...and some other wineries.
According to the article the Seppeltsfield fortified brands will go to. I wonder what will happen to all the barrels for the 100 yo port heritage?
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Fos ... 21257.html
If this results in the loss of the heritage of Seppeltsfield I may never again buy another Fosters wine.
Fosters is selling Seppeltsfield...
Fosters is selling Seppeltsfield...
Cheers
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
I'm with you RB.
I have sworn a vow that I will never drink another Foster's Lager.
Makes me wonder if the re-launch of Sepplet Forts into larger bottles at much cheaper prices was in any way a pre-mediatated move to divest themselves of much of their stocks.
Never nice when heritage and historical significane crashes head-on into hard nosed commercial reality.
LL
I have sworn a vow that I will never drink another Foster's Lager.
Makes me wonder if the re-launch of Sepplet Forts into larger bottles at much cheaper prices was in any way a pre-mediatated move to divest themselves of much of their stocks.
Never nice when heritage and historical significane crashes head-on into hard nosed commercial reality.
LL
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Gavin Trott
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TORB wrote:n4sir wrote:I'm waiting for TORB to vent his spleen ... should be any second now ...Before I do, I want to make a couple of phone calls to get more info.
..... and it may be more than venting my spleen; it could be a complete dummy spit.
The story got a brief airing tonight on the ABC news with little details.
I'm particularly a little worried about the wording in the SMH story:
"Foster's will retain associated brands, although the Seppeltsfield fortified brands will be divested."
According to my dictionary divested means stripped of - does this mean that the existing stocks of Para Liqueur and Sherries will disappear ... anyone know of any 22-99 year old Liqueur Port going cheap?
I'm glad you're making a few phone calls Ric - Fosters have a bad history of throwing cherished icons in the gutter and pissing on them in the name of "consolidation", and while my first impression was that at least Seppeltsfield would be sold intact as a going concern this statement and their track record isn't encouraging.
I also sincerely hope that Fosters aren't stupid enough to sell back Rosemount to the Oatley family for a fraction of what Southcorp paid for it either, but that's still a very real possibilty.
Cheers,
Ian
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
Maybe unfairly, I hope Rosemount is "divested" in the worst possible sense of the word. I guess if the Oatleys do get to buy it back, I do hope they're forced into a high price.
From afar I was horrified at Rosemount's mis-management and it seemed like quite an ego trip at the time for the family and some of their exec's (did they still see some of the groups wineries as competitors? - it felt like it). I've never been a fan of their wines at the best of times, but it's one winery (sic) I wouldn't shed a tear over if it closed.
From afar I was horrified at Rosemount's mis-management and it seemed like quite an ego trip at the time for the family and some of their exec's (did they still see some of the groups wineries as competitors? - it felt like it). I've never been a fan of their wines at the best of times, but it's one winery (sic) I wouldn't shed a tear over if it closed.
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KMP
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More articles. They should answer a few questions. Also:-
The sale of the Seppeltsfield fortified wine brand and heritage-listed 155-year-old winery site was considered necessary, he said, because it didn't fit with a large global corporation like Fosters.
"Seppeltsfield is such a beautiful, historic site, we can't do justice to it," Mr Schmidt said.
"What we'd rather do is pass it on to somebody who can do it justice, take ownership of it, and leverage it."
Fosters will retain the Seppelts brand, but base it in Victoria's Great Western region LINK
Foster's said the divestments would not affect its larger brands, such as the underperforming Rosemount label, which is set for a brand relaunch in coming weeks. LINK
Mike
The sale of the Seppeltsfield fortified wine brand and heritage-listed 155-year-old winery site was considered necessary, he said, because it didn't fit with a large global corporation like Fosters.
"Seppeltsfield is such a beautiful, historic site, we can't do justice to it," Mr Schmidt said.
"What we'd rather do is pass it on to somebody who can do it justice, take ownership of it, and leverage it."
Fosters will retain the Seppelts brand, but base it in Victoria's Great Western region LINK
Foster's said the divestments would not affect its larger brands, such as the underperforming Rosemount label, which is set for a brand relaunch in coming weeks. LINK
Mike
Seppelts and the brand are a SA institution and it is a crying shame that beancounters were ever allowed near it, you need a soul to run a business like Seppelts and ever since it was bought by Southcorp it has just been another entry in a journal to be bought and sold at the whims of the shareholders, totally against its traditions (apologies to all beancounters with a soul who lurk and post on this forum)
Cheers
-Mark Wickman
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-Mark Wickman
WICKMAN'S FINE WINE AUCTIONS
FREE membership, LOWEST auction commissions in Australia.
Now accepting wine for our next auction.
http://www.wickman.net.au
Twitter: @WickWine
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Winefront Monthly
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I've taken a brief, measured shot at it, and also included a link to the full media release - so you can see Foster's take on it, void of the media's hands.
http://www.winefront.com.au/news-blogs-contributions/
Campbell.
http://www.winefront.com.au/news-blogs-contributions/
Campbell.
Just out of interest ... what happens to Dorrien then? This was on the website as going to be a Seppeltsfield "special release" wine in future.
Has this been sold or will it revert to Seppelt? The latter I hope.
Has this been sold or will it revert to Seppelt? The latter I hope.
“There are no standards of taste in wine. Each mans own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard". Mark Twain.
Jay60A wrote:Just out of interest ... what happens to Dorrien then? This was on the website as going to be a Seppeltsfield "special release" wine in future.
Has this been sold or will it revert to Seppelt? The latter I hope.
That was surely thoroughly out of date. Seppelt table wines from SA were a dead duck I thought (99 was the last Dorrien); I figured that the fruit would end up in 389 and 707.
This 'keeping the brand' idea smacks of vision-loss. I should have thought that trying to sell the seppelt stocks without the name devalues them considerably. Presumably the name 'Para' goes with the inventory? How's "Nurioostate 100-yo Tawny' gonna sell?
Although Seppelt had been thoroughly bastardised for years before, at least the fortified side remained unsullied. Now it, too, will go.
Lesson for McWilliams, Tyrrells, de Bortoli - don't go public unless forced. Especially not to pursue idiotic expansion plans that destroy all your history and value...
Graeme
Hi Good Peoples,
Yesterday I spoke at length with Fosters about this situation and have now completed the draft of the story (so please excuse any typos as Brian hasnt checked it yet. )
I won't officially post it yet but though you guys might like to have a look at it. http://torbwine.com/pa/2006/Fostersunloads.shtml
Yesterday I spoke at length with Fosters about this situation and have now completed the draft of the story (so please excuse any typos as Brian hasnt checked it yet. )
I won't officially post it yet but though you guys might like to have a look at it. http://torbwine.com/pa/2006/Fostersunloads.shtml
Sean,
Southcorp certainly source significant quantities of fruit from Rutherglen, but Seppelt's as a brand have had no holdings in Rutherglen since 1984. At that time they sold off the impressive cellars in Rutherglen which went on to house the Jolimont Winery, and later Tuileries Restaurant, Rutherglen Estates Winery & Bintara Brewery.
The distillery that is now Pfeiffer wines was also Seppelt owned and distilled spirit for the company up until about 79 or 80 I think. The vineyards referred to are privately owned and contracted to Southcorp.
And you're right about ripple effects, Seppelt are an active member of the Rutherglen of Muscat network, and certainly do their bit to raise awareness of fortified wines in general...
LL
Southcorp certainly source significant quantities of fruit from Rutherglen, but Seppelt's as a brand have had no holdings in Rutherglen since 1984. At that time they sold off the impressive cellars in Rutherglen which went on to house the Jolimont Winery, and later Tuileries Restaurant, Rutherglen Estates Winery & Bintara Brewery.
The distillery that is now Pfeiffer wines was also Seppelt owned and distilled spirit for the company up until about 79 or 80 I think. The vineyards referred to are privately owned and contracted to Southcorp.
And you're right about ripple effects, Seppelt are an active member of the Rutherglen of Muscat network, and certainly do their bit to raise awareness of fortified wines in general...
LL
Some more info: http://www.glug.com.au/index_industry.php?cmi=106048
I was lucky enough to attend one of these fortified dinners at Seppeltsfield on my 50th birthday, I can still taste the 100 yo port served in thimbles at the end of the night, I got two because some fool left early and it was my birthday.
I was lucky enough to attend one of these fortified dinners at Seppeltsfield on my 50th birthday, I can still taste the 100 yo port served in thimbles at the end of the night, I got two because some fool left early and it was my birthday.
Cheers
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
I recently visited seppelt great western and the staff new nothing of the seppeltsfield sale and have concerns for their own positions. I was unable to get any further info but perhaps more communication from Fosters to their staff might be appropriate.
What if they divested themselves of Great Western too? Are sales of Salinger and irregular vintages of Show reserve Sparkling shiraz that proiftable
I understand that they only make those two wines now and occasionally crush for Karadoc when busy. Given the reasons for selling seppeltsfield, great Western is not safe.
What if they divested themselves of Great Western too? Are sales of Salinger and irregular vintages of Show reserve Sparkling shiraz that proiftable
I understand that they only make those two wines now and occasionally crush for Karadoc when busy. Given the reasons for selling seppeltsfield, great Western is not safe.
chillwrx wrote:I recently visited seppelt great western and the staff new nothing of the seppeltsfield sale and have concerns for their own positions. I was unable to get any further info but perhaps more communication from Fosters to their staff might be appropriate.
What if they divested themselves of Great Western too? Are sales of Salinger and irregular vintages of Show reserve Sparkling shiraz that proiftable
I understand that they only make those two wines now and occasionally crush for Karadoc when busy. Given the reasons for selling seppeltsfield, great Western is not safe.
???
I think Gt Western is pretty safe, it's home of the boom St Peters, Chalambar, Moyston, Victoria level, Benno and the Original Sparkling Shiraz (plus a few whites, both still and sparkling, from limited runs to bulk stuff), Seppelts Victoria is one of the standout examples of how to successfully run a sub-business within a larger organisation by finding someone with the talent and drive to do it properly. Truly a jewel in the crown and a great turnaround story over the past 5 years or so.
Cheers
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Rosemount revenge?
Team,
Fosters has also done some cost cutting on their grape growers. Slashing prices in McLaren Vale for CONTRACTED fruit to $700 for Shiraz by downgrading last vintage in the winery (giving retrograde pricing the same as CASELLA's for use in yellow tail... ) and only just telling growers this week.
One good friend’s block was graded down from B2 ($2200) per tonne in 2005 to C2 ($700 per tonne) in 2006. The hard part to understand for an outsider is that the grading has nothing to do with the quality of this block’s fruit. 2006 was a superior vintage to 2005 for the Shiraz in question. Instead the grading has everything to do with the budget established by Foster’s for buying grapes and the amount that is expected to be produced from the contracted growers. They are obviously spending much less for fruit this year.
Sadly, the grapes in question are sold to a former Rosemount winery, Ryecroft, for use in Rosemount brands. Anyhow, with the Foster’s acquisition, the local Rosemount team was officially swept out and the new execs are in charge exacting their revenge for the real and imagined crimes of the past few years.
Don’t be too surprised if Rosemount is re-imaged as an $8- a bottle wine brand, with a fair sense of satisfaction from Fosters HQ. It would take a lot to prove it beyond doubt but, in this case, it looks a lot like the intramural pissing contest is being held with former Rosemount growers being used as targets.
It will take them along time to rebuild trust in this neck of the woods. If they were up front about their intentions for using McLaren Vale fruit growers would have reduced the high labour practices that go along with A/B grade iconic fruit.
James Hook
Fosters has also done some cost cutting on their grape growers. Slashing prices in McLaren Vale for CONTRACTED fruit to $700 for Shiraz by downgrading last vintage in the winery (giving retrograde pricing the same as CASELLA's for use in yellow tail... ) and only just telling growers this week.
One good friend’s block was graded down from B2 ($2200) per tonne in 2005 to C2 ($700 per tonne) in 2006. The hard part to understand for an outsider is that the grading has nothing to do with the quality of this block’s fruit. 2006 was a superior vintage to 2005 for the Shiraz in question. Instead the grading has everything to do with the budget established by Foster’s for buying grapes and the amount that is expected to be produced from the contracted growers. They are obviously spending much less for fruit this year.
Sadly, the grapes in question are sold to a former Rosemount winery, Ryecroft, for use in Rosemount brands. Anyhow, with the Foster’s acquisition, the local Rosemount team was officially swept out and the new execs are in charge exacting their revenge for the real and imagined crimes of the past few years.
Don’t be too surprised if Rosemount is re-imaged as an $8- a bottle wine brand, with a fair sense of satisfaction from Fosters HQ. It would take a lot to prove it beyond doubt but, in this case, it looks a lot like the intramural pissing contest is being held with former Rosemount growers being used as targets.
It will take them along time to rebuild trust in this neck of the woods. If they were up front about their intentions for using McLaren Vale fruit growers would have reduced the high labour practices that go along with A/B grade iconic fruit.
James Hook