In the late 1950s, the U.S. Ford Motor corporation faced a crisis. The ambitiously launched new car "Edsel" was shunned by consumers after its release, leaving a loss of about $250 million. Developing new models is routine at automobile corporations, but at Ford then, it became difficult even to bring up talk of a new car. The Henry Ford Museum records that "after the failure of the Edsel, discussing new-car development inside Ford bordered on 'heresy.'"
The person who reversed the mood was Vice President Lee Iacocca, then head of Ford's division. He projected that the baby boom generation, born after World War II, would emerge as a massive car-buying cohort as they reached adulthood. He judged that the car they wanted was not a sedate midsize like Ford's existing lineup, but a car with a fast, sleek style at an affordable price.
Iacocca gathered a small group of colleagues who shared his views. The meeting place was not the company headquarters. They met secretly at a small motel called the Fairlane Inn, about 2 miles from Ford's headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. Later called the Fairlane Committee, they specified the conditions for a car aimed at younger buyers one by one. It would have four seats, ample trunk space, and a sleek profile made by a long hood and short rear overhang, while keeping vehicle weight under 2,500 pounds and the price under $2,500.
The car born from this concept is the Mustang, now synonymous with Ford. By using the platform of the existing Ford Falcon, they reduced development costs and time, and in 1962 received formal approval from Chairman Henry Ford II. Unveiled at the New York World's Fair in April 1964, the Mustang sold more than 418,000 units in its first year. That figure far exceeded Ford's original projection of 150,000 by more than double. The small secret meetings carried out out of the company's sight ended up changing a scene in the American auto industry.
The wine industry also had a small secret project that started in a similar way. Jo Nash, a winemaker at Australia's McPherson Wines, found a block of Shiraz grapes with unusually outstanding quality in 2014. She gently crushed the grapes and aged the wine for 12 months in French oak barrels.
The problem was the barrel price. McPherson described the French oak used at the time as "ridiculously expensive" barrels. Moreover, the accounting manager did not know about the project. The wine born that way was named "Don't Tell Gary." Gary was the name of the accounting manager.
McPherson Wines is an independent, family-run winery based in Victoria, Australia. It started in 1968 and has been making wine for more than 50 years. The winery is in Nagambie, Victoria, and it selects grapes mainly from Central Victoria to make its wines.
McPherson is a producer that, rather than staying only with traditional methods, steadily experiments with new styles, winemaking techniques, and blends. Its official website even bears the phrase "Where Tradition Meets Bold Ideas." Don't Tell Gary, a brand that grew from the anecdote of a winemaker who prioritized the winemaking approach she wanted over expense calculations after discovering excellent grapes, well reflects McPherson's character.
Don't Tell Gary is made from 100% Shiraz, using only top-quality fruit selected from grapes harvested in Victoria. After primary fermentation, the wine is transferred to 500L French oak puncheons. Compared with the commonly used 225L barrels in winemaking, the capacity is more than double. The larger the barrel, the lower the ratio of wine-to-wood contact for the same volume of wine, which helps keep oak flavors from becoming overly strong and aids in balancing with the fruit character.
Of the French oak used, 80% is new and 20% is one-year-old oak used once before. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in these barrels. From grape growing to winemaking, artificial intervention was kept to a minimum. The focus was on maximizing the pure flavors of high-quality fruit while harmonizing the ripe fruit notes typical of Shiraz with the spice character derived from French oak.
In the glass, it shows a deep garnet color. On the nose, black fruits such as black cherry and blueberry rise along with various spice aromas. On the palate, well-ripened black fruit flavors like blackberry are joined by pepper and gentle oak spice. Medium weight with silky tannins delivers a rich yet smooth texture. It pairs well with charcuterie and cheese, charcoal-grilled steak, and meat pies. Don't Tell Gary won the grand prize in the New World red wine category at the 2026 Korea Wine & Spirits Awards. The domestic importer is Tiger International.