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Welcome to the September edition of the WCA e-news
I write this editorial to you in a period of both very busy activity but also with some apprehension as the wine industry continues to suffer from challenging market conditions on many levels. It’s clear to me that we will have difficult times ahead of us, but it’s also equally clear that the more informed, engaged, and collegiate we are, the better our pathway through this period.
I have been lucky enough to spend some time with the new group of the future leaders program, including spending a day with them at Longview Wines in the Adelaide Hills last week. We got to hear from both Wine Australia and Australian Grape and Wine. It was an honest and articulate presentation. They covered the One Sector Plan which is a challenging but ambitious plan to work out our keys goals and a path forward for the wine industry as a whole. I was impressed that they are working together, and it was a tough crowd being a subsection of the group who will inherit this industry. I was further pleased to see the presentation on the Emission Reduction Roadmap which outlines how the wine industry can contribute to emissions reduction through to reaching net zero by 2050.
Whilst it’s easy for people to criticise and complain, I would argue it’s better to be inside the tent and trying to come up with solutions. Well done to Martin Cole, Lee McLean, and teams for the progress so far. It’s also good to see such a great bunch of people as the 2023 Future Leaders group and know that the future has passionate and intelligent people as part of the wine industry.
Wine Communicators have a number of exciting events coming up worthy of your attention:
In the near future some exciting launch event dates will appear on our website for the The Australian Ark - the first work to chart the complete history of Australian wine, from 1788 to the present day and is written by Andrew Caillard MW. Keep an eye out.
Thanks for your continued support of the WCA.
Angus Barnes 🍷
WCA Executive Chair
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Royal Adelaide Wine & Spirits Awards Lunch
6 October, Adelaide Showground
Tickets sales close TODAY for this flagship event on the wine industry calendar. Be one of the first to hear the trophy winners from this year's Royal Adelaide Wine Show over a 3 course sit down lunch.
Get your table together now and book your tickets!
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The Great Debate - VIC
3 October, TWE Melbourne
Mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 3rd, and be part of an exciting evening hosted by the WCA Victorian Chapter.
Join us as we bring together some of the industry’s leading winemakers to explore two distinct winemaking styles: the avant-garde ‘lo-fi’ versus the timeless traditional approach.
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Sustainability Panel Event - NSW
17 October, PRW Sydney
We’ve gathered a panel of professionals from across the industry, all working at the forefront of sustainable best practice.
Together with our host Angus Barnes, Wine Communicators of Australia – Executive Chairman we’ll unpack the Australian Wine industry’s sustainability story, and ask how we can all do a better job of selling it.
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Regional Events Spotlight
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Margaret River Fine Vines Festival
20-29 October, Margaret River, WA
Choose from whale watching with wine in hand, varietal deep dives, garden parties, masterclasses and more.
WCA Members Special Offer - receive a 10% discount on tickets to the Busselton Wine Hop, which takes place on Saturday 21 October. Book now here.
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Grenache & Gourmet Festival
15 September - 2 October, McLaren Vale, SA
Join McLaren Vale’s winemakers as they celebrate the region’s world-class Grenache and Grenache-blends through a range of carefully curated tastings, masterclasses, dining experiences and more. Tickets are on sale now!
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2023 Vineyard of the Year Awards
The Vineyard of the Year Awards are designed to strengthen the connection between the wine in your glass, the place it comes from and the way the grapes are grown by placing vineyards and growers across the nation at the heart of the Australian wine story and wine community.
Entries close 29 September.
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Webinar: Sustainability & ESG
Tuesday 10 October, 12.30pm ACDT
Join Rachel Triggs, Head of ESG & Market Access to better understand how the global operating environment is impacting expectations relating to environmental, social and governance management by Australian grape and wine businesses, and how Wine Australia is responding to support the sector.
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Wine Business Information Session
Monday 6 November, Adelaide
Don't miss this chance to discover how the University of Adelaide's Wine Business programs can open doors to exciting career opportunities in the global wine market. A face-to-face event hosted at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide.
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Learn more about immersing yourself in the wine world, thanks to our experienced teaching staff, professional partnerships, access to renowned wine experts, valuable industry connections, and hands-on learning experiences right in the heart of Australia's wine country.
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2023 DtC Benchmarking Underway
As well as covering the usual full range of metrics relating to cellar door, club and online sales, this year’s survey will take a closer look at pricing and examine what the biggest hurdles and most important breakthroughs were for wine businesses during the last 12 months.
Any questions contact Peter McAtamney:
peter@winebusinesssolutions.com.au
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Wine Tourism & Cellar Door Grant - Applications Open
Eligible Australian wine producers can, from 1 August 2023, apply for Round 5 of the Wine Tourism and Cellar Door Grant program.
The program invites wine and cider producers to apply for grants of up to $100,000 for their eligible, rebatable cellar door sales.
The grant is part of a suite of measures developed with the Australian grape and wine community after extensive consultations on reforms to the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) arrangements implemented in 2018–19.
Applications close at 5.00pm (ACST) on 30 September 2023
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QLD Container Refund Scheme: Expansion to include wine bottles
From 1 November 2023, the Queensland Container Refund Scheme (“CRS”) will be expanded to include wine bottles. Consumers in Queensland will be able to redeem their wine bottles for a 10-cent refund within Queensland, and ‘beverage manufacturers’ will need to pay the scheme price on their eligible containers from 1 November 2023.
The scheme price for glass bottles in Queensland is currently 13.9 cents per container plus GST..
What do beverage manufacturers need to do and by when?
We have been advised by the scheme coordinator, COEX, that beverage manufacturers will need to do the following.
By 1 November 2023:
- Register their organisation as a Beverage Manufacturer with COEX
- Execute a Container Recovery Agreement (CRA) with COEX
- Register their eligible beverage products with COEX (each must have a barcode)
By 1 January 2027:
- Include a refund mark on the labels of containers
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Member Benefits
Did you know that as a WCA member, you gain access to a wide range of special offers from WCA partners on industry events, wine publication subscriptions and a range of wine products/services?
Take full advantage of your annual membership and check out the special offers today!
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