“Innovation is in our DNA…” says Darren De Bortoli, managing director of De Bortoli Wines.

De Bortoli Wines has just been recognised in the 2019 AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies List.

The only winery to be named in the competition, the Australian family-owned business ranked 10th on the Manufacturing & Consumer Goods list, from over 800 nominated companies across Australia and New Zealand. The accolade was received for continuing to be at the forefront of driving new trends and innovation in Australia’s wine industry.

Published by The Australian Financial Review and Boss Magazine, the list is based on an assessment process that measures a top innovation implemented in the past 12 months, with judges considering how valuable the problem is that the innovation is solving, the quality and uniqueness of the solution, and the level of impact that the innovation has had. Internal elements such as innovation culture, strategy, resources and process, which demonstrate a sustainable and repeatable approach to innovation, are also assessed. For the first time in 2019, organisations were ranked directly against their peers across 10 industry lists.

With more than 500,000 wine brands to choose from in Australia, consumers can be confused by all the options available. To cut-through this fragmented market, De Bortoli Wines wanted to create a product that was fully integrated, not just about the taste, appearance or manufacturer, but a product that consumers could identify with on a personal level. This motivation drove the innovation of Rosé Rosé.

With consumers in mind, De Bortoli Wines utilised their 360 degree collaborative approach to drive the innovation. Both internal and external stakeholders were involved in this project, including winemaking, operations, marketing, sales, graphic design, as well as customers and suppliers who helped to keep the innovation customer-focussed.

“From the label design to the bottle style, wine quality and marketing approach, our Rosé Rosé is a fully integrated vineyard-to-glass innovation that is proving popular among consumers,” said Mr De Bortoli.

“We are thrilled to receive this recognition, which acknowledges how our family has been pushing the boundaries of wine making for more than 90 years to produce wines for everyone to enjoy.

“What separated the most innovative organisations from the least, was the involvement of the customer the entire way through the innovation process. Leading innovators also had strong mechanisms in place to recognise the innovation efforts of their staff,” said Dr Amantha Imber, Founder, Inventium, the innovation consultancy that conducted the assessment process for the list.