A conversation with Loveblock winery founder Erica Crawford reminds you that love isn’t just an emotion – it can be a catalyst for creating something truly special. When wine industry veteran Ericaand her award-winning winemaker husband Kim stood on the hills overlooking Marlborough’s Awatere Valley in New Zealand, they fell in love with the stunning view. They purchased the property in 2006 and to make the wines, Erica jokes that she “hired the best winemaker I know – my husband.”

A world-class wine research centre in Marlborough looks set to get the green-light from Government, an industry group says. The proposed New Zealand Research Institute of Viticulture and Oenology is one of three finalists seeking to capture $25 million in government funding and be established as a Regional Research Institute. The proposal is being led by New Zealand Winegrowers. New Zealand Winegrowers general manager for science and innovation Simon Hooker said there was a strong indication from the Government they would be backed.

THE organisers of this year’s Winery Walkabout are hopeful recent rainfall in the region will hold out for the event. Tickets for Sunday have sold out and a small number of tickets are still available for Saturday. Rutherglen Wine and Tourism executive officer Natalie Ajay said about 14,000 people would attend the event and a further 6000 would enjoy the region’s attractions at the weekend.

On the eve of the 24th Festival, the McLaren Vale Sea & Vines Festival, event organisers are expecting a record attendance of over 27,000 people. The June long weekend will see over 35 dedicated events taking place across McLaren Vale, with themed dinners, structured masterclasses and demonstrations. Jennifer Lynch, McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association general manager, said she was excited to showcase the region’s world-class wineries, unique personality and picturesque landscapes.

SHORT term indicators are largely positive but there is a long way to go on the road to recovery for the wine industry, growers were told yesterday. Murray Valley Winegrowers held its annual information forum with about 100 people given presentations by Wine Australia, Best Bottlers, Goulburn Murray Water, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Sunraysia Rejuvenation Project.

New and emerging technologies are allowing vineyard growers to increase efficiency, yield, fruit quality, or a combination of these, last month’s International Cool Climate Wine Symposium in Brighton heard. “There have been major advances in several technologies which we will see in our vineyards,” Australian viticulture consultant and Curtin University lecturer Dr Tony Profitt said.

It may become harder to obtain Loire wines from certain areas after a severe spring frost looks set to significantly dent the region’s 2016 harvest, an official report says. Severe spring frost has ruined the equivalent of between 20% and 30% of an average harvest in the Loire Valley, according to an official report by regional body InterLoire. An average harvest is around 1.9 million hectolitres, or 253 million bottles, it said.

Come June 23, Britain will decide whether it will remain in the European Union or leave. According to the latest polls, Britons narrowly favour remaining in the EU – but if it decides to exit, what would this mean for New Zealand? There are two main areas to consider: migration and trade. The EU is New Zealand’s third-largest trading partner. The two-way trade valued at $19.6billion in goods and services in the year to June 2015. Main exports to the EU include sheep meat, fruit and wine.

Jack Ma, billionaire founder of Alibaba and owner of Château de Sours in Bordeaux, has added Château Perenne in Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux to his portfolio of wine estates in the region. The sale, which was completed last month for a reported €16 million, will see this 64 hectare estate, planted with mainly the Merlot grape, become Ma’s second château in the region.

Constellation Brands New Zealand has a new managing director, Simon Towns. Oliver Lewis talked to the leader of the largest wine exporter in the country about his plans to grow the business. What did you do before taking the job in New Zealand? I was the senior vice president for strategy and business development for Constellation in the United States. It was very much about setting the five-year direction of the business across both wine and spirits.