South West Life

It is a stinking hot day in Margaret River, and I am heading to the office of the man behind Wine by Brad and Mantra Wines for a chat about the business.  The “office” of Brad Wehr (Chief Executive Brad), is absolutely stunning.  A gorgeous little café overlooking the Indian Ocean in Gnarabup is the perfect setting -  somewhere Brad likes to spend time poring over his emails, or catching up for the odd meeting (not to mention a quick swim and a coffee!).  It is easy to see why he loves the region so much, and our chat reveals much more about his passion for great wine.

Brad’s introduction to the world of wine began after he was transferred as a young bloke from his job at the R & I bank in Albany, to Margaret River.  A keen surfer, he rolled into town and fell in love with the place, and the beautiful vineyards that Margaret River is so well known for.  "I got myself a job at Leeuwin Estate in Cellar Door Sales, where one of my friends worked.  Or maybe it was a girl I was chasing at the time", Brad says, with a cheeky grin.  He spent his time listening and learning, but it was sitting down to the famous Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay and putting his nose in the glass that set the wheels in motion.  "I was blown away" Brad says.  "I had never smelt anything like it, and even without having any knowledge, you could tell it was something special".  And so his fate was sealed. 

After Leeuwin Estate, Brad moved around a lot within the industry in Margaret River.  "I worked my way up the ladder.  I worked in production and as a General Manager, but I really wanted to take control of my own destiny", says Brad.  He wanted to do his own thing, which led to the creation of the Wine by Brad label in 2003.  Brad and a group of his friends had been sitting around, looking at wine labels that were so similar to each other, with crests and critters – "too much of the same thing, and a bit boring" says Brad.  They agreed on one thing.  The label for Wine by Brad needed to be different.  Inspired by Roy Lichtenstein’s pop art, which is based on romantic comic books (and more often than not with the male lead being named Brad), the idea for the Wine by Brad label was born.  These wines, made to convey the regionality of Margaret River, are excellent value for money, and the labels create a talking point and liveliness to any dinner table conversation.

Since the beginning of his own venture, Brad has known that the Wine by Brad label would not be to everybody’s taste.  A serious side needed to be developed, especially for some restaurants and retailers who prefer the more traditional and sophisticated look in a wine label.  This is how Mantra Wines came to fruition.  The fruit for these wines are sourced from Margaret River growers and single vineyard estates, and are produced in small batches.  Each wine under the Mantra label has its own mantra… an invocation that portrays feelings about drinking each Mantra wine.

I asked Brad about what he loves most about living and working in Margaret River.  “Nowhere else matches what I have got here.  Isolation, beaches, the forests and caves, and being able to sit here and do my work”, says Brad, as he points out towards the ocean, just in front of where we sit. “We are lucky to be able to live in an environment as beautiful as this.”  As far as producing wine in Margaret River, Brad feels that it is nearly the perfect environment for producing high quality table wines.  In terms of weather, it has ideal rainfall (but could always use a little more).  The springs are long and cool, and summers are warm without being too hot.  Consistent temperatures, which cool in the afternoon from the sea breeze, are perfect for producing excellent fruit.  Given the Margaret River region’s large size, there is a lot of variation in soil types, which in turn creates significant variation in the fruit’s characteristics, depending on the vineyard location.

Recent news is an indicator of just how tough the wine industry is at present.  Issues such as the current wine glut, news of potential vine-pull strategies, and discussions around changing the taxation rulings on alcohol mean that marketing and selling wine is imperative for wine producers.  Brad has the view that Western Australia is fortunate to be perceived as making a high percentage of Australia's premium wines, with no real mass-produced commodity wines, as may be seen in other wine-making regions in Australia.  There are a lot of strong players producing wine in Margaret River, and their reputation is strong in a moment of chaos and downturn.  Brad is an avid user of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to market the two brands.  “I enjoy it”, says Brad. “Twitter and Facebook have enabled me to meet people in the media, wine, food and lifestyle industries.  I have received publicity and listings in retailers and restaurants, as these forms of media enable me to speak directly to, and build relationships with people.”  Brad's understated method of marketing his brands is effective, and along with his veritable army of distributors, and followers, we can expect to see a lot more of Wine by Brad and Mantra around the traps.

Brad’s idea behind his wine is about making things easy for people.  The focus is on making wines that Margaret River does well.  “Stylistically it is important to make wine that is clean and fresh, that shows varietal character and regionality”, says Brad.  And it does show.  The wines are just that, but don’t just take my word for it.  Check them out for yourself. 

Visit South West Life later this week and check out my reviews on two of the Mantra wines – Mantra Chardonnay and Mantra Sangiovese.