Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/471637
48 / the tasting panel / march 2015 48 / the tasting panel / march 2015 Brand Pitch Brand Pitch A Joint Initiative by BeverageTradeNetwork.com and Wine Australia for the U.S. Market Down Under Terre à Terre Terre à Terre is a world class 8-hectare vineyard estate developed in 2004 by husband and wife team Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser in the cool-climate Wrattonbully wine region in South Australia. It is planted with varieties suited for the terroir (terra rossa and limestone) and the cool climate: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyard is planted on a unique close-spaced design (1.5m x 1.5m), with 4,444 vines per hectare. THE PITCH Why importers should add Terre à Terre to their portfolio Terre à Terre best exemplifies the new face of Australian wines, focusing more and more on terroir and quality and authenticity while endeav- oring to innovate in the winemaking field. Terre à Terre is a small family venture, which has full control over its destiny, from vineyard to market. All grapes used by Terre à Terre are grown in the close-spaced vineyard in Wrattonbully. The wines are made at the Croser family winery facility in the Adelaide Hills using innovative, non-interventionist winemaking techniques, and have gained high recognition from the first vintage released in 2008, which earned the very coveted 5-star rating from James Halliday. Sirromet Wines With winemaking heritage dating back to the 1860s and a subsequent burst of success in 1980s, the Granite Belt region was the obvious choice for the Morris family to fulfill a passionate dream to grow premium wine grapes in Queensland's high country and establish themselves as the state's leading wine producer. The Granite Belt Region is renowned for its unique combina- tion of mineral rich soil, high elevation and cool climate. It was Terry Morris's vision to build recognition of this unique wine region both nationally and internationally. Sirromet Wines began trading in 2000 from their custom-built, state-of-the-art winery in picturesque Mount Cotton, and has been awarded with over 750 national and international awards and medals. Sirromet's flagship red wine, the Private Collection Reserve "LM" Assemblage, is a Bordeaux-style blend dedicated to Terry Morris's wife, Lurleen. THE PITCH Why importers should add Sirromet Wines to their portfolio In recent years, the Australian premium wine sector has become focused on celebrating both regionality and small family producers. Sirromet Wines is the hero of the truly unique, high country Granite Belt region. Bitterly cold winters and fine, dry warm summer days, along with ancient, mineral-rich, crumbling granite soils produce intensely flavored complex white wines and elegant medium-bodied red wines that age gracefully and are reminiscent of Old World styles—very different from the predictable, mass-produced, "fruit- bomb" styles that consumers may associate with Australia. Sirromet Wines is a family-owned winery from a lesser known niche region that has become a success story against the odds.