A LOVE OF WINE

When you pick a wine from your local store or off a winelist in a restaurant. You probably don’t think how that wine made its way from the winery to your glass. We shine a light on one of the unsung heros working behind the scenes, talking with Lilly Heenan and ask what it’s like working in one of Australia’s Avant-garde wine importers.

Lilly Heenan

What inspired you to pursue a career in the liquor industry, and how did you get started?

My career in the liquor industry is almost a fluke, really. A wonderful fluke. I walked into a little country cafe at age fifteen and dropped off my first resume. What led on from my first place of employment there is a very fruitful, engaging and everlasting passion for food, beverage, hospitality, community and the love that is poured out when sharing all of those things together.

What are some of the most common misconceptions people have about your job, and how do you address them?

That my job is just consuming wine for a living. I promise, It’s so much more! The most common misconception is that a career in the wine industry is easy, frivolous and one dimensional. It’s the opposite. It is a lifelong learning career that spans the globe, providing education, travel, knowledge of geology, geography, climate, weather patterns, export market, distribution of product. It’s fascinating. I don’t think fifteen year old me ever imagined that I would be working in the liquor industry and now I can think of anything else I could possibly do.

Can you tell us about some of the unique products or services your business specialises in, and what sets you apart from competitors?

I am employed as the Queensland sales representative for Lo-Fi Wines. We are an Australian based wine importer and distributor of local and international producers with a strong commitment to sustainability in the vineyard, a focus on low-intervention in the cellar and a passion for good drinking. The wines we represent are natural leaning, and the portfolio is filled with esoteric and thoughtful wines from all corners of the world. Ciliegiolo from Umbria, Schiava from SüdTirol, Blaufrankisch from Burgenland, Pineau d’Aunis from Loire. Wines from the heart. All of them are so thoughtfully crafted and all have a story and a family history.

“ Having empathy and understanding of your customer is so important.”

What skills and qualities do you think are most important for success in your line of work, and how have you developed this over time?

The quality of listening, asking questions and being intuitive. I worked for several years as a sommelier and what I took away from this is just how much trust a guest puts in you to select them the perfect bottle of wine, based on the instinctive and shared conversation. Having empathy and understanding of your customer is so important. Having been on the other side of the fence on a restaurant floor before moving to sales has given me that sensitivity. The customer that I deal with on a daily basis has shifted, I am no longer dealing with the public, a group of people eager and excited to try a bottle and leave it in your capable hands. Now I work with incredibly skilled, deeply knowledgeable professionals who have a trained palate and a deep understanding of their wine bar, shop shelves, wine list and inventory. It’s important to recognise the pressure, the pace and the urgency of needing specific styles of wine, price points, delivery dates. Presence and intuition are essential.

Can you recommend a particular product that you think is a hidden gem and why, along with some tasting notes?

Fabio Gea DNAss Nebbiolo

Lo-Fi import the wines of Fabio Gea, one of the funniest, most provocative winemakers in the wine world. He is making some expressive wines from various small parcels around Barbaresco, Piedmont in the North of Italy. His wines are experimental, thoughtful, and rule-breaking, especially for the conventions of prestigious winemaking in the region he grows and produces in. The cuvee ‘DNAss’ is Nebbiolo, the noble grape of the region, but made wildly. Fermented partially submerged in a pool of water over the winter months, the temperature difference between the submerged and the cold air causes a hydrodynamic movement inside the vessel, in essence softening the wine. It is light as a feather, soft and plush and pure, but powerful in production and palate. An intriguing wine.

What is your favourite wine and food pairing, and why do you think they complement each other so well?

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine and a freshly shucked Merimbula oyster. A simple and maybe obvious pairing but is there anything better? Muscadet is the appellation and Melon de Bourgogne is the varietal. The Merimbula oyster is flinty and saline, almost umami. Muscadet is fresh, youthful and a little herby. Good combo. Domaine de Bellevue ‘Gaia’ for a splurge. OR! A glass of house white alongside a bowl of Moules-frites in Nantes is a pretty stunning pairing if you happen to find yourself in France anytime soon.

How do you like to unwind and relax after a busy day at work, and what activities do you enjoy outside of the office?

Taking big, long walks are really helpful to calm the mind after a busy working day. Sales is such a dynamic and exciting job but also filled with quick adrenaline rushes and all those high highs and low lows, and a walk can really settle the active brain. My all time favourite thing to do is host big, bustling dinner parties at our house with all our friends. Bottles flowing, plates filled with food and joyful conversation. There’s nothing better!

What has been your most memorable experience working in the liquor industry, and why was it so impactful?

So many memorable moments - I’ve judged on an organic wine panel and tasted over 300 organic wines of Australia, I’ve achieved the award of Best Wine List Queensland in the Wine List of the Year Awards during my tenure at Agnes Restaurant, I’ve travelled to many wine growing regions and met many beautiful farmers and winemakers. The most memorable experience was my wine harvest experience. I spent last harvest season in Gols, a small town in the heart of the Burgenland in East Austria, bordering Hungary. We picked every morning, bringing in varietals like Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch, Welschriesling, Sankt Laurent and Weissburgunder from both their estate vines and neighbouring sites, and processed them back in the afternoon and well into the evening some nights. A magic experience working alongside a wine producing family.

Are there any other countries or regions where you would like to work or gain experience, and why?

Every single wine growing region in the world! It’s an endless opportunity. Though it would be great to gain production experience in Australia and develop a deep understanding of the industry and the domestic market. It will provide the framework for the future of growing and producing wine in Australia, and a connection to the land. We are doing inspiring things here.

Q&A with Lilly Heenan, from LOFI Wines.