These days it is almost impossible to say anything moderately optimistic about climate change. But geographers, archaeologists, historians, agronomists and biologist can show some positive effects, because they allow for the immense creativity and resilience of human societies, and of living things in general, as demonstrated throughout the ages and across the great variety of different habitats on the planet. One of those positive effects could be the evolution of wine.

Just a few years ago, pretty much all Ben Jones knew about wine was that came in two colours – white and red. The American, a second-year wine science and viticulture degree student at EIT, is now being feted as the Hawke’s Bay A & P Bayleys Wine Awards’ Young Vintner of the Year. The prestigious title is a significant kick-start to any young winemaker’s career. Ben also benefits from a prize package that will see the Hawke’s Bay A & P Society, sponsor of the Young Vintner award, helping with his study fees, and he will be offered valuable work experience at Craggy Range.

Australia is producing the best wines in its history. Grape growers are honing in on the ideal spots for specific varieties to thrive, vine age is increasing, clonal selections are improving and cool-climate regions are enjoying their moment in the sun. In the winery, vintners are becoming ever more retrained in their use of oak and alcohol levels are decreasing, resulting in elegant wines that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of the Old World.

In what looks set to be a potentially ‘wetter than normal’ year for many wine regions, growers are likely to continue to face challenges in managing the spectrum of diseases present in Australian vineyards in the 2016/17 season. While captan has long been a cost-effective fixture in many spray programs for the management of key diseases, its future remains unclear and use in grapes that may end up in wine destined for the EU should still be avoided.

It’s a big bottle at a big price.
The latest luxury offering from iconic Australian winemaker Penfolds – a six-litre bottle of Penfolds Grange 2012 in a hand-crafted crystal pouring cradle – will set you back $185,000. And, they are very rare. There are just five of the imperial – or six-litre – bottles of Grange 2012 and their accompanying service vessel. If you want one of these rarities, you’ll need a big place to put it and strength to lift it. The crystal pouring cradle is almost one metre high and weighs 50 kilograms.

THE country’s best cool climate wine producers have entered their top tipples in preparation for next week’s National Cool Climate Show. Now in its 18th year, the show attracts the best cool climate wines from some of the country’s most well-known wine producing areas. And, this year is no different with 760 entries received from vignerons in Bathurst as well as winemakers in Orange, Mornington Peninsula, Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley and southern parts of Western Australia.

The Fabulous Ladies’ Wine Society together with the AWIWA Advisory Board today announce the
finalists of the 2016 Australian Women in Wine Awards. There were six awards on offer this year, up from four in 2015, and the number and strength of the entries received exceeded all expectation. AWIWA Advisory Board member, wine writer, and long-time advocate for women in wine Jeni Port, said she found it heartening to see such an outstanding response from across Australia in this, the second year, of the awards.

The Yealands Wine Group has put up New Zealand’s largest solar panel installation at its vineyard in Marlborough as it reinforces its claim to be the most sustainable winery in the world. The new investment in renewable energy means that Yealands is now capable of generating 411.12 kiloWatts of solar power, which is equivalent to powering 86 New Zealand homes, and will offset 82 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Nevertheless, the installation – which comprises a total of 1,314 photovoltaic panels on its winery roof – does not mean that Yealands is self-sufficient: the solar panels will generate 30% of the power necessary for winemaking.

This year’s Wine Australia scholarships for wine-focused PhD and Masters by Research students are now open for application. Each year, Wine Australia provides scholarships to postgraduate students studying in the fields of wine, viticulture and wine business to assist new researchers in the sector. Wine Australia General Manager Research, Development and Extension Dr Liz Waters said the scholarships are one of the ways that Wine Australia invests in the development of the next generation of leaders in the grape and wine sector.

Constellation Brands has sold its wine business in Canada, including award-winning Inniskillin estate, to a teachers’ pension fund for one billion Canadian dollars, and will buy a collection of new wave wine brands from Washington State. The move to sell up is part of Constellation’s plan to re-focus around premium and high end US wine brands aimed at millennials, alongside a burgeoning beer arm and small-scale spirits division.