Today we set off to taste some wine and learn about the wine industry in Australia. We loaded the bus with Jono and started our journey to Tyrrell’s vineyard. When we arrived at the vineyard we all noticed the wonderful sights consisting of the mountains and the rows of vines. When looking at the building and after talking to Scott it was clear that the focus on Tyrrell’s was not about tourism but a love for premium wine. We started out the tour learning about the process about the wine. We started next to large machines that separate the grape solids from the juice. After seeing some of the different machinery used, we headed to the cellar where the wine is put into large barrels and stored until mature. Scott mentioned some fun facts including champagne is the only white wine that is made from red grapes. Also, the Australian Government wine facts article says that in 2008 Australia Domestic wine sales of 426.4 million liters with a whole sale value of A$2 Billion. However, 41% of wine sales contribute taxes. Soon after Scotts tour of the facility, the wine tasting began. We all lined up on the counter and got to try two kinds of wine at a time that were from the same vine but had slight differences like age, or kind of wood stored in. This was very interesting because it showed how the wine makers don’t just separate the wine and let it sit to see what happens. Instead they are sort of bakers who know what kinds of recipe change different things about the wine. This wine tasting was a blast because after many glasses of wine everyone was feeling really good and we all bonded because of it. Especially since I arrived later than the rest of the group it was nice to have an opportunity to get to know the other members of our class on a different kind of level.
Upon arrival to Tempus Two there was a clear difference in appearance and focus in comparison to Tempus Two. The building was more modern and was not only home to the wine tasting and tour area but also had a Thai restaurant and a store to buy other foods including cheese and ice cream. There was more of a focus on the experience of wine tasting for example people can come to this place and spend a good amount of time because they can have food and do a tasting. Tempus Two seemed much more interested in tourism and keeping tourists entertained for a while. Our class took advantage of the fact that there was more to do at Tempus Two and ate a wonderful Thai meal which consisted of white rice and chicken/pork nuts and vegetables with a sauce before going to our wine tasting. The wine tasting was different than Tyrrell’s because we were separated from everyone else which was more formal.
Both Tyrrell’s and Tempus Two have taken advantage of some technology that has helped them benefit from globalization. Both take advantage of new machines that make the processes for separating the solids from the liquids on the grapes. This helps them better compete with other companies. However, Tyrrell’s does still value old labor for example Scott mentioned that they have people hand pick the grapes, which could be a potential downside for them to compete due to higher prices from labor costs. Tempus Two is very much an experience and they want to make what the consumer wants. Therefore they focus on creating wines that are not as creative as Tyrrell’s. Both companies take advantage of internet by having websites that have information about the wines, tours and the history of the company. These practices will help these companies in the future with changes in climate and taste because they both value the customer tastes. However, as mentioned earlier, Tempus Two focuses on the basic wines that the customers want. Tyrrell’s prides themselves on a more upscale wine for collectors. These different approaches can help or hinder each company depending on the demand for either. As far a climate change is concerned Tyrrell’s and Tempus Two are well positioned because they have vineyards in multiple areas of Australia to help with that problem if one area has a bad year they can use another areas grapes.
Good specific observations about the differences between the two winery visits.
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