2017 Wine Trends
Jirra at Jeir Station produces wines with a definitive Australian cool climate style. Collecting a raft of awards, their varietals are made in conditions similar to Tuscany and appear on wine lists in restaurants around the country.
We spent five minutes chatting to Bill Mason, a wine specialist and National Distributor for Jirra at Jeir Station Wines, about the latest industry trends and swapping bottles for brand exposure on Bartercard.
Q. Is there a style of wine particularly popular at the moment?
A. Sauvignon Blanc is slowing down and Chardonnay is picking up. While the older-style Chardonnays were heavily wooded, the new styles appearing on more wine lists are lighter, cleaner and often unwooded.
Q. Do consumers open a red in winter and a white in summer?
A. Winter sees red wine sales increase and rosé sales slow down. Sparkling wine sales also decline in the cooler seasons and begin to spike from Melbourne Cup onwards. The very pleasant winter white wine exception is Viognier, a heavier white with more texture that we produce at the Jeir Station estate and market under the sister label of Beagle’s Run.
Q. How does climate affect wine?
We don’t produce big bold reds in the cooler climates of the Canberra and southern New South Wales wine districts – we specialise in lighter styles of red wines like Cabernet Merlot blends, Sangiovese, Merlot, Shiraz and our special version of Riesling produced in a Fresco style.
Q. How has Bartercard benefitted business?
We use Bartercard for marketing to not only increase sales, but push the brand’s reach further. Bartercard helps us sell stock not only to restaurants but straight to the consumer which widens our customer base. Using Bartercard has helped us conserve cash across a wide range of business expenses and investing in real estate has also been a big spending factor.
For more industry trends, download Bartercard’s FREE e-book.
May 25th 2017
