By James Atkinson
Barossa Valley winemaker Grant Burge has had a busy couple of months, recently announcing an ambitious new wine distribution venture as well as the release of a new range of premium wines paying tribute to his family's heritage in the region.
Grant Burge this month launched Vignerons Of The World, a fine wine distribution business exclusively servicing the independent Australian wine retail sector.
Burge said his own label now has a well-established distribution base of 18 people nationally.
"Having established strong relationships across Australia, it made excellent business sense to simply expand our product offering to ensure we were meeting the market’s demands through the independent channel," he said.
As well as his own wines, the foundation portfolio comprises Drift from Marlborough, New Zealand, Chard Farm and Rabbit Ranch from Central Otago, New Zealand, Canti of Piedmont, Italy, Two Elk Cider of Sweden, as well as Benchmark and Illaparra of South Australia.
Meanwhile, Grant Burge has launched a new range, '5th Generation', including a 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, 2012 Pinot Gris, 2012 Chardonnay (available in August 2012), 2010 Cabernet Merlot and 2010 Shiraz (pictured right) – all with a recommended retail price of $18.95.
"As a fifth-generation Barossa vigneron, I spent my youth immersed in the wine industry, watching my father and grandfather build respected wine businesses and learning traditional winemaking techniques," Burge said.
"These techniques have served me well in my winemaking endeavours… the 2012 and 2010 vintages in the Barossa were also pretty special so I'm especially excited to be launching this new range with vintages that I know will be memorable and over deliver," Burge said.
Burge also recently launched an iPhone application (pictured left)providing customers with a user-friendly experience to browse and purchase his full wine range along with direct access to special case deals and free delivery.
"Delivering quality service and facilitating a two-way conversation has always played an important role for us. For example, we've employed a social media person since 2011 and our app is another way to engage and interact with our customers," Burge said.
"You'll now be able to order your favourite wine with a few short taps on your iPhone. Statistics have shown that by 2015 brands will be generating 50 per cent of their web sales through social media and mobile platforms with a projection of $30 billion globally."