Men and women harvest Merlot grapes under the scorching sun in one of Egypt’s up-and-coming vineyards, as the Muslim-majority desert country strives to win over international wine connoisseurs. “It’s a great story, what we’ve done with Egyptian wine,” said a proud Labib Kallas, as he inspected vines planted in reclaimed desert land north of Cairo on a hot day in July.
A PROMINENT member of one of the state’s most decorated winemaking families has faced court charged with assaulting another man. Winemaker Peter Barry, of Clare, was charged by police after an incident at North Adelaide on June 30, in which he allegedly assaulted John Litchfield. Barry is the managing director of acclaimed Clare Valley winery Jim Barry Wines, which was established by his father in the late 1950s.
Australian producers of cool climate Chardonnay are being invited to take part in a tasting of the style soon to be conducted by the Wine & Viticulture Journal. It follows a tasting of cool climate Shiraz by the Journal earlier this year with the results to be published in its September-October issue which will have a special focus on cool climate viticulture.
Geoff Barrett planted 80 hectares of grapevines on his property near Margaret River in Western Australia in 2001. Watershed Premium Wines has since become one of the region’s success stories, employing 56 workers across its viticulture, restaurant, cellar door and sales teams. But with Federal Government changes to wine taxation due next year, Mr Barrett said some of those jobs were at risk.
To grow any further, the Marlborough wine industry needs accommodation and it needs labour. Reporter Oliver Lewis takes a look at the challenge facing the $1 billion industry. Behind every bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, the wine that put New Zealand on the map, lies the unseen work of thousands of pairs of hands. From a handful of vineyards in the 1970s to the engine room of the pumping wine export economy, the Marlborough wine industry has transformed the physical and social landscape of the region.
The International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) 2016 were held last week, and the winners included spirits by big names like CCA/Beam Suntory and Bacardi-Martini, to boutique brands like Australia’s Archie Rose Distilling Co. Beam Suntory were one of the biggest winners on the night, taking out three major awards, including the Worldwide Bourbon trophy for Jim Beam Black and Worldwide Whiskey trophy for Knob Creek Rye Whiskey, both of which are distributed in Australia by Coca-Cola Amatil.
Despite the headline attached to a press release from UBC Okanagan, vineyards aren’t degrading soil quality, at least according to local grapegrowers. Tim Watts, who has operated Kettle Valley Winery on the Naramata Bench for 25 years, said the headline “UBC researchers determine vineyards adversely affect soil quality,” was misleading. When he received the interview request from the Western News, he was at a conference where Miranda Hart, one of the research team, was the next speaker.
Wine lists at innovative restaurants are becoming ever more seasonal in nature, reflecting both the time of year and what’s on the menu. In London, at wine-centric venues like The 10 Cases, The Quality Chop House, Sager + Wilde and Noble Rot, what’s in your glass is considered equally as important as what’s on your plate.
CASELLLA Wines is continuing its Australian expansion with the acquisition of Dunvar, one of NSW’s biggest vineyards. It is the latest acquisition for Casella Wines, which recently acquired full ownership of Morris Wines at Rutherglen from Pernod Ricard Winemakers. Real estate agency CBRE recently offered the prominent Riverina District vineyard near Darlington Point for sale on behalf of Belvino Investments.
The Champagne Guide author, Tom Stelzer will host a September masterclass in Hong Kong comparing several brands of non-vintage and vintage Champagne. Tyson Stelzer was named International Wine & Spirit Communicator of the Year in 2015 and is also the host of Australian television series, People of the Vine.