The Auswine Forum

I still receive the odd email from Best's Great Western as I used to be a Magnum Club member many years ago. They just emailed to advise they are closing their cellar door effective immediately and will re-open when it's safe to do so.

Are any other wineries closing their cellar door because of COVID-19?

Clonakilla is closed.

Lakes Folly closed.

Curly Flat

Krondorf Creek Farm

Seriously they should all be closed for next 2 weeks. This is a critical time for us to do social distancing. We need to stop feeding the virus warm bodies.

I know this is a big impact to businesses, no denying it. But we just need to stop what we are doing for 2 weeks.

Rockford, when I spoke to them a couple of days ago were thinking about it.
Cheers Craig

Tobin on the Granite Belt.

I'm sure I have emails from others too, pretty sure this phenomenon is taking off in NZ too.

Im going to take a quick buzz up to the Clare V on saturday. I know Paulett wines are open and staying open. A great spot with a great view. Once there I'll sus out who else is planning on staying open. Doing my bit for the local wine economy.

I'll do a cleanskin rizza run of the usual suspects.

Cactus wrote:Seriously they should all be closed for next 2 weeks. This is a critical time for us to do social distancing. We need to stop feeding the virus warm bodies.

I know this is a big impact to businesses, no denying it. But we just need to stop what we are doing for 2 weeks.

Sorry to do this but this depends entirely on where you are and whether social transmission (not identfication of cases where people have returned from OS or had contact with same) is becoming an issue.

If you isolate people before community transmission is an issue then you isolate people too early and increase the risk of isolation fatigue, mental health problems etc. People will do their two weeks and then come out of isolation when things are really kicking off. And most evidence suggests it won't be two weeks.

No I am not an epdemiologist, but this is the less sensational therefore less reported other side of the argument to the 'we aren't responding fast enough' views that are getting all the media traction.

I am NOT saying this view is right, but hopefully the people making the decisions are looking at both sides and making the right decisions at the moment.

Cheers

Michael

A tough call, Michael, and especially so as the first regional cases are just starting to appear. 99% of cases are in capital cities (today). This may not be the case tomorrow.

I think the balance is before you fully socially isolate people you should progressively close certain things that encourage a lot of people to get together (increasing risk of transmission by sheer volume) or things which encourage unnecessary interaction and travel add little social value and can be closed longer without issue (e.g. wineries which encourage people to move long distance just to sample booze and could spread the virus to places it doesn't reach).

No one should be holidaying right now in almost any country, at least if they live in a globally connected city with established peer to peer transmission.

This should then be offset with appropriate government and community support to those affected.

And no I am not an epidemiologist either, just my current best policy view based on reading a lot... none of our Prime Minister's or president's are epidemiologists either they have to rely on other experts.. not sure why its such a common push back to argue the person is not a scientist themselves. (Likewise scientists might miss economic realities or geopolitical issues that have a bearing on the answer).

Have to wonder if you may as well go hard now? Tourism is dead and civic attitudes do seem a little slack in Australia

The economic damage will snowball. I'm chatting many good friends in the airline industry who have lost their jobs and I think they are well placed to cope for a reasonable period of time. A long period of severe downturn and government spending and the banks will need to come to the party with low % only repayments on heavily indebted Australians.

Rockford have cancelled the Black Magnum Golf Tournament which is held in early May. Probably a very smart move as a decent percentage of the golfers are of retiree age. I'm disappointed but knew it was inevitable and required. I guess I have to work out whether or not we go anyway. We probably won't and only have till 31st March to decide (credit on airfares). The tourism industries must really be struggling and I really feel for the thousands of people who will lose their livelihoods. I also really hope this Govt steps up and supports these people instead of bailing big business out.

Henschke have closed their cellar door.

I think many more will follow suit.

There may be a lot of good deals going in the future as wineries try to move stock in amongst the inevitable economic downturn. I'll continue to support the wineries I always buy from.

May everyone stay safe.

Cheers
Ian

Yarra Yering cellar door now closed too.

Ozzie W wrote:Yarra Yering cellar door now closed too.

With a group of US tourists being diagnosed and now isolated in the barossa, just wait to see a lot of CD closed in the next few days in the region.

David Franz is the first I know of.

Quarantined at The Louise.

Ouch. Whom pays the bill? Very expensive though room service will be good!

Which sadly proves my point precisely... the cases may be in the cities but the visitors to the wine regions are typically not locals!

Statistically some event like this was bound to happen in a globalised era, but that really doesn't make the reality any easier to process.

JamieBahrain wrote:Quarantined at The Louise.

Ouch. Whom pays the bill? Very expensive though room service will be good!

Someone is going to get a hefty bill for that self isolation.

That will now be the Barossa closed down now. This whole virus thing is mind blowing.

Yes local ABC radio here in Adelaide reports a party of US tourists on a domestic SYD to ADL flight and stating that they were off to several places in SA, including the Barossa. I was planning another trip to Rockford, but mail order will do for now.
Cheers Craig

I was up in the Clare valley (Auburn) March 21 22 and it was pretty quiet.
Went and sat with Kerri at KT wines and did a taste Sat arvo. Walking distance from accomm so fairly handy.
Strolled over to Mount horrocks the following AM and ran thru a tasting.Very quiet, no other folk about.
Grosset was on the cards but they had shut down at that point. Will go again (maybe/hopefully ) later in the year

Churinga Rizz, Pazza Rizz (12 months in french oak) and Grenache/ Mat from KT all good grabbed a mixed half D box.
Riesling and Cab excellent From Mt horrocks. Cab drinking great right now grabbed some of that.
Called past Paulett Wines but was quite busy as they now have 'De-vine' their eatery up and running.
Decied to skip and head to Little red grape in Sevenhill.

Hard times ahead for some of these regions and CD's and I wish them all the best. 2020 vintage not much chop either.
AT this point in time 2020 can go and get FORKED!
I'm booked in early July for another stonewall lunch but that's looking very rocky (sorry bad dad joke) at this point.

JamieBahrain wrote:Have to wonder if you may as well go hard now? Tourism is dead and civic attitudes do seem a little slack in Australia

The economic damage will snowball. I'm chatting many good friends in the airline industry who have lost their jobs and I think they are well placed to cope for a reasonable period of time. A long period of severe downturn and government spending and the banks will need to come to the party with low % only repayments on heavily indebted Australians.

QF 380's will not be back in service until at least September. That is a LONG time to be out of work.

felixp21 wrote:

JamieBahrain wrote:Have to wonder if you may as well go hard now? Tourism is dead and civic attitudes do seem a little slack in Australia

The economic damage will snowball. I'm chatting many good friends in the airline industry who have lost their jobs and I think they are well placed to cope for a reasonable period of time. A long period of severe downturn and government spending and the banks will need to come to the party with low % only repayments on heavily indebted Australians.

QF 380's will not be back in service until at least September. That is a LONG time to be out of work.

Qantas want to get rid of the dozen they have...this will just expedite the process.
Cheers Craig

Scotty vino wrote: Hard times ahead for some of these regions and CD's and I wish them all the best. 2020 vintage not much chop either.

Drought conditions, poor crop set & bushfires - vintage 2020 has seen it all, and now the virus.
Volumes for 2020 will be significantly down in all regions (South Aust I am talking), the saving grace is the near perfect ripening conditions for Feb and March in SA. There will be some terrific wines made, but just not a lot of them.

A few of us are trying to get a bit creative to help out some winemakers. We are in the process of organising virtual tastings with a couple of CDs via Zoom or similar. Some logistics involved in getting wine in front of everyone, but we think it will work. Will keep you informed.

mjs wrote:A few of us are trying to get a bit creative to help out some winemakers. We are in the process of organising virtual tastings with a couple of CDs via Zoom or similar. Some logistics involved in getting wine in front of everyone, but we think it will work. Will keep you informed.

Great idea! Love to hear how it goes.

We've been doing some tastings with my wine group this way ( Zoom ). Bit of a rabble thus far, but I'm sure we'll get the hang of it. Tomorrow night's theme is "Weirdest wine in the wien fridge" and next week "Share your 1er Cru"

JamieBahrain wrote:Great idea! Love to hear how it goes.

Will do. Like you we have had some on-line tastings just within our group, which have worked ok. Now just sorting out the logistics with a couple of CDs

mjs wrote:

JamieBahrain wrote:Great idea! Love to hear how it goes.

Will do. Like you we have had some on-line tastings just within our group, which have worked ok. Now just sorting out the logistics with a couple of CDs

These tastings would defy geography?

Don't forget your old friends Malcolm....

Benchmark wrote:

mjs wrote:

JamieBahrain wrote:Great idea! Love to hear how it goes.

Will do. Like you we have had some on-line tastings just within our group, which have worked ok. Now just sorting out the logistics with a couple of CDs

These tastings would defy geography?

Don't forget your old friends Malcolm....

Trying to Zoom you atm