I thought I would focus this weekend on a little housekeeping and wait to release our new, Margaret River agency, House of Cards until next Friday, if you agree?

International shipping is very much the bane of our lives this January as we have not seen any improvements since my December communication. To update you all – All uninsured deliveries to the EU (as per our service during 2020) remains frozen with all major UK couriers refusing to offer this service. At this point in time, there are no signs of improvement as I imagine it is much easier for UK couriers to simply turn their backs rather than face the hassle of post Brexit paperwork. On a slightly more positive note, we have received confirmation that specialist, insured wine deliveries are operational however, there is an ever-growing list of caveats.

Some EU countries are accepting small wine deliveries however, some are not – Spain being one example. We have also received some curious and hazy news concerning the maximum quantities that can be shipped to EU residential addresses. Italy has allegedly imposed a six bottle limit and France one bottle. We have asked for clarity as this is clearly going to be a huge problem. Please contact the team for all EU delivery enquiries as the situation changes on a daily basis and we will endeavour to keep you all updated with the latest guidance.

From Austria, Zalto glassware is still in lockdown with their operation working at fifty percent capacity. We have an order for three pallets sitting in the ether however, we drum our fingers whilst we wait for their UK agent to make his mind up what price he is going to charge The Vinorium. His last ten percent increase (based on supply and demand during lockdown) was naturally volleyed back with some discord and velocity. 

We are still enduring Hillebrand’s customs clearance backlog, post their December cyber-attack. I do find the lengthy delays difficult to digest. Moreover, we are not seeing any signs of Hillebrand getting back on track which does not bode well for shipments arriving during February and March. Save for any delays at sea or in port, which of course has a knock-on effect, we are resigned to a 3-4 week wait once the wines arrive in the UK port. We are in touch with other UK importers who are in the same boat…

To some good news as I am mindful my opening paragraphs have been rather grumpy, albeit necessary. Our second order from Utopos which and as per our earlier communication, is being despatched to fulfil all pre-arrival orders next Tuesday. 2017 and 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon have completely sold out (more bad news again!) and there is zero stock back in the Barossa. We do have healthy(ish) stocks of Kym’s amazing 2017 (98-99 points) and 2018 (99 points) Shiraz along with a little 2018 and 2019 MSG (the best I have sampled out of Australia). 

We have a third shipment on the water (ETA April) which contains both Shiraz vintages. One pallet is heading to our HQ and will be available by the bottle and the other pallet is off to our bonded warehouse, which will suit those wishing to purchase for storage and without paying UK duty and VAT. Prior to our Christmas break, Magda and I received tank samples which were drawn, bottled, shipped and delivered within 72 hours (take note Mr Hillebrand).

Tank samples can quickly spoil and are often difficult to assess as the wine is yet to come together in all its elemental glory. However, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2019 Shiraz were showing fantastically, even at this infant stage. We promised a ‘special’ 2019 Cab / Shiraz blend and Kym has delivered a beauty. Only one barrel has been made, with all its contents being offered exclusively to Vinorium customers. We are changing the label design slightly as it deserves to standalone. We have requested finished, bottled samples which should be arriving mid-to-late February. Kym likes to see his Utopos collection released around September as wines can often suffer from ‘bottle shock’ – essentially, a wine suffers muted characters, can appear disjointed or rough and edgy. It is often said that wines which have travelled great distances can be affected too however, a week’s R&R dissipates any travel sickness. But a wine going from tank or barrel into bottle can suffer hence why most winemakers will rarely release their wines immediately, post bottling. Nonetheless, we will sample and publish our notes as soon as we can. We will also offer the 2019 collection on a pre-arrival special later in February / March (do not expect to see these physically in the UK until late November).

We are thrilled to see, two new Aussie agencies arriving in the UK for the very first time. From the Margaret River, we welcome House of Cards (launching Friday 5 February) and from the Adelaide Hills, Coulter Wines (we plan to launch Coulter a week or two later). We are also expecting a raft of new releases from Stuart Pym at Flowstone.

Jaysen Collins from JC’s Own has been having fun in the USA – we’ve shipped his 2018 Sierra Nevada Foothills Chardonnay (Skin contact, barrel fermented, lees aged and wonderfully textured) and his new duo from the Adelaide Hills, 2019 Lobethal Chardonnay and 2019 Morialta Pinot Noir which we are excited to launch…

Practically, everything is in place to switch over to our new domestic carrier, DPD. Unquestionably, the customer interface and tracking facility looks smashing and is a huge improvement on DHL’s. We have been promised a delivery success rate of 99% and we’re looking forward to putting that figure to the test! Our eco-packaging will be changing too – it will remain as robust, but will be more compact, offering a better storage option for you all. When the time comes, expect a few emails from my team asking for your personal experiences as your feedback will be invaluable.

Brexit complications and the coronavirus pandemic continues at a pace with terrible consequences for much of the hospitality industry. Sadly, and at the current rate, some restaurants in the UK will not be open before May which is the correct course of action. Others, as we have witnessed, have already rung the bell and decided to close their doors for good. Wine importers are suffering as a direct result with many of their trade clients remain furloughed. One, who we have worked with for several years, is the importer of Deep Woods and Hentley Farm which are two great names to represent. But 80% of their business has disappeared due to the coronavirus and we informed them (last year) of our intention to delist these producers and focus on our own, growing army of Aussie winemakers.  

With this situation in mind, we thought we should help wherever possible, as such we have placed a significant order which we hope will bring a smile to many Deep Woods Estate and Hentley Farm fans. Below, is a great collection from both stables including one of Margaret River’s most awarded Chardonnays, Deep Woods Reserve – we have a little of the newly released 2019 in stock.  I will say that this is quite possibly our only order of the year, but it is for 1,000 bottles which should last through to the early summer. 

Magda and I are working with the Western Australian wine community in conjunction with a big, national drive to promote the wonderful growing regions (20 regions and some 490 wineries). The Vinorium has been identified as the key UK partner which is incredibly flattering. Of course, we cannot work with every winery, but I understand some 40 producers have already signed up for the big-drive. We plan to host bi-monthly Zoom tastings (the producers being the educators) – packs of samples will be delivered a few days prior to each masterclass. We are also tasked with working alongside key members of the press, but the emphasis will be on private customers which is wonderful to see. Ideas are being batted across the pond – I have been wanting to host a tasting in the style of the Judgment of Paris 1976 for a long time and the guys running the national WA drive love the idea. I would love to see some great Margaret River wines pitted against several famous names from Bordeaux and Burgundy – producer and vintage choices being crucial. Of course, this is not exclusive to the Margaret River as WA has some fabulous wine regions.

Ideally, and a bigger challenge outside of the WA regional drive would be to pitch great Aussie Cabernet, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sem / Sauv, Riesling against the big names from the USA, France and Germany / Alsace. ‘Australia takes on the world, 2021’ rather than Judgment of Paris. I'm sure you get my drift. Anyhow, the wheels are being set in motion for part one and I will keep you all updated as this is going to be a fascinating tasting…

I must thank you all for your continued support throughout the dry month of January, which I would personally veto. That said, I admire those with the willpower to abstain from great wine as I find any day which does not contain the enjoyment of a glass or two, a sad one. Website sales continue at last years’ pace, which is terrific, with January 2021 enjoying an increase of over 50% against last year. Thank goodness many of you have the same dry January beliefs as I. 

Stocks in some quarters are being depleted quicker than we envisaged with some coming close to selling out and they’ve only been in the UK for a month or two. My biggest disappointment is the sensational Ernest Allan Shiraz from Gemtree which I awarded 98 points and Magda a glowing 98++.  Mike has moved onto the next vintage which is a real shame as I was keen to take a case for myself… The team has collated a list of wines in a similar position which can be viewed below. 

Right, that’s me done for this week. I do hope you are all keeping safe and well and I look forward to next week’s communiqué and House of Cards reveal. 

Cheers, Stu