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Thousands of wine enthusiasts and tourists in South Australia are experiencing a transformative approach to wine tasting. Following the successful launch of DrinkWise’s ‘Stay tasteful while tasting’ initiative by South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, Pernod Ricard Winemakers’ South Australian venues – Jacob’s Creek and St Hugo cellar doors – have distributed over 10,000 Stay tasteful while tasting tracker scratchies, helping wine lovers keep track of their tastings and understand how many tastings add up to a standard drink.

DrinkWise’s Stay tasteful while tasting is a national initiative, in partnership with Australian Grape & Wine and the National Wine Foundation. Since the initial campaign launch in 2022, over 1,800 winery cellar doors, wine festivals and events, and tourism associations across Australia have been sent resources to help them educate their guests about the importance of moderation by utilising the education resources provided by DrinkWise, including scratchies, signage and digital resources.

DrinkWise CEO, Simon Strahan, said the educational campaign is aimed at helping consumers make better choices when tasting wines.

“With approximately eight million visitors to wineries across Australia annually and tastings available at the many cellar doors on the tourism pathway, consumers need an easy and effective means to track their drinking, especially if they are driving. The more than 200 South Australian cellars doors are typically located a long drive away from cities, so it’s imperative that visitors know how much they’re consuming in order to make responsible choices. This is why it’s great to hear that our Stay tasteful while tasting initiative has been such a success at Jacob’s Creek and St Hugo, two of South Australia’s leading cellar doors.

“DrinkWise works with government, police, community and the alcohol industry in a whole of community approach to deliver these important messages, when and where people are purchasing or consuming alcohol. The innovative Stay tasteful while tasting scratchie cards demonstrate visually that six 15ml tastings is approximately one standard drink, enabling consumers to actively think about their  alcohol consumption and make safer, healthier and more responsible decisions.”

Pernod Ricard’s Legal, Public Affairs, Communications and S&R Director, Chair of the National Wine Foundation and DrinkWise Board Member, Helen Strachan said: “I am proud to see the widespread adoption of DrinkWise’s Stay tasteful while tasting initiative at cellar doors across Australia, including in our Jacob’s Creek and St Hugo cellar doors, where our guests to just those two cellar doors have now used over 10,000 tasting tracker scratchies.

“By identifying the need to embed responsible drinking as part of the cellar door experience, DrinkWise has achieved a societal change ensuring wine tasting is an inclusive, responsible and safer experience for everyone. Our cellar door guests now have access to engaging educational resources, such as innovative scratchies and standard drink references, empowering our customers to monitor and manage their alcohol consumption.

“As a board member of DrinkWise and Chair of the Australian Grape & Wine National Wine Foundation, a significant contributor to this initiative, I am thrilled that Pernod Ricard Winemakers has played a pivotal role in assisting our guests in making informed and responsible decisions regarding their alcohol consumption.”

Front of House Manager at Jacob’s Creek Shannon Kruschel, said: “DrinkWise’s Stay tasteful while tasting initiative has been key in enabling us to put responsible hosting at the forefront of our customer experience at Pernod Ricard. The scratchies are a huge hit with guests – they are a talking point with our staff to help guests understand why we have them and educate on how many tastings equate to a standard drink.”

The DrinkWise initiative has been a key contributor to Jacob’s Creek receiving Pernod Ricard Winemaker’s Responsible Hosting certification, an accreditation aimed at ensuring responsible serving of alcohol standards are met globally across Pernod Ricard venues.

Precinct Manager at Jacob’s Creek and St Hugo, Zoe Wilde, added: “When we talk about ‘Responsible Hosting’ in the cellar door world and especially if we think about how much other information our hosts share during the experience, it can seem like just one more thing to do, but Stay tasteful while tasting is so easy to implement and it is such an important message for our guests. Sharing this important message of moderation with our guests has become crucial to ensuring the experience is a safe one. The DrinkWise collateral has also helped us achieve several criteria required for Responsible Hosting certification and is included as part of our consumer education, governance and duty of care strategies. I’d encourage all cellar doors and venues in South Australia to ensure this initiative is front and centre at their venues so it continues to be part of the norm when consuming alcohol at cellar doors.”

To keep track of their tastings, wine lovers can grab their DrinkWise scratchies at Jacob’s Creek and St Hugo cellar doors, the Barossa Visitor Centre, as well as a range of other cellar doors, wine festivals and events and tourism associations across McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Coonawarra and Clare Valley. Cellar doors who’d like to access DrinkWise’s free Stay tasteful while tasting resources can contact info@drinkwise.org.au.