THE origin of ginger remains a mystery. Depending on whom you talk to, it originated in the lush tropical jungles of south China or India. One of the earliest written accounts of ginger is in a four thousand year-old Chinese book in which the underground root’s medicinal qualities are examined in detail.

Napa County residents packed a local court on July 15 for a rather arcane hearing on rules for qualifying voter initiatives for election ballots. Extra chairs were brought into the courtroom to accommodate the spectators, with dozens more people standing outside in the hallway, several wearing buttons that read “Save the Watershed.”

European wine law often amounts to an impenetrable tangle of red tape. Well done to Austria then, for pushing ahead with a simplification of sorts. With the ratification of new regulations in June, Austria continues apace. In Austria’s most easterly region the old appellations of Neusiedlersee, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, Mittelburgenland and Südburgenland are now all subsumed into the single appellation Burgenland unless they are from one of Burgenland’s DACs (Disctrictus Austriae Controllatus).

BEECHWORTH’S boutique Star Lane Winery have carved themselves a place in history with their release of the world’s red gum barrel matured Shiraz. Liz Barnes, Star Lane winemaker, matured wine in barrels made from salvaged native Australian red gum hardwood for Star Lane’s new Elements Shiraz. “We always knew we wanted to try the red gum barrel but we also knew we needed to build a name for ourselves first that people could trust and respect,” Barnes said.

A South Australian red wine that sells for less than $15 has trumped more than 600 wines from around the country to be judged Australia’s best value red. The Hesketh Midday Somewhere Shiraz 2015, which sells for about $13, will be available in Perth liquor stores from this morning. If the response to The West Australian’ s annual red wine lift-out in previous years is any guide, wine drinkers will need to get in early to get some.

Craft + Estate, a member of The Winebow Group, has announced that it is the exclusive U.S. importer of Burch Family Wines and their range of award-winning wines. Burch Family Wines is a family-owned and operated company producing Howard Park, MadFish and Marchand & Burch wines from Western Australia’s premier grape growing regions of Margaret River and Great Southern.

The Australian icon’s chief winemaker talks about recorking and the quest for the perfect closure. Penfolds marks the 25th anniversary of its celebrated re-corking clinics with a world tour this autumn. The Treasury-owned South Australian winery has run the service since 1991. Owners of Penfolds wines more than 15 years old may bring them for assessment: tasting, topping up, re-corking, certifying and logging on a central database.

The depreciation of the British pound (GDP) following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union could hurt demand for imported wine, including from Australia. The UK is the world’s largest market for imported wine by volume and is the largest importer of Australian wine. Agribusiness specialist lender Rabobank says sterling’s dramatic devaluation following Britain’s vote to leave the EU is of immediate concern because a lower pound means it’s more expensive for the UK to buy wine from overseas.

One of the largest wine competitions in Japan, the Women’s Wine Awards has announced the launch of its 2017 event with entries open from October. Chaired and founded by Yumi Tanabe, a wine educator, journalist and consultant, the Japan Women’s Wine awards is now in its fourth year and aims to recognize the increasing quality of indigenous Japanese grapes as well as international varieties. The competition is open from 1 October to 30 November with samples to be delivered to Sakura’s head office in Tokyo by 13 January.

Yealands Family Wines (Yealands) has just become the first winery in the world to carry the DQS Green Company GC-Mark for its winery operation at their Seaview winery in Marlborough. DQS Group (DQS) based in Germany are one of the leading certification bodies for management systems worldwide. DQS have developed a checklist of criteria to obtain a Green Company GC-Mark that is based on national and international recognized standards and regulations. To receive a Green Company GC-Mark, a company must succeed in “minimising its negative impact upon the environment.”