After being involved in Australia’s wine industry for nearly 40 years Kathleen Quealy has been named as the first female Wine Communicators of Australia Legend of the Vine. Quealy started her love of wine working on the bottling line for McWilliams in the late 70s as an after school job. Her parents though, were shocked when Quealy subsequently enrolled at winemaking school in Wagga Wagga. It was there she met life long mentor and Pinot Gris advocate Max Loader. Loader saw the courage and vision in Quealy, and took her under his wing.

It’s a big day here at The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society as together with the AWIWA Advisory Board we announce the finalists of the 2016 Australian Women in Wine Awards! Woo hoo! There were six awards on offer this year, up from four in 2015, and the number and strength of the entries received exceeded all expectation. AWIWA Advisory Board member, wine writer, and long-time advocate for women in wine Jeni Port, said she found it heartening to see such an outstanding response from across Australia in this, the second year, of the awards. “Our finalists announced today represent the cream of what is truly a magnificent bunch of Australians in wine.”

Global wine output is heading for an an almost 20-year low as “climatic events” including El Nino severely hit grape production in many countries. Argentina is set to report wine production plummeted by more than a third this year – news that will worry fans of malbec, while Chile is on course for a 21 per cent drop. Brazil, less well-known for its wine, will see its output cut in half, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).

After three years of chardonnay domination in the successful pursuit of the Hawke’s Bay A&P Bayleys Wine Awards Champion Wine of Show title a syrah has emerged, leading Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Association chairman Michael Henley to simply remark “no surprise there”. The return to form for the red was arguably overdue. It enjoyed a remarkable six years on the trot winning run between 2005 and 2010 before a merlot stepped up, but then it was syrah again in 2012.

From Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, to Chardonnay, the range of wine styles recognised at the Hawke’s Bay A&P Bayley’s Wine Awards on Tuesday night impressed the panel of local, national, and international judges. Chairman of judges was Trinity Hill chief winemaker Warren Gibson, who has been at Trinity Hill since it was established in 1997. Mr Gibson said the awards, presented at a extravagant dinner on Tuesday night, showcased the “huge range of styles” of wine produced in Hawke’s Bay.

The backers of CHAMP Private Equity’s Accolade Wines were maintaining over the weekend that the timetable of the sale for the Australian-based operation was on track, despite speculation mounting that the falling British pound could prompt delays. Accolade — widely viewed as a strongly performing business — was expected to come to market in the first quarter of next year, but the suggestion from those close to the situation is that it was always on track for a sale some time between January and June. Working on a divestment of the $1 billion-plus operation on behalf of Champ is Reunion Capital, while Citi and Morgan Stanley have been selected to provide advice on an initial public offering of the business, should it head to the Australian Securities Exchange.

501 bottles of Limestone Coast wine will be put to the ultimate test this week, with the 2016 Limestone Coast Wine Show now officially underway. Judging will take place inside Coonawarra Hall over the next four days, with Chief of Judges, Jane Faulkner, leading the high-profile panel of six national and international wine critics looking to unearth 16 trophy winners at the 16th annual event. “I am thrilled with response,” Jane says. “501 entries is an excellent result and of course, extra wines means one thing – more medals. I have a feeling this year is going to be the best show yet.”

The Sydney Wine Festival will be held at Rosehill Gardens on October 14 & 15, 2017 and is set to be a showcase of NSW wineries, wine related products and services, food purveyors and live entertainment. The event’s main focus will be to promote NSW Wines and as such this new initiative has the support of the NSW Wine Industry Association. Tamburlaine, Australia’s largest organic wine producer, has been the first to sign up with marketing co-ordinator Ayla Wilton saying “We couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the inaugural Sydney Wine Festival. The time of year is ideal and the location is unique to any other wine event we’ve been to. Looking forward to seeing you Rosehill!”

Western Australia continues to dominate 2016’s major national wine shows after a Margaret River winery won Australia’s most sought-after wine trophy on Thursday night. The 2014 Deep Woods reserve cabernet sauvignon won the coveted Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy, awarded to the best young dry red (one or two years old) at the Melbourne Wine Show. Some of Australia’s most famous wines, including Penfolds Grange, have won the Jimmy Watson since it was first awarded in 1962, when the owner of one of Melbourne’s most famous wine bars died suddenly and his friends established the trophy in his memory.

Australia’s 1743 active wine exporters sold 10pc more wine in offshore markets to achieve export sales of $2.17 billion for in the past year. Mainland China has outstripped the United States as the leading destination for Australian wine exports for the first time, with the soaring industry-wide sales momentum providing a further boost for Penfolds owner Treasury Wine Estates. Exports by Australian wine producers to China jumped by 51 per cent to $474 million in the 12 months to September 30 overtaking the US, which increased by 4pc to $448m.