Grange lovers listen up. Penfolds has announced it will be including Western Australia in its ultimate after sales service – the Penfolds Recorking Clinic.
Set for September this year, the clinic continues a 15-year tradition whereby owners of Penfolds wine, aged 15 years or more, are given the opportunity to have the condition of their wines assessed by a team of Penfolds winemakers.
The wine, if necessary, will be opened, tested, topped-up, recorked and re-capsuled on the spot.
Since their inception these clinics have inspected more than 50,000 bottles of Penfolds wine, (15 years or older) and passed cellar development judgment on all of them.
Those interested should make their way to the Rydges Hotel on September 13 and 14.
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WA wines continue to kick goals in the US with the recently held ‘Taste of Western Australia’ event in San Francisco declared a success by organisers.
The event is the brainchild of Wine Industry Association of Western Australia and led by its US representative Steve Burns. In all, 25 wineries poured more than 150 of our local wines to an eager public.
Attracting key members of America’s influential wine media, the event attracted wine writers who attended the ‘Way Out West’ Tour of WA wineries in February this year.
Next year, the ‘Taste of Western Australia’ event will travel to the eastern seaboard of the US, with Boston and/or New York being touted as likely venues.
The west coast was chosen as a launching pad for this year, as event costs are roughly half of those required on the east coast due to higher venue and logistic fees.
While WIAWA chief executive Sue Vidovich acknowledged the support of the state government’s US Trade and Investment Office, she called for a solid commitment by government to match the $300,000-plus winery and sponsor contributions for the program’s remaining two years.
Such a commitment, she says, is necessary to ensure the association doesn’t lose the momentum it has built up in order to continue its attack on the lucrative premium markets across the US.
