Central Tablelands Local Land Services and Biosecurity staff from the NSW Department of Primary Industries will be hosting a workshop on April 18, for grape growers and the local wine industry on what the ramifications for the Central West would be if an outbreak of grape phylloxera were to occur. Grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae) is one pf the world’s most damaging grapevine pests.
POLICE are urging the public to be on the lookout for stolen bottles of Rosemount Estate Balmoral vintage wine, which may be offered for sale. A significant amount of the wine — valued at $180 a bottle — was stolen from a storage shed on Ingoldby Rd, McLaren Flat, between March 23 and April 7. The stolen wine — similar to that pictured — may be offered to local businesses for sale.
National Independent Liquor Wholesalers (NILWA) has announced major changes to its membership today. Paramount Liquor VIC, Liquid Specialty Beverages QLD and Liquid Mix WA resigned their membership effective Wednesday 6 April 2016, and are expected to to pursue their own marketing strategies. In a press release issued by NILWA, CEO Martin O’Mara commented, “The NILWA Board thanks Paul Murphy, Mark Rowe and Darren Terlich for their service to the company spanning many years.”
Winemakers could be hit harder by natural disasters as changes to climate continue. Researchers looking at disasters such as earthquakes, hail and bushfires say that globally, earthquakes do the most damage to winemakers, as seen in Chile in 2010 and Napa in the United States in 2014. Dr James Daniell, who works at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, said that while earthquakes were not common in Australia, if a big one hit growers may not be prepared.
JANCIS ROBINSON: This is no fun, especially so soon after the loss of Paul Pontallier of Château Margaux. The illustrious Hugel family of Alsace report the sudden death of Etienne Hugel yesterday. Like Paul, Etienne had not even reached 60. He was just 57 and had the energy and enthusiasm, not to say wiry good looks, of someone in their early twenties. He successfully managed to fill the shoes of his uncle Johnny Hugel as the public face of Hugel, and was similarly beloved all over the world.
Harvest is the busiest time of year for Marlborough winemakers, but what really goes on behind those cellar doors? Wine reporter Oliver Lewis finds out. Behind the wall of the Fromm Winery cellar door, tanks of grapes sit fermenting in their skins, a pump draws juice from the press and the winemakers and harvest interns busily check samples. Leaning against the wooden counter, general manager winemaker William Hoare tries to put into words the elusiveness of the winemaking process playing out behind him.
New Zealand wines, the country’s sixth biggest export product, will gain duty-free access to seven new countries under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, Trade Minister Todd McClay said Thursday. New Zealand already sold almost 1 billion NZ dollars (681.6 million U.S. dollars) worth of wine into the 11 other TPP countries, McClay said in a published speech to exporters in the Marlborough region at the top of the South Island.
China’s Fullshare Group has demonstrated the appetite from Asian investors for premium Australian vineyards after snapping up the trophy Red Hill Estate on the Mornington Peninsula for just over $5 million. The highly-picturesque 17.4-hectare property on Shoreham Road in Red Hill South, in the renowned cool climate wine region, was established in 1989 by the late Australian businessman and philanthropist Sir Peter Derham and Lady Derham.
Australian wineries under the financial pump from large retailers are being offered the chance to fight back through a new marketing strategy. Ecommerce company Haggle‘n’Handshake is providing a marketing platform that allows wineries to promote their products on a much larger scale through a website called Wine Haggler.
Wine Australia is launching a trade competition for Australian wineries, cellar doors, restaurants, bars and retailers as part of its Aussie Wine Month in May. The annual celebration of Australian wine runs events throughout May and those who register an event or promotion can enter a competition to win prizes valued at up to $4000. All off-premise retailers and on-premise venues that register an Aussie Wine Month event or promotion can win a place on Wine Australia’s Trade Immersion Program, a week-long hosted trip to a number of Australian wine regions.