book.tasman - Flipbook - Page 24
24 -FEBRUARY 2023
Farewell
to hero
of Tassie
industry
MARK SMITH
TASMANIAN vineyards experienced
a busy sales period during the recent
festive season, but one face missing
from the crowds this year was local
wine identity Phil Laing.
A familiar cellar door visitor in his
lurid shirts and broad-rimmed hats, the
former teacher was Tasmanian wine’s
unofficial ambassador for more than
40 years before being diagnosed with
motor neurone disease in mid-2022.
Laing ended his life on December
28 with the support of registered health
practitioners, acting in accordance
with the Tasmanian Parliament’s End
of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted
Dying) Act 2021.
He was 67.
Born in Launceston, Laing moved
south to study at the University of Tasmania in the early 1970s. In addition
to gaining his Arts degree and diploma
in teaching, the gregarious history buff
went on to develop an enduring passion for fine food and beverage.
Laing began writing about wine in
the late 1980s. As cellarmaster of a
large and very active wine club based
in Hobart, he received encouragement
and friendship from pioneering producers including Graham Wiltshire
(Heemskerk Wines), Dr Andrew
Pirie (Pipers Brook Vineyard) and
the Alcorso family (Moorilla Estate).
Laing observed first-hand the
growth of an embryonic wine industry.
Freycinet Vineyard winemaker
Claudio Radenti was a close friend
for over 30 years.
“Phil was the consummate educator,” Radenti recalls.
“Entirely self-taught, he conveyed
the joy of wine to countless hospitality
and trade people, as well as the general
LIMITEED
TIM
ONLY!
public. Many Tasmanians started their
journey into wine through Phil.”
In 1991, Laing enlisted the support
of Derwent Valley winemaker Greg
O’Keefe to conduct the state’s first
annual regional wine show. Entry was
restricted to exhibits produced entirely
from Tasmanian wine grapes.
Laing persuaded renowned international author, wine judge and Victorian
winemaker James Halliday to chair the
event. Its 43 wines from 16 exhibitors
were assessed in short order but cast
the die for a 1992 competition that
added a further critic to the judging
panel, Sydney-based Huon Hooke.
“Those early shows reflected Phil’s
faith in the long-term future of the Tasmanian wine industry and his unorthodox and truly unique way of doing
things,” Radenti adds.
“Halliday and Hooke were lured
here by the prospect of enjoying some
good trout fishing after their tasting
and judging. Having Australia’s best
known wine writers involved from
the outset meant their expert judging
would provide improvement of the
breed, not to mention the incredible
national publicity we would receive
following each show. Producers would
then sell more wine.
“It was an audacious move. You
have to remember that barely five
years before that 1991 event, Tasmania’s first official wine vintage report
revealed the entire industry here produced just 154 tonnes of wine grapes
from 47ha of vines.”
Insider knowledge that accumulated
with Laing’s 33-year commitment to
the Tasmanian Wine Show resulted in
self-publication of three books on Tasmanian wine. He also became a regular contributor to Tasmanian lifestyle
magazines and national publication
ANY
SIZE
FOR THE PRICE OF A
SINGLE
Tasmanian wine’s
greatest cheerleader
Phil Laing (inset) and
Freycinet Vineyard,
one of the many he
championed.
GrapeGrowers & Vignerons.
News of the island’s increasingly
successful forays into cool climate
viticulture encouraged international
wine luminaries to visit Tasmania for
show events. Sparkling wine expert
Tom Stevenson, noted German wine
writer Jens Priewe and globe-trotting
Californian winemaker and industry
consultant Nick Goldschmidt figured
among early participants.
“I had the pleasure of working with
Phil for 28 years at the Tasmanian
PLUS
Wine Show,” Hooke says.
“Phil made wine fun. His was the
first and only wine guide I’ve ever
seen which included an appraisal of
the winery dog in its assessment of the
establishment. That was long before
the Wine Dogs books were thought
of.”
Now beginning a new year without
the support of their greatest cheerleader, Tasmanian wine producers are
united in believing Laing left behind
a remarkable legacy.
“Phil made sure word got about that
Tasmania is an extraordinary place,”
says Radenti.
“That gave us a huge boost at our
cellar doors.
“It’s also one of the reasons so many
mainland wine producers have come
to Tasmania in recent years to get in on
the action here. Tasmanian producers
thank Phil for his lifetime of service
to the industry.”
Laing is survived by his wife, Sally,
and daughter, Rose.
DOUBLE
QANTAS POINTS
*
2 Qantas Points per $1 spent (usually 1 point per $1 spent)
Get ANY SIZE mattress, even a SUPER KING,
for the price of a single!
FI4880
Cambridge Unit 11, Cambridge Homemaker Ctr, 66 Kennedy Drive. Ph. 6248 4215
fortywinks.com.au
Get any size for the price of a single in the corresponding range. The Any Size for a single offer must be completed in the original transaction, during the promotional period. The upsized mattress, will be the same brand
and model as the original mattress chosen. Selected brands only. Mattress only. Exclusions apply. Super King not available on all mattresses. Terms and conditions apply, see in store for details. The full Forty Winks terms
and conditions can also be found on www.fortywinks.com.au/terms-conditions. You must be a Qantas Frequent Flyer member to earn points. Membership and points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program
terms and conditions, available at qantas.com/terms. A joining fee usually applies however, Forty Winks customers can join for free. Qantas Frequent Flyer members will earn 2 Qantas Points per $ 1 spent (usually 1 point
per $1 spent) on selected mattress purchases made between 30/01/2023 to 26/02/2023 from participating Forty Winks retail or online stores and must present their Qantas Frequent Flyer membership number at the time
of purchase. Not valid in conjunction with other Forty Winks promotions which enable members to earn Qantas Points by purchasing products. Qantas Points will be allocated within 14 days of the product delivery date.