SAN FRANCISCO, April 2 (UPI) — The four-year water slump that the Golden State has not yet broken free from continues to have a tremendous impact on the 40 million people who live there. But that impact goes far beyond the precariously lean snowpack and clean water availability. California has officially been in a drought since 2011, but a lack of water for the nation’s third-largest state is anything but rare.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s Trade Minister signed the New Zealand-South Korea Free Trade Agreement with his Korean counterpart, Yoon Sang. The agreement will eliminate tariffs on 48.3 percent, or NZD793.7m (USD604m) of New Zealand’s current exports to South Korea. The agreement will progressively remove tariffs on 98 percent of New Zealand’s exports to South Korea. In addition, New Zealand will completely remove its duties on all South Korean products within seven years of the agreement coming into force.
Marlborough’s economy could suffer a huge financial blow if major sporting events in the region are canned as a result of proposed bans on alcohol advertising. Major events, such as the Forrest GrapeRide and Saint Clair Vineyard Half Marathon, attract thousands of visitors each year. They inject thousands of dollars into Marlborough’s economy, but that could all be lost if the Government adopts the 14 recommendations put forward by a ministerial forum in relation to alcohol advertising and sponsorship.
In a pop-up shop on the outskirts of Shanghai, the problems facing Penfolds across China are written in black marker pen and glued to the window. “Buy 1 get 1 free” says the sign promoting the offerings inside. For a wine brand that aims to sit alongside the likes of Louis Vuitton at the luxury end of the market, it’s hardly the ideal image. But the sign, written on an A4 sheet of paper, tells us much about the bumpy ride for Penfolds and its parent, Treasury Wine Estates, in China over the last three years.
Jimmy Barnes once extolled the values of cheap wine in one of Cold Chisel’s best-known tunes and alcohol vendors are reportedly beginning to catch on with strong wine-based drinks appearing on the shelves – and avoiding the high taxes that hit similarly potent spirits. The wine-based drinks are sold on the spirits shelves and contain a similar alcohol level to spirits including rum and whiskey, Fairfax Media has reported. However, the tipple carries a price tag of half to as much as a quarter of older-style strong drink.
This month, Bill Hardy has launched new packaging for his namesake brand, William “Bill” Hardy, and announced a move to regional blends. The relaunch reflects an ongoing premiumisation of the brand. The new packaging incorporates new and UK exclusive labelling techniques, which ensures the product looks notably premium and the wines have been upgraded from South Australia appellation to Limestone Coast for the Chardonnay and Langhorne Creek for the Shiraz.
Three regional vineyards are donating some of the exceptional 2015 harvest to Companion House in Canberra, which helps vulnerable people including refugees. Four Winds Winery, Murrumbateman, business manager Sarah Collingwood said they could not fit another berry into the winery after harvesting enough for their own label and contracted wineries. Collingwood said they hated the thought of not using the leftover grapes. “The solution presented itself, after speaking to other people in the industry.
If you live in Australia and you’re over 30, there’s a decent chance you’re much more of a wine maven than your younger counterparts. According to a survey release by Roy Morgan Research, nearly 5 out of 10 Australian’s 30 years or older said they’d had a drink of wine in the past four weeks. Only about 3 out of 10 drinkers aged 30 or younger could say the same. “Young people are often portrayed as binge-drinkers in the media, but our latest data shows that slightly more Australians aged 30 and older drink alcohol in an average four weeks.”
A university researcher is training sniffer dogs to detect pest and disease in vineyards. Dogs have traditionally been trained to sniff out drugs, explosives and even missing people, but their new target could be phylloxera – a devastating pest that feeds on the roots of vines and can eventually kill an entire vineyard. Sonja Needs, Melbourne University viticulture and animal science researcher, said she could train any breed to be a sniffer dog.
Australian wine companies are already beginning to see benefits of the Japan–Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) just two months after its initiation, according to The Australian Grape and Wine Authority’s (AGWA) Wine Export Approvals database. Under JAEPA, the tariff on bulk wine has immediately been reduced to zero, while the 15 per cent import tariff on Australian bottled wine will be eliminated over seven years.