New Zealand wine & lifestyle website Sip NZ Wine (sipnzwine.com) is launching a Rosé campaign this February, joining forces with New Zealand wine producers to make a rumble about Rosé. With over 15 wineries already on board for this inaugural collaborative campaign, “Dare to Pink #sipnzrose” is set to make NZ Rosé THE summer drink. “Australia, Europe and the US all have their own Rosé campaigns so it is finally time for New Zealanders to “Dare to Pink”.
As Australia edges toward relaxing its laws around medicinal marijuana, Philip White finds some links between wine and cannabis. On October 2, 1729, Benjamin Franklin and a mate bought The Pennsylvania Gazette and set about building it into the equivalent of the New York Times of its day. Their first issue devoted most of its front page to the promotion of hemp, “by naturalists call’d Cannabis… ”
The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) has welcomed release of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) treaty information. Tony Battaglene, WFA international affairs general manager, said the TPP promises to level the playing field for Australian wine exports into the 12 signatory economies which last year accounted for 45 per cent of Australia’s total wine exports – or around $837 million out of the total $1.9 billion in total wine exported in 2014.
Plans to convert investor’s wine scheme units into listed shares have been abandoned after strong opposition from the scheme’s investors around the country. The manager of the wine scheme Cabonne is currently involved with the Central Highlands Wine Grape projects and has held six investors meetings’ around Australia to explain the deal, but received a frosty reception from investors in most capital cities.
Treasury Wine Estates’ chief executive Mike Clarke says sales in Asia have accelerated even faster over the past few weeks as flagship brand Penfolds and Wolf Blass deliver strong gains. He now wants to replicate their reinvigoration by revving up a cluster of 13 smaller brands he calls “gems”. Clarke has set up a new internal structure whereby 13 regional brands, including Saltram, Leo Buring, Seppelt, Coldstream Hills and Devil’s Lair, will be managed under one roof by a specialist team rather than in “silos”.
Tasmania’s biggest contract winemaker Winemaking Tasmania is planning a significant vineyard development to shore up supply and enhance Tasmania’s wine brand. Winemaking Tasmania’s chief winemaker Julian Alcorso said a 30 hectare vineyard was in the planning stage and it was expected to be the first a series of developments. He said one of the biggest issues being faced was sourcing enough grapes for clients who either did not grow their own grapes or who needed to supplement their supply.
There are three ways to make wine in Bordeaux. The best way is to buy a first-growth vineyard. (This requires an extraordinary amount of money.) Or you can buy a winery and execute financially in the long-established business of wine in Bordeaux. (This requires an extraordinary amount of time and on-site presence.) Or you can work with a negoçiant to buy vinified wine, at which point “making wine” becomes mostly a marketing play, typically at the lower end of the scale.
Trade Minister Tim Groser today released new statistics showing spectacular growth in New Zealand’s exports to Chinese Taipei since the Economic Cooperation Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu (ANZTEC) entered into force in December 2013. “New Zealand exporters are reaping the benefits of preferential tariff access to Chinese Taipei,” says Groser. “Exports of New Zealand wine to Chinese Taipei have grown 56 percent to $1.3 million. The 10 percent tariff on non-sparkling wine and 20 percent tariff on sparkling wine were eliminated on entry-into-force.”
New Zealand organic winery Mahana Estates played host to Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, this weekend during a 12-day tour of the country. The Royal couple timed their visit to coincide with the Mahana Estate’s ‘From Source to Serve’ food and wine event, which showcased Nelson’s local produce, including wines, craft beers and cider, cheese and seafood.
Food and wine matching on serve included the 2015 Mahana Pinot Noir Rosé with miso and nori ora king salmon and lemongrass Mayonnaise, prepared by the chefs in the Mahana Kitchen.
A groundbreaking course offered by the University of Adelaide has recently taken out the Government, Education and Non-profit category of the 2015 South Australian Interactive Media Excellence awards as well as the Best Wine Educator award from Wine Communicators of Australia. The massive online open course (MOOC) called World of Wine: From Grape to Glass was developed by Kerry Wilkinson, Paul Grbin, Cassandra Collins and David Jeffery.