New Oz strategy: "blueprint for investment"

Published: 23 July, 2008

The team behind Wine Australia's Directions to 2025, launched this week at the LIWSF, have spoken to Harpers about the strategy.

Directions is an all-encompassing marketing strategy that helps winemakers understand key export markets better, but also looks at sustainability and good environmental practice.

Kevin McLintock, who chaired the Directions task force, and was also heavily involved in the Strategy 2025 document drawn up a decade ago, said: "Strategy 2025 was a road map - but Directions is a satellite navigation system. It's a blueprint for investment, a direction to the winemakers, and a direction of research and development as well."

Steven Strachan, chief executive of the Winemakers' Federation of Australia (WFA), added: "A really important point about this is that Directions is not a strategy to build bad businesses. When we drew up Strategy 2025 in the mid-90s, we had a feeling that the world was our oyster. The difference now is that we're 10 years wiser, and we know some of the pitfalls."

Despite the optimism, one McLaren Vale winemaker, who did not wish to be named, told Harpers: "I don't believe there is a blueprint for selling in any market.

"It's all about relationships. You've got to be able to sell yourself to impress the buyers and the public. There is no model that fits all."

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