Concerns are raised after a government report fails to rule out a link between vineyard spraying and cancer rates. The cost of producing France’s greatest sweet wines could be measured in more than simply dollars and cents, as claims emerge that vineyard sprays in the Sauternes region could be causing an alarming spike in child cancer rates. Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper reports that a former mayor of the town of Preignac has called for an investigation.

A Marlborough airline is making it easier for winemakers and tourists to travel between the two largest wine producing regions in the country. Blenheim company Sounds Air will start flying between Blenheim and Napier from November 5. General manager Andrew Crawford said there was demand from people in the wine industry, who commuted between Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay.

Judging got underway yesterday for the Hawke’s Bay A&P Bayleys Wine Awards – the oldest regional wine competition in New Zealand. Senior judge Rod Easthope said that, after a bit of a lull, the wine industry was experiencing an upward trend. “We had 410 entries this year, which is our third highest number ever,” Mr Easthope said. He said that when he tasted a wine he imagined it being served in a New York restaurant and whether it would sit alongside the best wines in the world.

The Wine & Viticulture Journal is calling on Australian wine producers who make sparkling wine from non-traditional varieties to enter the publication’s next wine tasting. The tasting is open to dry white or red sparkling styles not made from the varieties traditionally associated with sparkling wine production, namely Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Sparkling styles made from varieties other than Prosecco and Shiraz are also encouraged, with these styles having been tasted specifically in previous Journal tastings.

Italy’s growers breathe a sigh of relief as the weather ensures a good harvest so far. Italian producers and growers are optimistic about the 2015 harvest, after a fine summer ensured the disaster of last year was not repeated. Bad weather saw a much-reduced harvest in 2014, both in terms of quantity and quality, but this year’s glorious summer weather has put smiles back on growers’ faces, according to Italy’s Wine News website.

The past two decades have seen globalisation of the world’s wine markets proceed like never before, in both speed and comprehensiveness. There was a degree of trade expansion in the five decades to World War I but, until the late 20th century, interactions across continents involved little more than the exporting of vine cuttings and traditional production expertise. Indeed most wine was consumed in the country of production, and those countries were mostly in Europe.

New Zealand Winegrowers welcomes news that the Tariff Amendment Bill was passed through Parliament on Friday, a big step towards implementing the Free Trade Agreement with South Korea. Philip Gregan, New Zealand Winegrowers chief executive officer, said the negotiators have achieved a great outcome for the wine industry. “Tariff free access into South Korea at the time the agreement comes into force represents a significant boost to our export ambitions in one of the key Asian markets,” he said.

Kiwi wine business Invivo has tripled its monthly sales after launching its latest Graham Norton Sauvignon Blanc into Ireland. Invivo is backed by the UK personality, Norton, who owns two per cent of the company and as part of this, produced his own limited edition sauvignon blanc last year. According to co-founder Tim Lightbourne the success of the specialty wine, which was only sold in New Zealand, led to the decision to expand the reach into Norton’s home country of Ireland.

Clonakilla Wines’ 2015 Riesling was named wine of the show against strong competition from “the vintage of a lifetime” at the weekend’s Canberra and Region Wine Show. Winning winemaker Tim Kirk said the current district vintage was proving a “belter” for Murrumbateman and Canberra district winemakers with Mother Nature balancing the books after three “challenging” wet years from 2010 to 2012. “Mother Nature has given us a couple of belters in 2013 and 2015,” he said. “2014 was pretty good as well.

Mobile wine bottler Des Profitt spends almost half his life on the road to keep costs down for regional wine producers. For 13 years he has been travelling from Cudal near Orange in central west New South Wales and bottling wine at wineries in the south of the state. However it is more than just hitching his swag and turning up to a winery. When the New Zealand-born Mr Proffit arrives, it is in a large semi-trailer.