Barossa winery Turkey Flat finds unexpected market for canned wine

PARTNER CONTENT: A Barossa Valley winery's attempt to modernise wine packaging has revealed a surprising gap in the market, transforming happy hour at aged care facilities.

Christie Schulz laughs when she tells you her innovative new product designed to appeal to the younger generation has turned out to be a huge hit in nursing homes.

“At Turkey Flat, which our family bought in 1860, we are the first premium wine company to put wine in a can,” Christie said of her Barossa Valley business.

This article is part of the Back Australia series, which is supported by Australian Made, Harvey Norman, Westpac, Bunnings, Coles, TechnologyOne, REA Group, Cadbury, R.M.Williams,Qantas, Vodafone and BHP.

“And the reason we did that was we wanted to engage the youth back into wine because they have moved towards other products like the ready-to-drink options,” she said.

“Nursing homes, it’s extraordinary, we never thought that would be a market. You have older people going into nursing homes who are used to having a decent glass of wine at night being given poor quality wine.

Westpac is a supporter of Back Australia

“We didn’t expect demand in that area but, after all, just because you are older and in a nursing home doesn’t mean you can’t expect a decent meal with a decent glass of wine.”

It once again highlights the ability of Aussie small businesses to fill niches they didn’t even know existed, Christie said, likening the emergence of canned wine to the screw-cap top wine bottle revolution that relegated corks to the dust bin.

“It’s getting people to understand that you’re not getting something inferior, it’s just in a different vessel,” she said.

Christie Schultz of Turkey Flat.

The canned range of rose, pinot gris and shiraz-grenache wines have also been a hit at the MCG, with caravanners, hotel mini-bars, golfers, grey nomads, beachgoers and picnickers.

The move to canned wines also reflects a commitment to environmental sustainability.

Christie is a passionate supporter of the Back Australia campaign, with Turkey Flat employing 12 full-time employees and 10 casuals as well as seasonal workers.

“We have always had a cultural cringe here, that we’re not as good as the rest of the world,” she said.

“But Australian small businesses are innovative and world-class in what they produce.”

Westpac’s Managing Director, Regional Commercial & Agribusiness, Peta Ward, said: “Turkey Flat is a great example of the innovation and commitment to sustainability that I witness all the time when visiting our agribusiness customers around Australia.

“Regional Australian businesses really are leading the way, and it’s a privilege to support them on their journeys, whether that’s by lending businesses funds so they can capture the next opportunity, or providing cashflow support to help manage seasonal challenges,” she said.

This article is part of the Back Australia series, which is supported by Australian Made, Harvey Norman, Westpac, Bunnings, Coles, TechnologyOne, REA Group, Cadbury, R.M.Williams,Qantas, Vodafone and BHP.

Originally published as Barossa winery Turkey Flat finds unexpected market for canned wine