A Glass Half Full Look at Victorian Wine – My Q&A with Dan Sims
I’ve known Dan Sims for more than a decade, from my days at Melbourne Food & Wine Festival through to my time with Wine Victoria and All Saints Estate. He has always been someone I admire for his energy, his advocacy, and his ability to bring people together around wine in a way that feels fresh, fun, and unpretentious.
Today, Dan is Chair of Wine Victoria and until very recently he was the driving force behind Pinot Palooza and Revel. I sat down with him for Growth Insights to talk about the current state of Victorian wine, where the challenges are, and more importantly, where the opportunities lie.
As you’ll read, Dan has a knack for telling it like it is, but always with a glass-half-full outlook.
Q: For those who don’t know you, can you share your background and what Wine Victoria does?
Dan Sims: I’m a sommelier by trade so my career has always been about working with wine front of house. I’ve been on the Wine Victoria board for nearly four years and Chair for almost three. Wine Victoria is the state’s peak advocacy body for growers and producers. We’re not a marketing organisation. We’re here to be the industry’s voice to government, to unlock funding, and run programs that support wineries. These include export initiatives with Global Victoria, field days, workshops and collaborations like Drink Victorian.
We’re a small volunteer board doing a lot with a little. Luckily, we have Stephanie Duboudin as CEO who is an absolute force, and Halani in our secretariat keeping the wheels turning. Without them, none of this would happen.
Q: What are the biggest pressures on Victorian wineries right now, and where do you see opportunities?
Dan Sims: There’s a lot of competition out there, but focussing only on negativity doesn’t help anyone. People are drinking less but spending more. They’re leaning toward lighter wine styles, and that is where Victoria shines with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and other elegant varieties.
The old narrative that young people aren’t into wine is just wrong. At Pinot Palooza, 60 percent of the crowd is under 35. Add under-45s and it’s 80 percent. Young people are into wine, they’re just not into being lectured or talked down to.
There’s also exciting innovation happening. New flavours, lighter styles, alternative packaging like Bagnums that make wine more adaptable to how people live today. Wine needs to fit their lifestyle, not the other way around.
And leadership gives me real confidence. Programs like Next Crop and Future Leaders are bringing through some incredible talent. We are at our best when we lift people up and when the time comes, step aside to let them lead.
Q: You’ve built some of the most successful wine events in the country. What makes a great experience for wine lovers?
Dan Sims: First off, can we stop calling people “consumers”? It’s awful. These are people you’re talking to. And please, don’t open with trellising systems, baume levels or malolactic fermentation. You have 30 seconds to grab someone’s attention. Tell them who you are, why you’re there, what makes your wine special, and how to enjoy it.
Hospitality is everything. If someone has chosen to walk up to your stand, the least you can do is smile and say hello. If you’re standing there with arms crossed, drinking beer and complaining about how busy you are, that is on you. Events are chaotic. Embrace it, have fun, make people feel welcome. At Pinot Palooza, we’ve had over 15,000 people across four cities with an average $45 bottle spend. People love wine. They just want to experience it socially.
Q: What advice would you give small producers thinking about exporting?
Dan Sims: First ask yourself, are you really ready? Export takes time and commitment. Do your research, know your numbers, understand the market you want to enter and whether you can service it properly. If someone orders a container of wine, can you deliver? Do you understand pricing, currency conversions, documentation?
Programs through Global Victoria and Wine Victoria are there to help, but success comes from having a strategy and showing up. We had our biggest ever Victorian contingent at Vinexpo Singapore recently. History is made by those who show up.
Quickfire with Dan Sims
Victorian region that deserves more love? The Grampians and Pyrenees for their resilience. Murray Darling too for producing quality wines that overdeliver on value.
A memorable glass of wine? A Lightfoot Rosé on the deck at golden hour after finally finishing building it. And a Bindi Darshan Pinot with Michael Dhillon.
Trend you’re excited about? Flavour innovation and alternative packaging. We need to embrace new formats faster.
Tradition you’d scrap? The word “consumer” and the habit of talking process over story. Wine is about people and connection.
What excites you most about the future? The next generation of leaders in this state. Their talent, passion and empathy give me absolute confidence in where Victorian wine is headed. And the wines themselves have never been better.
This is the glass-half-full take on Victorian wine we all needed. To hear the full conversation including Dan’s thoughts on collaboration, storytelling and the future of our industry, watch the full 20-minute Growth Insights interview here.