A new app to monitor on-farm growing conditions for viticulturalists is being developed by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA). The VitiApp was showcased earlier in the month at Agfest and is funded by the Sense-T program and developed in collaboration with the School of Engineering and ICT at the University of Tasmania. VitiApp will use artificial intelligence to enhance the way the system supports use decisions.

AUSTRALIAN wine is booming overseas. Wine exports for the 12 months to March broke through $2 billion and last week Australia scored the second highest number of medals at the International Wine Challenge. According to Wine Australia, the value of Australian wine exports has grown 13 per cent to $2.1 billion and volume increased by 3 per cent to 731 million litres.

For the region’s winegrowers, winemakers and wine lovers it will be the war of the wine worlds. It will be the battle of the barrels brigade, where not a verbal vine will be left standing. Hawke’s Bay versus Marlborough – although the real winner at the end of the night will be the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter Trust.

“We can turn water into wine in 15 minutes.” So claims the Ava Winery, a San Francisco start-up that is making synthetic wine without grapes – simply by combining flavour compounds and ethanol. Mardonn Chua and Alec Lee came up with the idea while visiting a winery in California’s Napa Valley in 2015. There, they were shown the bottle of an iconic wine, Chateau Montelena, which is famous for being the first Californian chardonnay to beat French contenders at the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976.

A man fired for helping other employees at a Marlborough vineyard has received more than $10,000 in compensation. Mount Riley Wines and Estates Limited dismissed the man in 2015 on the grounds he was pruning vines for other workers for personal gain. A written determination from the Employment Relations Authority was released earlier this month, finding the man was unjustifiably dismissed.

Entries are now open for the 2016 New World Wine Awards, a wine show that provides winemakers with the opportunity to enjoy direct, tangible commercial benefits from their award-winning wines. In addition to the distinction of an award that judges quality on the same basis as all other wine competitions, winning wines are guaranteed national distribution and extensive promotion, driving sustained sales.

THE International Cool Climate Wine Show is again proud to share a rare opportunity to assess the styles, characteristics and latest trends of inspirational cool climate wines entered in the 2016 show, with everyone. You will be able to taste wines from many classes including sparkling wines, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Shiraz from vintages from 2012 to 2015 and older.

The wine industry is set to move into a stronger, long-term position after the Federal Budget announcements regarding the Wine Equalisation Tax rebate. Central to the package is the Government’s announcement that it will invest $50 million over the next four years to promote Australian wine overseas and wine tourism within Australia. Tony Pasin, Member for Barker, has welcomed the Coalition Government’s decisions to tighten the eligibility criteria and to return the WET rebate to its original policy intent.

The Federal Budget’s changes to the WET rebate are mystifying. While it’s nice to get a few extra million for marketing, and tightening up the eligibility for the WET rebate is a good thing, the change to the WET rebate ceiling is puzzling. It will hurt a lot of medium-small wineries – and for what purpose? It’s hard to see a purpose.

COUNCIL red tape has left a once-thriving Boronia winery rundown and overgrown after a lease on the land expired a year ago, its former owners say. Wantirna South couple David and Pat Smith said they were “desperate” to reopen their award-winning Old Orchard Winery in Scoresby Rd after their nine-year lease to manage it expired last year. Smith said Knox Council, which manages the 8ha site on Crown land, had only offered him a month-by-month lease, forcing him to vacate on July 31 last year.