The grand, historic wine companies, those I call our heritage companies, collapsed one by one or just faded away. Still thriving is Penfolds which took the radical position of pushing prices higher and higher to see what would happen.
Similarly, from 2010 the gaps that opened in the market for premium wine were filled by an explosion of boutique or small wineries. From perhaps 100 in 1980 there are now over 2000. They are making sensational wines, and the main hesitation are the rather rich prices they now ask. They have not only lifted prices but also expanded the range well past a few reds and whites made off the home vineyard. They have hit a ceiling and about two years ago Glug began to receive samples of high quality wines that could be supplied ex barrel.
One our best ever purchases came late last year which I termed ‘the five star winery haul’ and that is the source of this beautiful Clare Valley Cabernet-a five star winery. As for the source, well our lips are sealed.
