# Wineries brew up bitter row



## DU99 (6/3/13)

bit of sour grapes i reckon....................

"Wineries in the South West believe microbreweries are "diluting" the
region's brand and threatening its status as WA's premier wine region.
There are eight breweries between Busselton and Margaret River and a ninth -
the Batch Brewery House - opens early next year on Bussell Highway.
Cullen Wines managing director Vanya Cullen said it was a waste to build breweries on premium vineyard land.
"You would not see breweries in the middle of Burgundy or Bordeaux," Ms Cullen said.
"It's a dilution of the wine industry, which the Margaret River region is
known for internationally and it is not seen favourably."
She hoped the wine industry would remain the major attraction to the region.
"But who knows, breweries might take over - there's so many of them,"
she said.
Ms Cullen fears the region's newest kid on the block -
Cheeky Monkey Brewery and Cidery - which opened next door to Cullen
Wines last year, will cause cross-contamination between cultured beer
yeast and wine yeast.
"This business will always be at risk because of that brewery," she said.
Brookwood
Estate owner Trevor Mann, whose winery is flanked by Colonial Brewery
and Cowaramup Brewery, said breweries were taking business from winery
restaurants and cellar doors.
"The breweries are having a profound effect," Mr Mann said.
Cheeky Monkey director Brent Burton said breweries complemented wineries and did not compete with them.
"We are probably bringing business to the region and helping the wineries," Mr Burton said.
There was a "slight risk" of cross-contamination, but he said it was not high
enough to warrant concern and he had a strict management plan to stop
yeast escaping.
Batch Brewery House director Aaron Brown said the region had to diversify amid dwindling visitor numbers.
"In hospitality, everything has to change now and again to attract a wider
variety of people who want a cheaper, more family friendly option," he
said.
Sandalford Wines chief executive Grant Brinklow said
breweries were not overshadowing wineries but they needed to offer
premium products to preserve Margaret River's brand and not attract
"adult schoolies".
Geographe Bay Tourism chief executive Simon Taylor said the breweries were helping wineries by attracting more visitors.
"A diverse product mix gives visitors more reasons to come to the region and encourages repeat visits," he said.
"The wine industry is world renowned and has certainly put the region on the
map (but) we also have an exciting food scene and the emergence of
craft breweries is providing another facet to this experience."


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## felten (6/3/13)

> and he had a strict management plan to stop yeast escaping.


Thank god for that.


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## seamad (6/3/13)

u vill all be shot

Seriously though wonder how she'd feel if beer was given the same tax breaks as wineries and ability to do tastings etc at events ?


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## Ironsides (6/3/13)

You'd be surprised how much beer it takes to make wine. I'd have thought the wine makers would be pretty chuffed to have breweries nearby.

As for the escaping yeast, the wine makers at work let me homebrew in the winery.

Edit: I can't spell


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## keifer33 (6/3/13)

This is just one winery annoyed the business next door is booming as it's got beer and wine under the one roof. Beer is definetly not taking over down there as there must be 150 wineries to currently 8-10 beer venues/breweries.


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## Yob (6/3/13)

What a bunch of whiners


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## brettprevans (6/3/13)

Be interested to hear from those you in the viticulture industry.
To mw its big whinging about loss of cellar door marketshare and competition. Wine is easily branded to elitists but harder to brand if theres 'beer swill' next door. 

I desperately hope someone emails the crap journalist with the namws of several brewhouses between burgendy and Bordeaux.


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## Nick JD (6/3/13)

The problem isn't wineries or breweries, the problem here is people reading shitty newspapers.

And shitty newspapers taking comments out of context to stir shit.

I wonder sometimes how the media "professionals" can get to sleep at night. The extreme versions of this crap are screwing with society - especially the mentally vunerable, like the elderly.

As the newspaper dies a slow death it'll go through stages of worsening tabloid sensationalism until only the biggest idiots read it.


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## AndrewQLD (6/3/13)

Just look to the British examples of journalism to confirm that Nick


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## peas_and_corn (6/3/13)

Aren't there breweries and wineries in California who push that the region, having both, is a more varied and interesting place to visit? That if they work together they can get more overall visitors?


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## verysupple (6/3/13)

DU99 said:


> "...it was a waste to build breweries on premium vineyard land"


I'm not sure why she cares what happens to the "premium vineyard land". Most of Cullen wines aren't made from grapes grown in their vineyards anyway. Also, if I was her I'd be *very* careful about comparing any wine region in Australia to Burgundy and Bordeaux seeing the Aussie wine industry's success is almost soley due to her forefathers attitudes toward winemaking being polar opposite to that of the old world.


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## yum beer (6/3/13)

Next thing they'll be whinging that the beers too close to the wine in Dans..........


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## spog (6/3/13)

not doing themselves any favours,but at the same time giving free advertising too the breweries,bit snobby it seems to me...cheers..spog..


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## AndrewQLD (6/3/13)

felten said:


> Thank god for that.





> Ms Cullen fears the region's newest kid on the block -
> Cheeky Monkey Brewery and Cidery - which opened next door to Cullen
> Wines last year, will cause cross-contamination between cultured beer
> yeast and wine yeast.


I notice he's not worried about the wineries yeast cross contaminating his beer yeast.
What a load of Bollocks, the winery is probably on it's way down the proverbial sink hole and she's trying to pin the blame.
I would have thought that a brewery would attract another "type" of customer that would be more likely to cross over to the winery than the beer yeast would.


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## GuyQLD (6/3/13)

Nick JD said:


> As the newspaper dies a slow death it'll go through stages of worsening tabloid sensationalism until only the biggest idiots read it.


Except the alternative is we shift everything online, where the average attention span is the length of a twitter post. Articles, and I use that definition loosely are going from the traditional Grab paragraph -> body -> conclusion to just the Grab and the conclusion because we all just want the TLDR: version. The amount of bullshit that gets spewed out now because we're too busy for the details is just mind blowing. 

On topic - The Aus Wine market is making a killing in the current environment - it's cheaper, just as accessible and gets you quite smashed. A $3 clean skin worth 4-5 standard drinks vs even a entry level beer? I don't mind them making a quid and I actually buy most of my wine from wine shows or the cellar door each year when I go out to Stanthorpe for the small wine show but to complain about a microbrewery? A little perspective please.

You can't tell me every winery in the area is producing award winning products - If the Craft-brewers down there are doing their best to produce a top quality product then good on them. That can only be good for the region. Adult Schoolies? Give me a break.


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## GalBrew (6/3/13)

I also found the 'adult schoolies' comment ridiculous.....you would never see that sort of horrid behaviour at a winery right?????

EVER????

Only the common folk at the brewery acting like barbarians.....


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## brettprevans (6/3/13)

Geez has anyone seen people at chambers in rutherglen? Chambers do the right thing and put ALL of their songs out and its completely selfserve no attendants standing over u or anything. They have a little sign aboutbnot making an arse of yourself. Do people pat attention. No. They load up and make fools of themselves. Nothing against Chambers. They make great wines and I like their philosophy. Its people who ate idiots. 

And yup. 'Journalists'. Absolute joke. They are paper trolls. Real News is dead.

Edit. Or relegated to the abc like media watch.


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## Nick JD (6/3/13)

Wine is what drunks who don't care what it tastes like, drink.

Cheap crap.

Craft beer is the new wine.

That's what giving the wine industry the creeps.

The low tax laws are coming back to bite the wine industry in the arse.


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## esssee (7/3/13)

God forbid that people might choose to go to venues with a great product, and a great attraction, rather than swirling and spitting, looking for the terroir.


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## krausenhaus (7/3/13)

> She hoped the wine industry would remain the major attraction to the region.
> "But who knows, breweries might take over - there's so many of them,"


215 wineries/grape growers in the Margaret River region alone as of 2010.
Currently eight breweries between Busselton and and Margaret River.
I'm not sure that an overtaking is around the corner just yet. 

So is she saying she would rather have another competing winery on her doorstep rather than a business selling a different product?


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## New_guy (7/3/13)

This is nonsense - as always it comes down to money. Has anyone seen the crowd cheeky monkey pulls in a weekend? Now Cheeky Monkey is not my style of drink but they have a bloody good business model. I think Vanya is more concerned about dollars floating over the fence than yeast - and not her way.


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## Bribie G (7/3/13)

Wow do the Margaret River wineries do Fruity Lexia? I'm going there if they do.

(Typed on my Android Phone. Give your iPhone a good stiff talking to, CM3.)


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## drew9242 (7/3/13)

Bribie G said:


> Wow do the Margaret River wineries do Fruity Lexia? I'm going there if they do.
> 
> (Typed on my Android Phone. Give your iPhone a good stiff talking to, CM3.)


Doesn't seem to be working to well. You missed the number 2


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## JDW81 (7/3/13)

GalBrew said:


> I also found the 'adult schoolies' comment ridiculous.....you would never see that sort of horrid behaviour at a winery right?????
> 
> EVER????
> 
> Only the common folk at the brewery acting like barbarians.....


I was at Chandon in the Yarra valley a couple of years ago and there was a group of very refreshed women lying around the grounds with a stack of empty bottles carrying on like you wouldn't believe with several having a squat in the well manicured gardens. When another customer enquired why they hadn't been asked to leave the staff member replied "we'll they're not hurting anyone are they?"

Never been back there since. 

Lucky I didn't go to the white rabbit brewery that day, imagine the behaviour I would have encountered if I had. Hang on I did go there and people were sitting around quietly talking and enjoying their beer.

I think the "adult schoolies" comment is drawing a very long bow.


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## tavas (7/3/13)

This article typifies the attitude in Margaret River. Bunch of stuck up "tree change" yuppies wanting your tourist dollar, but not actually the tourists. 
Over priced, over blown and not much else.
We've found the breweries have the best family friendly facilities.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (7/3/13)

I've noticed int he month I've been in Taswegia that there is a 'cross pollination' frame of mind with regard to breweries, wineries, cheeseries, choccy places and produce places.

They're all friendly and all happy to co-exist.

And they get TOP dollar for what they produce. Tassie is expensive (that's another day's gripe), but the fact that everyone leverages off everyone else means that the region gets the tourist dollar in a big way.

And I can imagine any wine region will have its share of wine yuppies, but much the same way as the drunk skanks wandering down racecourse road, ascot (in Brissie) are in the most yuppie suburb there is, but don't behave with any class - I can imagine the same thing will go down at booze up wineries in the Margaret river (or anywhere where that attitude is apparent).

Interestingly, my Mrs is now an avowed beer drinker (craft) rather than a wine drinker, and the thing that got her onto beer, other than my passion for craft and micro beer, was the wankiness of the wine-class, combined with places like Bittersuite, Tipplers, Archive (though got a bit rowdy before we left) and the like providing a safe environment to drink good beer (often with 3 or 4 kids in tow and having a meal (and children's menu or finger food) with it). Add in that she likes the "drink less, drink better" philosophy of micro/craft beer - she is sold.

So in this instance, the wineries were the ones who cost themselves a current and future customer, _not_ the breweries.

Edit: grammers


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## GalBrew (7/3/13)

Nearly all grape growing/wine producing areas in Australia have a brewery somewhere (sometimes even at a winery). I have never heard of any other winemaker bitch about yeast contamination from the brewery. In Healsville the Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander winery (yes the do make it out the back) is not more than 40m from the White Rabbit Brewery so go figure?? Although Cullen have always had a large opinion of their standing in the wine world and while they do make some fine (and expensive) wines that is no excuse for acting like a massive tossbag. I will be sure to spend my wine allowence somewhere else if that is to be their attitude.


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## Aces High (7/3/13)

The lady from Cullen was on the 6PR yesterday (local perth radio) and it just came over like sour grapes. She seemed irrational in her argument and it just sounded to me like she was annoyed because the breweries are doing things better. The yeast cross pollination argument didn't really make sense and when she was pressed on the point she just said its a proven fact that it happens and we'll always be worried that our wine will start to taste more like beer.


Last time we were in Marges with some friends we ended up going to 5 breweries and not a single winery and had an awesome day. Good pub food, good atmosphere, plenty of big family groups last time i was there (including grandparents and kids) all sitting around and enjoying the day out.


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## Nick JD (7/3/13)

Aces High said:


> we'll always be worried that our wine will start to taste more like beer.


Mmmmmm, wine with 3068! Yum.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (7/3/13)

Nick JD said:


> Mmmmmm, wine with 3068! Yum.


Saison Champagne.....


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## sp0rk (7/3/13)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> Saison Champagne.....


Hello next brewing experiment...


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## Greg.L (7/3/13)

When a region is young and developing the attitude is "the more the merrier", they all help to create a vibe and draw visitors to the area. Once an area is established you get the turf war, with people wanting to keep their slice of the pie and not share it. Just as well in a country like Australia we are free to open a new business, if the whingers had their way we would be stagnating like Europe. The French are talking of increasing the tax on beer because that is what young people drink, the fact is the French wine industry is out of touch and just want to use regulation to protect their turf.


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## super_simian (7/3/13)

Perhaps someone should start Brett'ing their beers in the area; that's a way to make winemakers freak the f**k out!


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## krausenhaus (7/3/13)

> The lady from Cullen was on the 6PR yesterday (local perth radio)


Hahah I must've switched on just after this, I was wondering why the hell Millsy was asking for calls on "wine that tastes like beer".



> Last time we were in Marges with some friends we ended up going to 5 breweries and not a single winery


It's great, 6-7 years ago Bootleg was the only place to go, now I can go down and make a full day of it. I don't really understand why she'd rather the area be appealing to wine drinkers only rather than attract more tourists in general.


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## DU99 (8/3/13)

+1 on the bret in the area


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## Bribie G (8/3/13)

There goes the neighbourhood.


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## Batz (8/3/13)

Stuck up wine drinkers, don't they know Craftbrewers are now a sophisticated and respected part of the community?

Adult schoolies my a#se. !


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## Muggus (8/3/13)

No surprises coming from Cullen. Just the fact she refers to the wine region of Bordeaux says it all really...
Having worked in the wine industry for a bit, it's safe to say a lot of wine makers/workers just don't understand the craft beer...and perhaps see it as some sort of threat. 
I don't see the problem. Realistically the two industries should be able to work together side by side very comfortably. They can compliment each other really.
Personally, it was boutique/craft/good beer that got me into wine in the first place!


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## Nick JD (8/3/13)

Wine essentially relies on the season and the region and the variety to control the majority of the characters. Sure there's tweaks, but the whole "vintage" thing speaks volumes about who's really in control of whether a wine is good or great ... long grey beardy old fella in the clouds with an vindictive streak.

Beer relies on the brewer.

Basicially, wine is shit. You heard it here, folks.


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## Hippy (8/3/13)

Margret River wine is seriously over rated any way. Head another hour or so down to Pemberton,Nannup, Mt Barker and you'll get a shitload of better wines IMHO


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## keifer33 (8/3/13)

Hippy said:


> Margret River wine is seriously over rated any way. Head another hour or so down to Pemberton,Nannup, Mt Barker and you'll get a shitload of better wines IMHO


Careful Hippy you will have the Margs Wine Mafia putting a hit out on you. 

Totally agree on outer regions having better wine. I'm not a drinker of wine much but Pemberton was great for wineries and I here the brewery is back up and running.


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## Droughtmaster (8/3/13)

heard her on 6pr ,didnt have much credence she was on about wild yeasts as well combining with beer yeasts and infecting her wines ,was full of shit .
They wanted to open a fast food place there ie:- maccas or HG and were howled down in local government to keep them out else would become just another suburb in the long run and they wanted to be diferent and keep it all local .

thats where its all coming from keep it local and the money stayes there personaly i dont go there its like broome overrated and expensive as


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## Droughtmaster (8/3/13)

went for fish and chips there as was the only place open for takeaways was 3 deap at the counter wont be going back


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## bum (9/3/13)

Just liked it because it was basically the single most absurd thing I have ever read.

Well done!


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## /// (9/3/13)

Has anyone checked if the low starting pH of wine and lack of nutrients will allow beer yeast to take work? Ahh that's a noooo


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## kirem (10/3/13)

/// said:


> Has anyone checked if the low starting pH of wine and lack of nutrients will allow beer yeast to take work? Ahh that's a noooo


Lack of nutrients?......please explain?


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