I’m still in shock. When I started my life’s engagement with wine there was no bigger Australian brand than Lindemans. And it wasn’t that long ago that Wolf Blass was amongst the most profitable, best-known and most valuable of all Australian wine brands. The recent announcement that their owner, Treasury Wine Estates, is shortly to sell these brands – along with the once-market-leading sparkling wine brand of Yellowglen – spells the death-knell for a shocking percentage of Australia’s wine legacy. This catastrophe – which is the calmest term I can think of right now – also poses a lot of questions. And who do I feel particularly bad for right now? The brilliant, enigmatic, passionate, ground-breaking and ebullient individual I have known for 40 years by the name of Wolf Blass. Who, I am delighted to add, is taking all this rather better than I would have done!