The four winners of the inaugural Australian Women in Wine Awards were announced last night via a web broadcast that was streamed to live events taking place all over Australia. Rose Kentish from Ulithorne Wines in McLaren Vale took out the winemaker of the year award at the event while Irina Santiago-Brown was named as viticulturist of the year. Rebecca Duffy from Holm Oak Vineyard in Tasmania was awarded with owner/ operator of the year and Dianne Laurance from WA’s Laurance Wines was honoured with the workplace champion of change award.

The impacts of climate change on agricultural communities, such as the Upper Hunter, have been highlighted in a new study examining pressures on the food supply chain. The research from the Climate Council of Australia indicates hotter weather is affecting the quality and availability of many foods, adding pressure to the export market.

China’s decline in wine sales since the government crackdown on corruption has primarily affected domestic producers, not importers. Although the headlines have focused on falling demand of grand cru classé claret, particularly Château Lafite, since president Xi Jingping introduced his “austerity measures” in 2013, it is domestic wine producers that have been hit hardest by the new political climate, according to Beijing-based Fongyee Walker.

Glowing reviews of the Burgundy 2015 vintage helped the annual Hospices de Beaune auction achieve a record €11.35m over the weekend, but the atmosphere was marked by sadness following the Paris terror attacks and both organisers and individuals pledged money to help victims. The Hospices de Beaune 2015 auction on Sunday achieved sales of €11,347,609 (A$17.16m), fees included, beating the previous record set last year by about 39 per cent.

Winegrowers are on high alert after a forecast drop in the mercury threatened vineyards with frost throughout Napier and Hastings this morning. Frost was expected to ice the region as overnight temperatures as low as 2C were forecast. Metservice meteorologist Claire Flynn said: “There is a ridge over us at the moment which means there isn’t much wind at night.” The lack of wind meant heat would radiate away from the ground rather than mixing with warmer surface air.

A wine professional from the United Kingdom has arrived in Marlborough on a scholarship that aims to bring the two countries’ wine industries closer. Emma Clark, who has 12 years’ experience working in the UK wine trade, found out she was the recipient of the Wine Marlborough-John Avery-NZ-UK Link Foundation Fellowship last year. Since then she has been counting down the months until arriving in Marlborough. “It’s my first time in New Zealand,” she says.

A large presence from Wine Australia has helped set a new record for the number of Australian wineries exhibiting at the third annual ProWine China event in Shanghai this week. The significant Australian attendance was anchored by a large stand co-ordinated by Wine Australia regional manager Willa Yang and her team based in China.

Instagram, the social platform once reserved for bearded hipsters and wellness bloggers, has taken the online world by storm in recent years, racking up an impressive 300 million active users since its 2010 launch. A shift in trends has seen popular social media move into a more visual space, providing a huge growth potential for the mobile-only platform, which is made up entirely of images and short videos.

Wine Grape Growers Australia (WGGA) has officially announced the appointment of Jo Andrew as Independent Chair of the organisation. The decision was made to appoint an independent Chair following the retirement of long-standing Chair and South Australian representative Vic Patrick. “We felt we needed someone with a fresh perspective and experience in leading an organisation through a period of significant challenge and change.”

Back in 2012, former psychologist and public relations professional Jane Thomson founded the Fabulous Ladies Wine Society, dedicated to supporting and promoting the role of women in the Australian wine industry. A highlight among the society’s initiatives — which have included wine tours and tastings for women, and even an evening of matching wines and designer shoes — will be the inaugural Australian Women in Wine Awards next Tuesday evening.