By Amy Looker, editor National Liquor News
Angove Family Winemakers will keep its focus firmly on showcasing the best of McLaren Vale in 2014.
The winery launched a number of new wines in 2013 under its Alternatus range, which features the emerging varieties of McLaren Vale and comprises small parcels of Tempranillo, Fiano and Vermentino along with a joven-style Grenache.
Managing director, John Angove, said the family also invested in a micro-winery facility to process smaller parcels of fruit and to allow the winemaking team more creative freedom.
“This independent ‘winery within a winery’ contains both traditional and ultra-modern equipment on a small scale, giving our winemakers all the tools they need to craft super-premium wines,” said Angove.
“The focus on McLaren Vale has progressed faster than we had anticipated and we are already being regarded as a must-visit destination there. The amount of grapes we source from the region has grown rapidly and has changed a lot of what we do at the winery level to cope with processing small parcels of fruit.”
Angove said that the winery’s home in the McLaren Vale region and state of the art cellar door was key to its plans for 2014.
“Our immediate focus is continuing to progress our brand position in the market place and to further establish our McLaren Vale offering to the market as we continue to develop our McLaren Vale cellar door as a must visit point in the region.”
“We are also looking at a number of new product developments within our portfolio by keeping an active watch on consumer trends both inside and outside the wine industry so we can react quickly whenever an opportunity arises.”