Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Geelong Wine Region - Belinda Austin - 6ft6 and Austins Wine
90 Plays4 years ago
On this episode of Fine Vines and Wine, I'm joined by Belinda Austin, head of marketing at 6ft6 and Austins Wines. I learn the interesting backstory behind where the name for 6ft6 Wine came from, we discuss the differences between @6ft6wine and @austinswines, the best ways for a successful wine brand to stay connected with the public and the ins and outs of making a vegan wine; it's crazy how a small change can open up a wine brand to a broader target market.
Belinda also recommends that, if you like something a little different, you head over to the @6ft6wine website (https://6ft6wine.com/pages/cocktails) and download their wine cocktail recipes - there's options for everyone.
So make sure there's a glass of wine to hand and take a listen to episode nine. I'm already getting excited about the new @6ft6wine sparkling that's being released in September.
Head to my instagram https://www.instagram.com/finevinesandwine/ for a list of all the wines mentioned in this week's episode.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Fine Vines and Wine
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, 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 Kadigal and the Wuthurrung peoples, traditional custodians of the land that we recorded today's podcast episode on.
00:00:38
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.
Meet Belinda Austin: Her Role and Insights
00:00:49
Speaker
On this episode of Fine Vines and Wine, I'm joined by Belinda Austin, owner of Austin's and Six Foot Six Wine, plus the head of marketing and direct sales too.
00:00:59
Speaker
Thank you so much for joining me.
00:01:01
Speaker
How is your week going?
00:01:03
Speaker
Yeah, no, it's good.
00:01:05
Speaker
It's always, you know, always on the go and something to do, but good week so far.
00:01:10
Speaker
Oh, perfect.
00:01:11
Speaker
So we'll just jump straight into some questions.
00:01:15
Speaker
You said in your emails that you launched a new project this week.
00:01:18
Speaker
Can you tell us a little more about it or is it more of a secret?
Partnership with Gary Ablett Jr.
00:01:22
Speaker
Oh, it's not a secret.
00:01:24
Speaker
We have partnered up with Gary Ablett Jr., who is quite a well-known footballer who retired last year.
00:01:33
Speaker
Oh, awesome.
00:01:33
Speaker
Yeah, and so he's actually started Ablett Wines and we're his wine partner.
00:01:38
Speaker
so congratulations yeah which was great so we launched the third wine um that he's done so that was uh you know i was doing the website and the marketing and the um creative direction and so forth so that was a pretty big project but it got off the ground which was great and that was launched uh last thursday oh amazing congratulations and what style of wine is it
00:02:02
Speaker
So it's actually there's either a Pinot Noir or a Shiraz from our Austins range and then footballers actually or sports personalities actually hand sign the labels.
00:02:12
Speaker
So it's more of a sporting memorabilia as opposed to so it's good wine but it's more about a collector's item.
00:02:20
Speaker
So I don't know how many people would actually crack it open and drink it or if they just sit it on their mantelpiece and display it.
00:02:27
Speaker
We're not really sure what the –
00:02:29
Speaker
the open rate for that wine is but um it's a it's a good uh project and it's something exciting to do and very different so yeah it's been good definitely well I feel like I mean I keep all of my special bottles so like when I've drank a wine if it has like a specific memory to the bottle I'll keep the bottle so maybe someone will do something like that yeah maybe fill it back up with some um cordial or something
00:02:55
Speaker
Yeah, definitely.
00:02:57
Speaker
Oh my gosh, that would be funny.
00:02:59
Speaker
Or use it as a pass.
00:03:00
Speaker
That always works too.
00:03:01
Speaker
That's right.
Belinda's Journey in the Wine Industry
00:03:02
Speaker
How long have you been working in wine?
00:03:04
Speaker
So the winery that I work in, which is Austin's with my husband, Scott and I own and operate it.
00:03:12
Speaker
So he actually took it over from his parents.
00:03:14
Speaker
So his parents started it in 1982.
00:03:16
Speaker
Yeah.
00:03:17
Speaker
oh wow yeah and Scott came on board uh about I think it was 2002 or around there I always forget the dates uh and then and then I met Scott and came on board and just started to um help out and that was in about 2014 so okay what's that seven years or something around there oh wow yeah amazing yeah my maths isn't very good but we'll say around there so we'll just say let's say seven years so
00:03:47
Speaker
He actually asked me to come on and help out with social media because I was the youngest person around.
00:03:55
Speaker
And that was how I came into the business.
00:03:56
Speaker
So I started doing social media and then I ended up, yeah, just taking over the marketing and now I do some marketing but also marketing.
00:04:08
Speaker
run special projects and assist with just the day-to-day running of the business as well.
00:04:14
Speaker
Oh, awesome.
00:04:15
Speaker
Well, your social media is amazing.
00:04:16
Speaker
All of your Instagram posts are so, so good.
00:04:19
Speaker
I love them.
00:04:19
Speaker
Thank you.
00:04:20
Speaker
So you're doing really well.
00:04:21
Speaker
Oh, thank you.
00:04:22
Speaker
Yeah, I have a good team as well.
00:04:23
Speaker
I don't actually, I managed the social media myself for about six years.
00:04:28
Speaker
Okay, yeah.
00:04:29
Speaker
And in the last two years, I've just become more over strategy as opposed to the day-to-day posting, although I do go in there every day and I still comment and, and,
00:04:38
Speaker
And I make sure I get back to all the DMs and things because I think it's still important to keep your finger on the pulse and be connected to, you know, your customers.
00:04:47
Speaker
Definitely.
00:04:48
Speaker
But it is nice that I can have some time to do other things now.
00:04:52
Speaker
Oh, definitely.
00:04:54
Speaker
My full-time job is actually a social media content creator and it is literally a full-time job, like just replying to people and posting and shooting content.
00:05:02
Speaker
So I completely understand that.
00:05:06
Speaker
It is.
00:05:06
Speaker
It's never-ending and it can be dangerous because there is no switch off button.
00:05:13
Speaker
It takes a lot of, you know, you have to just learn to put the phone down and have some time away from
00:05:20
Speaker
from social media at times, it sort of never switches off.
00:05:23
Speaker
Yes, no, I completely get that.
The Story Behind Six Foot Six Wine
00:05:25
Speaker
What's the story behind Six Foot Six Wine?
00:05:27
Speaker
Yeah, so it was actually created at the time, I think it was about 2001.
00:05:35
Speaker
there really wasn't any affordable Pinot Noir in that $20 sort of price bracket at the time of the quality that, so Richard, who he was still running the business at that stage.
00:05:48
Speaker
And he really wanted a Pinot Noir that would be affordable, be really great quality and sort of pack a punch for that $20 price point.
00:05:56
Speaker
So, yeah, and because we've got one, we did at the time, I'm not sure what it is now, but one of the largest single holdings of Pinot Noir in the country.
00:06:08
Speaker
Oh, wow.
00:06:08
Speaker
Family owned, yeah.
00:06:09
Speaker
So at the moment I think we've got about 92 acres of Pinot Noir.
00:06:14
Speaker
Oh, awesome.
00:06:15
Speaker
Yeah, which is why we can make such a great quality a Pinot at that price point.
00:06:20
Speaker
But anyway, so Richard had a love of Pinot.
00:06:23
Speaker
He planted all this Pinot and then he thought, well, we've got so much of it.
00:06:26
Speaker
Let's create a more affordable option.
00:06:28
Speaker
And then they said, we really want a really cool, punchy name.
00:06:32
Speaker
I said, we really want a punchy name.
00:06:33
Speaker
So it was actually named after William Buckley, who was a convict.
00:06:39
Speaker
He came over from England.
00:06:41
Speaker
He was on a convict ship and he actually escaped the ship and he
00:06:46
Speaker
He ended up living with a local Indigenous tribe who thought it was their God coming back to life and visiting them.
00:06:57
Speaker
And because he was so tall, he was six foot six tall and white.
00:07:02
Speaker
Yeah.
00:07:03
Speaker
Yeah.
00:07:04
Speaker
So it's a bit of a tribute to William Buckley who was in the Port Phillip region, a fun story, educational story as well as a really cool name, which is Captain Six Foot Six.
00:07:17
Speaker
Yeah.
00:07:17
Speaker
Yeah.
00:07:18
Speaker
Yeah, it's a really great name.
00:07:19
Speaker
It is really catchy and it does stand out as well.
00:07:22
Speaker
So no, that story's awesome.
00:07:23
Speaker
I didn't even know that.
00:07:25
Speaker
Yeah, and that's why we've got the black and white stripe on the cap is an ode to a convict.
00:07:31
Speaker
Okay, that makes sense.
00:07:33
Speaker
I love finding out stories behind Y names.
00:07:35
Speaker
They're always so interesting.
00:07:37
Speaker
Yeah, yeah.
00:07:38
Speaker
So no, it is a good, so I don't know if you've ever heard of the name like
00:07:43
Speaker
the saying Buckley's Chance or, you know, you've got Buckley's Chance of survival.
00:07:47
Speaker
And anyway, it's just like no one believed that he would survive.
00:07:50
Speaker
He ended up living with the Indigenous tribe for 30 years.
00:07:53
Speaker
He had a family with them
Achievements and Community Support
00:07:55
Speaker
and everything.
00:07:55
Speaker
Yeah, before he got found by the white people again.
00:08:00
Speaker
What's been your most memorable moment on your wine journey so far?
00:08:04
Speaker
Look, I don't know if I have.
00:08:06
Speaker
I mean, I think it's been –
00:08:09
Speaker
I think the last few years, just seeing some goals that we've been able to achieve in terms of some sales goals and personal one, I was shortlisted for Women in Wine Awards in marketing, so that was great.
00:08:22
Speaker
But, yeah, honestly, I think we just try and look back every 12 months and it's just been we've been really fortunate that we've had a great team, we've worked really hard and we've been able to achieve success
00:08:36
Speaker
all the sales goals we've wanted to in the last five years, as well as creating a really good work environment for our team.
00:08:44
Speaker
So, you know, they're sort of our main things.
00:08:47
Speaker
Last year we won the BWS Local Lovers Wine Awards.
00:08:51
Speaker
That was voted for the public.
00:08:52
Speaker
Oh, congratulations.
00:08:53
Speaker
Yeah, which was awesome and that's meant that we actually got distribution in a lot more BWS stores in Victoria.
00:09:01
Speaker
Another one is that we crowdfunded for our cellar door.
00:09:05
Speaker
So we created this special wine and we got the public to purchase the wine and in exchange...
00:09:10
Speaker
we also put their, we're going to put their name on our seller door.
00:09:13
Speaker
So that was a really great way to crowdfund our seller door.
00:09:16
Speaker
Yeah, which was a really great highlight.
00:09:18
Speaker
And I think everything comes down to the fact that we feel really connected to our customers and we see that being returned with either, you know, the loyalty in our sales growth and the continuation of their support when we launch something like our
00:09:34
Speaker
our Salador crowdfunding type campaign, people get behind it.
00:09:39
Speaker
We're just really lucky that we've got such great support in Geelong and Melbourne and beyond.
00:09:46
Speaker
And I think that that's always, when you stop and reflect on that, that would be definitely the highlight that I've experienced over the last few years.
00:09:54
Speaker
Yeah, definitely.
00:09:55
Speaker
So do you have a Salador now or are you working towards opening one?
00:09:58
Speaker
No, we're working towards opening one.
00:10:00
Speaker
So we've got some government funding projects
00:10:04
Speaker
had our own private funding and then we did some crowdfunding.
00:10:07
Speaker
Oh, awesome.
00:10:08
Speaker
Yeah, so we actually are just waiting on the final permit which should come through any day.
00:10:14
Speaker
Oh, amazing.
00:10:15
Speaker
Yeah, to be open in November or December this year.
00:10:19
Speaker
Oh, congratulations.
00:10:20
Speaker
I'm sure you're excited for that.
00:10:22
Speaker
It is.
00:10:23
Speaker
It's a whole change of business for us though.
00:10:26
Speaker
So it's really interesting to see how because we've been predominantly a wholesaling business.
00:10:32
Speaker
And now we're trying to change that to more direct to consumer, hence the salad door and so forth and opening up this property.
00:10:40
Speaker
So it's going to be interesting to see how that plays out and it will probably mean
00:10:43
Speaker
Our working lives change a bit, but it's exciting.
00:10:46
Speaker
Yeah, no, definitely.
00:10:47
Speaker
And everyone loves going to a cellar door, especially with not being able to travel at the moment.
00:10:52
Speaker
I feel like everyone's just going to all the wine regions.
00:10:55
Speaker
So I think it's the perfect time to open one.
00:10:57
Speaker
Yes, let's hope so.
00:10:58
Speaker
Fingers crossed.
00:10:59
Speaker
Yes, definitely.
00:11:02
Speaker
What's the difference between Six Foot Six Wine and Austins?
00:11:07
Speaker
Yeah, so there is a bit of difference, mainly that Austen's is 100% from our property and a lot of it is still hand-pick Austen's and it's all, except for the Riesling, unmatured in French oak.
00:11:20
Speaker
So just a little bit more love, a little bit more time, a lot smaller batch.
00:11:25
Speaker
So, you know, we might make 5,000 bottles of an Austen's varietal, but with 6'6", it's a lot more.
00:11:33
Speaker
And six foot six, we don't – so the Pinot Noir, the Shiraz and the Rosé is from our property.
00:11:40
Speaker
But a lot of the white wines we source from premium vineyards around Victoria.
00:11:45
Speaker
It's just a different price point.
00:11:46
Speaker
Not all of it's matured in oak.
00:11:48
Speaker
But, you know, at the end of the day, it's still a great quality wine for its price point.
00:11:53
Speaker
It just has –
00:11:55
Speaker
It's just made it a little bit differently and sometimes the wine is sourced or the other fruit is sourced elsewhere.
00:12:01
Speaker
Amazing.
00:12:02
Speaker
With your cellar door, will people be able to try both Austin's and Six Foot Six?
00:12:07
Speaker
Yes, definitely.
00:12:09
Speaker
With Six Foot Six, we have a little bit of fun with it too.
00:12:14
Speaker
So we sometimes do a lot of cocktails and things.
00:12:16
Speaker
So we'll hopefully on the weekends have a cocktail van outside for six foot six as well as traditional wine.
00:12:24
Speaker
And then Austen's will definitely be the feature for our seated tastings that we will have.
00:12:30
Speaker
So both wines will be there, but they'll just have the different format, the different way to taste them.
00:12:36
Speaker
Yeah, which I think is really good fun as well.
00:12:38
Speaker
And I'm actually going to skip forward a couple of questions and touch on that cocktail wine recipes that you were talking about.
00:12:45
Speaker
So I saw on your website that you've got a big wine cocktail section.
00:12:49
Speaker
What's your favourite wine cocktail and are there any that you would recommend for us to try?
00:12:55
Speaker
Oh, look, there's so many.
00:12:57
Speaker
I mean, I love the elderflower cocktail, which is Prosecco, elderflower, soda, lime,
00:13:05
Speaker
and fresh mint that to me is just so refreshing yeah i must admit i can't go past an aperol spritz like i just love that bitter orange with the prosecco it's very good yeah so we've got two um cocktail books that you can download on our website i highly recommend i've tasted all the cocktails they're all good um yes but i'm not really a big sweet tooth so i stay away from the sweet ones and i prefer the sort of fresh mint and
00:13:32
Speaker
and so forth but yeah they're all they're all pretty good I've tried them many of times yeah the elderflower one sounds amazing I'm not a massive fan of Aperol spritz I think it's the bitterness that I'm not keen on but I've had a similar elderflower one before and it was really good so I'll definitely have to try that one out yes yeah and we've got a few new spritz recipes coming up that we're going to be putting on our Instagram account over the next month which is good just some easy really easy spritzes you could
00:13:59
Speaker
make with what ingredients you've got in your cupboard.
00:14:02
Speaker
So keep a lookout for those as well.
00:14:04
Speaker
Perfect.
00:14:05
Speaker
We will do.
00:14:06
Speaker
I feel like as well, because whenever I have a barbecue or people over, I always like to do like communal cocktails for everyone.
00:14:13
Speaker
And it's always good.
00:14:14
Speaker
I feel like spirits, like it's good, but you always have to put so much in, whereas the wine ones, that would be quite fun to try something different.
00:14:21
Speaker
So definitely
Favorite Wine Cocktails and Instagram Teasers
00:14:22
Speaker
check it out.
00:14:23
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:24
Speaker
And it's good for daytime because essentially it's a lower alcohol drink.
00:14:28
Speaker
So you can have a bit more fun, whereas if you do start putting spirits in, it can get pretty nasty pretty quickly.
00:14:35
Speaker
Oh, my gosh, definitely.
00:14:39
Speaker
Oh, dear, we've all had those moments, haven't we?
00:14:41
Speaker
Oh, yes, we have.
00:14:43
Speaker
So sometimes it's better to mix it with a bit of soda or something and keep the day going.
00:14:49
Speaker
Yes, definitely.
00:14:50
Speaker
I definitely agree with that.
00:14:52
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:53
Speaker
Your wines are 100% vegan, which I love.
00:14:56
Speaker
What goes into making a successful vegan wine and what do you use to bind the wine instead of the classic fish eggs or whatever else you use?
00:15:05
Speaker
Yeah, well, a lot of people, I remember when we started, we had a lot of requests for vegan wine.
00:15:10
Speaker
A lot of people said, can you make your wine vegan?
00:15:12
Speaker
Can you make your wine vegan?
00:15:13
Speaker
This was probably about five years ago.
00:15:15
Speaker
Oh, wow.
00:15:16
Speaker
Yeah, our winemaker looked into it and we used pea proteins, which binds the wine.
00:15:22
Speaker
It's really just one of the last things you do with wine is to bind it, refine it.
00:15:28
Speaker
And there's different ingredients out there that do that.
00:15:31
Speaker
And it's really just sourcing the right wine.
00:15:34
Speaker
The only thing is, which is why not all wines are vegan, it can take a bit longer.
00:15:38
Speaker
So sometimes the bigger brands don't want to switch.
00:15:42
Speaker
But, yes, it's simply using vegetable-based protein instead of fish or eggs.
00:15:48
Speaker
Okay, that's really interesting.
00:15:50
Speaker
So it sort of just, like, binds it the same as it would.
00:15:53
Speaker
Why would it take longer?
00:15:55
Speaker
To be honest, I don't know the ins and outs.
00:15:57
Speaker
All I know, I try and understand the science behind the wine, but I must admit that
00:16:03
Speaker
I much more enjoy the tasting and learning about that sort of thing.
00:16:07
Speaker
Same here.
00:16:09
Speaker
Yeah.
00:16:12
Speaker
I actually don't understand why a lot more wineries aren't vegan.
00:16:16
Speaker
Yeah.
00:16:17
Speaker
I think maybe some, it hasn't affected the quality, it hasn't affected our taste.
00:16:22
Speaker
Yeah.
00:16:22
Speaker
All it's done is opened us up to a new market and meeting the needs of people's lifestyle and dietary needs.
00:16:30
Speaker
So lifestyle choices and allergies as well, which is great.
00:16:34
Speaker
But, yeah, it's just a vegetable-based protein that finds the wine.
00:16:37
Speaker
I know it's amazing it's so cool that that can be done with a vegetable-based protein as well and I feel like I feel
Making Vegan Wines
00:16:45
Speaker
like nowadays everyone either has allergies or they're vegan or they don't have dairy or they don't have eggs so it's really good to just like accommodate everyone by changing one simple thing.
00:16:56
Speaker
That's right and it's been you know and it's really great that we can do that um and you know because we are a smaller business we can
00:17:03
Speaker
be a lot more responsive and quicker in our decisions like that.
00:17:06
Speaker
So it's always a positive to being a small business is that you can go, this is what people are asking for, let's make it happen.
00:17:14
Speaker
And yeah, that was one of them.
00:17:16
Speaker
Oh, no, definitely.
00:17:17
Speaker
It's amazing.
00:17:18
Speaker
What grapes grow best in the Geelong wine region?
Best Grapes of Geelong
00:17:22
Speaker
So it's a cool climate region.
00:17:23
Speaker
So Pinot Noir Chardonnay are the heroes of the region.
00:17:28
Speaker
Shiraz is becoming a lot more well-known, the cool climate Shiraz.
00:17:31
Speaker
Obviously, it's a medium-bodied as opposed to a heavier-bodied, say, from Adelaide Hills region, et cetera, or Heapit.
00:17:40
Speaker
Personally, at Austen's, we also grow a Riesling, which is very site-specific.
00:17:45
Speaker
Not very many people in the region grow it, but we've got limestone soils and an elevated block.
00:17:51
Speaker
So it suits our vineyard.
00:17:53
Speaker
Yeah, but it's not so much...
00:17:54
Speaker
well known to Geelong but it but it is um favorable to our site I know I am I just did my um west level two exam on Easter Monday actually crazy having an exam on Easter Monday um and learning all about the different soil types I had no idea that so many different soils affect the way that the wines grow it's amazing yeah so we've actually got um ancient volcanic soil so we've uncovered some um
00:18:21
Speaker
some fossils in our vineyard that have like seashells and things in them.
00:18:27
Speaker
So many years ago under the ocean and very volcanic soil.
00:18:32
Speaker
So it is really unique to the Marable Valley region in Geelong where we are and that's why we do make such great pin and lyre in this region as well and the low rainfall.
00:18:44
Speaker
So it combines to make a pretty unique line.
00:18:49
Speaker
Yeah, amazing.
00:18:51
Speaker
I find all of that sort of stuff so interesting.
00:18:54
Speaker
It really is, yeah.
00:18:55
Speaker
Yeah, it really is.
00:18:58
Speaker
Talking about the different wines, what wines are you drinking right now?
00:19:02
Speaker
What wines am I drinking?
00:19:03
Speaker
What wines am I not drinking?
00:19:04
Speaker
But I must admit, I do head to a Pinot Noir.
00:19:08
Speaker
Yeah.
00:19:09
Speaker
And look, if I'm going for a white wine, I do love wine.
00:19:13
Speaker
a Riesling.
00:19:14
Speaker
You know, I'm not that fussy, let's be honest.
00:19:16
Speaker
But yeah, if I had to pick one up, it would be a pin and mark.
00:19:19
Speaker
Okay, awesome.
00:19:21
Speaker
Yeah, yeah.
00:19:23
Speaker
No, I do love a Pinot Noir as well.
00:19:25
Speaker
It's nice.
00:19:26
Speaker
If I want a glass of red and I don't want something that's too heavy and I want to have a couple of glasses, then it's a really nice option to go with.
00:19:33
Speaker
That's right.
00:19:33
Speaker
I mean, I do love to try all different wines and from different regions.
00:19:39
Speaker
Obviously, it's much easier to pick up a bottle of our own, which is, you know, majority of the time.
00:19:44
Speaker
And, yeah, a Pinot just hits the spot for me because I don't typically like
00:19:49
Speaker
heavy reds and yeah you know I can if I'm having a heavy meal but if I go out or something but at home it's very much crack open a pinot and enjoy a nice at the moment here we can enjoy it by the fire because it's so cold what's your favorite food and wine pairing I know that there's so many good pairings out there a lot of the time I just drink what I like and eat what I like
00:20:12
Speaker
Yes.
00:20:12
Speaker
You know, but if I'm going somewhere and I really, really want to match my food, I can't go past a nice dry rosé with a salmon.
00:20:21
Speaker
Very classic.
00:20:22
Speaker
Oh, yes.
00:20:23
Speaker
I mean, that just hits the spot.
00:20:24
Speaker
I love a good rosé and I do order fish when I go out.
00:20:28
Speaker
So that for me is a real highlight.
00:20:31
Speaker
But also I think I'm into more traditional pairings, you know, the chicken, the chardonnay, the lamb, the pinot noir.
00:20:39
Speaker
those sorts of things.
00:20:39
Speaker
But a lot of the time I will, if I'm going out for dinner, I just really try and find a bottle of wine that I really want to drink and then a meal I really like to drink.
00:20:48
Speaker
So a meal I like to eat.
00:20:51
Speaker
Yes, no, I get that.
00:20:52
Speaker
Otherwise, you know, just go for a traditional pairing, yeah.
00:20:56
Speaker
Yeah, no, I think I'm the same as well.
00:20:57
Speaker
I'm kind of, if I'm eating something and I feel like a drink and I feel like drinking like a Chardonnay or a Rosé, I'll just have what I'm feeling like.
00:21:06
Speaker
Yes.
00:21:06
Speaker
Unless, yeah, unless I'm going out for dinner and then if I'm going out for dinner and I would, I kind of like to do wine pairings as well because I like to see what other people would pair with stuff.
Wine and Food Pairings
00:21:16
Speaker
Yeah.
00:21:16
Speaker
And then I don't have to think, but yeah.
00:21:19
Speaker
Yeah, look, I think that's right.
00:21:21
Speaker
Like even coming out for dinner, I love going,
00:21:23
Speaker
Look, I'm having the fish for a main.
00:21:26
Speaker
What do you recommend?
00:21:27
Speaker
And I'll try and, you know, find a bottle that might match both the entree and main.
00:21:32
Speaker
And it's fun.
00:21:33
Speaker
But at home, I probably don't go to that length.
00:21:36
Speaker
No.
00:21:36
Speaker
No, definitely not.
00:21:38
Speaker
I just chuck it open and enjoy it.
00:21:40
Speaker
Yes, definitely.
00:21:42
Speaker
Same here.
00:21:42
Speaker
What do you think the wine industry will see more or less of in 2021?
00:21:48
Speaker
Look, I know that people are much more willing to buy online, which we've found.
00:21:56
Speaker
It's, you know, people are happier to buy online that maybe haven't bought online before, which is great.
00:22:02
Speaker
I've seen a big resurgence for buying local and supporting local, which we're very grateful for.
00:22:09
Speaker
Yes.
00:22:10
Speaker
And something that's helped us throughout COVID throughout the last 12 months.
00:22:13
Speaker
I feel like it's going to continue.
00:22:15
Speaker
And definitely local tourism.
00:22:17
Speaker
So people visiting their local wineries and something that we're setting up.
00:22:22
Speaker
So I find that those three things are the, you know, it's about supporting local, drinking local, going online and being a little bit more open to new technologies.
00:22:31
Speaker
Yeah, definitely.
00:22:32
Speaker
I found that I have been shopping a lot more online and sort of going, yeah, sort of going.
00:22:38
Speaker
Normally I'd like to go into a bottle store and ask people, but now I find that, yeah, I'm just going online and just reading the descriptions and just sort of going off that.
00:22:47
Speaker
So I definitely can see that happening more.
00:22:49
Speaker
Yeah, and I think it's also what we're hoping to do with our cellar door is combine them both so
Launch of the Wine Club
00:22:56
Speaker
people visit the cellar door and they can record their
00:22:59
Speaker
favorite wines in an account that then they can buy online.
00:23:02
Speaker
So I feel like, you know, embracing new technologies to merge the two together is really important going forward as well.
00:23:09
Speaker
Yes, definitely.
00:23:09
Speaker
Will you have a wine membership at the Salador as well?
00:23:13
Speaker
Yeah, so we're launching a wine club next month.
00:23:17
Speaker
Yeah, I'm launching that in preparation so we can make sure we've got
00:23:21
Speaker
Everything, I've been working on it now for a few years.
00:23:23
Speaker
It's just been one of those projects that they've just kept putting off because of COVID.
00:23:27
Speaker
So it's the right time now.
00:23:29
Speaker
We're launching that next month and that will be available online but also at the Salador and it includes perks at the Salador.
00:23:37
Speaker
So, you know, tastings with our winemaker and
00:23:40
Speaker
and so forth.
00:23:41
Speaker
No, that's awesome.
00:23:42
Speaker
I love memberships like that that give you like a little bit of a different experience.
00:23:47
Speaker
Yes.
00:23:48
Speaker
Well, I think our point of difference is we do have a beautiful vineyard and property and, you know, we've got a great team that love to chat to customers and wine lovers.
00:23:58
Speaker
So I think it's making the most of that and making people feel like they're part of
00:24:03
Speaker
our extended Austen's family when they visit which was yes no definitely um what does a typical day look like for you if there is a typical day there is not a typical day for me to be honest um I think it depends on on what I've got on but definitely I try and put a few hours aside I still do a lot of the website management and um and oversee you know strategy digital media so I
00:24:27
Speaker
I probably do a couple of hours of that every day.
00:24:29
Speaker
I do staff KPIs and management.
00:24:33
Speaker
I try and make sure the culture is good.
00:24:35
Speaker
So, you know, like I had to buy a coffee machine yesterday.
00:24:38
Speaker
We have to keep things up.
00:24:39
Speaker
We can't have our broken coffee machine.
00:24:41
Speaker
We need to keep morale up, you know, and then to helping design labels and organising a wine club and getting back to customer emails.
00:24:50
Speaker
And it's just...
00:24:51
Speaker
Whatever needs doing, I'm here to do.
00:24:54
Speaker
So there is never a typical day in my work life, which I do love, to be honest.
00:24:59
Speaker
I love variety.
00:25:00
Speaker
Yeah, no, that's great.
00:25:01
Speaker
I feel like I'm the same.
00:25:02
Speaker
I love having every day different and getting to experience lots of different things, definitely.
00:25:09
Speaker
Yeah, for sure.
00:25:11
Speaker
So, yeah, and, you know, it definitely does depend on the time of year as well.
00:25:15
Speaker
So the seasons change and so do we.
00:25:18
Speaker
you know, what happens in the winery and what's happening in the office and so forth.
00:25:23
Speaker
So, yeah, it's all very exciting.
00:25:25
Speaker
Apart from your cellar door, are there any plans in the works for Six Foot Six Wine and Austin Wines this year?
00:25:32
Speaker
Yeah, sure.
00:25:33
Speaker
So for Austin, it's about launching our wine club.
00:25:37
Speaker
We're going to be doing some cool wine dinners as well as a cellar door.
00:25:40
Speaker
And then for Six Foot Six, we've got a really cool, I can't give too much away, but we've got a collaboration with another company
00:25:48
Speaker
alcohol business that isn't there so that will be very exciting so that's probably a winter release and then we have a new product for six foot six so we haven't had a new product for a while and we're releasing that in September this year so it will be a another sparkling and that's the little I will give away that's all I can say but it's all very good so that's
00:26:14
Speaker
That's probably enough for us this year, I think.
00:26:18
Speaker
Yes, that's actually quite a lot of things, especially with the cellar door.
00:26:24
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, we like to keep going, keep moving.
00:26:26
Speaker
It's good.
00:26:28
Speaker
It's good to stand out from the crowd as well.
00:26:31
Speaker
Yeah, that's right.
00:26:32
Speaker
You've got to keep moving.
00:26:32
Speaker
You've got to keep coming up with new ideas, I feel like, and trying to find ways to keep involving customers.
00:26:40
Speaker
So it's good.
00:26:41
Speaker
Yeah, definitely.
00:26:42
Speaker
I mean, I'm having, at the moment, I just seem to order sparkling all the time.
00:26:46
Speaker
So I'm very happy to hear that you're releasing another sparkling.
00:26:48
Speaker
Yes.
00:26:49
Speaker
Well, we can't keep up with the Prosecco.
00:26:51
Speaker
We get our six foot six Prosecco from the King Valley and we cannot keep up.
00:26:57
Speaker
Like it's just incredible.
00:26:59
Speaker
So we thought, well, let's add another sparkling to the range and yeah, it should be good.
00:27:04
Speaker
For anyone that hasn't been on your website, what styles do you do in each of the ranges?
00:27:10
Speaker
So Austen's, we have a cuvee, a Riesling, a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, a Shiraz, and a late harvest Riesling.
Exploring Austin's and Six Foot Six Wines
00:27:22
Speaker
Okay.
00:27:22
Speaker
That's for our Austen's range.
00:27:24
Speaker
And our 6'6 range, we have a Prosecco, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, a Pinot Gris, a Rosé, a Pinot Noir, and a Shiraz.
00:27:35
Speaker
Oh, wow.
00:27:35
Speaker
So six foot six has a massive range.
00:27:38
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, it is.
00:27:39
Speaker
That's our, you know, that's our volume at the moment and it's sold all over Australia.
00:27:44
Speaker
So we're really lucky that, so when we launch this product, it'll be our equine.
00:27:49
Speaker
Oh, wow.
00:27:50
Speaker
Yeah, which is really cool.
00:27:51
Speaker
And we find that people trust the brand now.
00:27:55
Speaker
So when we bring out
00:27:56
Speaker
another ski they're like well that's going to be good because we do really try and keep the you know the quality of our wines are really good across the range so um it helps because you know how it can just be so overwhelming when you go to a bottle shop like yes it's gonna be good what am i doing so when you find a brand that you trust it's much easier yeah
00:28:16
Speaker
Yes, oh, my gosh, definitely.
00:28:18
Speaker
You know, I find that if I go to a bottle store and I'm not sure, I'll always be like, oh, that's a pretty label.
00:28:23
Speaker
I'll just pick that.
00:28:24
Speaker
And sometimes it works and sometimes it does not work at all.
00:28:29
Speaker
Yeah, a lot of the time it doesn't work.
00:28:32
Speaker
Yeah, no, a lot of the time it doesn't.
00:28:33
Speaker
So we rebranded in 2012 for 6 plus 6.
00:28:42
Speaker
So we had this really old label that cost Scott $80.
00:28:45
Speaker
It's really, it was a cool label, but it was for a uni student, cost him $80.
00:28:49
Speaker
And then we're like, we need a rebrand.
00:28:51
Speaker
And we did that.
00:28:52
Speaker
But what happened was because the label was really stood out on the shelf, especially with the striped cap, our sales doubled.
00:29:01
Speaker
Oh, wow.
00:29:01
Speaker
Just from the label.
00:29:02
Speaker
But then they continued to grow because what inside the bottle people enjoyed.
00:29:07
Speaker
So it was really interesting to see how that change did make such an impact on the business.
00:29:13
Speaker
No, that's amazing.
00:29:14
Speaker
I feel like a lot of people do shop by the label as well if they're not sure.
00:29:17
Speaker
So, yeah, very interesting to hear.
00:29:23
Speaker
I think it's over 30% purchase wine based on a label in a bottle shop.
00:29:29
Speaker
Oh, wow, that's quite a lot.
00:29:31
Speaker
It's huge, yeah.
00:29:33
Speaker
I don't know if that's.
00:29:34
Speaker
that's quite up to date that data but last time I looked at it it was quite a lot so yeah.
00:29:38
Speaker
I was looking on your website and I also googled the brands and you and stuff like that when I was coming up with some questions and I found your Rent-A-Vine program which I was really fascinated with can you tell me a little bit more about it and where did the idea come from?
00:29:56
Speaker
Yeah, so it was about five years ago that Scott and I had a conversation and we said, look, we would really love to have people come in and be involved in the winemaking process from start to finish.
00:30:11
Speaker
And we sort of at the time spoke to our winemaker, like what is possible, and came up with the Rent-A-Vine program.
00:30:19
Speaker
So people basically come in, there's five workshops throughout the year,
00:30:24
Speaker
And it's from picking to bottling.
00:30:28
Speaker
Yeah.
00:30:28
Speaker
And they have a hand in making a special batch of either Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, which is really great.
00:30:35
Speaker
Yeah.
00:30:35
Speaker
So, you know, that's a special batch for that group.
00:30:38
Speaker
And then they create their own labels, which we print for them and put the labels on.
00:30:44
Speaker
And they have their own wine to keep.
00:30:46
Speaker
So you get from two to three dozen depending on your membership level.
00:30:51
Speaker
And, yeah, and it's been fantastic.
00:30:55
Speaker
We're in our second year this year.
00:30:57
Speaker
Obviously having our first year in COVID wasn't ideal.
00:31:02
Speaker
But everyone was still really happy.
00:31:05
Speaker
We just moved some sessions online and we sent out cheese packs and, you know, we're just trying to make the most of the year.
00:31:12
Speaker
But what we find is that people really that start to understand things
00:31:17
Speaker
about wine a lot more about what goes into it and more than that we just feel really connected to people and yes to know them and yeah we look forward to seeing them at the next workshops and it's just it's a fantastic way to get people involved in the winemaking process but also we're going to have brand ambassadors for life from it because people really understand the love and care that we have for making wine and for you know getting to know people as well so
00:31:47
Speaker
It's just a great program we're really happy with.
00:31:51
Speaker
No, it sounds amazing.
00:31:52
Speaker
So are you going to be doing it online and in person or after COVID are you just going to sort of do it in person?
00:31:59
Speaker
Yeah, so we looked at doing it online because the online sessions we did were really successful.
00:32:06
Speaker
But what we found was that people weren't interested in a year-long online course.
00:32:10
Speaker
So when we opened our cellar door, we will offer online tastings, but we decided against doing a year-long course.
00:32:17
Speaker
version of that but we're happy to do one-off maybe blending or tastings or you know behind the scenes sort of behind the scenes yeah yeah but but we found that face-to-face is really what people wanted so we oh no definitely I can imagine it's quite a hands-on process so people would want to be more involved yeah yeah that's right but doing it online just didn't have that same appeal as coming out to a vineyard and getting your hands dirty and and you know
00:32:44
Speaker
actually picking the grapes and we had some foot stomping, we had some plunging, we had, you know, it was a fun day.
The Rent-A-Vine Program
00:32:52
Speaker
And then people get to sit down and have a catered meal at the end and share in a glass of wine.
00:32:57
Speaker
So, you know, it's very different when you do it in person.
00:33:01
Speaker
Oh, my God, definitely.
00:33:02
Speaker
And what's the price point for that?
00:33:05
Speaker
So it starts from $2,000 for a single membership and goes up to around $3,500 for a partner membership.
00:33:17
Speaker
And you get five catered workshops, two to three dozen bottles of wine, which is pretty much valued at $1,000 to $1,500 just there.
00:33:23
Speaker
Yeah.
00:33:26
Speaker
And, yeah, and then, yeah, lots of stuff goes into it.
00:33:32
Speaker
Yeah, it's just a great program that we're really happy with.
00:33:37
Speaker
We love it.
00:33:39
Speaker
You know, it sounds amazing.
00:33:40
Speaker
I would love to do something like that.
00:33:41
Speaker
I haven't actually seen anyone do something that in-depth and in-person before, so I really like the idea behind it.
00:33:50
Speaker
Yeah, look, there are a few versions of it around Victoria.
00:33:54
Speaker
I don't know if there's many other places.
00:33:58
Speaker
Some of them are quite technical and in-depth, which suits a lot of people.
00:34:01
Speaker
We sort of try and make ours a little bit more about fun, about socialising, about... Yeah.
00:34:08
Speaker
We make it very informative but try not to make it too highbrow for people that are new to wine or just getting started on their wine journey.
00:34:17
Speaker
So we sort of have...
00:34:20
Speaker
different we appeal to a different market but we find that you know people just have a really good time when they're here as well so that makes it good yes definitely um i just we're coming up to our last question and i just wanted to say a massive thank you for coming on today and chatting through six foot six and austin wines it's been such a great chat thank you
00:34:41
Speaker
Oh, thanks for having me.
00:34:43
Speaker
No, it's been really, really interesting.
00:34:45
Speaker
I'm loving meeting, well, not meeting, but chatting to lots of different people in the wine industry.
00:34:50
Speaker
It's so fascinating.
00:34:52
Speaker
Yeah.
00:34:53
Speaker
So the last question, which is probably the hardest, and we can do from the 6'6 range and the Austin wine range as well to give like a different price point.
Wine Selection for Social Events
00:35:03
Speaker
Sure.
00:35:03
Speaker
From both those ranges, which would you take to A, a dinner party, B, a barbecue, and C, a picnic with the girls?
00:35:12
Speaker
Okay.
00:35:12
Speaker
Dinner party, I would take a six-foot-six Pinot Noir.
00:35:19
Speaker
I'd take an Austin's Chardonnay.
00:35:22
Speaker
I think they're very versatile.
00:35:23
Speaker
To a barbecue, I would take a six-foot-six Pinot Gris and I would take an Austin's Pinot Noir to a barbecue.
00:35:38
Speaker
Okay.
00:35:39
Speaker
I'm just trying to think or I'm trying to come up with different things.
00:35:42
Speaker
To a picnic with the girls.
00:35:44
Speaker
Is that what the last one was?
00:35:45
Speaker
Yes, that's what it was.
00:35:46
Speaker
Picnic with the girls.
00:35:47
Speaker
Well, that's pretty easy.
00:35:49
Speaker
I'd take both.
00:35:49
Speaker
I'd either take the Cubay from Austin's and the Prosecco from 6'6", because I love a bit of bubbles.
00:35:57
Speaker
Me too.
00:35:59
Speaker
yes perfect and I feel like people have found this question really really helpful because I know when people are like oh I'm going to a dinner party what do I take like do I take this do I take that so it's a good question to sort of people are looking at your wines and they're not sure what they want to buy it's kind of a good way to delve into it a little more yeah yeah definitely definitely well thank you so much for coming on today and chatting with me it's been a really great chat and I've really enjoyed talking to you
00:36:28
Speaker
Thank you.
00:36:29
Speaker
Same here.
00:36:30
Speaker
Thank you so much for listening.
00:36:32
Speaker
Please rate, review, subscribe and share with your friends.
00:36:36
Speaker
I'll see you next week for another closer look into the wine industry.
00:36:39
Speaker
Now go and grab that glass of wine.
00:36:41
Speaker
You deserve it.
00:37:10
Speaker
you