Good winery websites

pstarr · Post by **pstarr** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:31 pm

I've been thinking a bit about what makes a good winery website, partly as an input into getting the site content sorted for the place where I volunteer.

Aside from things relating to how the website is run (such as being kept up to date), are there winery websites out there that forumites like?

I don't think I have any particular favourites, though the Bell Hill one is pretty good, and some of the Spanish producers have nice sites.

So any winery sites people like? Australian and non?

Daryl Douglas · Post by **Daryl Douglas** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:25 pm

Yep, I like Tahbilk's best but Cullen's, Thorn Clarke's and Turkey Flat are pretty good. Torzi Matthews, Longhop and Howard Park are good too.

The above are good because they're updated regularly and offer online cellar door sales. Forrest Hill Vineyard is good but updates seem a bit irregular, Coldstream Hills likewise.

Cheers

daz

Andre · Post by **Andre** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:25 pm

Some "must have" for a winery website:
- Online order at cellar door prices (not "download the form", real online);
- Complete tasting Notes for all wines "ever" made, current and past vintages, including cellar door releases and just for export wines;

Information about the vineyards and vintage reports, as well as cellaring potential is a plus and very welcome.

If you are ITB, image bank helps a lot.

Henschke is a very good one, unfortunatelly with no online order ....

griff · Post by **griff** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:33 pm

Noon has a fantastic site. Tasting notes, sense of atmosphere. No online ordering though...

cheers

Carl

dave vino · Post by **dave vino** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:59 pm

http://www.rockfordwines.com.au/

Bit too over the top and flashy for my liking.

rednut · Post by **rednut** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:20 pm

dave vino wrote:http://www.rockfordwines.com.au/

Bit too over the top and flashy for my liking.

I was gonna say not last time I was on there but I then realised you were joking... :wink:

rednut · Post by **rednut** » Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:23 pm

I really like Chateau Tanunda's and also Kilikanoon's

http://www.chateautanunda.com

http://www.kilikanoon.com.au

Christo · Post by **Christo** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:35 am

The WDC website is good, info on the wines, vines, plots, etc.. soon with online access for members. You can even make requests to get on there mail list.

http://www.wildduckcreekestate.com/

c

Jay60A · Post by **Jay60A** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:39 am

An example of how some wineries sites do TNs I really dislike. This one is for XXXXXXX XXXX 2004. The bold is added by me and the name suppressed although it's not hard to guess from the blend.

"62% Shiraz, 38% Cabernet Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the quintessential Australian blend. A classic dry red wine, that is complex and rich and will age well. It seems that to bring out the best in Shiraz you have to throw in a few climatic curve balls and the 2004 growing season was just like that. Some serious rains, thankfully at the right time and some record heat has delivered what is probably one of our best XXXX to date."

This was the second vintage of XXXX (first was 2002) so it would be hard for it NOT to be one of the best to date. Oh ... and no tasting note for 2002, which was a better wine but sold out for sure.

Jay

Daryl Douglas · Post by **Daryl Douglas** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:56 am

rednut wrote:I really like Chateau Tanunda's and also Kilikanoon's

http://www.chateautanunda.com

http://www.kilikanoon.com.au

I was going to include Kilikanoon but there's no online sales facility. Apart from that though, it is a very good site.

Cheers

daz

Red Bigot · Post by **Red Bigot** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:15 am

griff wrote:Noon has a fantastic site. Tasting notes, sense of atmosphere. No online ordering though...

cheers

Carl

Why waste money on online ordering when you sell out in 3 weeks?

GraemeG · Post by **GraemeG** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:47 am

I think 'download the order form' is an acceptable option for businesses which have an "annual" sales cycle, and whose customers follow a similar pattern.
But I think more wineries should do their 'back-catalogues' justice by leaving tasting notes on older vintages there - and comprehensive tasting notes at that, with as many technical details as they'd like to provide: picking dates, oak, pH, alcohol, etc.
But then, many of them aren't even too good about getting up information on current releases...
cheers,
Graeme

winetastic · Post by **winetastic** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:24 am

The content I am most interested in seeing on a winery website relates to up to date news / releases and an archive of tasting notes and professional reviews going back as far as possible.

Meerea Park are doing a good job in this regard, likewise Olivers Taranga although I wish the navigation was not done in flash...

ACG · Post by **ACG** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:32 am

Flash - Its a curse!

I like De Bortoli for its absolute breadth of up to date info (but the site itself is very plain). Tyrrells also good in this regard. Yalumba is quite good.

The key for me is just up to date info, inc critical reviews.

griff · Post by **griff** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:51 am

Red Bigot wrote:
griff wrote:Noon has a fantastic site. Tasting notes, sense of atmosphere. No online ordering though...

cheers

Carl

Why waste money on online ordering when you sell out in 3 weeks?

Exactly

But a good site nevertheless.

cheers

Carl

n4sir · Post by **n4sir** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 12:44 pm

I think Yalumba's one of the best locally, a goldmine of information on the wines including a good backlog of prior vintages, independent reviews, up-to-date news and history, all without flash or other gimmicks.

http://www.yalumba.com/

Cheers,
Ian

pstarr · Post by **pstarr** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 3:59 pm

Thanks for all the suggestions. Much appreciated.

dave vino · Post by **dave vino** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:09 pm

Brown Brothers is pretty good
http://www.brownbrothers.com.au/