Wine tasters across cellar doors in Australia will have access to new ‘scratchie’ cards as part of a national campaign to educate and promote responsible drinking at wine tastings.
The Stay Tasteful while Tasting initiative was launched Wednesday in Victoria by Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt. The partnership with DrinkWise and Australian Grape & Wine with the assistance of the Mornington Peninsular Wine Industry will help visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience while wine tasting in the region.
Under the initiative, ‘scratchie cards’ will be given to visitors at cellar doors to track tastings. Responsible drinking resources are also being shared with over 1800 cellar doors and tourism associations across Australia.
“With wineries typically located a long drive away from cities, it’s imperative that wine tasters know how much they’re consuming in order to make responsible choices,” said Hunt.
DrinkWise CEO Simon Strahan wants to promote a healthy drinking culture by providing education that allows people to make better choices with tastings.
“DrinkWise works with the industry to deliver these important messages when people are purchasing or consuming alcohol and this partnership with Australian Grape & Wine is a vital component in educating Australians who choose to consume alcohol, that is to do so in a healthier and safer way.”
Australian Grape & Wine CEO Tony Battaglene welcomed the initiative and said such resources are much needed now since there has been a growing number of people visiting cellar doors and wine festivals again after the challenges during the past few years.
“Consumer education and duty of care are really important to all of us, so we are actively encouraging all wine businesses in Victoria to use these resources in their cellar doors,” said Olivia Barrie, Mornington Peninsula Wine CEO.
The Mornington Peninsula is home to some of Australia’s great wines and tourism is an essential part of the business.
The initiative has also been expanded beyond cellars with the scratchies and digital resources available to festivalgoers at next months’ Peninsula Piers & Pinot wine festival on the Flinders foreshore.
