RIVERLAND WINE: The dramatic headline on Thursday’s Advertiser, Wine Bailout was very misleading. The truth of it, is that the entire industry is being challenged and to imply it’s a Riverland issue is far from the reality. Riverland Wine has a long and a successful record of working with Senator Nick Xenophon to bring about major reforms that have improved conditions for winegrowers over many years. Xenophon lobbied hard on the behalf of Riverland Wine and provided excellent access to some of his Federal parliamentary colleagues to bring about the Exit Packages.

AUSTRALIA might witness a very unusual price war before long — a tussle to be the nation’s most expensive wine. The Barossa Valley’s Henschke family have decided they want their iconic Hill of Grace Shiraz, generally regarded as the second best Australian wine, to sell at a higher price point than Treasury Wine Estate’s Penfolds Grange, and thus become seen as Australia’s best. There’s not much doubt that it’s a two-way contest between these two 60-year-old reds. Grange currently sells for $785 while the 2009 Hill of Grace is listed at $595.

The Winemakers’ Federation of Australia says a proposed 25 cent temporary levy to be added to all bottles of wine is a good discussion starter, but suggests better marketing overseas would bring more benefits. The levy is an idea put forward today by Senator Nick Xenophon who has sounded a dire warning about the health of Australia’s wine and grape growing industry. According to a report released by the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, less than 15 per cent of Australia’s wine grape growers made a profit last year.

The annual debate over the pricing for the en primeur campaign has one negociant slapping his leg in frustration at his fellow producers. A number of Bordeaux estate owners have already indicated that they will be setting prices for the upcoming 2014 campaign at 2012 levels but that is a huge mistake, according to one of the region’s leading players. During Bordeaux’s annual en primeur tasting week, the director of Château Palmer announced the estate would be setting prices at 2012 levels.

The UK drinks trade needs to consolidate if it is to keep pace with where the industry is heading, according to Bibendum PLB Group’s CEO – who last year oversaw one of the largest ever mergers in the UK drinks trade. Bibendum and PLB Group announced in October its plan to merge, bringing together five trading companies; existing Bibendum trading arms The Wondering Wine Company and Instil Drinks Company, PLB, including its beer division, and Walker and Wodehouse Wines.

In a country known for its white wines, one New Zealand college is trying to grow against the grain. A team of professors and students from Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) are in the first round of harvesting several new cold-weather reds, an anomaly in the land of Sauvignon Blanc. “The new plantings over the past three years have mainly been focused on trialing different cool climate reds,” the university said in a press released published by news site Scoop.

Online outlet The New Zealand Cellar has turned to crowdfunding in a bid to raise £35,000 (A$67,700) within just two weeks to enable the launch of its first shop. Established last year, the New Zealand wine specialist currently offers 200 wines from 72 producers to its customer base across the UK and Europe. Now founder Melanie Brown is looking to develop her business further by transforming an empty retail space in Brixton, south London, into a physical outlet for this portfolio.

McLaren Vale producer Wirra Wirra has stepped up its interest in the Adelaide Hills by acquiring highly regarded Pinot Noir producer Ashton Hills. Covering just three hectares of vineyard 570 metres up in the Piccadilly Valley, Ashton Hills was founded in 1982 by Stephen George, whose other interests include several decades as consulting winemaker for big name Clare Valley estate Wendouree.

As grape harvest nears its end in the Coonawarra region of South Australia, some growers are struggling to sell their fruit at a profit. The south east region is renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon but Rob Mason, who manages a number of vineyards in Coonawarra and Wrattonbully, said even the popular grapes were difficult to move. Mason aims to secure fixed price contracts with wineries, but where that was not possible he was forced to accept any offer on the table.

Australia might witness a very unusual price war before long — a tussle to be the nation’s most expensive wine. The Barossa Valley’s Henschke family have decided they want their iconic Hill of Grace Shiraz, generally regarded as the second best Australian wine, to sell at a higher price point than Treasury Wine Estate’s Penfolds Grange, and thus become seen as Australia’s best. How Treasury CEO Michael Clarke and his team would respond to this is not clear: a company spokesman declined to comment yesterday, but there’s not much doubt they would respond.