A snapshot of wine business, research and marketing content gleaned from local and international wine media sources. Emailed Monday to Friday excluding public holidays. Click here to subscribe, for advertising inquiries, click to download our media kit.

Announcements and Suppliers

14/05/2012: WISA and ASVO collaborate for industry events
WISA and the ASVO are pleased to announce their collaboration on a number of industry events in the coming year and in the future. These events will include the seminar focusing on ‘Objective Measure of Grape and Wine Quality’ to be held in Mildura on the 25th and 26th of July, an Awards Dinner recognising excellence in supply and research to be held in Adelaide on the 18th of October, and a November seminar to be held in Adelaide with a focus on sustainability and efficiency in the winery.

14/05/2012: Australian wine marketer Rob Hope-Murray launches new export website
Australian wine marketer Rob Hope-Murray has launched his new export website www.prestigecellars.com.au with the aim of exporting fine Australian wines to the emerging Asian countries and China. Rob’s Melbourne-based office is developing relationships with agents and importers in most countries, to be part of his Asian region network , with plans to assist agents with marketing, events and tastings, in order to build the brands that he represents.

7/05/2012: Vinwizard Load Scheduling Module saves money
St Clair Family Estate in New Zealand and St Hallett Wines in Australia are just two of the 160 international wineries using the VinWizard control systems. St Clair Family Estate has around 260 tanks under VinWizard control. Senior winemaker, Hamish Clark, reports annual power savings in the region of $24,000 through use of the optional VinWizard Load Scheduling. “Taking advantage of cheaper night rate power, we’re saving just over 2c per KWh used. While this may not sound a lot it adds up quickly and we get this every year.”

7/05/2012: Are you aware of the new allergen labelling requirements for exporting wines to Canada?
Health Canada requires wines with a detectable level of egg and milk protein (> 1ppm) which are labelled ‘non vintage’ or ‘2012 and beyond’ to comply with allergen labelling from 4 August 2012. To ensure your wines contain no detectable residues of egg or casein, you can submit samples to AWRI Commercial Services for analysis using our qualitative ELISA kit method. Detection limits down to 1ppm for both allergens are achieved with this method, and are considered sufficient to prove the absence of these fining agents.

30/04/2012: Winery automation a reality with VINx2 Winery Software
VINx2 is the glue used integrate touch screens and weigh scales to streamline fruit arrival using pre-allocated bar-coded labels. “We love the fact that we can get real time weighbridge data”, said Chris Darling of Rapaura. Vintners in New Zealand. After the fruit is weighed an email and SMS are automatically sent to growers and vineyard managers with information about that load and a harvest summary to date.

30/04/2012: Online Portal for Thermo Fisher Laboratory items via goDirect
goDirect is the Thermo Fisher Scientific portal for placing purchase orders, gaining additional product information, stock availability and more, supporting our extensive range of Scientific, Healthcare, Environmental and Industrial Process products. Our product range is the largest by far and includes products from cotton buds through to analytical instrumentation.

Australian Wine Industry News

17/05/2012: Clare Valley winery wins top bottle
Family-owned Taylors Wines has triumphed overnight winning Australia’s Best Wine Bottle for the dynamic, standout design of its 2010 Taylors Winemaker’s Project GSM bottle at Australia’s Wine Industry Design Competition 2012. The Clare Valley winery was the most awarded winery on the night taking home three of the eleven trophies, including the top prize of Australia’s Best Wine Bottle, as well as ‘Best White Wine Bottle’ in its class for its 2010 Taylors Wines Crooked Horse Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and ‘Best Red Wine Bottle’ in its class for its 2010 Taylors Winemaker’s Project GSM, reports the Stock Journal.

17/05/2012: Vintage harvest for wine
This year's winegrape harvest across southeast Australia is apparently one of the best in two decades. Yields were down in most areas but fruit quality is excellent, thanks to favourable summer weather. The lighter crop is attributed to cool weather last November but a mostly mild summer has been credited with bringing the outstanding fruit quality, reports Weekly Times Now.

17/05/2012: Rich heritage has its rewards
According to the marketing gurus, it's not so much what's in the bottle that builds a wine's reputation, but the story behind the label. And few vineyards have stories and a history to match those of Bill and Frank Cassimaty's GlenAyr vineyard near Richmond, writes Graeme Phillips in The Mercury. In the mid-1830s, George Loveless (the leader of the world's first trade union and the transported Tolpuddle Martyrs) lived and worked as a convict on the Richmond property. Tasmania's first prize-winning hops were grown on the property, the original oast house now featuring on GlenAyr's wine labels.

17/05/2012: Australian wine success in Quebec
Wine Australia is pleased to announce a successful start to a month-long Australian wine thematic in Quebec with the Societe des alcools du Quebec (SAQ). The May 2012 promotion is a partnership between the SAQ and Wine Australia to drive visibility and sales for premium Australian wines. Resulting sales for the promotion exceeded expectations reaching over $2.96 million in combined in-store, on-line and mail order transactions, reports Market Watch.

17/05/2012: Ruling in its own right
On July 1, winemakers from two neighbouring but very different Victorian regions - Rutherglen and the King Valley - present their wares in Canberra. Rutherglen, to the north of the King Valley, spreads along the Victorian side of the Murray River. It's a hot region, famed, historically, for its magnificent, luscious fortified wines and thunder-in-the-brain reds, notably Durif - a serendipitous cross between Syrah and Peloursin, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

17/05/2012: Last day for submissions to Touriga Nacional tasting
Tomorrow (18 May) is the last day for wineries to register their interest in submitting samples to the Wine & Viticulture Journal’s forthcoming tasting of straight Touriga Nacional wines and Touriga-dominant blends. The results of the tasting will be published in the July/August issue of the Journal and wineries can register their interest by emailing editor Sonya Logan (sonya@winetitles.com.au).

16/05/2012: Magnificent six ride into town
When Hunter Valley winemakers talk of Melbourne, it is often with heavy heart and sighs. Seems you can lead a Melburnian to Hunter Semillon and Shiraz but you can't necessarily make us drink. Last month, six Hunter Valley winemakers arrived in town armed with nothing more than a Twitter account and a Facebook site and, for a moment, broke through Melbourne's famous reserve. The visitors simply tapped into social media and let word of mouth do the rest - and they were greeted with 200 acceptances. Instead of preaching to the converted, the group is going after a new generation of wine drinker - women aged 25 to 35, writes Jeni Port in The Age.

16/05/2012: Freddie, steady, go ...
It's almost 10 years since I upped stumps from inner Melbourne and moved to what I thought was the country, to grow grapes and make wine full-time. I was some years into it before I learnt that I didn't really live in the country at all. Even so, I reckon my particular bit of the peninsula remains more rural than urban. Crime rates are lower than in Melbourne's inner suburbs, which is not to say we don't have crime here. But when people steal stuff, they steal country stuff. Such as tractors, or ride-on mowers. Or, as I have come to learn, grapes, writes Tony Lee in The Age.

16/05/2012: Action plan to boost Barossa tourism
Tourism in the Barossa Valley is set to be rejuvenated with the announcement of an action plan. The Destination Action Plan (DAP) names 22 actions that will make the Barossa region more appealing to visitors. Tourism Barossa chair Elaine Ratcliffe said the action plan will ensure the resources of the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) and Tourism Barossa are put to work on positive outcomes for the region, reports The Barossa Herald.

15/05/2012: Bright star invigorates
At first glance they seem unlikely bedfellows: Larry Cherubino, the young star from Western Australia, former winemaker at Houghton, links up with the Oatley family, founders of Rosemount and former owners of Southcorp. The Oatleys, led by 84-year-old Robert Oatley, are traditional winemakers. Cherubino, 42, who was yet to be born when the Oatley family planted its first vines in the Hunter Valley in 1969, has roots in the great Australian traditional styles of Hardys/Houghton but is a creative, modern winemaker, writes Huon Hooke in the Sydney Morning Herald.

15/05/2012: Wine region survey points to boycott over CSG
A survey conducted by a Hunter Valley community group has found more than 60 per cent of people would consider boycotting AGL products if it goes ahead with CSG exploration in the local wine region. The Hunter Valley Protection Alliance questioned visitors to the Hunter Valley Tourist Information Centre over two weekends. The Alliance says the survey found more than 80 per cent of respondents don't want to see gas wells in the Hunter's wine and tourism region, reports ABC News.

15/05/2012: James Busby Travel confirms Australia 'trip of a lifetime' names
The first group of wine industry names have been confirmed for this year's James Busby Travel "trip of a lifetime" to Australia, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit. James Busby Travel was set up in 2009, by director Tim Wildman MW, to enable UK sommeliers and retail buyers to experience first hand the regional and artisanal wines from Australia, whose image he thinks had been overshadowed by the branded "sunshine in a bottle". Wildman said: "Now, three years later, fine Australian wine is back on everybody's radar, thanks to the contemporary Chardonnays, cool-climate Syrahs and elegant Pinots – and demand for our trips has exploded."

15/05/2012: McWilliam’s Wine recalls faulty packed bottles
Australia-based McWilliam’s Wine Group has recalled seven of its fortified wines fearing the damage of the flagon mouth and presence of glass fragments in the bottle. The seven wines are McWilliam's Royal Reserve Tawny, McWilliam's Cream Apera, McWilliam's Royal Reserve Medium Dry, McWilliam's Royal Reserve Sweet, McWilliam's Royal Reserve Muscat and McWilliam's Royal Reserve Dry. Available in major licensed liquor retail outlets from 23 March 2012, all the wines were packaged in 2l clear glass flagon, reports Drinks Business Review.

15/05/2012: End of drought sees surge in ag students
When the University of Western Sydney closed its Agriculture course due to low numbers, it was no surprise to the higher education sector. University agriculture courses have faced dwindling enrolments for decades. But it's a different story in the training sector, as William Rollo reports from Murbko, in rural South Australia, for The World Today.

15/05/2012: Corked Champagne: Under fire Stelzer responds
Wine critic Tyson Stelzer's claim that about 5 per cent of Champagne is affected by cork taint drew fire from cork devotees over the weekend. Patrick Spencer, of the Cork Forest Conservation Alliance, said Stelzer's claim "should be considered an opinion and in no way factual". But Stelzer stood firm, telling TheShout he encountered 5.5 per cent taint directly attributable to natural cork in tastings he conducted to compile the last two editions of his award-winning Champagne Guide.

14/05/2012: Winegrowers are adding olive tree crops to farms in Hunter Valley NSW
It is known as the wine capital of NSW but now another industry is making a name in the Hunter Valley. As the olive industry continues to flourish in Australia, the grapegrowers of the Hunter are cashing in on the trend, with many adding a crop of olives to their farming enterprises. Peter O'Meara from Adina Vineyard at Lovedale has done just that. He bought his property in 2003 with 1500 olive trees but has since planted a further 2500 trees and expanded the production mill, reports the Daily Telegraph.

14/05/2012: Action plan to revitalise our food and wine industries
A coordinated approach to promoting Bathurst food and wine and a resurgence of the BRE&D brand are among key recommendations of a new report commissioned by the Bathurst Region Vignerons Association. Former Taste Orange CEO Kim Currie’s Action Plan for the Bathurst Wine Industry will be formally launched in Bathurst this evening. But the Western Advocate has been given a sneak preview of the plan, which is the result of an exhaustive six-month review of Bathurst’s food and wine industry. Ms Currie’s final report makes four recommendations to be implemented immediately.

14/05/2012: Anthony Rose: 'The map of Australian wine has changed rapidly'
After a palate-numbing week tasting over 1,000 Australian wines at the Decanter World Wine Awards last month, it was plain to see that the map of Australian wine has changed rapidly over the decade since the awards began. Australia 10 years ago was still little more than a faraway sunshine-blessed country of quaffable Chardonnay and seductive Shiraz grown in vast vineyards. Yet its wineries have grown in number to more than 2,500, quality has improved and regional character differences emerged. Australian wine is growing up, writes Anthony Rose in The Independent.

14/05/2012: National vintage wrap - Part 2
Following on from Part 1 of the National Vintage Wrap, Grapegrower & Winemaker presents Part 2 - a good look at how Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland fared for the 2012 season.

11/05/2012: Tasmania ranked No.2 for wine investment
A leading international wine magazine says Tasmania is second only to China as the best place in the world to invest in the industry. The Drinks Business says the island state's cool climate, affordable land, abundant water and lack of pests and diseases all mean its $75 million wine industry is likely to expand. While the magazine's Top 10 Vineyard Investments article focuses on non-traditional wine-making regions, it still rates Tasmania ahead of France's Languedoc region and the Italian island of Sardinia, reports AAP.

11/05/2012: Investment goes sour for wine makers De Bortoli
De Bortoli Wines has more than $30 million of investment and superannuation money at risk in teetering base metals miner Kagara. It is the second time that the Griffith-based family wine group has been caught with multimillion dollar shareholdings in a public company placed into the hands of insolvency practitioners. Ten years ago it was the $5 billion collapse of insurance group HIH, when De Bortoli Wines took a $14.5 million write-down on the value of its investment. It later failed in a court bid to be counted with creditors for $9.2 million of shares, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

11/05/2012: Call for Touriga Nacional and Touriga-dominant blends
Following the Wine & Viticulture Journal’s recent inaugural tasting of Australian Fianos (the results of which will be published in the soon-to-be-released May/June issue), the publication will shortly be holding its first tasting of local Touriga Nacional wines and blends in which Touriga is the main component. The results of the tasting will be published in the July/August issue of the Journal.

11/05/2012: Andrew Jefford to tour Australia later this month
Leading wine commentator Andrew Jefford will travel to Australia’s major capital cities later this month to present at this year’s Wine Communicators of Australia annual lecture. Jefford, who regularly contributes to US wine publication Decanter, will tour Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth to speak about the dangers of familiarity and the role of naturalness in wine. His address, titled Wine and Astonishment, will also cover the role of alcohol in wine as well as wine from a science and poetry viewpoint.

10/05/2012: Riverina grape yields down 30 000 tonnes
The estimated intake of Riverina winegrapes in 2012 is down 11 per cent on last year's vintage. The President of the Riverina Winemakers Association, Les Worland says 286 000 tonnes had been forecast, but lower yields and heavy rains have reduced that by 30 000 tonnes. The reduction was all in red grape varieties. Mr Worland says winemakers believe that in the absence of rains, the Riverina remains capable of producing 300 000 tonnes of grapes in a normal year, reports ABC News.

10/05/2012: A toast to return of Bendigo's Wine Expo
There will be plenty of swilling, sipping and spitting in the Bendigo Trades Hall this weekend. Hundreds of wines will be on show on Saturday from 1pm to 5pm for the Wine Bank on View Wine Expo. Wine Bank on View owner Mark Coffey said the event was back after a short break, and described the expo as one of regional Australia’s best wine events, reports the Bendigo Advertiser.

10/05/2012: May Grapegrower & Winemaker magazine out now
The May 2012 issue of the Grapegrower & Winemaker is out now – and is available online for all subscribers. This month we do a national wrap of vintage 2012 and we talk to some rather excited and relieved winemakers.

10/05/2012: National vintage wrap - Part 1
As harvesters retire to the machinery sheds for another year, reports flowed in of a national harvest underpinned by quality, small crops and slowly improving markets. Though vintage 2011 was a year most would rather forget, it did seem to have its benefits. This has been an exciting national harvest report to compile, and the Grapegrower & Winemaker office can’t wait to sample the resultant wines. Here, we present part one of our national vintage wrap. Stay tuned for tomorrow's DWN to read Part 2 of this report.

9/05/2012: Wine loopholes closed, less red tape for microbreweries
The Federal Budget will close a loophole which saw some wine producers claiming a producer rebate twice. Closing the loophole is estimated to save $10 million a year for four years, and will apply from July. Under the previous rules, a wine producer might claim the wine equalisation tax rebate then sell the wine to another producer. That producer would then mix the wine with another batch, and claim the rebate again on the entire volume. The Government says the measure "will protect the integrity of the rebate, and address unintended policy outcomes arising where wine is subject to blending and further manufacture", reports ABC Rural.

9/05/2012: De Bortoli unveils first screw-capped sparkling wines
De Bortoli Wines has unveiled new Australian developed screw cap technology for sparkling wine that it reckons will receive a strong reception from the hospitality industry. The wine company has worked with two Australian packaging innovators in the development of the new sparkling wine screw cap that it's initially rolling out on two of its sparkling wine brands, its retail targeted Trevi range and on premise Willowglen Sparkling Brut, reports Hospitality Magazine.

9/05/2012: A new twist for sparkling wines
Would sparkling wine be as popular without the pop? That was the question on many minds at the launch of the world’s first high-pressure sparkling wine under screw cap in Sydney May 8. With a look and feel much like a traditional aluminum screw cap, the new heavy-duty Viiva closure has been engineered for high-pressure sparkling wines. Until now, screw caps have been deemed reliable only for very lightly carbonated sparkling wines, writes Tyson Stelzer in Wine Spectator.

9/05/2012: Winemakers drink to budget
Winemakers are raising their glasses to the federal budget, saying it will help them restructure and refocus on export opportunities in Asia. The federal budget released on Tuesday includes $2.1 million over two years for the Wine Australia Corporation to market the industry, and funding boosts for the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Department of Agriculture's research bureau ABARES for studies. The government will also continue to match research and development funding for the wine sector dollar for dollar, reports AAP.

9/05/2012: Fresh calls for national clean plant network
Concerns about the status of Australia’s grapevine germplasm collection have been resurrected, with several industry stakeholders calling for a national discussion and strategy reports Grapegrower & Winemaker. Viticulturists are calling on the wine sector’s statutory and advocacy associations to find a way to fund a national clonal collection so Australia’s valued clones can maintain a high level of protection, traceability and accessibility.

9/05/2012: Leading wine industry jobs site evolves
Today readers will notice a new brand associated with Daily Wine News — winejobs.com.au. winejobs.com.au is the new site name for MYWINEJOB which has grown in recent years to be a leading Australian and New Zealand online jobs board. Created and managed by WineBiz, a division of Winetitles, winejobs.com.au postings will continue to be listed on Daily Wine News for three days.

8/05/2012: Vigneron dishes the dirt
There's a small patch of land at Whorouly, close to Beechworth in the state's north-east, where an extraordinary fruit salad of mostly unpronounceable grape varieties flourishes, writes Jane Faulkner in The Age. There is mtsvane, ehrenfelser, bacchus, odola, fer, teroldego, saperavi, brachetto and more. Its talented grower, Mark Walpole, does things differently.

8/05/2012: The reign of terroir
What is it about Dalwhinnie, questions Huon Hooke in Sydney Morning Herald. Is it that this Pyrenees vineyard manages to produce great shiraz more often than anyone else in the region - elder statesman Taltarni included? Is it that Dalwhinnie manages to avoid the regional eucalyptus and peppermint characters in its red wines more successfully than any other in this densely gum-tree dotted region?

8/05/2012: Foodies flock to Upper Hunter
Vignerons in the New South Wales Upper Hunter say a local food and wine festival is helping to boost the credibility of wines from the region. ABC reports the Upper Hunter Wine and Food Affair drew in thousands over the weekend, with organisers saying it was one of their biggest in years

8/05/2012: Battle won: Margaret River brewery opens
Western Australian winemaker Murray Burton has finally opened his Margaret River microbrewery, Cheeky Monkey, having successfully overcome long-running opposition by a local biodynamic winemaker. The Shout's James Atkinson reports Cheeky Monkey Brewing Company opened to the public on Saturday, having won approval to serve its own range of craft beers and ciders on-premise at the Wilyabrup microbrewery, which has licensed capacity for 450 people.

8/05/2012: Small ferments next step in mildew-resistant trial
2012 vintage will be a year to note for more reasons than quality and size. It is also the year where groundbreaking viticulture research into mildew resistant vines moves from the vineyard into the winery. Reported in Grapegrower & Winemaker's April 2012 issue, the CSIRO has started small-scale ferments from new grapevines, bred through marker assisted breeding (MAB) methods, which are resistant to powdery and downy mildew.

7/05/2012: Margaret River red as good as Grange
It's the WA wine considered as good as Grange - at just a sip of the price. The 2008 Woodlands Margaret, currently on shop shelves at $45, has been rated on par with the 2007 Penfolds Grange, released on Thursday and retailing at $625. The price of a bottle of the Margaret River red will buy you just 50ml or one-third of a glass of Australia's most lauded wine, reports Perth Now.

7/05/2012: Wine's best acknowledged at awards
The Hunter Valley Wine Industry will come together at Lindeman's winery, for the sixth annual Hunter Valley Legends and Wine Industry Awards on Thursday, May 24 to celebrate the outstanding achievements of individuals throughout the region. The Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association (HVWIA) is proud to announce this year's finalists in the categories of Winemaker of the Year, Rising Star of the Year, Viticulturist of the Year and Cellar Door of the Year, reports The Mornington Bulletin.

7/05/2012: Sales offer whiff of hope for Rathbone winery
Wine types are hopeful that transactions within the besieged wine sector appear to be gathering pace, which could be good news for Nufarm boss Doug Rathbone. Of late, Margaret River's Clairault Wines was sold to New York real estate executive John Streiker. Streiker, chairman of Sentinel Real Estate Corp, has been developing vineyards in the region for the past decade, according to The Australian Financial Review. Another winery, in the Mornington Peninsula, is understood to have been sold to a Chinese investor interested in taking supply straight back to China.

7/05/2012: Entries now open for June 2012 Cairns Show Wine Awards
Entries for this year’s Cairns Show Wine Awards, set to take place from 20-23 June, are now open. Presented by Profile Magazine, the Cairns Show Wine Awards have become a feature on the Australian wine industry calendar in June each year, particular in the far north of Australia with its strong tourism and hospitality industry.

4/05/2012: Tipple turns to a trickle as drinkers take safe option home
Australians are drinking less alcohol and even the steady growth in wine quaffing has stopped. The latest figures by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that beer drinking has plunged to a 65-year low. And for the first time in about two decades, the nation's wine intake has dipped slightly, despite the wide availability of inexpensive products, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

4/05/2012: Mixed bag for wine production
A report on Australia's wine industry could increase the pressure on the struggling sector. According to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, 80,000 more tonnes of grapes will be crushed at next year's vintage. For many winegrape growers, it's costing more to pick their grapes than what they can sell them for. The industry has been oversupplied for over five years. Poor growing conditions have pushed yields down for the past two of those years, but the Federal Government's peak agriculture research bureau, ABARES predicts a 5 per cent increase in production for the next growing season, reports ABC Rural.

4/05/2012: China buys WA wine labels
Two more WA wine producers have been sold to overseas interests. Margaret River's Woodside Valley Estate and the Perth Hills Western Range are in the final stages of being acquired by Hong Kong-based beverage giant Palinda Wines. Palinda is the private family company of Chinese businessman Jacky Wong, whose interests in beverage distribution throughout Hong Kong and mainland China are significant. It is believed that the acquisitions of the two WA wine labels are part of a massive expansion of Mr Wong's 150 stores, reports the West Australian.

4/05/2012: Tasmanian wine pioneer
It's hard to imagine that given today's standing of Tasmania's wine industry, that it wasn't that long ago that many believed a wine industry in the state wouldn't work. Winemaker Andrew Hood remembers the sceptics... he was one of the pioneers of Tasmania's industry that has established an international reputation for it's cool climate wines. Today, ABC Rural profiles Andrew's journey through the national wine industry, and along the way, witness some of the rises and the falls in this significant industry.

4/05/2012: Liquor rivals go low for vintage
It had all the energy and vigour of a heated art auction, but in this case the price went down not up and the bidding frenzy wasn't over a rare van Gogh or newly discovered Brett Whiteley nude but rather, the shelf price of Australia's most prestigious wine - Penfolds Grange. At the end of the day, the Penfolds wine was put on sale for $479 a bottle at supermarkets group Coles, down sharply from the recommended retail price of $625. It had started the morning as high as $600 at some stores, reports The Age.

4/05/2012: Royal Qld Wine Show: uses 100 pt scale
Queensland’s annual Brisbane-based wine show will become the country’s first big city show to move to the 100 wine judging scale. Announced today, Competitions Officer Mr Andrew Tudor, said "Wines at the Royal Queensland Wine Show 2012 (RQWS)will continue to be judged on condition, colour, bouquet and flavour however the conversion to the 100-point system allows awards to be used and understood globally." The Australian wine show system, with its capital city, regional, or style-based wine competitions, has used the 20 point (3-7-10 split) scale universally since the 70s, writes Peter Scadamore-Smith for Asian Correspondent.

4/05/2012: Wine industry faces job cuts, ongoing grape glut
The SA Wine Industry Council says a loss of 85 jobs at Orlando Wines reflects a challenging export market. The company bottles Jacob's Creek, Richmond Grove and several other wines and says most of the jobs are going from South Australia. Louisa Rose of the wine council says the industry is having a hard time because of a high Australian dollar, reports ABC News.

3/05/2012: New focus for Sea & Vines Festival
McLaren Vale traders are tipped to benefit from changes to this year’s Sea and Vines Festival, with extra events planned in the township to lure festival-goers to shops. McLaren Vale Business Association member David Cavanagh said local shops had missed out on the extra trade in past years, with visitors sticking to wineries, reports Southern Times Messenger. “During Sea and Vines, the businesses feel they don’t get any benefit because people come into the area, go to the wineries and then go home,” Mr Cavanagh said. “This year there will be more events around the town on the Saturday, so there will hopefully be more benefit for the nearby businesses.”

3/05/2012: ABARES tips higher winegrape production
Australian winegrape production is forecast to increase by 5 per cent to 1.61 million tonnes in 2012–13, assuming favourable seasonal conditions and a return to more average yields. According to Australian Wine Grape Production Projections, released by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) today, production is projected to increase further in 2013-14 to 1.63 million tonnes. ABARES executive director, Paul Morris, said if these increases are realised they would represent some improvement on the less than ideal growing conditions experienced by growers in 2011-12, reports the Stock Journal.

3/05/2012: Bitter taste over Tasting event future
The organisers of the Tasting Australia food and wine festival in Adelaide say they are mystified about not being asked to tender again to run the event. Ian Parmenter and his business partner David Evans say they have ended a 16-year involvement after the South Australian Tourism Commission indicated they might not be reappointed. Mr Parmenter says he cannot understand the attitude of the Tourism Commission given the wide exposure generated for SA by Tasting Australia, reports ABC News.

3/05/2012: New ground rules
Australian wines have a particular taste. The standard rules and methods of production emphasise high acid levels that lead to a “rich sweet wine, with an acid kick at the end”, Decanter magazine wine writer Andrew Jefford says. That description could be applied to the wine industry as a whole. For a long time the industry has had a sweet and rich ride to the export market but now the strategy of producing cheap wine for overseas markets has come back with a stinging bite, reports BRW.

3/05/2012: Growers hope fish breeding trial fruitful
It is hoped a trial in South Australia's Riverland combining fish breeding with growing plants can help secure a better future for the region's struggling fruit growers. Finishing touches were made to the 'aquaponics' project yesterday at Loxton North. It involves breeding fish in large tanks and using their waste water to nourish plants, reports ABC News.

2/05/2012: Grange hits supermarket shelves
The heated supermarket wars have spilt over into the sale of Australia's most prestigious and luxurious wine, Penfolds Grange, with Coles, Woolworths and new player Costco jostling to offer the lowest price possible for the latest release of Penfolds Grange 2007. The 2007 Grange will be released on Thursday morning nationwide and is one of the most anticipated wine releases of the year, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

2/05/2012: Henschke winery excluded from Barossa Valley protection zone
One of the world's great vineyards has been excluded from the zone aimed at protecting the Barossa Valley wine region from future development. The Henschke winery, which produces the world-famous Hill of Grace - the main competitor to Grange and a wine drunk by the Queen in Australia last year - is excluded from the zone, reports the Herald Sun.

2/05/2012: Festival offers a taste of the south-east
South Australian food and wine is under the spotlight as part of the Tasting Australia Festival. Well-known cook Stephanie Alexander hosted a lunch for 150 people at a Coonawarra winery over the weekend. Events have also been held in other regions across the state, including a long lunch in the Barossa Valley and a seafood feast in Port Lincoln. Karen Ronning, from Zema Estate at Coonawarra, says more 'foodie' events are planned this week, with renowned chef Guy Grossi holding a cooking demonstration, reports ABC News.

2/05/2012: Peter Lehmann Wines switches distribution to Hallgarten
Australia’s Peter Lehmann Wines have switched distribution from Enotria to Hallgarten Druitt. The Barossa Valley wine company wants to expand its independent and on-trade channels and build stronger relationships with its major customers, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit. Jeff Bond, Peter Lehmann’s general manager, said: “We share a similar philosophy [with Hallgarten] on how best to deliver premium wine to consumers and this new relationship will help us respond to the ever-changing needs of the UK market.”

1/05/2012: One variety the spice of life
Katharina Prum is the current vintage - if I can put it that way - of a revered Mosel Valley estate that makes some of the finest Riesling in the world. Joh Jos Prum is affectionately known to wine lovers as J.J. Prum, and Katharina is the great-granddaughter of the founder, J.J. She's a straight-shooter: there's none of the hyperbole you find with a lot of wine people. She is a doctor of law who never practised law - just like her father, Manfred, now in his 70s. They make the wine together, writes Huon Hooke in the Sydney Morning Herald.

1/05/2012: Winning numbers
Australian winemakers do things differently. Sometimes they are celebrated for it. Imagine taking grapes not only from different vineyards within a state but also from different states and blending them. Crazy logistics but some fabulous wines can result. Penfolds' latest releases take the Aussie red into new territory, writes Jeni Port in The Age.

1/05/2012: Profits down, but quality up, says McGuigan
Australian Vintage Limited (AVL), owner of the McGuigan, Nepenthe and Tempus Two wine brands, expects its profits to be down this year on the back of a smaller 2012 vintage. However, the wine producer’s CEO Neil McGuigan, says that fruit quality across the vintage is of excellent quality and the lower yields will help to bring wine stock back into balance following years of oversupply, reports The Shout.

1/05/2012: New boss for Winemakers' Federation
Paul Evans has been appointed chief executive of the Winemakers' Federation of Australia, succeeding Stephen Strachan on June 1. Mr Evans was director of government, regulation and community affairs for Lion Nathan National Foods for seven years, with broad responsibilities across regulatory, consumer and sustainability issues. His current role is as an Adelaide based executive for multinational petroleum company BP, reports AdelaideNow.

1/05/2012: Hunter farmers rally in Sydney
Hunter farmers and irrigators say rivers and underground water are unprotected and resource exploration inadequately controlled in the state government's draft strategic regional land use plan. The Hunter Valley Water Users Association has called for tougher regulation of mining and coal seam gas explorers ahead of today's march and rally in Sydney to press for big changes in the government's plan. The protest will bring together Hunter farmers, environmentalists, community groups, thoroughbred breeders and the wine industry, reports the Newcastle Herald.

1/05/2012: Leading wine industry jobs site evolves
Today readers will notice a new brand associated with Daily Wine News - winejobs.com.au. winejobs.com.au is the new site name for MYWINEJOB which has grown in recent years to be a leading Australian and New Zealand online jobs board. Created and managed by WineBiz, a division of Winetitles, winejobs.com.au postings will continue to be listed on Daily Wine News for three days. The winejobs.com.au site will now offer international postings in association with US based winejobs.com and the ability for companies to post, edit and extend their job postings.

30/04/2012: Penfolds Grange 57th vintage
There is a date circled in Penfolds' chief winemaker Peter Gago's incredibly busy diary that is set in stone. This year it's Thursday, May 3, the day the latest vintage of Australia's most famous wine is released to the public with a recommended retail price of $625 a bottle. It says a lot about the stature and international reputation of Penfolds' Grange that its annual release is anticipated with the kind of ardent fervour as the latest instalment in a blockbuster movie franchise, reports the Sunday Mail.

30/04/2012: Push to change alcohol tax
Major health groups are stepping up their campaign for a Federal tax on all alcohol based on volume rather than price. They say this would raise $1.5 billion a year to spend on public health programs. The Australian Medical Association, Cancer Council Australia, the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education and the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth have written to Prime Minister Julia Gillard calling for a volumetric alcohol tax in the Federal Budget. They say a simplified tax would not only provide a financial windfall for health campaigns but would also reduce the harm from alcohol misuse, which cost the community $36 billion a year, reports The West Australian.

30/04/2012: China laps up fine Australian wine
At a wine tasting event in Italy recently, a South Australian wine was poured and which, if you were able to buy it, would cost about $240 a glass. The Parawa Estate Ingalalla Grand Reserve 2007 is unlikely to be available to mere mortals, however, at least in Australia. The wine, produced on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, has a release price of $1100 per bottle. It will be a record release price for an Australian wine, beating out the Penfolds' special release Bin 620 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz 2008 which was priced at $1000, and pitched well above the $625 this year's Penfolds' Grange is expected to command when it is released next week, reports AdelaideNow.

27/04/2012: Wine industry warns of CSG losses
Hunter wine makers say the NSW government will lose more than $40 million a year in revenues if it allows coal seam gas exploration and production to operate in the region’s wine tourism areas. Using government data, the Hunter Wine Industry Association estimated the government would receive $8.6 million a year in coal seam gas royalties, a small amount compared with the risk the industry posed to the $1 billion of investments in wine and tourism, reports the Newcastle Herald.

27/04/2012: Classic cars to tour McLaren Vale
More than 300 classic cars will tour through McLaren Vale stopping at various wineries this weekend. About 10,000 people are expected to line the streets for the 7th annual Vintage and Classic event on Sunday, April 29. The cars will start on Main Rd at 11am and travel to various wineries where they will be on display from noon to 3.30pm, reports the Southern Times Messenger.

27/04/2012: Good times planned for Tasting Australia
Wine lovers are being invited to ‘get their wine on’ next week at EastEndWineDown, a wine tasting event that forms part of the Tasting Australia experience. The event will take place Thursday 3 May and will see 14 winemakers from across South Australia come together at East End Cellars, in Adelaide’s east end, to showcase the best of their wares.

27/04/2012: Small ferments next step in mildew-resistant trial
Vintage 2012 will be a year of note for more reasons than quality and size. It is also the year where groundbreaking viticulture research into mildew resistant vines moves from the vineyard into the winery. The CSIRO has started small-scale ferments from new grapevines, bred through Marker Assisted Breeding (MAB) methods, which are resistant to powdery and downy mildew.

27/04/2012: Seminar targets R&D tax incentive and change to liquor licensing act
Winery and cellar door operators are being invited to a seminar to learn about the recent changes to the Liquor Licensing Act and the R&D Tax Incentive. Audit, tax and advisory firm, BDO, will host the event on Thursday 3 May in McLaren Vale, providing participants with presentations that will highlight the flexibility and impacts on their the winery, vineyard or cellar door.

International Wine Industry News

17/05/2012: Wairarapa wine: 'The mouse that roared' (NZ)
What is it about the Scots and making wine as far away as possible from the heather clad hills, mist across the lochs and the skirl of the pipes? For two families, the journey from Scotland to Wairarapa is paying off. I have long referred to the Wairarapa as the mouse that roared - tiny but perfectly formed, and deserving of more attention. It produces some excellent wines and not just Pinot Noir, for which it is probably best known, writes John Hawkesby in The New Zealand Herald.

17/05/2012: Cordon Bleu school chooses a wine education director (NZ)
British born Master of Wine, Jane Skilton, has been announced as Wine Education Director for Le Cordon Bleu New Zealand, the latest addition to the renowned culinary institute’s global network of schools. From September 2012, Skilton, an internationally respected wine writer, lecturer and judge, will be teaching a number of Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses including the WSET Level one, two and three Wine Awards, and the Level four Diploma. The Level four Diploma is the WSET’s highest qualification and Skilton is the only approved provider in New Zealand, reports Scoop.

17/05/2012: The new rules of wine (UK)
For a business that has been around for more than 8,000 years, the wine trade still manages to evolve at an impressive speed. Money, politics, climate, fashion and science are remaking that glass in your hand in ways both discreet and radical, and the speed of innovation is increasing as never before. In this changing world, power is on the move, consumers decide what goes, and the old aristocracies of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Piedmont and California are scrambling to adapt. But adapt to what? The first new rule of wine is that there shouldn’t be any rules, reports The Telegraph.

17/05/2012: Shipwreck Champagne to be auctioned
A cache of 200-year-old bottles of Champagne discovered at the bottom the Baltic is to be auctioned next month. Four bottles of Veuve Clicquot, six bottles from the now-defunct Champagne house Juglar, and one Heidsieck & Co go under the hammer at Mariehamn on 8 June. Mariehamn is the capital of the autonomous Åland archipelago between Finland and Sweden, near where the bottles were found in 2010 in a wrecked schooner dating from 1825-30, reports Decanter.

17/05/2012: English wine beats Moët in blind tasting (UK)
A sparkling wine from Bolney Wine Estate in Sussex came out top in a blind tasting of over 40 wines from across the UK, to secure a £50,000 order with wine retailer Naked Wines.The winning Sparkling Cuvée Rosé 2009 also beat a bottle of the famous Moët & Chandon Champagne which was slipped into the line-up and revealed at the end of the event – much to the surprise of those who took part, reports The Drinks Business.

17/05/2012: Ancient Vin Jaune fetches $49k (Switzerland)
A 240-year-old bottle of Vin Jaune has been sold at Christie's for just under US$50,000. The 1774 bottle, which fetched US$49,343 (CHF46,000) at Christie’s Geneva last night, was sold to an unnamed French buyer. It was part of a batch which had been kept intact for eight generations by the Vercel family, winemakers in the region, in a vaulted underground cellar in Arbois, the capital of Jura wines, reports Decanter.

17/05/2012: Bacteria, not blending, brings complexity (France)
Complexity in wine is a function of soil bacteria and not winemaking, according to Michel Chapoutier. Defending his decision to make his Châteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac and Croix de Bois purely from Grenache, he stated, when speaking at the first trade tasting of his 2011s, “Complexity is coming from the blending of bacteria in the soils… I believe that the blending of grapes is a short cut for complexity.," reports The Drinks Business.

16/05/2012: Saint Clair named producer of the year (NZ)
Marlborough's Saint Clair Family Estate took out the title of New World Producer of the Year at this year's Sommelier Wine Awards in the United Kingdom. The international wine show, aimed at the hospitality market such as bars, restaurants and hotels, is judged by more than 80 sommeliers and on-trade buyers from the UK. This year 1850 wines were entered. Saint Clair Family Estate owners Neal and Judy Ibbotson were thrilled with the recognition for Marlborough and the wider New Zealand wine industry, reports The Marlborough Express.

16/05/2012: Argentina's great gift to the world of wine (NZ)
Anyone who has heard of the great black wines of Cahors, in southwest France, will also probably be aware they are so-named because of the colour of the beastie from which they are made – an inky dark grape known thereabouts as auxerrois, elsewhere as Malbec. In this part of the world it's a grape perhaps best known as a component of the blended red wines made mostly in Hawke's Bay in the style of those from Bordeaux, in France, which can contain up to six different varieties, including Malbec. But it has also recently taken on a life of its own, writes Warren Barton in the Southland Times.

16/05/2012: Chapoutier considers legal battle with concrete egg maker (France)
Michel Chapoutier is considering taking the manufacturers of the Nomblot egg to court. Speaking in London yesterday during the first trade tasting of his wines from the 2011 vintage, he said, “The vat in an egg shape was stolen by Nomblot against my will and I’m probably going to take them to court.” The first egg-shaped, concrete fermentation vessel was commissioned in 2001 by Michel Chapoutier, following discussions with French vat manufacturer Marc Nomblot, whose company has been making concrete wine vats since 1922, reports The Drinks Business.

16/05/2012: Bumper wine crop predicted (Chile)
Chile’s vineyard owners are expecting a slightly different taste and aroma to the wines they produce this year as they harvest grapes during an exceptionally long drought. More than 300 wineries are located in the Andean nation’s central valley, a region with distinct seasons and few pests, which gives the grapes a potentially strong aroma. “Chile is a unique place in the world for wine,” said Miguel Torres, who has followed his father and grandfather into the winemaking industry. The Miguel Torres winery began its 2012 harvest at the end of March, reports the Times of Malta.

16/05/2012: LCBO sweetens the wine-buying experience (Canada)
Chuckle though we may at “unserious” sweet wines such as Baby Duck and Blue Nun, sugar remains in vogue with winemakers – not just where cloying pop products such as those are concerned, but with respect to dry wines. Experts insist dry has been getting sweeter for a long time. Until now, there has been no easy way to tell. The landscape changed in Ontario this month with the rollout of new bin tags on Liquor Control Board of Ontario shelves that list actual sugar concentrations in grams per litre, reports The Globe and Mail.

16/05/2012: New wine glasses aim to balance "water and fire" (France)
Could a wine glass shaped roughly like a closed tulip blossom revolutionize the savouring of fine vintages by taming the alcohol in the wine? That's the hope of French luxury crystal glassmaker Baccarat, which recently began sales of its new line of glasses in Hong Kong, where wine imports have remained strong on the back of strong demand from mainland Chinese buyers even amid global economic uncertainty, reports Reuters.

16/05/2012: Cono Sur pushes chilled Pinot Noir (Chile)
Chilean producer Cono Sur is on a mission to encourage consumers to drink chilled Pinot Noir this summer with a new on-trade targeted campaign. Running from June to September, the push aims to inspire consumers to be more adventurous by highlighting chilled Pinot Noir as "a refreshing drink that works well with summer food and as an alternative to the usual summer favourites", reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.

15/05/2012: Villa Maria Estate celebrating 50 years (NZ)
Villa Maria Estate is New Zealand's most awarded winery and this year marks 50 years since the first vintage of Villa Maria wine was bottled by founder and owner Sir George Fistonich. To celebrate this exceptional milestone Sir George is hosting 50th vintage celebration events in Villa Maria Estate's key export markets throughout the next six months. His road show commenced in the United States in the beginning of May and commences this week in Canada, followed by events in Asia, Europe and New Zealand later in the year to celebrate 50 years of exceptional winemaking, reports Voxy News Engine.

15/05/2012: A wine season to savour (NZ)
Martinborough wine producers are confident an Indian summer has delivered a high quality vintage. Wines From Martinborough spokeswoman Gretchen Bunny said this season's harvest was now almost complete, with just some late-harvest riesling still to come in."While the quantity of the 2012 vintage is well below average, the quality is looking great, with many expressing delight in the flavours of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc in particular," Ms Bunny told Wairarapa Times-Age.

15/05/2012: The postmodern Chardonnay (NZ)
Chardonnay has given pleasure to an uncountable number of wine drinkers over the centuries. In the New World, this variety has captured wine lovers' affection since the '70s, and through to the heydays of the '80s and '90s. So why is it not as fashionable as it used to be? There is the business of cycle in fashion. Like most things, wine too follows trends. To make the matter more complicated, chardonnay comes in wide-ranging styles. It is more diverse in style than any other white grape - from lean and delicate to rich and opulent, and everything in between, writes Sam Kim of Wine Orbit.

15/05/2012: Component in red wine may hold answers in Alzheimer's battle (US)
Bob Sessions has never had a drop of alcohol in his life. Yet at age 86, the teetotaler is eager to see if a natural compound found in red wine can combat disease. Sessions enrolls Wednesday in a first-of-a-kind government-sponsored study examining whether resveratrol can alter or delay the destruction of the brain in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Sessions is one of 5.3 million Americans who have Alzheimer's, a fatal illness that has no treatment or cure. He was diagnosed 7½ years ago and still is in the early stages, reports USA Today.

15/05/2012: Amorim becomes patron of WSET (UK)
Cork producer Amorim has become a patron of the worldwide Wine & Spirit Education Trust and will help fund an expenses-paid study scholarship to Portugal. The bronze patron agreement will include a trip for two WSET graduates, one based in the UK and one from the WSET's international student base, to learn about the cork industry. Students will learn about the traditional cork harvest in the Alentejo forests, and will visit Amorim's production units and R&D laboratories in their Porto HQ, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.

15/05/2012: Are celebrity wines worth the price? (US)
Drew Barrymore has gone into the wine business, and her first release is not from California, where so many Hollywood and other celebrities have dabbled in wine, but from Italy. While the marketing notes declare that “the discovery of new wines, new regions and new vintages is what keeps wine exciting to novices and enthusiasts alike,” Barrymore has turned to the familiar: She has given us another pinot grigio. But don’t be misled. The actress may have put her name and her family crest on the label, but the wine is made by Decordi, which has produced a wine that is good, if not great, reports Bites on Today.

15/05/2012: China winemakers seek to compete with the French vintners (China)
While China's wine lovers continue their obsession with French vintages, a number of local labels are determined to lead the charge to convince them that Chinese winemakers can compete with the very best there is. Dynasty Fine Wines is based near the city of Tianjin - about a 30-minute train ride from the capital Beijing - and has established a network of around 15 vineyards across the country, which grow not only native Chinese grape species such as Dragon's Eye but increasingly have turned to the more internationally recognised Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc varieties, reports New York Daily News.

14/05/2012: Winery ready for next step (NZ)
A pioneering winery and hospitality venue which has become one of the biggest hospitality operators in the Rodney area north of Auckland is for sale for the first time. Ascension Wine Estate at Matakana, was established in 1996 by husband and wife team Darryl and Bridget Soljan as one of the earliest wineries in the valley - a gateway to the upmarket coastal seaside resorts of Omaha and Leigh, reports The New Zealand Herald.

14/05/2012: Wine: Juice but not as you know it (NZ)
Any delicatessen worth its Himalayan sea salt will no doubt have a shelf stocked with verjuice these days. Verjuice, verjus or "vert jus" derives from the French "vert jus" or "verjus", and literally means "green juice". Traditionally made from crab apples or other sour fruit, many New Zealand wineries are having a crack at creating their own from unripe winegrapes - and the results are exciting, reports The Bay of Plenty Times.

14/05/2012: Labels you can go that extra mile for (NZ)
I am constantly surprised by the number of new labels that appear in the wine industry at a time the export sector is struggling with a high dollar, there has been an oversupply of wine worldwide and in the face of an international credit squeeze. Many of these new labels appear to have been created by growers who couldn't sell their crops so made wine and have then had to learn about selling it. Occasionally I come across a brand that has been around for a few years but is new to the New Zealand market, one such brand is Osawa Wines, writes Neil Hodgson in the Nelson Mail.

14/05/2012: UK importer takes 'largest-ever' list from Finger Lakes (UK)
The largest-ever list of wines from the Finger Lakes region of New York state is being imported into the UK. Importer Wine Equals Friends is listing eight wineries from Finger Lakes, as well as six Long Island producers – the most New York state wines ever available in the UK. The state has been commercially producing wine since the 1800s, and with 300 wineries, most of which have opened in the last decade, it is the third-largest wine producing state in the US, after California and Washington and before Oregon, reports Decanter.

14/05/2012: Imported wine category shows growth after three-year slump (US)
The U.S. market’s imported still wine category grew in 2011 for the first time in three years, due to strong growth from Old World and New World producers. Key factors contributing to the rebound include growing interest overseas in the long-term growth potential of the U.S. wine market, the willingness of younger adults to experiment with new varietals and a reduction in the California winegrape crush, reports Shanken News Daily.

14/05/2012: Oxford Landing Estates launches Nice One Sunshine campaign (UK)
Oxford Landing Estates is to run a month-long Nice One Sunshine poster campaign in London Underground and National Rail stations to coincide with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The promotion will also include a large-format backlit board at London Waterloo and on outdoor sites at Paddington and Clapham Junction stations from May 14. In addition to the Underground campaign, Negociants UK will also be building the Oxford Landing Estates brand this year by working directly with customers across multiple channels, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.

11/05/2012: International bidders invited to charity wine auction (NZ)
Local bidders at the 21st Hawke's Bay Winegrowers' Charity Wine Auction this Queen's Birthday Weekend can expect some international competition if a move by organisers to entice online bidding is successful. Hawke's Bay Winegrowers' executive officer, Lyn Bevin is emailing her database of international wine media and trade contacts encouraging them to check out the 33 lots on the specially commissioned Charity Wine Auction website launched this week, and inviting them to register as bidders, reports Voxy News Engine.

11/05/2012: The Japanese are trying to get a foothold in the wine industry (NZ)
Sake is the most obvious drink that comes to mind when thinking of alcoholic drinks from Japan. However, the country's wine industry is currently undergoing a radical transformation, with a major project focusing on the local koshu grape, and New Zealander Glen Creasy is one of its key consultants. Established in the mid-2000s by the Japan-based wine importer, Ernest Singer of Millesimes, the "Koshu Project" was an attempt to revitalise the Japanese agricultural industry, writes Jo Burzynsca in The New Zealand Herald.

11/05/2012: NZ wine finds favour in Asia (NZ)
New Zealand winery Mud House has once again been recognised internationally - receiving accolades for four of its top vintage wines at the Wine & Spirits Asia, Singapore Expo. The 2011 Mud House Sauvignon Blanc and the 2010 Mud House Riesling were both awarded Silver at the expo - while the 2010 Mud House Pinot Noir was awarded Bronze. Wine & Spirits Asia is an international exhibition of wine and spirits that aims to promote the industry within the Asia region, reports Voxy News Engine.

11/05/2012: Developing effective marketing strategies for Millenials (US)
In the US, Baby Boomers are still currently the generation that consumes the most wine. However, the younger generation (a.k.a. “Millennials”) is continually learning about wine and may one day surpass their parental generation in terms of wine consumption. Studies have found that there are significant differences in regards to wine consumption habits between the different age groups. Even though there are differences between age groups, it is important to note that these differences are not universal across the globe, reports The Academic Wino.

11/05/2012: Wine industry expects a promising grape crop (South Africa)
The South African wine industry is excited about a particularly promising wine grape crop, both in terms of quality and volume. The harvest season was characterised by healthy, ideal growing conditions and a cool, though lengthened, harvesting period without rain or prolonged heat. Inland wine growing areas recorded some of the best crops ever, while dwindling water supplies in the coastal region caused a systematic decrease in the anticipated crop over the season, reports Biz Community.

11/05/2012: Rudy Kurniawan indicted (US)
Alleged wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurniawan has been indicted by a federal grand jury in New York on four counts and faces extradition to the East Coast state. Kurniawan was formally accused by the jury of mail and wire fraud to sell counterfeit wine, defrauding a finance company, double pledging collateral, and scheming to defraud a California wine collector and a New York auction house. The charges were filed by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, reports The Drinks Business.

11/05/2012: Sotheby's launches own-label Champagne (US)
Sotheby's has become the first auction house to launch its own Champagne, for sale online and in the company's retail store in New York. The own-label Champagne, which will also be served at Sotheby’s events around the world, is made by R&L Legras, founded in 1808 and supplier of house Champagne to many of France’s three Michelin-starred restaurants. Made from 100% Chardonnay grapes grown in the Grand Cru vineyards of Chouilly, it will sell in the US at a price of US$29.95 for a bottle and $69.95 for a magnum, reports Decanter.

11/05/2012: Germany's compelling case for Pinot Noir (Germany)
Such has been the expansion of the world's wine map in the past 15 years that amidst the whirligig of new styles, grape varieties and flavors, we often overlook some of the more exciting developments happening in the world's oldest wine-producing regions. Take Pinot Noir, for example. Tomes have been written about the success of this grape variety, planted in California and Oregon in the U.S., as well as in Australia, Chile and New Zealand. But outside its spiritual home on the Côte d'Or in France's Burgundy region, it is in the valleys of southwest Germany where some of the most interesting examples are emerging, reports The Wall Street Journal.

10/05/2012: Wineries lobby Govt for alcohol law change (NZ)
Only six wineries in Marlborough will be left selling wine if the Government does not change pending alcohol law to recognise winery cellar doors as low-risk outlets, NZ Winegrowers chairman Stuart Smith says. He said yesterday he hoped the changes mooted by the Government in the Alcohol Law Reform Bill would see wineries charged less for licensing fees because they are low risk. Those changes are included in the latest version of the bill, which is yet to go back to Parliament to be voted on next month, reports the Marlborough Express.

10/05/2012: Water to wine: Finding a balance in alcohol consumption (NZ)
Another week, another survey conducted by a team of experts from some highly suspect university in some far-flung corner of the globe. In fact almost every day there's a revelation regarding coffee, meat, sunlight, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, muesli, jogging, wine. Ultimately, a good dose of common sense ought to prevail and probably your mother's mantra of "most things in moderation" has a lot going for it. When it comes to drinking wine there are some obvious, verifiable conclusions, writes John Hawkesby in The New Zealand Herald.

10/05/2012: French wine campaign to tap Chinese market (France)
Newly elected French president Francois Hollande is to promote French wine in China and educate the Chinese about wine through a series of events in the country. The French agriculture ministry has also promised 400 different wines from 12 regions across France will land in China in batches over the next three years. Targeting both the Chinese wine trade and consumers, the three-year campaign, starting from 2012, will help instill wine knowledge in importers, distributors and chefs, as well as invite consumers to wine tastings and French cookery courses, reports The Drinks Business.

10/05/2012: Wine uncorked: The rise of big [really big] box wine (US)
If you take the “uncorked” metaphor and add it to the “box wine” reference in the title, you might reasonably assume that I’m going to talk about alternative wine packaging — boxes, bags, 1-liter tetrapak containers and so on. That would sure make sense. But you’re wrong. The box I’m talking about is big [really big] as in 20 foot ocean shipping containers holding maybe 25,000 liters of bulk wine in a “flexitank” bag, reports The Wine Economist. Welcome to the New World of international wine trade — the ultimate ‘uncorked’ experience!

10/05/2012: UK hectarage production up (UK)
The official wine production figures for the UK reveal that hectarage in production is now the highest ever recorded, showing a rise of over 60% in just five years. Production data is collected after harvest by the Wine Standards Branch (Food Standards Agency) and submitted in spring the following year. Their figures show that 2011 production exceeded 3 million bottles (3.02m), reports The Drinks Business.

10/05/2012: Sainsbury's own label wine range performing strongly (UK)
Sainsbury’s own-label wine range has grown by 13% in the last year, with its Taste the Difference leading the field, up 34%. The supermarket, which today released its annual results, with profits up 7% to £712 million for the year ended March 17, is now looking hard at its long-term wine strategy and how to maintain quality. With this in mind its latest summer tasting, which took place today (May 9) was less about introducing new wines and more about consolidating the range and bringing in new vintages, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.

10/05/2012: State OKs forest-to-vineyard plan in Sonoma County (US)
State forestry officials on Tuesday approved a controversial timber-to-vineyard conversion project in northwest Sonoma County, following through with a decision expected months ago. The decision on what is considered the largest timber-to-vineyard project in state history clears the most significant regulatory hurdle facing Artesa Vineyards and Winery, reports The Press Democrat.

9/05/2012: Researchers unlock flavour secrets (NZ)
One of the challenges Marlborough winemakers have each vintage is to produce quality wines with the same quintessential flavours, regardless of the seasonal variations. Plant and Food Research scientists based at the Marlborough Wine Research Centre in Blenheim, focus on viticultural and winemaking variations to help the wine industry deliver those familiar flavour compositions consumers have come to expect, reports the Marlborough Express.

9/05/2012: Grape harvest gets an autumn reprieve (NZ)
A smaller harvest means consumers should expect to pay more for wine this year, say Nelson winemakers. But the quality of the local vintage should be among the best in the country after superb autumn weather rescued what was shaping up to be a difficult season. With just a few late red varieties and some riesling still to pick this week, the Nelson harvest is expected to be down 20 per cent on last year to under 6000 tonnes after downpours in December badly affected the flowering of some varieties, reports the Nelson Mail.

9/05/2012: Last call for winemakers to enter awards (NZ)
Entries are open for the 2012 New World Wine Awards. In addition to the distinction of an award that recognises quality on the same international scale as all other wine competitions, winning winemakers are guaranteed national distribution and extensive brand exposure, driving sustained sales. In 2011, winners saw wine disappear off shelves in record time. Over 250,000 bottles of the 50 top wines, with a retail value in excess of $3.3m, were sold throughout New World supermarkets in the first six weeks of the award results being announced, reports Voxy News Engine.

9/05/2012: Will Francois Hollande be good for the wine industry? (France)
The signs are that France's new President, Francois Hollande, will support the wine industry more than his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy did, although his stated dislike of the rich may be causing some nerves amongst proprietors. Wine is one of the country’s key industries, contributing €7bn to the economy in 2011. Areas of concern are the liberalisation of planting rights, the Evin Law banning all drinks advertising, and debates to bring alcohol levels for driving down to zero, reports Decanter.

9/05/2012: New book rattles big corporate wine producers (NZ)
Provocatively titled, Grape-a-hol: How Big Business is Subverting Artisan Winemaking and the Future of Fine Wine, was released today into a growing storm of controversy spreading quickly from New Zealand to the United States. With the publication of this book, the authors, Destiny Bay Vineyards’ founder Michael F. Spratt and Destiny Bay Wine Imports owner, Mark L. Feldman, have raised issues and exposed practices that many in the industry would prefer remain buried and out of public view, reports PR Web.

9/05/2012: Hamilton Russell embraces amphorae (South Africa)
South African producer Hamilton Russell Vineyards is finding that experiments with clay amphorae are creating wines with improved structure than those matured in barrels. Since 2005, the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley property has been experimenting with the fermentation and maturation of a small proportion of its Chardonnay in these amphorae. “It’s not a completely biodynamic thing,” explained owner Anthony Hamilton Russell of the motivation behind this project. He pointed instead to the benefits of this technique, saying: “It’s the same air exchange as a barrel but without the flavour of oak," reports The Drinks Business.

9/05/2012: Argentine vintners pour more in local market as costs rise (Argentina)
Argentina's wine industry is booming as connoisseurs across the globe fill their carafes with the country's famed Malbec. But high inflation has spurred vintners to increasingly turn to the local market where they can more easily pass on rising costs to consumers. With production costs surging and consumer purchasing power on the rise at home, winemakers can more easily raise prices on Argentines who are more accustomed to high inflation, reports The Wall Street Journal.

8/05/2012: The Future Of Wine In China
Despite some headline-catching news, China’s wine market remains at an early stage of development. While this gives market participants an unprecedented opportunity to shape it to their advantage, it also increases the level of uncertainty under which key decisions must be made. In this Jing Daily column, Torsten Stocker highlight some of the key factors shaping China’s wine market, as well as its domestic wine industry.

8/05/2012: Low volumes but high quality for Kiwi wine harvest (NZ)
Cooler weather, a late harvest, and an Indian summer should please wine connoisseurs this year, according to the New Zealand Winegrowers Association. New Zealand had a "fantastic April", and promises to deliver very good quality wine once it hits the shelf, Philip Gregan, the head of the association, told TV ONE's Breakfast.

8/05/2012: Business as usual after shares ruling (NZ)
Day-to-day operations and plans for the founding winery in Gibbston valley will not change now its biggest shareholder has gained approval from the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) to take a 100% shareholding. Otago Daily Times reports Gibbston Valley Wines chief executive Greg Hunt, of Wanaka, was asked to comment on the OIO consent for the share acquisition by the winery's major shareholder, American Philip Dean Griffith.

8/05/2012: Wine industry's a bright spot for state during tough times (US)
This seems a timely moment to lift a glass and toast a rising star in the state’s economy – the Washington wine industry. The News Tribune reports even during the recession and two harsh winters in a row (2009 and 2010) that slammed Eastern Washington vineyards, the wine industry continued to expand. Today, according to a new study, its value to the state economy has grown almost three times from what it was just five years ago – a period that overlaps the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

8/05/2012: Planting rights: the cost of lifting the ban from a real estate perspective (EU)
The economic and social implications of lifting the ban on new vine plantings within the EU – tabled for 2016 – have been widely reported. But what impact would the move have on actual prices of vineyards throughout Europe ? According to specialist French real estate agency Vinea Transaction, reported in La Journee Vinicole, the change would have an immediate effect on a very sensitive issue.

7/05/2012: Reaping rewards whilst at the mercy of Mother Nature (NZ)
"I love harvest time," enthuses winemaker Matt Thomson. "When you get this state of flux, it's exciting." Terrifying, more like. Or at least that's how it seems to me: to be at the mercy of Mother Nature, who can undo a year's hard work and the annual opportunity winemakers get to create their product through ill-timed bursts of weather, as has been her way this vintage. While many of us have been moaning about our summer, or rather lack of, the cool, cloudy and wet weather this season has created chaos across most of the country's wine regions, writes Jo Burzynsca in The New Zealand Herald.

7/05/2012: Wine glut cited in our economic fall (NZ)
The global wine glut has been cited as a major contributor to Gisborne’s slump in economic performance in the latest Berl report for 2011. Berl ranks local authorities, regional councils and cities each year on their overall economic performance — and in the latest report Gisborne ranks worst out of 66 local authorities. Wairoa also rates badly. BDO Gisborne audit partner Daryl Keast says Gisborne has never been a star performer in Berl reports, compared with other regions in New Zealand, reports The Gisborne Herald.

7/05/2012: Pair mull prospect of winery (NZ)
The historic Victorian-era precinct of Oamaru could soon have a new tourist attraction after it was earmarked by a pair of Oamaru wine lovers as the possible location for a new "urban" winery. Oamaru businessman Matt Haywood set up the Birdlands Wine Company just 18 months ago, in partnership with local winemaker Craig Lory, and although Mr Haywood said it had always been their plan to make and process their own wine, fate meant that would happen sooner than they had planned, reports Otago Daily Times.

7/05/2012: French coopers lobby government (France)
French coopers are lobbying the French government's forestry commission for greater transparency, and price protection, in an industry worth €300m a year. Les Tonneliers de France, the group representing the coopers, has secured twice-yearly meetings with the Office National des Forets (ONF). This is vital, they say, for ensuring their survival, reports Decanter.

7/05/2012: Wine trade feels pressure of mounting costs (UK)
Fluctuating currency markets and high transport costs are putting wine retailers under more pressure, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit. Noel Reid, wines and spirits buyer at Frederic Robinson, said: "I don't think there's anyone out there who could say that exchange rates and transport costs are not a problem for them at the moment, alongside duty hikes. It's causing real concern in the trade and is putting pressure on house wines in particular. I know people who are having to try to source wines under 80 cents in order to hit their list price."

7/05/2012: Coppola releases first Inglenook since 1964 (US)
Filmmaker-turned-winemaker Francis Ford Coppola has released the first wine bearing the Inglenook label since the Napa Valley estate was broken up in 1964. A year ago, Coppola successfully reclaimed the Inglenook trademark so that his Rubicon Estate in Rutherford could revert back to its historic original name. At the same time, he hired winemaker Philippe Bascaules, previously of Bordeaux first growth Château Margaux, as estate manager and winemaker, with Stéphane Derenoncourt continuing as consultant winemaker for the estate, reports The Drinks Business.

7/05/2012: Naked Wines to invest £5.5m in US and Aussie vineyards (UK)
Naked Wines, the British wine club set up by a former right-hand man of Sir Richard Branson, is to invest £5.5m in a clutch of American and Australian vineyards as part of its first international expansion. The club, founded by ex-Virgin Money boss Rowan Gormley, is to invest its members funds into 22 vineyards located in Australia and the west coast of the US. At the same time, it is to open its website to US and Australian consumers, the first time wine drinkers outside of Britain will have been able to gain access to the club, reports The Telegraph.

4/05/2012: Asian invasion: now it's the turn of our whites (NZ)
White wine is starting to gain exposure and popularity in Asian markets and it's widely expected this enthusiasm will continue to grow. This observation was made early this year in a letter from Peter Fredatovich, export manager at Distant Land Vintners. The company's new releases have been doing well in a range of competitions and this has resulted in strong interest from buyers in southeast Asian and Chinese markets. Here's proof that there's value in entering competitions – success can pave the way in an export drive to market, reports the Marlborough Express.

4/05/2012: French vintners getting hip to wine label confusion (France)
Do you find French wine labels confusing? Hard to pronounce? Many ailing producers are sensitive to your plight, convinced that tradition, the rock on which the glorious French industry is based, has become a bit of a millstone. Hence we’re seeing helpful words like “Merlot” and “Sauvignon Blanc” crop up on bargain bottles of Bordeaux where grapes previously dared not speak their name. Some companies are creating fresh brands using English words, reports The Globe and Mail.

4/05/2012: English vineyards hope for bumper harvest (UK)
English producers are relying on the 2012 vintage for a bumper harvest to raise low stock levels, as demand is outstripping supply. Figures just released for the 2011 vintage, supplied by the Wine Standards Branch (Food Standards Agency) via DEFRA, shows volume production was down by just over 30% due to poor weather at flowering. There are now 419 registered vineyards, up from 404 in 2010, while hectarage is up from 1,324 to 1,384, with the average size of vineyards also on the rise, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.

4/05/2012: South Africa pioneers ethical seal (South Africa)
South Africa has launched an industry-wide seal which guarantees its wines have been produced in line with fair labour practices. Outlined and audited by the country’s Wine Industry Ethical Trade Association (WIETA), the first of these full traceable seals are expected to be awarded later this year. The initiative is intended to complement South Africa’s existing sustainability seal, established in 2010, with the hope that these two programmes will eventually be combined, reports The Drinks Business.

4/05/2012: N.J. wineries raise a glass as law that allows them to ship directly to customers takes effect (US)
New Jersey wine connoisseurs can now have bottles from the state’s wineries shipped directly to them, after a bill signed by Gov. Chris Christie in January went into effect Tuesday. It won’t dramatically increase profits for New Jersey’s wineries, said Tom Cosentino, spokesman for the Garden State Wine Growers Association, but it still represents a significant change to the law, reports New Jersey Business.

4/05/2012: “English wine now deserves to be taken seriously” (UK)
Corney & Barrow’s Rebecca Palmer expressed her belief in English wine as the merchant announced its first exclusive English wine agency, Wiston Estate. Explaining the decision to take on the producer, Palmer, who is associate director and buyer at the independent wine merchant, told The Drinks Business, “We feel that English wine now deserves to be taken seriously.” Continuing she said, “It is Corney & Barrow’s aim to supply our customers with benchmark wines from around the world and it was time to include England in that picture.

4/05/2012: Pancho Campo resigns as an MW (Spain)
Pancho Campo has resigned from the Institute of Masters of Wine. As a result the IMW has announced it has terminated its investigation into alledged breaches of its Code of Conduct following the furore over the incident involving The Wine Advocate’s Jay Miller, reports The Drinks Business. The Institute said in a brief statement: “In light of Pancho Campo’s resignation from the Institute of Masters of Wine, the investigation into alleged breaches of the Institute’s Code of Conduct has been terminated.”

3/05/2012: Wine-drinking etiquette if ever in the Queen's presence (NZ)
Word has it that the cellars at Buckingham Palace hold some of the world's greatest wines from sublime vintages. While it is most unlikely that Her Majesty ever pops downstairs to select something special for dinner, one suspects her highly knowledgeable cellar master knows every bottle by name, provenance, vintage and producer ... when its optimum drinking time is due, and whether it will go best with the freshly caught Balmoral salmon or the Argentinian grass-fed beef, reports The New Zealand Herald.

3/05/2012: New Church Road McDonald Series wines launched (NZ)
Church Road Winery is celebrating the life and legacy of Tom McDonald, legendary winemaker, with the launch of the new premium Church Road McDonald Series available from early May. Tom McDonald (1907-1987) devoted his lifetime to producing outstanding New Zealand wines at the site of the current Church Road Winery in Hawke's Bay. This dedication to creating fine wines saw him forge both a remarkable legacy and enviable future for the Hawke's Bay region and Church Road wines today. This new series celebrates his vision and entrepreneurial spirit, reports Voxy News.

3/05/2012: Napa Valley pushes for greater brand protection (US)
California’s Napa Valley Vintners has upped the ante in its quest to protect its brand name. It has joined the Organisation for International Geographical Indications Network (oriGIn) – which lobbies internationally for more effective legal protection for Geographic Indications. OriGIn has 350 producer associations across 40 countries, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit. For more than a decade, NVV has campaigned for global protection for the valley, and its brand integrity. “Consumers around the world need to be assured that when it says ‘Napa Valley’ on the wine label, the wine truly comes from this extraordinary place,” says Linda Reiff, executive director of the NVV.

3/05/2012: Chateau Montus suffers 50% hail damage, Bordeaux flooding (France)
Chateau Montus, one of the leading chateaux in the Madiran appellation, was severely struck by hail on Sunday evening - while Bordeaux suffered rainfall two-and-a-half times the average. Hailstones of up to 1.5 centimeters in diameter pelted the communes of Castelnau-Rivière-Basse and Madiran, ‘destroying a large part of vines,’ local newspaper SudOuest reported. At least 50% of vines at the 85ha property were hit, owner and winemaker Alain Brumont said, with some plots losing up to 95% of their early-season shoots and buds, causing around €3m damage, reports Decanter.

3/05/2012: Clock ticks on Koch case over fake Jefferson wine (US)
The clock could be running out for billionaire William I. Koch in a lawsuit against Christie's in which he accused the auction house of fraud over his purchase of wines said to have been owned by third American president Thomas Jefferson. A federal appeals court panel in New York on Wednesday questioned whether Koch had conducted timely due diligence when doubts were raised about four bottles of 1787 wine engraved "Th.J" that were sold to him in 1987 and 1988 by dealer Hardy Rodenstock through intermediaries, reports Reuters.

3/05/2012: Red wine anti-aging properties confirmed (US)
New research is showing the properties of a chemical present in red wine, known as resveratrol, does indeed have anti-aging properties. It was always postulated that resveratrol had benefits, but the question was proving the mechanisms involved and moving beyond the realm of "old wives tale" and into the science of the process, reports Medical News Today.

2/05/2012: Top 50 list 'pays testament' to NZ wine's enduring appeal (NZ)
Seven New Zealand wine brands have secured places in the recently announced Top 50 'World's Most Admired Wine Brands' list by the drinks journal Drinks International. Brancott Estate, Oyster Bay, Cloudy Bay, Villa Maria, Babich, Wither Hills, and Nobilo are listed alongside international brands such as Penfolds, Michel Chapoutier, and Chateau Margaux as being leading players in the global wine industry, reports Voxy News.

2/05/2012: The Shack (NZ)
The new four-bedroom architecturally designed guest accommodation at Cloudy Bay Estate in Jacksons Rd, near Blenheim, is a shack in name only. The Shack is for special Cloudy Bay guests such as distributors, wine writers, wine sellers and VIPs, to enjoy a complete Marlborough experience and the serenity of staying on a vineyard. Cloudy Bay events and wine communications manager Stephanie McIntyre said The Shack harks back to the name of the original A-framed home, where the founders of Cloudy Bay came up with their wine label, reports the Marlborough Express.

2/05/2012: Last of the summer wine for Devonport (NZ)
Two North Shore events which for years have drawn thousands of visitors and raised money for charity are despairing at the loss of funding lifelines from the Super City's tourism and events promoters. Devonport Food & Wine Festival and NZ Sculpture OnShore organisers and volunteers were last night upset at having funding applications rejected, reports The New Zealand Herald.

2/05/2012: New research shows 35% of older millennials drink wine at least once a month (US)
More Millennials than ever before are drinking wine at least once a month, according to new research presented by Invictus Marketing, a Napa based interactive marketing agency. The research shows an astounding 35% of older Millennials between the ages of 25-34 drink wine at least once a month, representing the second largest age group of wine drinkers. The largest age group of wine drinkers are individuals between the ages of 55-64, of which 35.2% drink one at least once a month, reports Seattle PI.

2/05/2012: Accolade Wines targets females with RTD sparkling range (UK)
Accolade Wines has unveiled a ready-to-drink range aimed at 25 to 35-year-old female at-home drinkers. Designed to complement Accolade's existing wine brands, the Sparkling Collection range (25cl, rrp £1.85) includes: Hardys Peach Bellini, Hardys Strawberry Bellini, Banrock Station Infusions Summer Berries, Stone's Ginger Punch, Echo Falls Spritz Pinot Grigio and Echo Falls Spritz White Zinfandel Rosé. The aim is to develop convenient wine-based products that offer an on-trade experience at home, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.

2/05/2012: Ancient bottle of Vin Jaune expected to fetch £30k (France)
A 240-year-old bottle of Vin Jaune will be auctioned next month with a £30,000 estimated hammer price. The rare single bottle of 1774 Vin Jaune from France's Jura region is expected to sell for between £27,220 and £34,025 (SFr.40,000-50,000) when it goes under the hammer next month at a Christie's auction in Geneva. A traditional wine of the Jura region, located between Burgundy and Switzerland, this 87-centilitre bottle was part of a batch which had been kept intact for eight generations in a vaulted underground cellar in Arbois, the capital of Jura wines and the birthplace of the creator of modern oenology, Louis Pasteur, reports Decanter.

2/05/2012: Sonoma state hosts first global conference on wine business education (US)
The Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University hosted the first ever Global Wine Business Education Conference. Academic leaders from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa and Spain joined the faculty and staff from Sonoma State in lively discussions last week. One of the purposes of the conference was to harness the collective research and curricula of the most eminent wine business scholars throughout the world, reports Wine Business.

1/05/2012: Hawkes Bay winery listed among world's best (NZ)
A Hawkes Bay winery has appeared alongside world-renowned vineyards in Burgundy, Tuscany and California in a major travel guide's top 10 list - a win being hailed as a boost for the fast-growing wine tourism market. Black Barn Vineyards, in Havelock North, was picked among the world's greatest vineyard inns and hotels by the long-running and best-selling US travel guide Frommers. The guide pitches Black Barn as "the place to go" with family, another couple or a small group, reports The New Zealand Herald.

1/05/2012: A Thinking Party the theme for Pinot Noir NZ 2013 (NZ)
A Thinking Party. That's the theme for Pinot Noir NZ 2013 - to be held in Wellington in January. Pinot Chair Alastair Maling MW says while there will be plenty of splendid Pinot poured he expects everyone to contribute to the talk, reports Voxy News. "Most events have speakers where the audience just listens. Our event will have the audience debating the relevance of natural wines - or if funky means faulty, or whether terroir is more about marketing than place."

1/05/2012: Plenty of bottle needed to keep dream alive (NZ)
This is a tale of two blokes, both Australians, who crossed the Tasman to establish for themselves, and for New Zealand wines, reputations that are respected throughout the world. We are talking, of course, about John Hancock and Larry McKenna, mates from high school in Adelaide, where Larry's father shared with them his passion for the fruits of the vine, which encouraged them both to pursue careers in wine. The rest is history. Now both are facing the winds of change rustling through the industry, writes Warren Barton in the Southland Times.

1/05/2012: Hurtado: Peru is the next big wine country (Peru)
Adolfo Hurtado, chief winemaker of Cono Sur, has revealed he thinks Peru has the potential to be the world’s next big wine region and is looking for vineyard land in the country. “Peru has the same high altitude and ocean influence as Chile, I’d love to make wine there,” he told The Drinks Business. “Peru has no frost and in many parts is desert-like and dry, the same as northern Chile. It’s such an interesting country with great winemaking potential,” he added.

1/05/2012: White House gatecrasher runs for governor (US)
The Virginia winemaker who famously gatecrashed a White House dinner has announced his intention to run as state governor. Tareq Salahi, who with his now-estranged wife Michaele turned up uninvited at a 2009 White House state dinner where they met President Obama, will run for the Virginia governorship in November 2013. Salahi, proprietor of the Oasis Winery in Hume, Virginia, is also being sued by Ken Cuccinelli, Viriginia's attorney general who is also a candidate for governor, for allegedly defrauding customers who had purchased tours at the winery, reports Decanter.

1/05/2012: Chinese wine market poised to enter phase two (China)
The next phase of China’s growing love affair with imported wine will feature sweeter styles of red wine and the emergence of white wine as a substantial player in the market, according to a new study published by UK analysts Wine Intelligence. One of the main findings of the study is that the Chinese wine trade is gearing up for a diversification in consumer tastes beyond the traditional Bordeaux wines that have dominated the imported wine market for the past three years, reports La Journée Vinicole.

1/05/2012: Exporters increasingly looking outside the box, says Rabobank
After all the media overkill in recent times over prospects for growth in markets such as the United States and Asia, it is quite refreshing to hear that not all exporters have their sights turned exclusively on these two regions, however major a role they play. According to the latest Rabobank Wine Quarterly report, some exporter countries are taking a harder look at the smaller markets because they offer stronger growth potential and better pricing than the global behemoths, reports La Journée Vinicole.

30/04/2012: Getting a taste for new varieties (NZ)
This is one of the most frustrating times of the year for people like me. I have tasted some great grape juice that is now being processed into a finished product and I can't wait to taste the final results of the 2012 vintage. One thing I am looking forward to most is the latest version of several wine varieties that are relatively new to New Zealand. Wines like Arneis, Gruner Veltliner and Muscat have been produced here for a few years, but as viticulturists and winemakers come to grips with how the vines perform in New Zealand conditions, we are starting to see some fantastic wines hitting the shelves, writes Neil Hodgson in the Nelson Mail.

30/04/2012: Condensed harvest keeps contractors busy (NZ)
A seamless grape harvest, helped along by good weather and lighter yields, has been a welcome feature for Marlborough vineyard contractors. The run of golden weather ended with rain this morning, with unsettled weather forecast until a return to blue skies on Wednesday next week. Vintage Harvesters owner Jason Tripe said although harvest had been relatively condensed this year, it was also a lot easier than other years, reports the Marlborough Express.

30/04/2012: Alcohol advertising affects brand choice but not consumption (UK)
Alcohol advertising has a negligible impact on consumption according to new research of British residents. To better understand the potential impact of a ban on alcohol advertising in the UK, communication agency G2 Joshua surveyed 2,000 people and discovered that 90% of them would drink the same amount should a ban be introduced. The same study showed that alcohol advertising has a major influence on the alcohol brands people choose, reports The Drinks Business.

30/04/2012: Nigeria wine boom could be stifled by tax, red tape (Nigeria)
Nigeria's wine market is burgeoning, but crippling import duties and complex bureaucracy could dampen the boom before it gets started, wine professionals say. Wine sales in the country stand at US$300m annually and should hit $370m by 2015, according to figures released by market research group Aranca at a Wines of South Africa (WoSA) seminar late last week. But, there is concern that high import charges could stifle the country's potential, reports Decanter.

30/04/2012: Bordeaux 2011's success in question due to high prices (France)
Unless prices come down, Bordeaux 2011's en primeur risks being a big flop, merchants have warned. Experts agree that the higher than expected prices of Bordeaux 2011 are undermining the market's confidence - only Lafite has sold well given it is more affordable than older vintages, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit. Donna Steyn, of Liv-ex, told Harpers: "Very few of the releases have been successful so far. Prices have not been reduced as much as they should have been and this has undermined the market's confidence."

30/04/2012: High level group on wine meets for the first time in Brussels (EU)
The High Level Group on wine met for the first time recently, bringing together senior officials from Member States, industry representatives and observers of the European Parliament, the Council and Croatia. The first in a series of four meetings, its purpose was to analyse the Commission’s proposal to end the ban on new vine plantings within the EU at the end of 2015, reports La Journée Vinicole.

30/04/2012: Only Ausone gets 100 point potential from Parker (US)
Critic Robert Parker has awarded only one potential 100 pointer in his provisional scores for the 2011 vintage. Ausone was awarded 96-100 points, while Lafite was awarded only 90-93 in the estate’s worst performance since its 88 points in 1993, reports The Drinks Business. The scores were described on Twitter as “incredible” and “making a lot of sense”. Parker described the vintage as “much better than I first thought and could turn out to be close in overall quality to 2001 and 2008”.

27/04/2012: Waipara Hills to sponsor The Food Show Masterclass Series (NZ)
Leading New Zealand wine company, Waipara Hills, has today announced its sponsorship of the highly anticipated Masterclass Series at The Food Show in Wellington next month. The Food Show is New Zealand's largest culinary event, held annually in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. It gives Kiwis the opportunity to sample the latest products from hundreds of exhibitors, gather ideas for home entertaining and learn from local and international food experts, reports Voxy News.

27/04/2012: Tesco take “Dragons Den” style LIWF stand (UK)
Tesco has announced it will be taking a stand at this year’s London International Wine Fair (LIWF). The retail giant is keen to make it easy for suppliers to meet with its BWS buyers in an effort to taste new products and hear fresh ideas. The wine team are setting up a “Dragons Den” style opportunity for anyone who thinks they have a good idea to come and meet with them, reports The Drinks Business.

27/04/2012: DWWA 2012: China must prove last year's win 'not a one-off' (China)
China has the weight of expectation on its shoulders at the Decanter World Wine Awards this year, the panel chairman for the region says. Ch’ng Poh Tiong, chair of the panel judging this year’s entries, recalled last year’s International Trophy for Red Bordeaux Varietals for He Lan Qing Xue’s Jia Bei Lan 2009, from Ningxia province in China. ‘My hope this year is that China will show to the world that this wasn’t a one-off,’ the publisher of The Singapore Wine Review told Decanter.com.

27/04/2012: Crushpad Bordeaux to open at Lynch Bages (France)
The Cazes family of Chateau Lynch Bages has taken a stake in Crushpad Bordeaux, an offshoot of the Californian custom wine operation. Crushpad will open in the family wine tourism village of Bages, next to the Cazes flagship Pauillac estate Chateau Lynch Bages. Crushpad Bordeaux, where people can make their own barrels of wine, was launched in January 2009. The original Crushpad started in San Francisco in 2004, reports Decanter.

27/04/2012: Vin de Constance to take on Sauternes (South Africa)
South African estate Klein Constantia’s new managing director is on a mission to pit its flagship sweet wine – Vin de Constance – against the best wines from Sauternes.“We want to benchmark ourselves against the best sweet wines in the world and go up against the likes of Château d’Yquem in the quality stakes,” Hans Astrom told the drinks business during a visit to London this week. Astrom is unafraid of getting rid of wines from the estate’s portfolio if he doesn’t deem them good enough.

Research Findings

What's On in Australia

What's On Overseas