Pianist Arthur Rubinstein was fond of telling the story of the wine connoisseur who once invited the composer Johannes Brahms to dinner: “This is the Brahms of my cellar,” said the collector to his guests, filling the master’s glass from a dusty bottle. Brahms looked at the colour of the wine, smelled it and finally took a taste. “Hmmm,” he said after putting down the glass. “Better bring your Beethoven.” That’s the trouble with old wines. Even if kept in temperature- and humidity-controlled conditions in a million-dollar cellar: they can go bad, oxidise or simply not taste very good after years of ageing, reports the Canberra Times.

The Riverina’s largest winemaker, De Bortoli, says this is one of the best quality vintages in 20 years. Darren de Bortoli, managing director of the company, says a third of the grapes have been harvested so far. He says while the quantity is down, the flavour is among the best he’s tasted, reports ABC Rural.

Ever wondered why people, some dressed in traditional costume, gather in Tanunda on a particular Sunday each February? It’s because they are keen to celebrate Barossa’s Declaration of Vintage.
This Sunday, February 19, again marks the blessing of the Barossa’s first crush of grapes and everyone is invited, reports Barossa Herald.

The EU’s Standing Committee on Organic Farming (SCOF) has agreed new rules for organic wine that it claims will raise its profile within the bloc and worldwide. It’s a move welcomed by a prominent group representing organic producers, despite their warning about ‘challenging’ new sulfite reduction targets,reports Beverage Daily.

Swings & Roundabouts is a medium-sized boutique winery at Yallingup at the very northern end of the Margaret River wine region, writes John Jens. ‘Swings’ is owned by various Perth business people but the day to day operations are handled by Andrew Moore (a former senior wine industry executive and deputy chairman of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation) and Howard Cearns (of Braincells Brand Marketing and Little Creatures Brewing).

With the Pyrenees mountain range firmly set on the southern horizon, a few enthusiastic vintners are trying to resuscitate a local wine-growing tradition that has been lost for many decades, reports Reuters.
“We were four at the start. Only one of us was already a wine-maker, I was in agriculture. We just could not understand why Ariege was the only area in France without vines while it had been an important producer in the past,” said Philippe Babin, one of the pioneers and a former vegetable seed grower.

Winemaker Quintin Quider is rolling out the barrel. But it is not what you might expect, Charmian Smith reports for Otago Daily Times. A row of barrels outside the cafe at the Goldfields Mining Centre in the Kawarau Gorge is a sign of new things happening. Late last year Quintin Quider, of Wild Earth Wines, opened his tasting room, cafe and restaurant there. But the barrels are not for wine, they are cookers.

When Greg Penman bought Camden Estate Wines 16 years ago, he also bought a story.
The property on which he produces Camden Estate Wines has played a leading role in the tale of Camden. Grapevines were first planted by the Macarthur family in 1817 from European cuttings and grown by six German families,reports the Camden Advertiser.

The countdown has begun to one of the South Burnett’s most anticipated annual foodie events and this year promises to be bigger and more delicious than ever before. The South Burnett Wine and Food in the Park Festival sponsored by Thiess will be held in Kingaroy on Saturday 10 March 2012 and will showcase the best local produce this fertile region has to offer, reports Toowoomba Chronicle.

An experiment on a small Riverina block has turned into a vintage business for Don and Jo Hearn, writes Sandra Godwin, in Weekly Times. What started as an experiment on 8 hectares in the heart of broadacre farming country has become a success after 16 years.