This year’s Wine Australia scholarships for wine-focused PhD and Masters by Research students are now open for application. Each year, Wine Australia provides scholarships to postgraduate students studying in the fields of wine, viticulture and wine business to assist new researchers in the sector. Wine Australia General Manager Research, Development and Extension Dr Liz Waters said the scholarships are one of the ways that Wine Australia invests in the development of the next generation of leaders in the grape and wine sector.

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has agreed to pay $1.03 billion for the Canadian wine business of Constellation Brands, one of the country’s top wine sellers, with seven of market’s Top 20 brands and a network of retail outlets in Ontario. The deal comes less than two weeks before new rules governing alcohol sales in Ontario — which will make wine available in selected grocery stores — begin to take effect. Constellation’s Canadian brands include Inniskillin and Jackson-Triggs; Teachers’ will also continue to distribute the company’s international brands, such as California’s Robert Mondavi and New Zealand’s Kim Crawford, according spokeswoman Deborah Allan.

The little Wairarapa village that’s won the hearts of the world’s top wine writers is now to be toasted in a prestigious New York City showcase. Larry McKenna of Martinborough’s Escarpment Vineyard will this month speak about his pinot noir to around 1000 people at the NZ$3500-a-head New York Wine Experience, after it ranked among the top 10 in a leading magazine. The winery’s Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir 2013 placed seventh in Wine Spectator’s top 100 wines of 2015, whittled down from more than 20,000 labels.

In a new twist on a beloved event, guests will dine under the stars as they celebrate Hawke’s Bay’s excellence in viticulture tomorrow night. Teams have been working hard over the weekend to prepare for the Hawke’s Bay A&P Bayleys Wine Awards- the country’s oldest regional wine awards competition. The winning wine entries – assessed by a panel of 10 judges – will be announced at a spectacular awards dinner held tomorrow night at the Hawke’s Bay showgrounds.

In yet another attempt to make humans obsolete, scientists at the University of South Australia have developed an electronic tongue they say can taste wine and tell you its age, the type of barrel in which it is aged, and its overall quality. ‘We wanted to demonstrate the huge capabilities of electronic tongues as analytical tool for the analysis of wine samples,’ said Dr. Xavier Ceto Alseda, who ran the project with his colleagues at the university.

Anthony Road Wine Company and Keuka Spring Vineyards recently received top honors in the Six Nations Wine Challenge in Australia. Anthony Road Winery was awarded White Wine of Show and the Best Riesling trophy with its 2014 dry riesling. Keuka Springs Vineyards’ 2014 gewurztraminer won a Best of Class trophy for Aromatic Non-Riesling Wine. The competition featured wines selected from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Canada and the U.S.

In two weeks’ time, at Oxford Town Hall, Matthew Jukes kicks off the biggest ever 100 Best Australian Wines Roadshow. He will then take this elite Australian wine tasting to incredible locations in Manchester, London, Brighton, Birmingham and Edinburgh (all dates and venues confirmed below) and then on to three other prestigious venues in the New Year (dates to follow). Matthew has been compiling his 100 Best Australian Wines Report for 13 years and this initiative is regarded as the true barometer of the finest Aussie wines on the shelves in the UK each year.

Whether you’re drinking away your sorrows or celebrating with a few bubbles could determine how much you’re willing to pay for your grog. New research has found people in a better mood are willing to shell out more for wine. Participants in the Australian study were given four different Shiraz wines of varying quality. Some they drank at home, some in the lab, and the rest in a restaurant setting.

The 17th Canberra International Riesling Challenge featured an outstanding collection of wines from eight countries with a record number of medals awarded. This is clearly a reflection of the outstanding 2015 and 2016 vintages in the Southern Hemisphere, coupled with a heightened professionalism and attention to detail by winemakers and viticulturists. The Chair of the Canberra International Riesling Challenge (CIRC), Ken Helm said the increased appetite and awareness of consumers in quality Rieslings will be met with the release of these wines to the market.

The 17th Canberra International Riesling Challenge featured an outstanding collection of wines from eight countries with a record number of medals awarded. This is clearly a reflection of the outstanding 2015 and 2016 vintages in the Southern Hemisphere, coupled with a heightened professionalism and attention to detail by winemakers and viticulturists. The Chair of the Canberra International Riesling Challenge (CIRC), Ken Helm said the increased appetite and awareness of consumers in quality Rieslings will be met with the release of these wines to the market.