New Zealand Winegrowers welcomes news that the Tariff Amendment Bill was passed through Parliament on Friday, a big step towards implementing the Free Trade Agreement with South Korea. Philip Gregan, New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive officer, said the negotiators have achieved a great outcome for the wine industry. “Tariff free access into South Korea at the time the agreement comes into force represents a significant boost to our export ambitions in one of the key Asian markets,” he said.

Kiwi wine business Invivo has tripled its monthly sales after launching its latest Graham Norton Sauvignon Blanc into Ireland. Invivo is backed by the UK personality, Norton, who owns two per cent of the company and as part of this, produced his own limited edition sauvignon blanc last year. According to co-founder Tim Lightbourne the success of the specialty wine, which was only sold in New Zealand, led to the decision to expand the reach into Norton’s home country of Ireland.

Clonakilla Wines’ 2015 Riesling was named wine of the show against strong competition from “the vintage of a lifetime” at the weekend’s Canberra and Region Wine Show. Winning winemaker Tim Kirk said the current district vintage was proving a “belter” for Murrumbateman and Canberra district winemakers with Mother Nature balancing the books after three “challenging” wet years from 2010 to 2012. “Mother Nature has given us a couple of belters in 2013 and 2015,” he said. “2014 was pretty good as well.

Mobile wine bottler Des Profitt spends almost half his life on the road to keep costs down for regional wine producers. For 13 years he has been travelling from Cudal near Orange in central west New South Wales and bottling wine at wineries in the south of the state. However it is more than just hitching his swag and turning up to a winery. When the New Zealand-born Mr Proffit arrives, it is in a large semi-trailer.

Penalty rates, biosecurity and more marketing for cool climate wine regions are part of the thrust of the Senate hearing submission from Wine Tasmania. CEO Sheralee Davies appeared before the Committee in Launceston along with four Tasmanian winemakers. Davies says the submission has put forward several changes to the Wine Industry Award 2010 including a reduction from 4 hours to 2 hours for casual staff.

Accolade Wines has appointed its General Manager UK and Ireland, Paul Schaafsma to be Chief Executive Officer, succeeding John Ratcliffe who will become Deputy Chairman and also continue to advise on the strategic development of the company. Schaafsma has been involved in the wine industry for nearly 20 years, with extensive experience in the Australian, UK, European and African markets.

Love of food and wine and the region it comes from is a key motivator for Toast Martinborough’s new director, Anna Nielson. Ten thousand tickets went on sale yesterday for the annual event which will run this year on Sunday, November 15. Nielson co-founded Wellington on a Plate festival with Sarah Meikle, “in the middle of a recession”, and has been to roughly 10 of the 24 Toast Martinborough events including – she can’t remember which – either the first or second ever event back in 1991.

Behind the scenes at a family-owned wine business with 165 years or history and tradition, growing grapes in an unassuming part of South Australia, is a heavily tattooed young bloke. Sam Bowman is a part-time muso, part-time martial arts fighter and full-time viticulturist. He’s the sort of character who can’t sit still. Emilie Reynolds caught up with the man in charge of the Bleasdale vineyards to find out how he landed in a dream role he never imagined.

New Zealand Winegrowers has announced the names of nine successful sommeliers who will participate in the inaugural Sommit Scholarship, held in New Zealand from 30 January to 6 February 2016. The successful candidates will engage with and learn from some of the great minds in the New Zealand wine business. They will taste a range of premium wines from New Zealand and the rest of the world on an intensive seven-day program incorporating flagship events on the New Zealand wine industry’s national calendar.

A workshop helping Marlborough winegrowers build their brand and expand into overseas markets is planned for November. The Marlborough Wine Business Workshop, which has been held since 2003, promises to show businesses how to engage with customers, enhance their brand and work better with distribution partners. Wine Business Solutions manager Peter McAtamney said it would help businesses tailor their products to the demands of international markets.