A Melbourne business executive has acquired the prized Main Ridge Estate vineyard in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula for more than $3.25 million. The five-hectare property, with three hectares under vine, at 80 William Road in the affluent rural town of Red Hill was the first commercial vineyard on Mornington Peninsula when it was founded 40 years ago by winemakers Rosalie and Nat White, who have decided to retire.
AUSTRALIA’S most famous wine, the iconic Penfolds Grange, has been outplayed this year by an unlikely bunch of its own stablemates. The stars of this year’s highly anticipated Penfolds luxury wine releases are white hot — not red. Four high-class whites, a riesling and three chardonnays, steal the attention from its usual leading red lights such as Penfolds Grange, St Henri and Bin 389, continuing stellar 2015 competition form which has led to the Magill based producer being named International White Winemaker of the Year at London’s prestigious International Wine Challenge.
QUEENSLAND food, wine and skincare producers are cashing in on the 300 million Chinese online shoppers who are being lured by the green image of brand Australia. Consumers from Beijing to Guangzhou are logging on to purchase everything from Australian skincare to wine on the country’s big online market places. Mt Cotton winemaker Sirromet’s online wine sales for home delivery account for more than 40 per cent of its Chinese sales.
AWRI Commercial Services is offering a rapid Brettanomyces bruxellensis detection service with a 1-2 day turnaround time. This service will provide results much more quickly than traditional plating methods currently used to detect viable Brett cells. The report will indicate whether the sample is positive or negative for B.bruxellensis. It will also provide the approximate number of cells/mL, giving an indication of the level of contamination.
A detailed overview of US wine, beer and spirits market data, brand entry strategy and the history of the three tier system. Dive into a unique perspective on brand economics and how the U.S. three tier system works with John Beaudette, President and CEO of MHW – one of USA’s leading nationally licensed importers, distributors and service providers. Beaudette’s presentation highlights the state of the US industry through an extensive synopsis of recent data.
The devastating earthquake that hit Chile last night, causing the evacuation of around one million people, had its epicentre in the country’s Coquimbo wine region. At least 5 people have died as a result of the 8.3-magnitude earthquake, which struck off the coast of Coquimbo at around 8pm local time (11pm GMT). According to reports, the resulting tsunamis have been battering the coast of the country with waves up to 4.5m high, threatening the country’s coastal vineyards.
Consumers and retailers are increasingly demanding more information about the broader impacts of the food they purchase, including a wider range of issues such as food safety, environmental impact, human ethics and overall sustainability. Organic certification already accounts for these demands. It ensures and verifies that organic products have been produced, stored, transported and handled in accordance with precise technical specifications. It ensures that the “chain of custody” between producers and consumers is secure.
Josh Scott talks beer snobs, supermarket wine, and reaching “peak hop”. If you need something done, ask a busy person, they say. If that’s the case, feel free to pass on any important tasks to New Zealander Josh Scott. The son of well-known Marlborough wine figure Allan Scott, Josh not only looks after the winemaking for the family winery but he is also the founder and brewer of Moa Beers, one of the biggest craft breweries in New Zealand.
Steve James, Manager of Winemaking and Viticulture at Voyager Estate in Margaret River, is currently touring the US, visiting vineyards and comparing notes with his American counterparts. Whether overseas or at home in Margaret River, he is dedicated to making wine that exemplifies its origins. He took some time out to talk us through his passion for winemaking.
Bangkok aficionados hone their knowledge with an evening at the “Wolf Blass Academy”. Wolf Blass has had a presence in Thailand for four years, but only last week did the Australian winery treat local connoisseurs to a “Wolf Blass Academy” – an evening of tastings and tips that was, by all accounts, well worth the wait. The firm’s head winemaker, Stuart Rusted, led the appreciative crowd at the Dusit Thani Bangkok through a course on its labels, pointers on how to taste wine, what to look for when buying wine and, most interestingly, how to actually describe wine.