Reforms bear fruit on innovation front

Last year’s Statewide liquor reforms have started bearing fruit, with WA’s first “satellite cellar door” in Wilyabrup expected to pave the way for further industry innovation.

Wines of WA chairman Redmond Sweeny and business partner Tony Davis opened the cellar door to their wine company, Snake + Herring, in Wilyabrup last Thursday night.

The company sources grapes from across the State, including nine Margaret River vineyards, and utilises a local contract winemaking service.

Until last year’s changes to the Liquor Control Act, the business was not permitted to operate a cellar door.

However, with recent reforms, winemakers can now open a cellar door away from the producing premises.

Mr Sweeny told the Times a satellite cellar door provided new inroads to the wine market and said the “refreshing reform” would allow “enormous opportunities”.

“We don’t sell our wine to Coles and Woolworths and they are 75 per cent of the market,” he said.

WA’s peak wine body and Vasse MLA Libby Mettam expect the liquor reforms to promote industry innovation.

Wines of WA chief executive Larry Jorgensen said the satellite cellar door was a positive step forward for wine producers, and would have a flow-on effect for tourism.

“It’s very positive … and supportive of wine producers in the regions, and tourism operators as well.”

Mrs Mettam said the satellite cellar door would inspire businesses to consider the flexible ways in which they could now operate.

Among a raft of recommendations made to the 2013 liquor review, Wines of WA called for fewer restrictions on producer licences, and sales limits and locations.

Mrs Mettam said the “sophistication” of the new laws added to the vibrancy of Perth, and pointed to Busselton Jetty’s plan for wine and cheese sunset tours as another example of how businesses would benefit from the “common sense” liquor reforms.