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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-02-25 Daily Xml
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Grievance Debate

Wine Casks

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:12): I rise to speak about an Australian icon, invented in the Riverland, which turned 50 this week. I refer to none other than the wine cask. The wine cask has played a prominent role in the wine industry, and every third glass of wine consumed in Australia comes from a wine cask. Some of the snobbery within the wine industry say that bulk wine only comes out of a cask, but that is certainly not the case.

Back in 1965, a Renmark-based family winemaker, the late Tom Angove, radically changed Australian wine packaging when he invented the one-gallon wine cask while researching for an alternative for the half-gallon flagon. For those of you who maybe could reflect back on the one-gallon flagon, they were cumbersome, very hard to put in a box and very hard to transport. Once you opened it, you would have a glass and the next day when you went back that wine was badly oxidised.

Tom had an inquisitive nature. He was always prepared to think outside the box—pardon the pun. When he originally brought that cask idea to the table, there were a few problems early on. Obviously there were leaks and pouring issues, but improvements were made over the years. It was a bit like inventing the car or anything: we start off with something a little raw and refine it as time goes on. Those improvements over the many years came along, including the new tapping device once upon a time. When that box was first devised, it was a clothes peg that used to clip on the edge of the bag, but today we see more and more technology coming and those new tapping devices are now part of today's world.

The original packing, as I said, required cutting the corner off the bag and it was resealed with a clip or with a peg. The managing director for the Angove family winemakers, John Angove, was the ripe old age of 18 when his father came home with this invention or this idea that he brought to the kitchen table. John said to him, 'I accept it, but I think it is a crazy idea.' The idea evolved from Tom's creative mind and it was based on ancient times, when the wine was stored in old goat skins.

I am sure some members here might remember going to some of their outings as young ones with some of the old goat skin bags with a pull-off cork and a shoulder strap. The goat skin was basically the origin of the idea and Tom decided to refine it. While it was being trialled with the plastic bag inside a cardboard box, over the years it has become now more widely renowned as a packaging concept. It is very easy to transport and does not have wasted space, but it is now one of the famous icons that is worldwide.

Obviously over the years the wine cask has evolved; the concept remains in wine markets right across the world and has played a major part in the Australian wine export market. Unfortunately, boxed wine has been perceived as being a cheap way to drink wine, but winemakers are now working hard to change that with the quality of the bag, improving the tap, and also the packaging. The marketing techniques are obviously playing a role.

Many people today still find that boxed wine is a convenient option: it is easy to transport, it stays fresh for longer than a bottle, it offers value for money versus the bottle, and obviously the way the wine is drawn out of the box means it does not oxidise and stays fresher for much longer. Tom invented it and it is well suited for many social occasions. The wine cask offers good value and it is convenient when you only want a glass or two and not the whole bottle. For his contribution to Australia's winemaking industry, in 1994 Tom Angove was awarded the Order of Australia and the Angove wine cask was recognised as a BankSA Heritage Icon in 2006.

So, 50 years on the wine cask created by an entrepreneur in the Riverland has evolved to the point where it is a valuable part of our export industry and still an essential item for many households. Who would have thought such a creative invention 50 years ago would still be an important part of today's world? Much like other inventions here in South Australia, such as the termite-free Stobie pole, the Hills Hoist, and the stump-jump plough, the wine cask is another successful invention from South Australia.

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