UNDER clear blue skies the weekend’s Food and Wine 2016 proved a runaway success, with sell-out events and millions of dollars injected into the Noosa economy. An estimated 10,000 people were in the region to enjoy 43 events, with 40 chefs and 22 wineries participating. Tourism Noosa chief executive officer Damien Massingham said 7000 tickets were snapped up before the weekend began.
BUREAUCRATIC bumbling over the controversial backpacker tax is doing more damage than the tax itself. This is the message from leaders in the Riverina horticulture industry who fear workers will head to New Zealand instead of Australia due to the financial imposts. Riverina Wine Grape Marketing Board chief executive officer Brian Simpson said the backpacker tax didn’t just hurt agriculture and horticulture but was also detrimental to the broader economy.
Bayer AG offered $62 billion to buy Monsanto Co., deepening investor concern that it’s stretching its finances to become the world’s biggest seller of seeds and farm chemicals. The May 10 written proposal to Monsanto offered $122 a share in cash, the Leverkusen, Germany-based company said in a statement on Monday. Bayer’s stock dropped as much as 4.1%, extending losses since the potential deal was first revealed.
Matua has been awarded four trophies at the 2016 International Wine Challenge (IWC) based in London. Matua’s flagship Syrah, the Matua Single Vineyard Hawkes Bay Syrah 2014, pipped all other Syrah wines at the show to take home the International Syrah Trophy, New Zealand Red Trophy, Hawke’s Bay Syrah Trophy, and New Zealand Syrah Trophy.
How much do you think your taste buds are worth? For Yvonne Lorkin, they’re a sweet $1 million. Lorkin is one of New Zealand’s most high profile wine critics, a respected wine competition judge and, since its launch in October 2015, she’s been the Chief Tasting Officer for wine subscription service WineFriend.
Steve Lubiana has been growing and making wine in Tasmania since 1989, also establishing the state’s first biodynamic vineyard in the process. In 2011, he spent vintage at Weingut Gerhard and Brigitte Pittnauer to learn about Austria’s indigenous grapes, including Gruner Veltliner and Blaufrankisch. About 65km southeast of Vienna in Austria’s famed Burgenland red wine region, Gerhard Pittnauer also farms according to biodynamic principles. He’s long championed the fickle and unfashionable variety of St Laurent, and makes beautifully detailed Blaufrankisch and Pinot Noir.
Treasury Wine Estate’s stock price is edging towards double the value it was when it rejected the $3.4 billion, or $5.20 a share, offer from KKR back in September 2014. The stock was trading around the $4.80 a share market and all the talk was KKR actually wanted to lower its price when the board formally rejected the bid. The company has more than delivered on expectations since then, helped in part by the falling Australian dollar which has boosted the value of exports of its top brands like Penfolds.
Rutherglen Estates announced yesterday that Marc Scalzo, chief winemaker, has been named amongst the finalists in this years’ Gourmet Traveller WINE ‘Australian Winemaker of the Year’ awards. Scalzo joined Rutherglen Estates in 2008, after spending seven years at Brown Brothers, where he was responsible for a very diverse portfolio. Prior to that, Scalzo has experienced busy vintages in New Zealand with family-owned Delegat and Seresin Estates, and also worked with Rick Kinzbrunner at Giaconda in Beechworth.
SIMON Killeen was destined to be a winemaker. “Dad was one, grandpa was one, great-grandpa was one and great-great-grandpa was one,” says the 30-year-old from Rutherglen in Victoria’s North East who, for the second year in a row, has been named one of Australia’s best young winemakers. This year, Simon, who runs Simao and Co winery, is one of 12 young winemakers vying for the prestigious Young Gun of Wine award, to be announced on July 1.
The state government is introducing a $1.8 million a year wine industry development scheme to support a stronger and sustainable South Australian wine sector. But local MP Stephan Knoll has labelled the scheme – which replaces the Cellar Door Liquor Subsidy – an “unripened mess”, citing a cut of nearly $1m worth of industry support. The new scheme, which comes into effect from July 1, replaces the Cellar Door Liquor Subsidy which returned around $2.7m a year to eligible businesses.