Venture back on track
A good name is better than precious ointment. The proverb may be Biblical but deciding on a good business name offers a 21st century conundrum. After all, a name is not just a label. It can paint a picture, tell a story, evoke a memory.
Choosing carefully will almost certainly save you time and money, according to Spreyton vineyard owners Gail and Marcus Burns. It's been three years since they received their 'cease and desist' letter from a respected Melbourne solicitor. Mere mention of it still rankles an otherwise relaxed and easy-going couple.
"I went ice cold when I read it," Marcus recalls.
"I thought it was a joke at first," Gail adds.
Couched in legalese, the letter informed them that Emilia Wines – their business name of choice – had drawn the ire of a consortium of wine producers in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its use in faraway Tasmania contravened a bilateral agreement Australia had signed with the European Union back in 1994.
Independent legal advice soon confirmed the gravity of the situation.
Wisely, the couple did indeed 'cease and desist' before the letter's stated deadline of February 1, 2018. What amounted to a false start prompted the re-labelling and re-packaging of 8,000 bottles of what have since become La Villa wines.
Now emerging from the uncertain trading conditions created by COVID-19 and the worldwide pandemic, the Burnses admit their journey into wine and viticulture has been a rocky road at times. It began among Cradle Coast orchards after the couple returned home from living gypsy lives in Europe.
As lovestruck teenagers, the pair had relocated to Italy during the early 1980s. Marcus was then an up-and-coming cyclist, embarking upon a decade-long career in amateur and professional road racing. Thoughts of owning and operating one of northwest Tasmania's best small-scale, cool climate vineyards never entered his head as he sped through renowned wine regions like Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.
"I didn't even drink wine," Marcus says, recalling the heady days of pasta and peletons and the couple's home away from home in the lively city of Bologna.
"Sometimes I'd win crates of the stuff, but I was always happy to drink beer instead."
The Burnses weren't the only Tasmanians seeking road racing fame and fortune in the beautiful Italian countryside. Living above their Bologna apartment were close friends Micheal and Mary Wilson. No-one expressed interest in growing grapes and making wine. The likelihood of the Wilsons one day founding Velo Wines in the Tamar Valley must have seemed even more remote then than the valley itself, on the other side of the world.
"Micheal and I raced in the same team for two years," Marcus explains, acknowledging Wilson's considerable talents on and off the road.
"He represented Australia at the 1980 Olympics and raced all over Europe before retiring. We've been great mates ever since we were teenagers."
The Burnses' wine venture at Spreyton commenced in the early 2000s with the construction of a large and sprawling family residence. The couple named it Emilia, referencing the typical country farmhouses they had admired in 1980s Emilia-Romagna.
Next came the decision to remove a block of decrepit apple trees and replant with neat rows of Pinot Noir. In truth, the embryonic vineyard of just 800 vines was more of a response to a landscaping need than a carefully considered business foray. That, too, took on the name of the homestead that stood alongside it.
Gail Burns reckons it was only natural that Emilia Wines would finally emerge from the small-scale vineyard project they'd created in 2009. That's amore.
"It was an innocent mistake as far as we were concerned," she says.
"We hardly gave our decision a moment's thought. Right from the outset, we'd always used Emilia whenever we referred to our home and our vineyard here. To have to abandon using it was pretty depressing."
Momentary disappointment turned to long-term dismay as the Burnses spent the remainder of 2018 coping with living and working in an agricultural zone affected by threats of Queensland fruit fly infection. Tasmania resumed its disease-free status in February 2019, but not before the insect had made periodic rare appearances in the State's north, threatening $200 million in fruit and vegetable exports.
The good news today is that La Villa Wines is fast becoming one of the rising stars on the vineyard scene in northern Tasmania. The property's 8ha of vines – which contribute to an impressive portfolio of sparkling and varietal table wines – are being impeccably managed by Marcus Burns.
Meanwhile, sound advice and skilful winemaking from Delamere Vineyards' Fran Austin and Shane Holloway are creating enviable track records for La Villa's carefully conceived portfolio – track records Burns never imagined all those years ago in beautiful Emilia-Romagna.
La Villa's handsome vineyard cellar door - five kilometres from Devonport and 100 kilometres from Launceston - is set to re-open in October. Check lavillawines.com.au for details.
First published 25 September 2020: tasmaniantimes.com