anyone ’ s actually vinified multiple clones . We ’ ve learned that some of these clones do not suit us , do not suit Australia . As we have gotten involved in more planting , we ’ ve focused on the clones that are working .
We produce around 150 tons of grapes on this 80-acre vineyard every year . We bring in about another 600 tons of grapes from 23 different contracted growers who grow specifically for us . That ’ s given us the opportunity , with the Innocent Bystander label , to blend between vineyards to produce a highly consistent wine across vintages . With Giant Steps , we are much more interested in maintaining the personality of individual vineyards and vintages .
MM : All your wines are screw cap and I can tell you ’ re not a big fan of cork . How do you finish differently with the wines under screw cap ?
PS : It ’ s very important to get wines out of their reductive state before bottling under screw cap because it ’ s never going to see any more oxygen . We ’ re bottling with about a third the level of sulphur we ’ d ever bottle under cork . We are also extending out our oak barrel time to get absolute , total oxidation in barrel prior to bottling . We try to make the wine properly and finish it ready to drink . I think the ultimate closure is glass . We ’ ve been bottling under screw caps since 2001 , and I go back to some of our 2001-2002 wines , and they ’ re aging beautifully . And I don ’ t think that it ’ s just that we ’ re particularly good wine makers — I think we ’ re bottling under the perfect closure .
MM : You are obviously very passionate about the wine industry . Tell me about your approach to marketing wine . We believe you have some of the best marketing in the industry .
PS : If I put my brewing hat back on , in the very , very early days of the craft beer industry , globally , we were trying to sell beer alongside brewers that dominated the marketplace . They dominated to the extent where they would intimidate retailers so they didn ’ t stock us . In fact , in Australia , the big brewers actually used money to get you out of places .
It ’ s illegal in the US ; it happens here all the time . We recognized very early on that we had to out-market them . In other words , we had to take a guerilla approach ; we had to tweak their nose a bit , and recognize the strength of brands . That was the tactic they used , and we had to accept that if we were going to build a brand . We couldn ’ t just go out there with a pale ale and expect people to buy it .
Most small wine producers think marketing is a dirty word , like you ’ re prostituting yourself . Whereas I take the alternative , which is , if you can ’ t actually sell your wine , no matter how good you are at it , you ’ re a failure . There is this weird , “ I ’ m better ” attitude of wine producers , where they won ’ t actually bring themselves to the market .
MM : For sure . I think they want to have that mystique , that cultish sort of “ You can get our wine but you ’ re going to have to look for it .”
PS : It ’ s just nonsense . I mean , at the end of the day , what are we without an audience ?
MM : I think the nonsense comes from the people who are starting out anew and trying to build that persona from the get-go . Wine becomes a cult favourite because it ’ s made by people who are doing things that are outside the box , before everyone else has . That ’ s sort of how I see your marketing approach .
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