Asked about the state of the wine industry, realism and optimism dance across wine lawyer Will Taylor’s words.
He’s seen the “decade of pain” before and remembers the carnage many predicted in the past – banks allegedly poised to foreclose en masse – and the surprising resilience that followed.
“There were casualties, but nowhere near as many as I thought,” Will says in the latest cover story in WBM – Australia’s Wine Business Magazine.
“This time is definitely worse.
“It started as a reds problem; now it’s an everything problem.”
He pauses. “But the industry is incredibly resilient,” he says.
“We need some green shoots – like the positivity out of Paris – to get some buyers into the market for wine business assets, give banks some confidence in the sector and just to give everyone a boost.”
He’s wary of ‘doom loops’ and echo chambers of despair.
“You’ve got to be an optimist and a realist,” he says.
“If you get sucked into a death spiral of negativity, it doesn’t just affect you – it affects the people listening: growers, staff, banks, customers.”
Will also believes, deeply, that wine – good, thoughtful wine – deserves to be treated differently from anonymous alcohol in public debate.
“Wine is so multi-layered,” he says.
“It’s agriculture, science, art, culture, community.
“When I put my nose in a really good wine, I smile – before any alcohol has gone into my body.
“That’s part of what we need to articulate better: the difference between wine made with care and love, and just ‘alcohol’ as an abstraction.”
See the full interview by Katie Spain in WBM – Australia’s Wine Business Magazine.
Subscribe to the beautifull printed wine industry publication here.
Photos: Mike Smith.
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