A Waikato winery backed by Irish comedian Graham Norton has signed a distribution deal with beverage giant Lion. Lion will distribute Invivo Wines’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough Pinot Gris and Graham Norton’s Own Sauvignon Blanc nationwide. Invivo is big on branding and notched up a marketing coup in 2011 when it secured Graham Norton as a “brand ambassador”.
A change in career has proved the right move for a Marlborough lawyer and chef, who have won scholarships to support their winemaking studies. Family law practitioner Barbara Mead and Karaka Cuisine chef Sander de Wildt, who are both in their second year of study for a Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking at the NMIT campus in Blenheim, are two of 120 Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology students to receive $1500 scholarships.
A 22-YEAR-OLD Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Semillon has been declared an international Legend of Wine by the British “bible of wines”, Decanter magazine. The listing places the Tyrrell’s flagship 1994 Vat 1 Semillon among such Decanter Legends as Krug champagne, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Haut-Brion Blanc, Egon Muller-Scharzhof, Chateau Palmer, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Lafite and Chateau d’Yquem.
Silos Estate is among the many vineyards opening their cellar doors for a three-day festival of wine and local produce this long weekend. Owner Rajarshi Ray is the festival coordinator and said most of the wineries involved were in the Gerringong, Shoalhaven Heads, Kangaroo Valley and Nowra areas. “We have got a good group of people involved this year starting in the north with Crooked River Wines and Roselea Vineyard near Gerringong.
Australia’s future popularity in the UK may well ride on the growing number of Mediterranean varieties emerging from the country, delivering a more niche and premium proposition than the established reliance on volume sales. “The mood in Australia is slowly moving back to some cautious optimism,” John Angove of Angove Family Wines told Harpers.
Philip White goes looking for election policy which could help the wine industry face the new extremities of climate. Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I do believe the posh bits of the east coast of Australia just started to fall into the Pacific Ocean. Like ancient Viking gods that feed on CO2, the evil weather warriors, Niño and Niña, are at war in a manner few understand. We’ll call this wild tide early coastal collateral damage.
The Barossa Valley became a little less voluble over the weekend, as word spread of the loss of a man loved and respected by many. Fifth-generation grape grower and winemaker Kym Jenke passed away suddenly on Saturday. Through a myriad of online tributes, Kym – who was also known for his love for hot rods – has been remembered as a character with a zest for life and infectious smile.
Beverage Trade Network is pleased to announce the launch of the International Bulk Wine and Spirits Show (IBWSS) in San Francisco on July 26-27, 2017. IBWSS will give supermarkets, retailers, restaurants, wineries, distilleries and other buyers a premiere international platform to source bulk wine and spirits and meet private label suppliers.
French police are investigating a possible death threat sent to the home of a Burgundy wine union president, as tension in France grows over the use of pesticides in vineyards. A letter sent to the head of the Mâcon producers’ union, Jérôme Chevallier, warned of deaths unless growers stop using pesticides in their vineyards. Local police are treating the anonymous letter, sent to Chevallier’s home address, as a possible death threat.
Selling wine in larger glasses encourages people to drink more, even when the amount of wine served in different sized glass remains the same, new research suggests. Scientists at the University of Cambridge believe bigger glasses may encourage drinkers to consume their wine faster and therefore to order more. But they found the opposite effect did not occur when the same quantity of wine was served in smaller glasses.