Winemakers have plenty of information about closures, but when balancing consumer preferences and the performance of the product the decision-making process can get complicated. Winemakers want the closure in their bottle of wine to preserve the quality of the product, so they can send their wine out to the market confident it will meet expectations. And there’s plenty of information available to them to help decide. Nathan Gogoll reports.

Online wine seller Vinomofo is expanding overseas, and if its entrance in new markets is successful the business will do its first capital raise. The company, which was founded in 2011 by Andre Eikmeier, Justin Dry and Leigh Morgan sells more than 35,000 cases of wine each month in Australia and now it’s set its sights on larger markets in China, the United States and the UK

Wine Australia, in partnership with 16 exhibitors, staged a successful first showing at trade fair ProWine China 2015, held in Shanghai on 11–13 November. The huge Wine Australia pavilion showcased approximately 100 wines from 21 brands and 15 wine regions across five states. Exhibitors were a mix of brands already in-market and brands seeking distribution for the first time.

Australian winemakers open for business in China through new Australia Post partnership with Alibaba’s 1688.com. A Mandarin-only business-to-business online marketplace, 16.88.com was set up by Jack Ma’s Alibaba Group in 2010 to help foreign businesses sell wholesale into China. The site has 100 million registered users and is the world’s largest wholesale transaction platform and third biggest overall.

Wanted for vintage 2016 in McLaren Vale, 95cm or above basket press with two cages. Contact Alan, abroom2@bigpond.com, 0408 819 108.

Portavin Integrated Wine Services is hosting a free Yeast Information Webinar to help wine makers learn more about the latest yeast nutrition technology now available. Working in conjunction with one of the world’s leading yeast producers Fermentis, this webinar will discuss how winemakers can gain better control of their fermentation through more accurate management of yeast nutrition.

Long-time wine commentator Peter Saunders looks back in sadness as two historic wineries close their doors forever. The news that Treasury Wine Estates would stop operations at both the Great Western winery in Victoria, Australia and the Matua Auckland winery in New Zealand following the 2016 vintage gave some of us who appreciate history pause for thought.

A Blenheim vineyard contractor has been fined for failing to provide employment records for workers at a Marlborough winery. The Employment Relations Authority has ordered KRSVP Ltd, which was operating under the name S & LJ Prasad Ltd at the time, to pay more than $7500 for failing to produce wage and time records for workers at Cable Bay Wine. Labour Inspectorate regional manager Kevin Finnegan said failure to comply with minimum employment standards would not be tolerated.

WHILE some of us watch television, play sport or learn a new language to escape our busy city lives, Vanessa and Neville Bagot had much bigger ideas. The Artarmon couple, who both work in corporate careers, bought a $1.49 million vineyard in Tasmania three years ago – despite knowing next to nothing about winemaking. “We knew a lot about drinking it and what we liked but we didn’t know a great deal,” Mrs Bagot, 45, said. “It was really about wanting to create and grow something from scratch.”

Claymore Wines has signed a three-season deal with English soccer giants Liverpool FC. The deal will see Claymore and Liverpool launch a brand new wine club product, which will be available in time for Christmas. Both parties will also work together on the upcoming Liverpool FC Legends game in January 2016. Anura Nitchingham, the founder of Claymore Wines, said: “Claymore’s relationship with Liverpool FC runs deep – having spent many years in Liverpool I’m proud to say I’m a fan.”