Golf Proves A Handicap For Cellar Door Sales
Newcastle Herald
Saturday June 12, 2004
HUNTER Valley cellar door sales are falling as weddings, golf courses and natural beauties create new experiences as part of the region's increasing tourism diversity.
Hunter Valley Wine Country figures show that cellar door sales at the start of 2004 were well down from the same time last year.
Cellar door wine sales fell 17.3per cent in February, 5.5per cent in March and 16.3per cent in April.
Hunter Valley Wine Country chief executive officer Andrew Montague said the figures coincided with a similar negative trend in accommodation in the area.
``It's not all gloom. But there's no doubt there is a concern with wine sales and it is our belief that we really should, as an area, promote and showcase our wines. To some degree that has been ignored."
Hunter Valley Vineyard Association vice president Brian McGuigan said the variety of choices in the Valley contributed to the trend.
He said visitor rates at his wineries McGuigan Cellars and Hunter Cellars had fallen, but the new Tempus Two winery's cellar door was bucking the trend.
``There are now a lot of weddings held in the Valley and that takes up much of the accommodation previously used by wine lovers," Mr McGuigan said.
``The addition of golf courses and other entertainment facilities has also watered down, or skewed, the reasons people visit from where it all started with the wine industry some 30 years ago."
The success of discount wine chains had also affected visitor numbers.
© 2004 Newcastle Herald
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