Picking has begun in the country’s largest grape-growing regions amidst wine industry predictions that 2016 will produce a bumper harvest. Some early grapes have already come off the vines in Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough, although most winemakers will not begin harvesting their first fruit for at least another fortnight.

Sidewood Estate has commenced an expansion of its winery business in the Adelaide Hills with plans to increase cider and wine production capabilities. A South Australian State Government Regional Development Fund grant is covering $856,319 of the $3.5 million expansion, which will see Sidewood Estate’s wine production increase from 500 to 2,000 tonnes per annum. The expansion also includes new bottling and canning facilities expected to produce more than 400,000 bottles of wine and cider each year by 2017.

Joadja Winery, the oldest in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales has been sold for $2 million. Last year TheShout revealed that the historic winery was up for sale and now winemaker Kim Moginie and his wife Frances have sold the winery they have worked on for 30 years. The winery comprises 21 acres in total, with 15 acres of grapes including the cool climate wine varieties of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio, plus red varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.

Joadja Winery, the oldest in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales has been sold for $2 million. Last year TheShout revealed that the historic winery was up for sale and now winemaker Kim Moginie and his wife Frances have sold the winery they have worked on for 30 years. The winery comprises 21 acres in total, with 15 acres of grapes including the cool climate wine varieties of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio, plus red varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.

How do you grow a startup from two blokes with a passion for wine, working from a garage, into a booming business with a team of 100 hard-working, loyal employees? For Vinomofo founders Justin Dry and Andre Eikmeier the answer is multi-faceted, but it has a lot to do with confident communication, choosing people who embrace your vision and rescue dogs.

How do you grow a startup from two blokes with a passion for wine, working from a garage, into a booming business with a team of 100 hard-working, loyal employees? For Vinomofo founders Justin Dry and Andre Eikmeier the answer is multi-faceted, but it has a lot to do with confident communication, choosing people who embrace your vision and rescue dogs.

THE hot, dry hot summer has been brutal for many Tasmanian farmers but a blessing for those growing grapes with some yields up 50 per cent this year. The state’s 2015 vintage was moderate, yielding the equivalent of about 620,000 cases realising a farmgate value of more than $65 million. However, Paul Williams from Wobbly Boot vineyard in the Coal River Valley told theMercury that this season his grapes were in weighty bunches.

A South Australian Government inquiry into the labour hire industry has heard stories of poor living conditions and wage mismanagement surrounding backpackers and visa-holders working in the state’s Riverland district. Barmera backpacker accommodation provider Thomas Towle told the inquiry that he knew of cases where backpackers had tax deducted from their pay and never passed over to the Tax Office.

“I didn’t realise—couldn’t yet see—how in all the arts there are usually two things going on at the same time: the desire to make it new, and a continuing conversation with the past.”—Julian Barnes, Keeping an Eye Open (Knopf, 2015) The British writer Julian Barnes phrased it perfectly in expressing “a desire to make it new.” Although he is writing about art, it applies equally as well to fine wine.

Some really top wines come from the bottom of the world. Wine making is relatively new in New Zealand. Although some grapevines were planted there prior to the 20th century, until recently winemaking was pretty much ignored. Two major changes occurred that fostered interest in winemaking. In a move toward prohibition, New Zealand enacted temperance laws in 1917 that restricted alcohol sales in pubs and bars to one hour on workdays and no sales on Sundays.