Blass, Wolfgang Franz Otto
Biographical Highlights
1934
Born in East Germany
1949
Apprenticeship wine-making & viticulture
1953-54
Wine university, Kellermeister Diploma (Master of Wine), Wurzburg University
 1954
Sparkling wine maker & Kellermeister, Germany
1957
Wine chemist and cellar superintendent, London and Bristol.
1960
Job offers as sparkling wine expert - Australia or Venezuela (South America)
1961
First Diploma holder - Wine & Spirit (London); migrated to Australia.
1961-63
Kaiser Stuhl Co-op; pearl wines and sparking wine development
1964-69
First freelance technical adviser for $2.50 per hour seven days a week
to companies like Woodleys, Normans, Basedows, Bleasdale, Clare Valley
Co-op, and Jim Barry, introducing quality table wines into their portfolios.
Operated a selling arm under the name "Selected Wine Distributor"
– commission 3-5 cents per gallon.
1969-73
Manager & winemaker, United Distillers Tollano, responsible for table
wine production; converted Tolleys’ brandy image into a wine image.
Heralded the 'golden boy' in the new era, changing the red wine style
through selected oak maturation with "drinkability" the keyword.
1973
Resigned and started his own business with a $2,000 overdraft. First vintage
1966 of 250 dozen. Land holding 2� acres with an old army shed.
1974-76
Won 3 consecutive Jimmy Watson Trophies (Melbourne) receiving sensational
publicity. At the time, the media quoted him as saying: "My wines
make strong women weak and weak men strong"!!
John Glaetzer joined Blass. Bilyara Vineyards adopts Eaglehawk label.
National distribution network established in all states. First exported
in mid 1970's to New Zealand, Fiji, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and
Papua New Guinea.
1977
Developed a new Rhine Riesling style (grape juice addition) which became
Australia’s most preferred Rhine Riesling.
1984
Wolf Blass Wines became a public company (market capitalisation of $15.2
million) with Wolf Blass retaining 60%.
1984-85
1.6 million bottles were sold.
1985
Establishment of the Wolf Blass headquarters at 64 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide.
National Marketing Award For Excellence awarded by The Australian Marketing
Institute. Marketing and packaging was revolutionised by adding fun to
the product i.e. 'Bow tie' and label description based on colour. International
partnership with Remy Martin, France, and Formation of Remy/Blass sales
distribution - a national company.
1986
Acquisition of 50% of the independent Australian Bottling Company, including
production of sparkling wine and champagne type production.
1987
South Australian Great Achievements Award in Commerce.
1989
Finalist in National Business Entrepreneur of the Year award, Sydney.
1990
A New Zealand joint venture wine company in the Marlborough region between
Corbans Wines and Wolf Blass Wines International. By the end of 1990,
the number of national and international awards since 1966 vintage totalled
an incredible 2,575 comprising:
135 trophies
712 gold medals
812 silver medals
869 bronze medals
47 diplomas
Named Australia's most successful red wine exhibitor at national wine
shows – Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart and
Canberra – the top honour for the 9th time in 10 years.
 Joint
venture between with the Wolf Blass Wines International-owned Australian
Bottling Company and one of the world's largest wine & spirit manufacturers
and distributors, Joseph e. Seagrams & Sons Inc., to create Australia’s
largest independently owned wine packaging operation.
Export to 30 different countries, 7 international airlines and various
shipping lines.
1991
Personally initiated Australia’s very first public museum of the
wine industry, Barossa Valley Wine Heritage Museum, at Bilyara vineyards.
Merged with Mildara to form Mildara Blass Limited (market capitalisation
of $125 million). Formation of Wolf Blass & Associates Pty. Ltd.,
carrying out various businesses from investments and developments. Release
of the biography, "Wolf Blass - a journey in wine."
1992
Acclaimed by an independent panel of peers from the world wine industry
as International Winemaker of The Year at the International Wine &
Spirit Competition in London and awarded the Robert Mondavi Trophy. On
the international scene, Wolf Blass as an ambassador has a huge impact
on the image and quality of the Australian wine industry.
1994
Founder Chairman of the $1,000,000 Wolf Blass Foundation to assist the
wine industry achieve excellence in winemaking, viticulture and marketing.
1996
Wolf Blass Foundation staged the inaugural International Wine & Health
Conference "Medically, is wine just another alcoholic beverage?"
in Sydney, attracting prominent national & international epidemiologists
and research scientists. The proceedings of the conference were then published
by the Foundation and distributed nationally and internationally.
Awarded an honorary doctorate of applied science in recognition of his
contribution to wine export development through the 1970's and 1980's
and his innovative marketing skills which revolutionised wine marketing
and packaging within Australia - the first Australian winemaker and winery
proprietor ever to receive this honour. The award was made by the Charles
Sturt University which is responsible for the education of 80% of Australian
oenologists.
1997
Awarded the inaugural ‘Legend Of Langhorne Creek’ honour by
The Langhorne Creek winemakers’ and grapegrowers’ associations
for his outstanding contribution to these industries.
1998
Wolf Blass Foundation sponsored the ‘taste theatres’ at Wine
Australia in Melbourne, in conjunction with the Australian Society of
Wine Education. The Foundation also implemented the inaugural wine student
exchange between Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, Australia, and
the Wurzburg Wine University in Germany.
2000
Winner of the 10th McWilliams Wines Maurice O'Shea Award.
June, 2001
Appointed as a Member in the Order of Australia for "service to the
development of the Australian wine industry, particularly as an export
industry, and to the promotion of excellence in winemaking, viticulture,
marketing and research".
Wolf's present position
Ambassador for Wolf Blass Wines International, participating in promotion,
overseas development and maintaining the quality style of the winemaking
production.
Wolf the person
Married to Shirley Nyberg-Blass. Three children - two daughters, Susan
and Sharyn and one son, Anton. Two grandchildren - Braiden and Shae.
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