Orlando Wyndham, already by far the largest owner and operator of vineyards and winery plant in Mudgee, has just released plans to invest another $12 million in the region to further develop its vineyard and winery resources. The company has allocated more than $10 million on new crushing, fermentation and storage equipment at the Montrose winery, as well as around $2 million in new vineyard initiatives. Orlando Wyndham’s major problem at the present time is dealing with the anticipated growth in its present export markets, let alone developing an export presence in countries like Switzerland, Germany and various Asian nations. Simply put, it can’t get enough material for its Jacob’s Creek range, let alone the Poet’s Corner wines, which are themselves shortly to hit the 100,000 cases per year mark in Australia. OrlandoWyndham’s chief executive, Mr Jean-Louis Lepeltier, considers Mudgee’s climate and soil types to be ideally suited to the provision of grapes to meet the company’s export demands. ‘Several of the country’s main wine producers are showing an interest in the region and Orlando Wyndham is committed to increasing its presence (there)’, he says. The Montrose winery, originally developed in the 1970s and brought to some renown by the activities of Italian winemaker Carlo Corino, is today responsible for crushing around 70% of all grapes produced in Mudgee, largely the result of the growth of international brands like Poet’s Corner. Orlando Wyndham is looking to quadruple its annual crush at Montrose within the next five years, from 3,000 tonnes to 12,000 tonnes by 2000. $6 million are to be spent on addional storage capacity, while $4 million will increase the winery’s crushing capacity, its pressing, refrigeration and red fermentation facilities. An agreement with Mudgee Vineyards Pty Ltd will net Orlando Wyndham another 3,000 tonnes of fruit from a new 200 ha vineyard, while new company plantings and contracts with independent growers will contribute further to future Mudgee crops. At the present time Orlando Wyndham owns 300 ha of vineyards in the region and has contracts with private growers involving another 800 ha.
