Case Studies
Issue No. 16 - April/May 2004
Longview Wines
Going long
Longview had a long gestation period. By the middle 1990s Two Dogs’ international growth had become barely controllable and Duncan faced a choice – float the company or seek an equity partner who could offer the expertise and resources to build the brand further.
“We were looking at both options when Pernod Ricard made their offer to us,” he says.
He was contracted to direct Two Dogs internationally for seven years following the Pernod Ricard takeover in 1996. He was able to begin work on Longview in earnest only in 2003. (He will consult on Two Dogs for another eight years).
Meanwhile, the MacGillivray family has operated a cattle property in the Adelaide Hills for almost two decades. Keeping abreast of wine industry developments even while Two Dogs was in full swing, Duncan fancied an adjoining property, which is also within the geographical boundaries of the prestigious Adelaide Hills wine region. Now combined, the properties enabled him to create the largest single vineyard in the Adelaide Hills.
The vineyard could grow 70,000—80,000 cases of wine a year but Longview only produces a fraction of that amount. Only 170 acres have been developed so far, at a deliberate pace——25 acres of vines went in last year. Only two vintages have been marketed.
A clue to what Longview is about lies in the very broad range of eight wines and emphasis on the single vineyard. This adds to the wine’s story, making it easier for sommeliers and retailers to promote. Longview is careful to keep the faith with restaurateurs and independent retailers (i.e. no dumping of stock) and to keep pricing reasonable.
In year two, the brand is becoming sought after. Brand building excites Duncan, even when it is daunting. With Two Dogs, ballooning demand internationally–two million cases in the UK alone–caused immense stress.
Wine can never be the same. Brewing yields commercial stocks in weeks, while vines take three year...
