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A Pepperjack of All Trades GLOBAL BRAND AMBASSADOR GEORGE SAMIOS USES HIS UNIQUE BACKGROUND TO PROMOTE THIS BAROSSA RED by Rich Manning / photos by Leigh Castelli W George Samios, Fine Wine PR Director and Global Brand Ambassador for Melbourne, Australia–based Treasury Wine Estates. hen George Samios starts pontificating about wine, it's safe to assume that he knows what he's talking about. Prior to his current gig at the Fine Wine PR Director and Global Brand Ambassador for Melbourne, Australia–based Treasury Wine Estates, he was a successful wine reviewer and award-winning restaurateur. Additionally, he currently pens a weekly wine column. And he's a trained chef to boot. It's a pedigree that has profoundly impacted his work with Treasury. "I draw on my previous experience all the time," Samios says. "I got into writing and the restaurant industry because I loved to connect with the stories behind food and wine. That's why I love what I do now. I'm able to communicate those stories to so many people." These days, the tales he tells to potential customers focuses on the release of the soft, fruit-forward Pepperjack 2012 Barossa Red. Indeed, there's plenty of solid material for him to work with: The wine is a blend of Shiraz and seven other varieties and is matured in French and American oak for twelve months; it's a product of a remarkable highyield vintage brought about by perfect According to Samios, rainfall. Pepperjack Barossa Red, a Yet Samios's journalistic penchant for blend, is a contemporary digging below the spec sheet allows update of the wines that him to get particularly excited when he Saltram Wine Estates first discusses Pepperjack's connection to started producing in 1859. Australia's winemaking past. "We consider this wine to be a contemporary update of the wines that Saltram Wine Estates produced going back to 1859," Samios states. "Those wines that William Saltram produced were massively important to the development of Australia's Barossa Valley as a winemaking region, so it's important to us that Pepperjack reflects this influence." Samios also feels that Treasury Wine Estates' decision to launch Pepperjack exclusively in the United States will allow him to concentrate on promoting the brand as a national expression of Australian wines to a very important potential client base. "Pepperjack is an extension of the balance, structure and softness that are characteristic of Australian wines," he says. "We think these attributes make it well suited for the U.S. market." Of course, given his epicurean background, Samios feels it's ideal for a few other things, too. "The wine works well on its own," he says. "However, it is the perfect match for a nice piece of steak." november 2013 / the tasting panel / 93 TP1113_066-107.indd 93 10/24/13 9:25 AM