Tasting Room Radio - September 12, 2012

The Wine Diva kicks off her new website and reviews Summerhill Ariel!
He makes 12 Million cases of Yellow Tail. He’s John Casella.
TRR welcomes to Canada, for the first time ever, Diner en Blanc – The White, Dining,  Flash Mob.

THE SHOW

Daenna Van Mulligen IS The Wine Diva


As such she oversees her vast empire via her highly popular website.
That site just transformed itself into a spanking new website filled with liquid delights.
Daenna takes us for a walk around. Kicking the Megabytes, so to speak.


John Casella – Managing Director of Casella Wines, the makers of (Yellow Tail)


John comes from a long line of Italian winemakers. His father, Filippo Casella moved the family from Sicily to Australia in 1962 and he created Casella Wines in 1965. John grew up at the winery in Yenda, outside Griffith in regional New South Wales where he learned many skills from his father. Wine was part of the family culture and from a young age, John demonstrated a passion and talent for winemaking.

When he graduated school he went on to formally study the art of winemaking at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, not far from the family winery. He graduated with a degree in Oenology in 1982 following which, he moved back to his home town of Griffith to take the role of winemaker and manager at Riverina Estate in 1983.

In 1994, John joined the family business and became Managing Director of Casella Wines.
John’s vision has always been to produce great quality Australian wine for the world. He created [yellow tail] in 2001 and selected the iconic kangaroo for the label. The Australian image had great appeal for overseas consumers.

The forecast for [yellow tail] in 2001 was 25,000 cases. Actual sales sky‐rocketed to 230,000 cases. Today, Casella Wines exports 12 million cases of [yellow tail] to more than 50 countries around the world every year. It is the number‐one imported wine in the US and Canada, and more than two million glasses of [yellow tail] are enjoyed around the world each day.

John celebrated the 10th anniversary of [yellow tail] in 2011. In just over ten years, he has grown the brand to be the Most Powerful Australian Wine Brand in the World and fourth Most Powerful Wine Brand globally. The launch of [yellow tail] is considered to be the most successful launch of a wine brand in Australian history.

The winery has also won many awards. In 2004, Casella Wines won Australian Exporter of the Year and in 2005, the company was inducted into Australia’s Export Awards Hall of Fame.

Impact Magazine USA awarded Casella Wines the Hot Brand Award for [yellow tail] for seven consecutive years, 2001 to 2007.

In 2005, John was nominated as the 27th most influential person in the International Wine Industry by Decanter magazine, and in 2007 was nominated in Business Review Weekly’s Top 100 Thinkers list. In 2010, Drinks Trade named him one of the 21 Most Influential Members of the Australian Drinks Industry.


Last part of this show is all about Diner en Blanc


Dîner en Blanc Vancouver was sold out. 1,200 diners will descend on a Vancouver's landmark outdoor location for a night of sophisticated revelry, fine wine, and gourmet French cuisine. The waiting list had 4000 names on it.

Imported from Paris, Dîner en Blanc marks the world's first viral event taking place in 20 cities across 5 continents. Top Chef Canada winner Dale MacKay and internationally acclaimed Les Noces Gitanes will bring the spirit of France to Vancouver. Guests will gather at designated meeting spots, only discovering the location of the dinner at the last moment. All must dress in elegant white, and bring their own epicurean meals (or pre-order Chef Dale MacKay's menu), non-disposable dinnerware, crystal, and table set. The mystery location was The Jack Poole Plaza at the Vancouver Convention Centre, the home of The 2010 Winter Olympic Games Flame.

We begin with one of the organizers Tyson Villeneuve from Social Concierge and then walk through the diners and a sea of white!

I’m telling you …if you didn’t wear white you were shown the ..um door..(yeah, I know there’s no door on a plaza but it’s a metaphor)

 It was the first white dinner in Canada, it sure won’t be the last!!

STORIES WE’RE WORKING ON

Banfi
David Suzuki
Chappell Hill
Benjamin Bridge
Antonia Mantonakis Brock University
Hawksworth Launches a house wine with Orofino
Joy of Feeding
Chris Wyse – Young and Wyse
Matt Sherlock – Clean Slate
Hayley Hamilton – Dallas Sommelier
East meets West Quang Dang vs Jeremy Charles
Salt Spring Island revisited
Actor Mike Smith leaves Bubbles behind
Steamworks sends out the beer love
The 9th annual Naramata Tailgate Party
Summerland pours the juice
Oregon wines pour in Vancouver
Putting on The Ritz in San Francisco
Summerhill debuts Ariel..14 year old bubble
Joe Avati – The Italian Galleon