Global architectural firm The Buchan Group has uncorked its design of the Mt. Beautiful Tasting Room in Cheviot, New Zealand, aimed at introducing food and wine enthusiasts to this internationally successful, locally grown wine label. Mt. Beautiful is a premium North Canterbury wine brand grown and produced at Spotswood, nine kilometres north of Cheviot. The tasting room based in Cheviot showcases its varieties in Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Chardonnay. Sympathetic to the timber-themed design of the adjoining Two Rivers Cafe, the fitout uses a blend of natural materials to reflect the environment of the vineyard.

The growing bulk wine category now accounts for 38.6% of global wine exports, with 39.49 million hectoliters exported around the world last year. In comparison, bottled wine accounted for 54.3% of global exports and sparkling wine just 7.1% despite an insatiable global thirst for fizz. Since the year 2000 bulk wine has grown its total share of global wine exports by over 4%, from 34% to 38.6%.
Global bulk wine sales have increased by a whopping 71%, from 59.99 million hectoliters in 2000 to 102.43 million hectoliters last year.

Swan Valley producer Mandoon Estate has continued its stellar run at the Perth Royal Wine Show, winning three awards including best WA wine of the show, for its Frankland Reserve Shiraz 2014.
Mandoon also won the award for the most successful WA producer processing less than 300 tonnes for the fourth consecutive year. Mandoon’s Reserve Shiraz also won the trophy for the best WA red wine.

The wine industry will soon have another tool at its fingertips to help navigate important on-farm decisions. National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) director, Professor Alain Deloire, from Wagga Wagga, said a smartphone app is being developed by researchers with Wine Australia at Charles Sturt University (CSU).

The government’s plans to crack down on tax rorts in the wine industry probably won’t cause cheap-and-cheerful plonk prices to rise, but could lead to some of Australia’s 2500-odd wineries go bust, winemakers say. Treasury Wine Estates, the country’s biggest winemaker by market value and one of the biggest by volume, has welcomed the government’s long-awaited plans to make a rebate for winemakers lower and harder to claim. But many winemakers say the government has gone too far. They will be pushing Revenue Minister Kelly O’Dwyer and Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Anne Rushton to water down the plans.

When Gino Fortino of Fortino Winery walks his vineyards he can tell the berries are “nice and plump, not shrivelled up like they were last year during the drought.” The Gilroy winemaker notes that El Niño rains earlier this year also increased “the hang time,” resulting in more balanced and flavorful grapes. Things are also looking good at Wente Vineyards in Livermore, where the harvest began August 15 with Chardonnay grapes, followed by Sauvignon Blanc. “Right now, the quality is exceptional,” says winemaker Karl Wente, “but I won’t know for sure until I taste the wines come Christmas.”

The Federal Government today released an implementation paper on tightened eligibility criteria for the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) rebate. “The implementation paper sets out the Government’s proposed approach to implement the tightened eligibility criteria, giving consideration to these issues, and invites views from industry,” said Kelly O’Dwyer, the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services.

On September 20 a trade tasting is taking place that may change the way the UK wine trade views modern Australian wine. The Artisans of Australia Tasting will draw together 25 of the most exciting, innovative and down-right talented winemakers in the world today. Through their experimentation with new varietals, adoption of minimalist winemaking or their dedication to site selection and expression, these winemakers are crafting wines that are a new iteration of Australian wine brilliance.

A flagship Australian wine online store supported by Wine Australia has launched today on Alibaba Group’s business to consumer platform, Tmall.com, providing a further avenue for Chinese consumers to purchase Australian wines. Andreas Clark, Wine Australia CEO said, “the opening of the store is a landmark moment that builds on a year of strong growth for Australian wine in the Chinese export market. It opens up another commercial opportunity for Australian wineries to tap into China’s growing appreciation for our fine wines”.

The good times at Penfolds maker Treasury Wine Estates have flowed through to executive pay packets, with chief executive Mike Clarke’s total remuneration jumping 32 per cent to $5.9 million for 2015-16, reports The Australian Financial Review. The Treasury annual report lodged with the ASX on Thursday showed that Mr Clarke’s total remuneration was up from $4.45 million a year earlier. The report outlined that 60 per cent of Mr Clarke’s remuneration was performance related.