Wolf Blass

Wolf Blass, an Australian wine brand that has garnered over 10,000 awards from around the world, was recognized as Australia's #1 wine brand for high-quality, large-scale production in 2003 and has maintained its excellent standards to this day. This success is the result of the tireless efforts of its founder, Wolfgang Franz Otto Blass, often simply called "Wolf," a man who never ceased to create the best for the world of wine. Today, Rimping Supermarket invites you to discover his extraordinary story.

An Unexpected Beginning: From Electrician to the World of Wine

Wolfgang Franz Otto Blass was born in 1934 in Germany. From childhood through adolescence, Wolf never imagined that his destiny would intertwine with the world of wine. His aspirations were quite different.

"When I was a kid, I always thought I wanted to be an electrician. And with the skills I had back then, I dare say if I were still an electrician today, I'd probably starve tomorrow," Wolf chuckled good-naturedly.

As a teenager, Wolf wasn't particularly interested in academics and often skipped school. Moreover, during that era, Germany was just beginning to recover from the aftermath of World War II, and job opportunities were scarce. Wolf's father, seeing no good prospects, issued an ultimatum to his son: "You either go back to school or you go apprentice at a vineyard... choose."

Wolf, who had no inclination for classroom learning to begin with, chose the vineyard. He never anticipated how deeply he would fall in love with the world of wine. In just three years, at the age of 18, Wolf became the youngest person to graduate with a degree in wine science at the time. Soon after, he moved to gain experience in the Champagne region of France, then continued to England to further his studies in Wine Blending. It was during this period that Wolf received an offer to work for a winery in Australia.

Australian Adventure: An Unexpected Invitation

In 1960, while Wolf was busy working at Avery, a wine merchant in Bristol, England, he received a call from the Australian Farmers Union. Wolf recognized the man on the other end of the line, as Australia was exporting a significant amount of wine to England at the time, leading to frequent business communication.

"Would you be interested in working in Australia for three years, Wolf? There's a winery looking for someone with expertise in making sparkling wine to join their team."

Naturally, as an enthusiastic young winemaker (a person who oversees every step of wine production), Wolf was immediately interested in the offer. However, he knew nothing about Australian wine. So, he took a train to London, went straight to Australia House, and tasted every Australian wine label he could find there.

"These wines taste awful. I can definitely do better," Wolf commented on the wines he tasted then, and decided to accept the job in Australia.

Challenges and Creativity

Australia was nothing like the Europe he had left behind. The weather, in particular, was about 15 degrees Celsius hotter and felt sticky and humid. For someone who had lived his entire life in cool, comfortable climates, this could have turned into a long three years of misery.

"I can't take this anymore! Can I just go home now?"

At that moment, his return ticket was indeed in Wolf's pocket. But what could he do? Having arrived, he decided to give it a shot.

Wolf signed a three-year contract with Kaiser Stuhl Wines as their Sparkling Wine Manager. His duty was to bring the company's sparkling wine to market, competing with other established market leaders. Wolf, then 27 years old, thought this company would be a significant step up in his career. It would be a job requiring extensive technical knowledge and dedication to produce wine that Australia had never seen before. But alas, the company was broke, had no money, no efficient work system, and nothing close to success.

Wolf had to solve problems with creativity, under severe financial constraints. But... Wolf actually enjoyed it.

In the Australian wine industry of that era, wineries did not allow winemakers to interact or communicate with colleagues from other wineries, fearing that secrets would leak. So, Wolf formed a secret group with winemakers from other wineries to meet and exchange techniques and discuss problems every Friday night. Everyone would bring their own wine to share, eventually becoming close friends.

Building His Own Empire: The Birth of Wolf Blass

After his three-year contract ended, Wolf went freelance, working as a technical consultant for various wineries, including those of his friends. He transformed wineries that only produced sweet wines into producers of high-quality wines suitable for everyday drinking. These wineries began to gain recognition and win numerous awards. But Wolf had to drive thousands of kilometers, working non-stop, and earning only $2.50 per hour.

Wolf enjoyed helping people, but it was time for him to start something of his own.

In 1966, Wolf managed to purchase a small 3-acre vineyard in Bilyara, Barossa Valley, and began making his own wine. This winery could not have been named anything other than Wolf's own name (Wolfgang Franz Otto Blass), thus giving rise to the name Wolf Blass.

The Eagle: Symbol of Wolf Blass

So, why does Wolf Blass have an eagle as its symbol?

The word Bilyara is an Aboriginal word meaning eagle. Furthermore, Wolf's birthplace, Germany, also has the eagle as its national animal. Therefore, he decided to adopt the eagle as the emblem for the Wolf Blass brand from then on, resolving the mystery of a "Wolf" in the name with no actual wolf in sight.

Obstacles and Success: The Growth of Wolf Blass

At that time, Wolf didn't have enough capital to make wine. His friend, Brian Link, lent Wolf money to buy grapes and blend wine, allowing him to produce his first batch of 2,500 bottles. Since the wine was not yet well-known, sales were modest. Wolf still needed to earn a living.

In 1969, Wolf quit his consulting work and signed a contract with Tolley Scott and Tolley as their Manager and Chief Winemaker, while continuing to make his own wine after hours. In just three years, Wolf led this winery to unprecedented success as a producer of red wines in Australia.

However, success at Tolley Scott and Tolley did not mean that the board of directors approved of Wolf also making his own wine.

"Wolfgang! Are you going to work for us or make your own wine? We can't let you do both at the same time. You have to choose! What's it going to be!?"

Once again, Wolf was given an ultimatum about his life's path, and this time, he chose to make his own wine. Wolf called all the friends he had helped as a consultant. Everyone confirmed their support for Wolf. So, he bid farewell to the Tolley Scott and Tolley board and seriously began making his own wine.

In 1973, Wolf Blass began to gradually produce wines, focusing on easy-drinking wines that could be consumed immediately upon release, without needing further cellaring. These wines were also designed to be accessible to women, truly a wine for everyone. This approach was not always favored by wine competition judges and critics at the time.

Nevertheless, with the knowledge and experience he had accumulated, combined with the help of his friends in the wine industry, Wolf Blass wines gained increasing recognition and acceptance. They started sweeping national and international awards, overflowing his trophy cabinet. Wolf expanded his business to other local wineries to ensure sufficient production to distribute his wines to over 30 countries, while also creating income for wine growers.

Color-Coded Wine Series: Simplicity That Made a Difference

Wolf Blass wines are categorized into different series by their label color, a system designed to avoid the complex hierarchical wine classification prevalent in Europe. Wolf Blass has used this system since the very beginning in 1966.

"Back then, all imported wines had white labels. Australians here primarily drank beer anyway. They didn't understand what grape variety or region the wine on that white label came from," Wolf explained. "Making separate colored labels, that's easy to understand. As for using yellow... there's nothing to it, it just stands out."

Wolf's system of categorizing wines by label color was indeed simple and effective. In addition to yellow, red, and gold labels, Wolf Blass also has wines with silver, black, and white labels (and sometimes grey), each indicating a more specialized grape source and a more complex production process, corresponding to the level of the color.

A Living Legend: Wolf Blass Today

Even with the immense success Wolf Blass enjoys today, Wolf, in his 80s, continues to work as an Ambassador for Wolf Blass Wines International. He travels the world, representing Wolf Blass at various events, and also chairs the Wolf Blass Foundation, which supports the development of the Australian wine industry.

"I've never thought of retiring. I genuinely can't imagine how I'd endure being in the kitchen at home with my wife all day," Wolf said, laughing heartily.

"My doctor retired... my dentist retired... my legal advisor, my partners, all my friends, they've all retired."

"As for me, I'm still that stubborn person who comes to the office every day, works Monday to Friday. And you know what? I'm still passionate about doing it because I love my wine."

From the first day Wolf set foot on Australian soil to today, he still keeps that return ticket. If he had given up and returned to Europe that day, there would be no Wolf Blass, the Barossa Valley might not be filled with vineyards, and perhaps Australian wine wouldn't be as significant in the world of wine as it is today.