Australia's First Families of Wine facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | AFFW |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Affiliations | Winemakers Federation of Australia |
| Website | www.australiasfirstfamiliesofwine.com.au |
Australia's First Families of Wine (AFFW) is a special group of Australian wine producers. Their main goal is to show the world how amazing and diverse Australian wines are. They want to highlight the high quality of these wines.
This group was started in 2009 by twelve families who have owned their wineries for many generations. Together, these families represent 17 different wine-growing areas across Australia. They also have a combined history of 48 generations of winemakers! The group officially began at the Sydney Opera House on August 31, 2009.
Contents
Who Are the Members?
The first families to join Australia's First Families of Wine are:
- Brown Brothers, started in 1885. They have vineyards in Victoria.
- Campbells of Rutherglen, started in 1870. Their vineyards are in Victoria.
- D'Arenberg, (the Osborn family), started in 1912. They have vineyards in South Australia.
- Henschke, started in 1868. Their vineyards are in South Australia.
- Howard Park Wines, (the Burch family), started in 1986. They have vineyards in Margaret River and Great Southern in Western Australia.
- Jim Barry Wines, started in 1959. Their vineyards are in South Australia.
- McWilliam's Wines, started in 1877. They have vineyards in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.
- Tahbilk, (the Purbrick family), started in 1860. Their vineyards are in Victoria.
- Taylors Wines, started in 1969. Their vineyards are in South Australia.
- Tyrrell's, started in 1858. They have vineyards in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.
- Yalumba, (the Hill Smith family), started in 1849. Their vineyards are in South Australia.
What Makes a Family a "First Family"?
To be part of Australia's First Families of Wine, a family-owned company needs to meet certain requirements:
- They must have a "landmark wine." This means a wine that is considered one of Australia's best.
- The company must be truly family-controlled, following Australian laws for companies.
- They should be able to offer a "vertical tasting." This means tasting wines from the same family made over at least 20 years.
- The family's winemaking history must go back at least two generations.
- They need to own vineyards that are more than 50 years old. Or, they must own special sites that show the best of terroir. Terroir is a French word that means how the land, climate, and soil affect the taste of the wine.
- They must be committed to selling their wines overseas and using good environmental practices. They also need to offer a great "cellar door experience." This means a good place for visitors to try their wines.
- Family members should be involved in important wine industry groups.
- They must be a member of the Winemakers Federation of Australia.
Their Important Goal
Alister Purbrick, who is the chairman of the First Families and a fourth-generation winemaker from Tahbilk, explained their main goal. He said they really need to change how people around the world see Australian wine. He felt that individual companies couldn't stop the idea that Australia only makes cheap wines.
But by working together, these families can show off their amazing regional wines. They want to prove the great quality and variety of Australian wines. Purbrick believes that even though each family winemaker values their independence, they all share a common dream. That dream is for Australian wine to compete with the best wines in the world and succeed.
Nowhere else in the world could such a group be assembled, their history told both through the mouths of the family members and the wines they present. The underlying rationale for the formation of Australia's First Families of Wine was the realization that export markets had either lost sight of or had no way of knowing about Australia's rich history, it's diverse regions and wine styles, and the fierce personal commitment of the best winemakers to the production of high-quality wines true to their variety and geographical origin...The challenges for Australia are clear enough. What Australia's First Families of Wine can and will do is turn words into actions, ambitions into concrete results.
Where Did the Idea Come From?
The idea for Australia's First Families of Wine is not new. About 20 years ago, some of Europe's top family wineries created a similar group called Primum Familiae Vini. This Latin name means "Best families of the wine." A few years ago, New Zealand also started a similar group called its Family of Twelve.
Books About the Group
- Heart & soul : Australia's First Families of Wine, (2010) ISBN: 978-1-74246-924-9
