A Central Otago Pinot Noir won the top prize at the 30th Air New Zealand Wine Awards at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre last night. The Lowburn Ferry Home Block Pinot Noir Central Otago 2014 won the prestigious Air New Zealand Champion Wine of the Show Trophy, as well as the JF Hillebrand New Zealand Champion Pinot Noir. Chair of Judges and Master of Wine Michael Brajkovich said the Lowburn Ferry Home Block Pinot Noir Central Otago 2014 was one of the more complex Pinot Noir wines in this year’s competition.

Wine Australia is inviting Heathcote’s grape and wine community to submit new, bold, exciting and engaging ideas to help increase wine exports and inbound tourism to the region. Submissions are sought from the wine sector and wine-region tourism operators to contribute to Wine Australia’s activities under the Australian Government’s $50 million export and regional wine support package. Wine Australia chief executive Andreas Clark said the consultation would help shape how the support package would benefit regional wine producers and assist export-focused businesses to continue to grow.

The inside story of Australian wine is a heartbreaking tale of boom and bust. Veterans still shake their heads over “The Great Vine Pull of 1987.” After five years of uncontrolled surpluses, the government actually paid growers to remove Shiraz vines and leave their land barren. The result was the loss of thousands of acres of the best old-vine Shiraz. The industry recovered and another boom ensued, only to come crashing down in the recession of 2007-2008. Then a strong surge in the value of the Aussie dollar made entry-level wines such as Yellow Tail no longer seem like appealing bargains.

New varietals marketed through Chinese online service providers and retailers including WeChat and Tmall are the next frontier for Australians entering our largest export market, one local winery believes. Blue Pyrenees chief winemakers and CEO, Andrew Koerner, told TheShout he has developed a plan which specifically targets younger Chinese consumers which he sees as the next key platform for Australia’s largest export market. According to Koerner, the first part of the plan is to introduce rosé to China, which he announced at this week’s ProWine China exhibition in Shanghai.

Two North Coast wine businesses made this year’s list of Wine Star Awards-winners from Wine Enthusiast magazine. Hopland-based Bonterra Organic Vineyards was named American Winery of the Year. Also, Michael Clarke, managing director and CEO of Australia-based Treasury Wine Estates, was named Winery Executive of the Year. In Treasury’s global portfolio are North Coast brands Beringer, Beaulieu Vineyard, Acacia, Stags’ Leap, Sterling Vineyard and Chateau St. Jean.

Crop losses from severe weather late last week are being assessed by growers in the South Australian Riverland, as state politicians head to the region to consider what can be done to support hard-hit primary producers. Agriculture Minister Leon Bignell flew to the area near the state’s eastern border for talks with primary industries officials and Opposition Leader Steven Marshall also headed there to discuss crop damage with regional MP Tim Whetstone and growers. The industry body representing grape growers said some had lost up to 80 per cent of their crop as severe winds and hail lashed the region on Friday.

Just when you thought it had sunk without trace, shiraz is back with a bang. t’s not often that you spot a marked trend in the wine world. Mostly things trundle along much the same as usual. Prosecco, New Zealand sauvignon blanc, malbec, yada, yada, yada… But what’s this? Suddenly a whole load of delicious shiraz is hitting the shelves. This is particularly welcome from Australia, whose output had shrunk to a choice between sickly-sweet cheapies and overextracted, chewy monsters that were practically a meal in themselves.

Wine Enthusiast magazine has named Kim Crawford winery ‘New World Winery of the Year’ in their annual Wine Star Awards, which honour outstanding achievements in the international wine and beverage industry. “I’m so proud that we’ve brought this one home for New Zealand wine against the new world competition,” said Kim Crawford Winemaker Anthony Walkenhorst. “My team and I work hard to make wines that people love to drink and we’re really pleased to get a pat on the back for it from our peers and industry leaders.” In the U.S, New Zealand’s largest wine export market, Kim Crawford is now New Zealand’s most purchased wine brand, and produces the #1 selling Sauvignon Blanc.

The election of tee-totalling winery owner Donald Trump to the White House may pose a risk to the meteoric growth of New Zealand wine exports. The United States is the largest export market for New Zealand wine, with about $470 million worth of the luxury good flowing stateside in the year to September. But the election of Trump as the 45th president of the US is raising eyebrows among exporters concerned by his protectionist stance, or restraining trade between countries, and the falling US dollar.

Stuart Hordern, senior winemaker at Brokenwood Wines in the Hunter Valley, has been named the Len Evans Tutorial Dux for 2016. This year, the Tutorial was held in the Hunter Valley from 31 October to 4 November. Hordern is only the second Hunter Valley-based attendee to dux the week-long tutorial, following Liz Silkman (nee Jackson) in 2006. As dux, Hordern has been guaranteed judging positions at two of Australia’s most respected wine shows, the Sydney Royal Wine Show and the National Wine Show in Canberra. He will also be flown Business Class to Europe with invitations to some of the world’s best wine houses.