In our latest Winery Spotlight, we go behind the wines with the boldly unique Lisa McGuigan Wines in Hunter Valley. Spearheaded by the enigmatic and charismatic winemaker Lisa McGuigan. A forward thinker, Lisa was an early advisor to WithWine and current user of the WithWine platform. Even with all that 2020 has brought, she is looking towards what’s to come.
A heavyweight in the industry, Lisa McGuigan is a fourth-generation winemaker, so one could argue it’s in her blood.
“Whilst I tried to steer away and enter hotel management, my love of wine drew me back into the family tradition,” Lisa says.
A person with serious wine skills - both in the making and the presenting - Lisa McGuigan is a legend in the world of wine. She has worked in the family business, launched the phenomenally successful Tempus Two brand and now is focusing on her namesake range: Lisa McGuigan Wines. She spent a good chunk of 2020 launching her new cellar door for the range: Vamp by Lisa McGuigan. The cellar door is Lisa personified. It is distinctive and edgy, dark and mysterious, audacious and uncompromising. Vamp is a must-visit cellar door.
In line with Lisa’ non-traditional style, her namesake range is not typical of the region. It has some of the classics, Hunter Chardonnay for example, but Lisa believes in sourcing fruit from the “optimal regions” in Australia. Like the stunning Maximus Shiraz form Mudgee and devilishly delicious Yarra Valley and McLaren Vale Pinot Noir wines. Lisa’s favourite wine to chill out with is her Gruner Veltliner, and when she’s not enjoying her own wines, her go-to is “Pinot from anywhere around the world.”
Setting up a cellar door in the middle of a pandemic was a gamble, their toughest challenge in 2020? “Uncertainty for staff”, says Lisa - especially when the entire Hunter Valley region relies on tourist trade. “Uncertainty in direct to consumer sales,” she continues. “2020 highlighted the need to ensure all market channels are optimised, particularly online sales.”
According to Wine Australia, in 2020 direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales for the majority of Australian wine businesses, which produce fewer than 20,000 cases, is an estimated 50 per cent of total wine sales. WithWine is uniquely equipped to help improve and grow DTC sales and generate repeat sales. With mobile POS, e-Commerce, Wine Clubs, CRM and more built-in, it has never been easier to grow your DtC wine sales. Find out more here.
Discover how awesome Lisa’s wines are for yourself and step into a world of art, fashion and rock and roll next time you are around the Hunter. It’s the ultimate wine experience. As they proclaim on the Lisa McGuigan website: “Life’s too short not to drink great wine.”
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