Key stakeholders have agreed to unite for the development of Hunter Valley wine country after years of turbulence. The Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Alliance will bring together Cessnock and Singleton councils, as well as the Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association. Both councils have this week agreed in principle to the formation of the alliance, that aims to promote a “more holistic and harmonic collaboration” between members.

The 2015 program of the Dr Don Martin Sustainable Viticulture Fellowship was launched at the Wine Tasmania conference on Tuesday 16 June 2015. In launching the 2015 Fellowship, inaugural recipient Paul Smart announced expanded project criteria to include seed funding for on-the-ground research projects, in addition to study-based travel. Sheralee Davies, Wine Tasmania chief executive officer, commended the Alcorso Foundation for its proactivity and support in initiating the $10,000 Fellowship.

Online wine sales accounted for a mere five percent of global sales of whites and reds and roses last year but are expected to rise sharply, according to a study released Monday at France’s Vinexpo wine fair. Cellars and stores still account for the vast majority of wine purchases worldwide but online sales, amounting to $6 billion, have become a crucial channel for sales with an around sixfold increase since 2006, said Bordeaux’s Kedge Business School.

With Chinese buyers snapping up Bordeaux châteaux at a rate of knots, continued consolidation among former rivals and big brewers eying up their craft counterparts, the drinks world is ever-changing. Last week rumours were rife that AB InBev could be preparing a takeover bid for Diageo, a deal that would bring together the world’s biggest producers. The rumour mill went into overdrive after a prominent columnist in Brazil claimed that the country’s richest man, billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann, might be thinking about putting together a takeover bid for the world’s largest premium alcoholic drinks company.

THE state government should be doing more to help Tasmanian wineries export their product to the world, according to international marketing body Wine Australia. On the final day of the Wine Tasmania annual conference, Wine Australia stakeholder engagement manager Ali Lockwood said it was critical to get the state’s fine wines on the international market.

A winemaker walks into a barber shop and sits in the barber’s chair. The barber notices the winemaker looks sad and asks, “Andre, why are you looking so glum?” Andre replies, “Due to climate change, the temperatures are rising in Burgundy, France. That’s created an unprecedented streak of great vintages, about a decade’s worth, in fact.” “That’s good,” says the barber. “No, that’s bad. The popularity of Burgundy has swelled worldwide demand to such an extent that prices for many these wines have skyrocketed beyond what most wine lovers can afford.”

Judging whether a wine is worthless or worth thousands might sound like a pretty good gig. Better still, Maureen Downey says she created the job for herself, and is paid hundreds of dollars an hour to separate fine from fake wine. There is one drawback. “Unfortunately, tasting is not part of what I do,” sighs Downey. “We can’t verify via the contents of the bottle. For one thing, if you were to open a bottle, you destroy it, so authenticating at that point is kind of useless. I’m often the thirstiest person in the wine industry.”

Air New Zealand will broaden the range of wine in premium cabins as it pushes back on claims it is being stingy topping up glasses in the back of the plane. Passengers have complained in several letters to the Herald’s Travel magazine that the airline of holding back on wine during flights, one questioning whether it wanted to be known as “the Scrooge of the sky.”

Hawke’s Bay winemaker Hugh Crichton has claimed the King of Chardonnay crown. His Vidal Legacy Chardonnay 2012 has received the International Chardonnay Trophy at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) in London. The awards are the world’s largest and most influential wine competition. More than 16,000 wines were judged by a panel of 240 experts including some of the world’s greatest winemakers, sommeliers and masters of wine.

Yalumba has launched a completely reworked online presence to share stories with customers from around the globe. Launched to staff and club members of the Yalumba Wine Room on Friday, the rebooted site has a strong focus on photography and video of the company’s wines, winemakers, cooperage, nursery and wine room along with a blog. Nick Waterman, Yalumba managing director, said the revamp was in response to consumer demand for an innovative online presence, and reflected the competitive nature of the global wine industry.