boyfriend, he only drinks, well, he says he only drinks a red that you can't see through.
00:30:34
Speaker
So basically a really heavy red and cider and beer.
00:30:39
Speaker
Whereas I personally like I can have one glass of a heavy red, but I probably couldn't have any more.
00:30:44
Speaker
So I feel like, yeah, being able to create a pack that everyone in the family can have is such a good idea as well.
00:30:50
Speaker
Yeah, that's right.
00:30:51
Speaker
And there are more and more options in that regard, so it's fantastic that people can get exactly what they want and get it all delivered in one box to their door and it makes life a whole lot easier.
Favorite Pairings and Recommendations
00:31:02
Speaker
Do you have a favourite food and wine pairing?
00:31:05
Speaker
I feel like if you're into organic wine, then you maybe are into organic food as well.
00:31:09
Speaker
So are there any pairings that you would suggest?
00:31:11
Speaker
Look, I have to be completely honest here.
00:31:14
Speaker
I'm going for a very traditional pairing that I just can't go past, which is a fantastic bottle of sparkling wine and fresh oysters.
00:31:24
Speaker
Yes.
00:31:25
Speaker
Oh, my gosh, yes, amazing.
00:31:27
Speaker
It's just, it's really hard to go past that one for me.
00:31:30
Speaker
But either champagne or a great bottle of Stefano Lubiana paired with, and I'm all for just natural fresh oysters just with a bit of lemon juice.
00:31:41
Speaker
It's even better if you've collected them yourself, which I've done on one or two occasions in the past and opened them yourself.
00:31:49
Speaker
But, you know, foraging as naturally as possible is always good.
00:31:54
Speaker
Yes.
00:31:54
Speaker
So, yeah, no, oysters and champagne or oysters and sparkling would have to be my ultimate food and wine experience.
00:32:02
Speaker
No, that sounds amazing.
00:32:04
Speaker
I think I have to agree with you there as well.
00:32:06
Speaker
And being able to get them yourself and open them yourself.
00:32:08
Speaker
I know there's a couple of places down in Shoalhaven that does it.
00:32:12
Speaker
So I'm like, it's on my list to do.
00:32:13
Speaker
Yeah, over in the southern New South Wales there at Marimbula and Pamula is where I've collected them myself before and opened them.
00:32:22
Speaker
And it's just a whole new experience when they're that fresh.
00:32:25
Speaker
It's amazing.
00:32:26
Speaker
Oh my God, definitely.
00:32:28
Speaker
So we're coming up to the last question, which is the hardest one.
00:32:31
Speaker
And I just wanted to say a massive thank you for joining me today.
00:32:35
Speaker
I've loved learning about organic and biodynamic wines.
00:32:39
Speaker
What from organic wines would you take to a dinner party, a barbecue and give as a gift?
00:32:45
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:32:46
Speaker
So at a dinner party, now,
00:32:49
Speaker
Dinner party for me would be definitely sparkling wine.
00:32:53
Speaker
Yes.
00:32:53
Speaker
So I would be taking a bottle of Angove Naturalis Cuvée Brut as my lower price point option.
00:33:05
Speaker
At around the $15 to $16 mark, absolutely fantastic drinking.
00:33:11
Speaker
Good Australian sparkling wine.
00:33:13
Speaker
At my higher price point option there, it would definitely be Stefano, Ljubljana, Blanc de Blanc.
00:33:21
Speaker
Yes.
00:33:23
Speaker
The way this wine is made and the effort that goes into it, you could be comparing it to vintage champagne at three times.
00:33:30
Speaker
Oh, wow.
00:33:31
Speaker
Three times the price.
00:33:32
Speaker
It is just a fantastic wine.
00:33:35
Speaker
Now, your barbecue, definitely I'd be looking at your lighter reds for a barbecue.
00:33:42
Speaker
So for my more expensive option, I would be looking at a Naringa Pinot Noir.
00:33:49
Speaker
Fantastic.
00:33:51
Speaker
Again, ideal biodynamic growing in the Adelaide Hills.
00:33:58
Speaker
His estate Pinot Noir is just divine, so a lighter red there.
00:34:04
Speaker
As the cheaper option, you would look at something like the Tamburlaine Merlot.
00:34:12
Speaker
It always is fantastic drinking.
00:34:15
Speaker
It's fantastic.
00:34:17
Speaker
Everyone who I give that Merlot to or recommend it to, they absolutely love it.
00:34:21
Speaker
And it's won awards and, again, a wine that's sort of $15, $16 a bottle, it's well and truly over delivers.
00:34:30
Speaker
As a gift, again, probably I would look at a good red as a gift.
00:34:38
Speaker
Yes.
00:34:40
Speaker
So for my higher priced gift, I'd probably look at a Yangara Old Vine Grenache.
00:34:46
Speaker
Okay.
00:34:47
Speaker
The story behind the Yangara Grenache, they're grown as bush vines.
00:34:52
Speaker
They're up on a very high altitude vineyard that they call the beach because it's really, really sandy.
00:35:02
Speaker
So just, you know, vines that have been around for years.
00:35:07
Speaker
40, 50, 60 years old vine, ganache grapes has a great story to tell.
00:35:13
Speaker
And for your cheaper option there, something like your Miracle on the Wire.
00:35:18
Speaker
We have these wines from Leo Gate in New South Wales called Miracle on the Wire.
00:35:24
Speaker
They do a Shiraz, a Cab Sab and a Merlot.
00:35:27
Speaker
People who would get a bottle of that and drink it would think it's a $30 bottle of wine.
00:35:31
Speaker
Oh, wow.
00:35:33
Speaker
Drinks really well, but it's, again, it's in that sort of $14, $15 mark.
00:35:37
Speaker
So I'd probably go for the Shiraz in that one, the Miracle on the Wire Shiraz as a lower price gift option.
00:35:47
Speaker
We'll really impress.
00:35:49
Speaker
Oh, perfect.
00:35:50
Speaker
No, amazing.
00:35:51
Speaker
Thank you so much.
00:35:52
Speaker
I'm going to have to check all of them out.
00:35:54
Speaker
I'm definitely going to check.
00:35:55
Speaker
I've definitely like added a few to the list in my brain.
00:35:57
Speaker
So I'm like, yes.
00:36:00
Speaker
Fantastic, Karis.
00:36:02
Speaker
Thank you so much for having me on.
00:36:03
Speaker
I've really enjoyed it.
00:36:05
Speaker
Oh, no, thank you.
00:36:06
Speaker
Thank you.
00:36:06
Speaker
It's been so interesting to learn about.
00:36:08
Speaker
So thank you again.
00:36:10
Speaker
Thank you so much for listening.
00:36:12
Speaker
Please rate, review, subscribe and share with your friends.
00:36:16
Speaker
I'll see you next week for another closer look into the wine industry.
00:36:19
Speaker
Now go and grab that glass of wine.
00:36:21
Speaker
You deserve it.
00:36:51
Speaker
you