By Amy Looker
Germany's leading sparkling wine, Henkell, celebrated its long-standing presence in Australia last week with a masterclass hosted by brand ambassador, Klaus Kuerten (pictured).
Kuerten, who flew into Sydney from Henkell's base in Wiesbaden, Germany, said that Australia was a key market for the brand, which first launched here in 1881.
"Australia is the seventh largest global market for sparkling wine per capita and a big focus for us," Kuerten told TheShout.
"We are doing a lot of things to control the whole process and keep our quality on the highest level. Sparkling wine is not just a beverage, it's a lifestyle and I cannot accept any faults with our product. Image is linked to price and sparkling wine still has to be something special. Henkell is very good quality for what you pay."
Kuerten also suggested that piccolo-sized servings were ideal for the Australian market across both on and off-premise.
"The piccolo is something that is very unique and Australia's bottleshops should be looking at stocking more of them as it's the perfect size for special moments of the day," Kuerten said.
"Instead of opening a full bottle of sparkling, the piccolo is a perfect unit because it's easy to open and it's two glasses. On-premise venues should also look at stocking piccolos because it's always fresh and it's the perfect pour."
The Henkell range includes Henkell Rosé and Henkell Trocken and is distributed locally by McWilliam's Wines.