TEAMWORK: Orange Highland Wines and Gardens’ Helen Harrison, with husband Ross, says the local industry has to lift its public profile if it’s to sell more wine.
A REPORT into the local wine industry states producers, distributors and retailers will need to work together if they’re serious about raising the region’s profile and selling more wine.
The report, written by Orange Region Vignerons’ Association (ORVA) member Helen Harrison, outlines a three-year plan to increase the prosperity and profile of the industry.
Mrs Harrison’s findings were presented to the ORVA annual general meeting (AGM) last month with a recommendation that the region be promoted as the producer of high altitude premium cool quality wine.
In the report Mrs Harrison said the industry needed to “promote, promote, promote ... in order to sell, one must tell”.
Mrs Harrison said while compiling the report she examined the local wine industry’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and conducted a number of focus groups.
Mrs Harrison said the report was a collaboration between all ORVA members with a draft having been distributed to members before it was completed.
“We hope this will help bring (ORVA) members back together,” Mrs Harrison said.
The report stressed the need for improved communication and networking between members to ensure they present “a strong, unified voice in external communication”.
In the report Mrs Harrison said the industry should continue to improve its grape and wine quality and the quality of the cellar door experience.
“The biggest issue was to look at how we market the area as a wine region,” Mrs Harrison said.
“(We need to look at) not only building awareness (of the region) in Sydney but also look at distribution into larger markets, particularly Sydney.”
Mrs Harrison said there was a perception that the Orange wine region has a higher profile than it actually does.
A Newspoll survey conducted last year shows that only 11 per cent of those surveyed were aware that Orange had a wine region.
“Mudgee had three times that (level of awareness).”
Mrs Harrison said the report was unanimously accepted at the ORVA AGM.
“We’re striving for the cellar doors here to be seeing a reasonable number of visitors, for people in Sydney to be buying our wines and for people who buy our wine to know it’s going to be a quality wine.”
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