Marlborough is the driving force of New Zealand wine, and a new funding announcement has ensured it will be the base for research that drives the industry forward. A proposal by industry body New Zealand Winegrowers to create a new wine research institute in the region has been given the nod of approval by Government. Steven Joyce, minister of science and innovation, made the announcement at Nautilus Estate, near Renwick, on Wednesday to delighted members of the New Zealand wine industry.

English wine producer Gusbourne has promoted its chief winemaker to chief executive officer in a raft of senior board appointments. Charlie Holland, who has been head winemaker at the Kent-based estate since 2013 after four years heading up winemaking at rival producer Ridgeview, will take on the CEO role in addition to his new role as chief winemaker. An alumnus of Plumpton College, Holland has also worked as winemaker in vineyards in France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and California. Holland will manage the day to day running of the business in conjunction with newly promoted chief operating officer Jon Pollard, who has also been promoted to chief vineyard manager in what the company describes as a “highly collaborative and relatively flat organization”.

EIT students harvested a bumper crop of medals at the regional wine awards, an event in which their entries were judged using the same criteria as for commercially produced wines. Fifteen of the 20 student entries in the Hawke’s Bay A&P Bayleys Wine Awards won medals – seven silver and eight bronze. That made it the best-ever result achieved by EIT in the awards’ student wine class

Australia ranked as the 39th most expensive country to buy wine in the latest Wine Price Index. New Zealand, by comparison, was ranked as the 10th least expensive country to buy wine with an average cost of $14.43. The index, released today, is a comprehensive study comparing the cost of wine in 65 countries worldwide, averaging and comparing local and imported wine prices in each country. The least expensive country to buy wine was Paraguay, which offered wine at an average of $9.90, while at the other end of the ranking United Arab Emirates calculated at a cost over 5 times higher, at $51.15 per 750ml bottle.

Kirrihill Wines in South Australia’s Clare Valley has appointed Will Shields as Senior Winemaker. Shields comes to Kirrihill with a wealth of experience from a vine and wine career spanning a Hunter Valley vineyard upbringing and more than two decades of winemaking across Australia and New Zealand. CEO Matthew Lawson says the appointment comes at an exciting time for Kirrihill and places Shields at the helm of an inspiring new era for the business and the brand. “We are delighted Will has crossed the Pacific to make Kirrihill and Clare his new home, bringing with him the essential knowledge and perspective we value and strive for.

Australia takes the pulse of wine grape markets, while the Northern Hemisphere harvest appears set to fall on the short side, and China headlines developments in global wine trade, according to Rabobank’s Global Wine Quarterly for Q4 2016. The Australian wine grape industry has experienced a ‘red dawn’, with prices rising from their 2011 lows, particularly for red wine grape varieties sourced from more premium growing regions. “Life has returned to Australian wine grape prices, with China driving much of the recovery in market conditions,” said Rabobank senior analyst Marc Soccio.

Australian products sold to China could soon come under a “one brand, one logo” labelling strategy as exporting deals ramp up following the recent free trade agreement. The new campaign — led by Australian mining and agriculture magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest — would see all Australian food products — including beef, vegetables, cheese, wine and high-end condiments — sold to China marketed as “Australian” as opposed to their individual branding. Along with umbrella marketing, the labels are designed to be counterfeit-proof so that quality-conscious Chinese consumers know where they’re product is sourced from.

The Wine & Viticulture Journal has been named one of three finalists for Best Wine Publication (technical, trade or consumer) in the 2016 Wine Communicator Awards. Now in its fourth year, the Wine Communicator Awards recognise outstanding contributions to, and excellence in, wine communication in all its forms and is presented by Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA). The Wine & Viticulture Journal has previously been represented in the awards, with long-time contributor Richard Smart winning Best Trade or Technical Wine Writer last year, with regular writer and winemaker Cathy Howard presented the same award in 2014. Wine & Viticulture Journal editor Sonya Logan and regular writer and viticulturist Tony Hoare were also shortlisted for this award in 2014.

Wine researchers at the University of Adelaide are investigating the traditional practices of Australian Aboriginal people in producing fermented beverages and foods. Although referred to in early European texts, little is known about the processes involved, the yeasts and bacteria at work, or the chemistry, taste and smell of the plants and finished products. Led by Professor Vladimir Jiranek, Professor of Oenology and Director of the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production, the research will focus initially on fermentations of cider gum sap (from Tasmania), nectar from Banksia and other native blossoms (from various locations) and quandong roots (from South Australia).

West Australian wines exceeded the expectations of Wine Show of WA international judge Jane Parkinson. The UK-based wine journalist, author and broadcaster was in WA for two weeks as part of the 16-person panel of judges for this year’s annual event. Parkinson said her expectation of high quality wines was “more than met”. “It was my first experience judging in a state show – I have been the international judge at a city show in Australia before – and I really enjoyed focussing on the wines from that particular state, especially when we don’t see as many WA wines in the UK as we do wines from other Australian states,” she said.