When Gino Fortino of Fortino Winery walks his vineyards he can tell the berries are “nice and plump, not shrivelled up like they were last year during the drought.” The Gilroy winemaker notes that El Niño rains earlier this year also increased “the hang time,” resulting in more balanced and flavorful grapes. Things are also looking good at Wente Vineyards in Livermore, where the harvest began August 15 with Chardonnay grapes, followed by Sauvignon Blanc. “Right now, the quality is exceptional,” says winemaker Karl Wente, “but I won’t know for sure until I taste the wines come Christmas.”

The Federal Government today released an implementation paper on tightened eligibility criteria for the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) rebate. “The implementation paper sets out the Government’s proposed approach to implement the tightened eligibility criteria, giving consideration to these issues, and invites views from industry,” said Kelly O’Dwyer, the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services.

A Marlborough resident has called for a high temperature furnace to be built so chemically treated posts used in vineyards can be disposed of without damaging the environment. Wairau Valley resident Cliff Smith said toxic waste dumps were being created around the region by stockpiling thousands of old or broken posts, some treated with copper-chrome-arsenic, or CCA.

With rogue operators threatening the reputation of New Zealand’s wine industry, the only way of catching out some labour contractors would be by conducting sting operations, a consultant says. Viticultural consultant Murray Paterson said it was too easy for contractors to manipulate timesheets and payment records, which he said labour inspectors relied on during their investigations.

On September 20 a trade tasting is taking place that may change the way the UK wine trade views modern Australian wine. The Artisans of Australia Tasting will draw together 25 of the most exciting, innovative and down-right talented winemakers in the world today. Through their experimentation with new varietals, adoption of minimalist winemaking or their dedication to site selection and expression, these winemakers are crafting wines that are a new iteration of Australian wine brilliance.

The good times at Penfolds maker Treasury Wine Estates have flowed through to executive pay packets, with chief executive Mike Clarke’s total remuneration jumping 32 per cent to $5.9 million for 2015-16, reports The Australian Financial Review. The Treasury annual report lodged with the ASX on Thursday showed that Mr Clarke’s total remuneration was up from $4.45 million a year earlier. The report outlined that 60 per cent of Mr Clarke’s remuneration was performance related.

A major survey of practices in the Australian grape and wine industry is being launched today by the Australian Wine Research Institute. This is the first time a comprehensive survey of grape and wine production practices has been conducted in Australia. It is intended that the survey will be repeated in five years’ time to allow adoption trends to be captured. All survey data submitted will be treated with strict confidentiality.

A flagship Australian wine online store supported by Wine Australia has launched today on Alibaba Group’s business to consumer platform, Tmall.com, providing a further avenue for Chinese consumers to purchase Australian wines. Andreas Clark, Wine Australia CEO said, “the opening of the store is a landmark moment that builds on a year of strong growth for Australian wine in the Chinese export market. It opens up another commercial opportunity for Australian wineries to tap into China’s growing appreciation for our fine wines”.

Queenstown wine pioneer Alan Brady is uprooting himself from the Wakatipu, 40 years after shifting there. Mr Brady, who famously planted the first grapes in Queenstown’s Gibbston Valley, is moving only an hour’s drive away to Clyde, however – still within the Central Otago region he helped put on the world wine map.

New Zealand’s Auckland Airport has awarded a NZ$50,000 grant to the New Zealand Wine Pure Discovery project to help boost wine tourism. The New Zealand Wine Pure Discovery Project is a collaboration between New Zealand Winegrowers and Auckland Airport and aims to improve the presence of wine and winery experiences in key tourism channels throughout the country. New Zealand Winegrowers said the grant signalled a “broadening of support for wine tourism, and an increased interest in product development within the sector”.