INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT MCWILLIAM, AUSTRALIAN WINEMAKER
Last week WSD has the chance to sit down with Australian winemaker Scott McWilliam of McWilliam’s Winery. Scott earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the Australian National University in 1998 and a postgraduate degree in Oenology at the University of Adelaide in 2000. Following his postgraduate studies, Scott joined the McWilliam’s winemaking team, based in the Riverina, in New South Wales where Scott helped craft the highly acclaimed McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate range of wines.
McWilliam’s Winery has vineyards in Coonawarra (SA), Hunter Valley and Hilltops in New South Wales, Yarra Valley in Victoria and the Riverina (SA). Its flagship line, McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate, includes a shiraz, reisling, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay available for around $11 per bottle.
One of the first topics we touched on was the grape surplus in Australia and the toll it has taken on McWilliam’s Winery. Scott remarked that while the winery has not replanted vines as of now, he’s not worried.
“It’s not that people aren’t buying our wines,” he said. “The problem is that when sales started to surge years ago, wineries began over planting. But research shows the glut will not last much longer, and that we’ll need to plant more vines eventually.”
European winemakers are dealing with a glut of their own, but more as a result from lower sales combined with over planting. Since it’s common knowledge that New World wines have been encroaching on the Old World for quite some time, particularly Australian exports, I asked Scott whether he thought the New World was taking over. His reply:
“It could be New World taking over Old World, or it may just be that we created a new market for wine drinkers by providing easier to drink wines, clearer labels and easier to pronounce titles.”
His argument is certainly noteworthy as the European Commission has taken steps as of late to ensure less-imposing restrictions over wine labels and production practices. But what about corks?
I noticed that all of his wines, except for the reisling, use the traditional cork enclosure. Scott claims this is because it’s much harder to introduce screw caps in the $10 range because consumers tend to be less educated about wine. Using screw caps at higher price points are much more warmly received.
“Cork is old technology in my opinion,” he said.
One important on-premise category for McWilliam’s Winery is by-the-glass purchases at restaurants. It’s a good opportunity for consumers to try McWilliam’s wines without having to spend so much – so far, the shiraz is the most popular.
Says Scott: “We realize that consumers don’t pay much attention to the brand when they order wine by the glass while dining out. So, we know that if the consumer goes back for a second glass, than we’ve made some good wine.”
Research shows that many U.S. consumers are either unaware of Australian wine, or know only of its sub-premium offerings. McWilliam’s Winery is trying to battle that stigma
“We’re trying to show consumers that Australia has more to offer, so we’re trying to stay in the premium range.”
“We think there is a real market for premium Australian wines. It’s not just about the Yellow Tails and the critter label brands. It’s about quality. It’s about what’s inside the bottle, not necessarily outside – although packaging is a part of marketing,” said Scott.
He pointed out that nowadays, going into the wine aisle is like going to the zoo, and called critter labels “roadkill.” Instead, McWilliam’s wines offer a neat, easy-to-read label.
“We don’t need too much marketing because the wine is so great,” he added.
McWilliam’s Winery has vineyards in Coonawarra (SA), Hunter Valley and Hilltops in New South Wales, Yarra Valley in Victoria and the Riverina (SA). Its flagship line, McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate, includes a shiraz, reisling, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and chardonnay available for around $11 per bottle.
One of the first topics we touched on was the grape surplus in Australia and the toll it has taken on McWilliam’s Winery. Scott remarked that while the winery has not replanted vines as of now, he’s not worried.
“It’s not that people aren’t buying our wines,” he said. “The problem is that when sales started to surge years ago, wineries began over planting. But research shows the glut will not last much longer, and that we’ll need to plant more vines eventually.”
European winemakers are dealing with a glut of their own, but more as a result from lower sales combined with over planting. Since it’s common knowledge that New World wines have been encroaching on the Old World for quite some time, particularly Australian exports, I asked Scott whether he thought the New World was taking over. His reply:
“It could be New World taking over Old World, or it may just be that we created a new market for wine drinkers by providing easier to drink wines, clearer labels and easier to pronounce titles.”
His argument is certainly noteworthy as the European Commission has taken steps as of late to ensure less-imposing restrictions over wine labels and production practices. But what about corks?
I noticed that all of his wines, except for the reisling, use the traditional cork enclosure. Scott claims this is because it’s much harder to introduce screw caps in the $10 range because consumers tend to be less educated about wine. Using screw caps at higher price points are much more warmly received.
“Cork is old technology in my opinion,” he said.
One important on-premise category for McWilliam’s Winery is by-the-glass purchases at restaurants. It’s a good opportunity for consumers to try McWilliam’s wines without having to spend so much – so far, the shiraz is the most popular.
Says Scott: “We realize that consumers don’t pay much attention to the brand when they order wine by the glass while dining out. So, we know that if the consumer goes back for a second glass, than we’ve made some good wine.”
Research shows that many U.S. consumers are either unaware of Australian wine, or know only of its sub-premium offerings. McWilliam’s Winery is trying to battle that stigma
“We’re trying to show consumers that Australia has more to offer, so we’re trying to stay in the premium range.”
“We think there is a real market for premium Australian wines. It’s not just about the Yellow Tails and the critter label brands. It’s about quality. It’s about what’s inside the bottle, not necessarily outside – although packaging is a part of marketing,” said Scott.
He pointed out that nowadays, going into the wine aisle is like going to the zoo, and called critter labels “roadkill.” Instead, McWilliam’s wines offer a neat, easy-to-read label.
“We don’t need too much marketing because the wine is so great,” he added.
posted at 12:25 PM
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