Function Report - At Home With The Sullivan's

18th September 2002

SULLIVAN WINE AGENCIES & CHASE 2 RESTAURANT, FOREST HILL

On Wednesday 18 September approximately 42 members and guests gathered at the Chase 2 Restaurant in Forest Hill for what Joe Sullivan described as “mixing the imponderable with the impossible”, ie combining Australian wines with Chinese foods.

We were greeted with some sparkling white wines from the Guild’s cellar on arrival, before sitting down to partake of a Chinese banquet. President Bob Bailey welcomed the guests and gave us an insight into the background of Joe and Hugh Sullivan.

Joe Sullivan, pictured with President Bob, has been involved in retailing Australian wines for more than 30 years. In 1972 Joe was appointed Victorian Sales Manager of Rhine Castle Wines. Joe assisted in selecting the Rhine Castle Black Label wines each year.

After Rhine Castle was purchased by Hardy’s in 1981, Joe moved to Australian Vintners and was responsible for a growth in sales from zero in 1983 to 45,000 cases in 1993. In 1993 Joe worked with Mark Cashmore in developing the Black Opal brand. In 1994 the company was sold to Mildara while the brand was being developed to sales of 300,000 between Australia and the U.S.A. Joe then established Sullivan Wine Agencies.

Hugh Sullivan joined the family firm in 1999, after an extensive period gaining retail and marketing experience. Hugh first worked for Nick’s Wine Merchants after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Melbourne. Nick managed the city store and then set up Nick’s Wine Merchants International, an export company representing high quality Australian vineyards.

Hugh represented Elderton Wines between 1990 and 1995, building sales from negligible levels to more than 6,000 cases per year, as well as completing a Bachelor of Business Marketing degree on a part time basis at Monash University.

Between 1995 and 1999 Hugh was the State Sales Manager of Domaine Wine Shippers. During 1997/8 and 1998/9 Hugh exceeded his sales budget of $1 million.

In 1994 Sullivan Wine Agencies was established to represent a selection of high quality producers from Australia and New Zealand. Hugh has joined his father’s firm in a hands on role selling both to high quality restaurants and retail customers. Sullivans are currently representing brands from Victoria (Yarra Valley, Sunbury, Geelong and Mornington Peninsular regions), South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.

Joe and Hugh presented wines from Willow Bridge Estate for us to taste on this occasion.

Willow Bridge Estate is a family owned enterprise whose philosophy is to produce world class varietal wines from fruit grown in its own vineyards. Willow Bridge vines account for approximately 60 of the 180 ha of the Ferguson Valley near Dardanup in South West Western Australia. Dardanup is situated approximately 25 km from the Geographe Bay area, near Bunbury. The area has a reliable, mild climate and a wide variety of soil types that exploit the climate and produces full flavoured, rich wines with excellent varietal flavours. The climate is influenced by the large and shallow Geographe Bay, and the hills of Cape Naturaliste that protect against the south-west gales.

The region has an even annual rainfall of around 800 mm, mostly from cold fronts that originate in the Southern Ocean around Antartica.

Willow Bridge is owned by Jeff and Gavin Dewar, who purchased the property in 1996, and appointed Rob Bowen as the winemaker.

The food selected was a banquet, and followed the normal style. A very nice appetizer of a spring roll, followed by prawn and sweet corn soup and rice and meat and fish dishes. A choice of either banana or pineapple fritter was available for sweets. It must be said that Chase 2 is looking quite tired, and some renovations are being carried out. However, the food was tasty and well-presented and enhanced by the choice of wines.

The Sullivans presented four wines from Willow Bridge, a Chardonnay, a Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, a Rosé and a Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, all of which were magnificent with the Chinese Banquet, and would complement any fine dinner. Space precludes a full description of the wines, but suffice to say that the four wines presented would stand proudly in any company. Further information is available on the company website;
www.willowbridgeestate.com

All in all, a great night that whetted the appetite for the next function, a bus trip to the Avoca Region in November