Beyond the Vines: The Local Way to Connect with Victorian Wines
Wine Victoria (peak body representing the Victorian wine industry) has launched Victoria’s first online wine directory, Behind the Vines, the definitive guide to buying Victorian wines. Specifically, Behind the Vines is dedicated to helping consumers find their perfect local wine based on their taste preferences and shop directly from their chosen producer. The catchcry of "Why wouldn't you choose Victorian?" resonates, with the campaign emphasising the world class offering of Victorian wine.
We were invited to a fabulous lunch at Little Prince Wine (a sensation in itself) where Angie Bradbury, Chair of Wine Victoria, and doyens of the industry representing the Victorian wine regions, as well as wine media, outlined the features of the Behind the Vines campaign.
We think it's great to see the Victorian wine industry moving forward as a collective, engaging Victorian winelovers in innovative and creative ways.
With over 400 listings, the online wine directory, accessible via vicwines.com.au helps consumers discover local wineries, encourages tourism to these destinations, whilst also providing an easy click-to-purchase digital ‘Cellar Door’ experience from wineries across Victoria’s 21 wine regions.
Consumers are invited to provide their wine preferences through a simple questionnaire which results in a curated list of wineries throughout the state that best suit their palate.
Suggestions are generated by evaluating site users’ preferred wine style, alongside their desired flavour profile - be it delicate or bold, sweet or dry, traditional or alternative, fruit-forward or full-bodied.
For those that want to plan a trip, the site offers easy travel time suggestions, and can curate a list based on region, as well as offering simple itineraries and maps to follow.
It was exciting to hear from representatives of the 5 pillar regions of Victorian wine:
✅King Valley Prosecco Road - Christian Dal Zotto from @dalzotto.wines with Dal Zotto 2018 Tabelo Col Fondo Prosecco enjoyed with Oyster selection & Yarra Valley salmon caviar.
✅Pinot Coast - Scott Austin from @austinwines with standout Pinot Noir enjoyed with Dry aged duck, plum, witlof & turnip.
✅Yarra Valley - Sandra de Pury from @yeringberg with exceptional 2018 Yeringberg Chardonnay enjoyed with Blue eye cod, zucchini, fennel, horseradish.
✅Shiraz Central - Rory Lane from @storywines with fabulous 2017 R. Lane Vintners Westgate vineyard Syrah imbibed with Beef cooked over coals, red harissa, pepper sauce & salad.
✅Rutherglen - Angela Brown showcasing world class All Saints Estate Rutherglen Muscat @allsaintsestate
Victoria has world class wine regions (21 regions and over 800 wineries) and it was exciting to see the industry moving forward with great marketing strategy (5 pillars is a master stroke) and exceptional resources for consumers.
“Our state has so much to offer but there has never been a simple, one-stop-shop for people to visit and connect with new or favourite producers. We know people want to support Victorian businesses and we needed to make it a whole lot easier for that to happen,” says Angie Bradbury, Chair of Wine Victoria, “Behind the Vines has been created to champion our talented local winemakers and connect wine lovers with producers who are creating wines that resonate with their individual tastes.”
“It’s incredibly important to be drinking local wines now more than ever,” says Bradbury, “many of our fantastic wineries rely heavily on tourism and the hospitality sector, so 2020 was an incredibly difficult year. Behind the Vines will enable people to explore the outstanding premium wines Victoria has to offer.”
Whether you are accustomed to a fruit-forward Gippsland Pinot, a crisp Yarra Valley Chardonnay, or a rich, smooth Heathcote Shiraz, there is a home-grown wine for every occasion and drinker, featuring all that Victoria has to offer across our premium wine regions.
Funded by Global Victoria, the initiative was created to support local producers and drive consumers to purchase from cellar doors and continue to trial the world-class wines available throughout Victoria. Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas welcomed the launch. “Victorian wine is the best in the world – with so much variety and so many makers doing daring and exciting things with their products," Minister Thomas said. "With Behind the Vines, people can support their favourite wineries and discover new ones – making sure Victorians have every opportunity to buy local.”
The Behind the Vines directory is set to become a destination site and a simple means of exploring our state’s wineries and cellar doors and navigating directly to purchase from their online stores.
Go ‘Behind the Vines’ at vicwines.com.au
The future is bright. @vic.wines #vicwines #buylocal #wine