Three notable events occurred since our last issue, the commissioning of our water recycling system and my daughter Alex's appointment to both the Margaret River Wine Industry Association Executive Committee and Wine Industry Association of WA Board of Directors. Appointed General Manager January 2005, it is a remarkable achievement for a 32-year-old having only been in the industry a few years.

Depending on which expert you talk to, WA is rather sensitive about water. We at Voyager Estate have been conducting ongoing environmental management programs since 2004 but our biggest project has been the installation of our new waste water treatment system. The idea is that we want to be able to recycle the water that we use in the winery. As a lot of the water ends up as waste, we've installed a system that takes that waste and cleans it up without chemicals. Subject to regular testing over the next 12 months, winery effluent, which is mainly vegetable matter and sugar, will be recycled and returned to our dams, thus saving many thousands of litres.

The most difficult feature about this project was the months of bureaucratic wrangling before starting. Two permits were required, one to build, another to operate. Our system's designers have previously installed seven systems identical to ours, all with the Department's approval, so you would think they would be able to secure an ongoing approval for this particular system. But no, we had to go through the same rigmarole. I accept the Department of Environment's concerns about inspecting and approving tailor made systems, but their persistent refusal to rubber stamp package systems with a proven track record is disgraceful. Environmental rules are essential but so is practical common sense. Government policy and regulation can be so heavy-handed and onerous that there is no incentive for rapid change - businesses tend to act only when threatened with fines or closure. What we really need are simple efficiencies to make it as easy as possible for businesses of all sizes to comply.

On the wine side of things, a remarkable achievement was James Halliday's write-up of the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot which he rated at 96 points having spotlessly clean black fruit aromas, outstanding texture and structure. Your magnificent response cleaned us out within a few weeks but we are able to offer the 2003 vintage new with this MAGNUM.

After a very dry June/July followed by a beautiful wet August/September, the season is shaping up to be excellent. The danger period is November when late storms can play havoc during flowering so here's hoping. That said, lightening took out our phones at Cellar Door in October for 9 days, which was a quite a shot across the bows!

And to cap off a successful year, Voyager Estate won the Gold Plate for Best Winery Restaurant, Best Tourism Restaurant, and amazingly, the Premier's Award for best overall.

Michael Wright

Proprietor