SHEEP are not something that you expect to see if you’re wandering around a vineyard, but a flock or two is rapidly becoming one of the options that a vineyard owner can use to improve the quality of their soil, and in the end, their wine. Holistic farm management was one of the terms being readily used at a sustainability workshop organised through the National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, an alliance between DPI, Charles Sturt University and NSW Wine Industry Association.

Facebook is widely used in the wine sector and last year a three-year research project funded by Wine Australia revealed how important it is to think about what you post, when you post and how much you post. Researcher from the project Dr Rebecca Dolan – who has since moved from the University of Adelaide to the Department of Marketing in the University of Auckland Business School – gives her top tips for wine brands using Facebook.

NE small Victorian winery is making a name for itself on the world stage. Fowles Wine, at Avenel, has recently been visited by three of the world’s top wine publications. Wine Spectator, the world’s largest wine magazine, dropped by last month, as well as Wine Enthusiast earlier this month and Wine Advocate late last year. The magazines — all from the US — made the trip specifically to Fowles for a taste of the Strathbogie Ranges.

The Europeans might consider Best’s Wines as a new-world wine producer, but the 150-year-old Great Western-based winery holds secrets to old-world wines. On April 18, 1866, Henry Best was given permission to clear the land near Concongella Creek in western Victoria. The site has some of the oldest vines in Australia because Mr Best planted everything he could get his hands on at the time.

Jackson Family Wines today announced that it has reached agreement to acquire Copain Wines, the acclaimed Healdsburg winery and tasting room specializing in vineyard-designated wines from Anderson Valley. Under the direction of Winemaker Wells Guthrie, who founded the winery in 1999, Copain combines French stylistic sensibilities with the best sustainably-farmed California fruit to craft wines — most notably Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah — that are well balanced and food friendly.

PRAIRIE DU SAC, Wis. – Philippe Coquard was up all night in his vineyard Saturday night into Sunday morning. He tried moving the cold air around and away from the grapes, but it was no use. “When it came that fast, that drastically, the temperature went from 31 to 27 in four hours. There’s nothing that you can do to fight that,” Coquard said.

The wine importer has taken on Rod McDonald Wines and Rock Ferry to boost its premium wine offering. Rod McDonald Wines, which is located in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, is a winery which farms 75 hectares spread over five vineyard sites with everything grown and made in small batches to ensure it maintains a unique personality. Its portfolio includes the brands Trademark, Te Awanga and One Off.

New Zealand Winegrowers will host a series of masterclasses with over 90 wines from 11 wineries during next week’s Vinexpo – including performances by traditonal kapa haka dancers. Covering the breadth of New Zealand’s diverse wine landscape including exploring the effects of low-sulphur and cool climates and focusing on the sub-region of Gimblett Gravels, the sessions will be run by New Zealand’s newest Master of Wine, Stephen Wong MW and local Hong Kong wine experts, Rebecca Leung, Ronnie Lau, David Wong and LU Yang.

Up to 400 of Western Australia’s wine producers are participating in a survey that seeks to measure the economic and social consequences of proposed Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) reforms. The Federal Government announced a range of measures as part of its recent budget, which it said would address industry concern with the way the rebate currently operated.

BUILDING company chief, racing thoroughbred owner and breeder and production touring car champion – 66-year-old Graeme Shaw is a man of diverse accomplishments. His energies now pour into producing top-class cool-climate wines at Shaw Vineyard Estate, which has one of the largest privately owned vineyards in the ACT wine region.