New Zealand has been named as one of the most affordable countries in the world to buy wine. Ranking in 10th place, the average cost of a 750ml bottle of New Zealand wine is $15.21. In comparison, Australia was ranked 26th as the most expensive country to buy wine with an average cost of $22.76 per bottle. According to SHAREaCAMPER’s 2016 Wine Price Index New Zealander’s drink an average of 25.80 litres of wine per capita annually – ranking 17th overall in the world for the most litres consumed.

Jane Hunter, owner of Hunter’s Wines in Marlborough, has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the board of Wine Marlborough. The annual award is given in recognition of services to the wine industry over a period of time. Jane, who arrived in Marlborough in 1983, has played an integral role in making Marlborough a household name in international wine circles.

d’Arenberg Chief Winemaker, Chester Osborn, was named a National Finalist in the recent 2016 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year awards, joining other outstanding entrepreneurs from across Australia who competed for the ultimate prize of being named 2016 Australian EY Entrepreneur Of The Year. After being selected earlier this year, Chester travelled to Sydney in October to compete with other Regional Finalists, meeting the national judges during one-on-one ‘speed judging’ interviews, from which he was named the National Finalist for the Central Region in the category of ‘Industry’, which included retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers of products from all industries.

Fruit and vegetable growers have told the competition watchdog they are reluctant to report complaints against the major supermarkets and wholesalers because they fear retribution. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says its meetings with fruit, veg and wine grape growers across the country has identified several concerns, the fear of retribution being a key and widespread one. Its report Perspectives in horticulture and viticulture, released on Thursday, says most growers are reluctant to report issues.

Pepper Tree Wines has dominated the Limestone Coast Wine Show for the second year in a row. The 2013 Pepper Tree ‘Elderslee Road’ Single Vineyard Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon won the David Wynn Trophy for ‘Best Red Wine of Show’, the H.R. (Ron) Haselgrove O.B.E. Trophy for ‘Best Cabernet Sauvignon of Show’ and was also named the ‘Best Individual Vineyard Wine’ at last night’s VINE | STONE | COAST presentation feast hosted by the Robe and Mount Benson wine regions. The wine then went on to claim the Bill Redman Trophy for ‘Best Wine of Show’, with viticulturist Peter Balnaves claiming the highly coveted Arthur Hoffman Trophy and back-to-back titles as ‘Viticulturist of Best Wine of Show’.

The significant value the wine industry contributes to the Orange economy has been further highlighted with the success local producers are having exporting their product overseas, principally to China and Korea. Of course this success is only the tip of the iceberg. When the current tariffs on wines are lifted, in the next few years, the Orange industry will be on a level playing field with its international competitors including New Zealand and Chile. Under The China Australia Free Trade Agreement (CHaFTA) tariffs of 14-20 per cent on Australian wines will be eliminated by January 1, 2019.

China’s position as Australia’s largest wine export market has ushered in a ‘red dawn’ for winemakers, according to agribusiness banker Rabobank. China imported 41 per cent more Australian wine in the six months to June compared to the previous year, making it a key barometer for future red wine grape market conditions. Red wine grape varieties from more premium, cool/temperate climate regions have seen the largest recovery in market conditions

English wine producer Gusbourne has promoted its chief winemaker to chief executive officer in a raft of senior board appointments. Charlie Holland, who has been head winemaker at the Kent-based estate since 2013 after four years heading up winemaking at rival producer Ridgeview, will take on the CEO role in addition to his new role as chief winemaker. An alumnus of Plumpton College, Holland has also worked as winemaker in vineyards in France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and California. Holland will manage the day to day running of the business in conjunction with newly promoted chief operating officer Jon Pollard, who has also been promoted to chief vineyard manager in what the company describes as a “highly collaborative and relatively flat organization”.

EIT students harvested a bumper crop of medals at the regional wine awards, an event in which their entries were judged using the same criteria as for commercially produced wines. Fifteen of the 20 student entries in the Hawke’s Bay A&P Bayleys Wine Awards won medals – seven silver and eight bronze. That made it the best-ever result achieved by EIT in the awards’ student wine class

Marlborough is the driving force of New Zealand wine, and a new funding announcement has ensured it will be the base for research that drives the industry forward. A proposal by industry body New Zealand Winegrowers to create a new wine research institute in the region has been given the nod of approval by Government. Steven Joyce, minister of science and innovation, made the announcement at Nautilus Estate, near Renwick, on Wednesday to delighted members of the New Zealand wine industry.