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Shine on, Harvest moon

There’s a long tradition in France, one that we all know, where there’s a frantic race surrounding the first bottles of Beaujolais to reach the market. The wine is prized and the honour fiercely competed for and has such PR value that it would be an isolated imbiber that didn’t know the name of Beaujolais.



In Australasia, we too produce early wines. It’s not uncommon for winemakers to take an early harvest, essentially to sustain that essential cash flow any business needs. Mostly short-term and perhaps bottled after 10 to 12 days fermentation with a post-ferment clean-up, these wines don’t require extensive cellaring or wood aging. They age sufficiently in the bottle for quick drinking, and are produced for a quick return.


The real problem for these early-harvest whites – such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gri, or Rosé styles, for example- is that there are a lot of them. Come late April and onwards, the bottle shops all carry quite a variety of these wines, and they all crowd for the attention of the consumer.


Unfortunately, bottles that can be domestically accessed are very limited in style and colour and certainly don’t allow for that signature look that any wine needs to succeed. Fortunately, European glassmakers produce a very broad range of style and colour, and can encompass the kind of runs that our local winemakers are looking for. The colours available in Europe are so much more varied, moving away from the “as long as it’s black” mentality of the local glass producers. It makes sense to use premium European glass to create a vibrant and vital market for your early-harvest wines. Transport and the high quality of the glass is complete reliable, unlike the problems that all too often attach themselves to orders placed in Asia.


The tantalising question is, of course: in the process of producing these early-harvest wines, what do we really have? Are the wines in the same league as Beaujolais? Perhaps not all, but it’s not unreasonable to assume that some hit the mark, and all of them would certainly be welcome in any wine glass, no matter the age. But it’s not entirely implausible to imagine a new tradition being created in Australia, similar to that of the Beaujolais, and what a boon to the local and overseas markets that could be for our industry. A little imagination and some clever PR could work miracles!


So if you want to create that signature look for your early wines, think about the advantages inherent in using premium European glass.


Then give Pipwin a call and see what’s on offer, and place your order today.

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