Slightly cheekily, perhaps, The Hardy Wine Company has distributed a press release announcing its 150th birthday yesterday (April 13). Cheeky, because the dust has only just settled on the purchase of The Hardy Wine Company by an American firm, Constellation Brands, also because The Hardy Wine Company has only existed in its current form for a matter of days. Those of us with a memory also recall when the company sold out to the de-cooperatised BRL, which used to operate the Renmano and Berri wineries in South Australia, before the combined business was listed in 1992. But that of course is another matter. Still, an anniversary is an anniversary, and an anniversary is a reason to celebrate and alert the media. In this case management rustled up the largest gathering of the Hardy clan in more than 20 years and arranged a return to Thomas Hardy’s traditional Harvest Picnic for his family and their staff. My congratulations to them, with my very best wishes for the next 150 years.
