Canberra’s peak business body has publicly backed Australia’s free trade agreement with China, labelling it an “important step in levelling the playing field”. The Canberra Business Chamber has come out in favour of the preferential agreement with Australia’s largest trading partner, which covers two-way trade worth $152 billion a year. Shaw Vineyard Estate owner Graeme Shaw has recently set up distribution for his cool-climate wines in Shanghai. He said his numbers of enquiries from China have “at least doubled” in the past 12 months.

Accolade Wines announced a purchase of Chile’s Viña Anakena yesterday, a move it says has made it the first company to have a footprint in all major New World wine regions. Viña Anakena was founded in the late 1990s by two friends, Felipe Ibáñez and Jorge Gutiérrez, in Alto Cachapoal, in the cool foothills of the Andes Mountains, south of the Chilean capital Santiago. Accolade’s acquisition includes all the brands and inventory relating to Anakena labels, a 3000 tonne winery, a vineyard near the winery, cellar door and VIP tasting room.

Reforms to the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) rebate and an extra $44 million for global marketing are detailed in a plan put to the Federal Government to help restore profitability to the nation’s grape and wine industry. A submission lodged by the industry’s two peak associations, the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) and Wine Grape Growers Australia (WGGA), urged the government to take action before the 2016 vintage so wine businesses can take full advantage of the more favourable Australian dollar and recent FTAs.

Spring in New Zealand is a season inspired with vibrant colours and unfurling new life, brimming with the flavours of early produce and new vintage releases, and a feast of imaginative festivals celebrating everything from seafood to wine. Below are three of the most popular spring events. The Food and Wine Classic (F.A.W.C!) is a series of out-of-the-box food and wine events set in stunning locations throughout Hawke’s Bay each year.

A Marlborough vineyard contracting business is under investigation by the Labour Inspectorate after allegations workers were under paid for three months. A former employee, who prompted the investigation when he made a formal complaint through Wine Marlborough, claims he is owed up to $1000 for unpaid hours over four weeks. He said up to nine others had not been paid the full amount for their hours worked.

There was a time when a wine such as Penfold’s Grange had the capacity to change the entire perception of the quality of Australian wine. Don’t get me wrong, Grange remains a beacon of Australian wine quality but at $800 a bottle, it’s no longer capable of stirring the pocketbooks of the casual wine drinkers who are the heavy lifters of any successful wine category. Australia’s not alone in this pursuit.

A jam-packed 42-day overseas trip across Asia, North America and Ireland has provided Nuffield scholar and viticulturist Andrew Clarke with a ‘big picture’ view of agriculture. Yering Station’s chief viticulturist has just returned from the Nuffield Scholarship ‘Global Focus’ tour, which took in Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, mainland China, Canada, United States and Ireland.

Australia’s Victorian state government believes that China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) will provide a massive boost in the region’s wine sales. Victoria produces some of Australia’s most acclaimed wine, and is currently showcasing its product as part of the three-day International Sparkling Wine Festival in China. Agricultural Minister for Victoria Jaala Pulford is also in China on Friday on a related mission that aims to connect winemakers from Victoria with Chinese wine connoisseurs.

Australian wine impressed influential members of the wine trade and media in both Japan and South Korea at large-scale tastings held by Wine Australia together with Austrade in early September. The annual Australian Wine Grand Tasting in Tokyo, Japan saw enthusiastic participation throughout the day, a significant increase in the number of exhibitors and more than 500 guests, the most ever for a Wine Australia event in Japan. Feedback from guests demonstrated positive sentiment about how Australian wine had evolved to produce more balanced and delicate flavours while still exhibiting distinctively Australian qualities.

Reforms to the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) rebate and an extra $44 million for global marketing are detailed in a plan put to the Federal Government to help restore profitability to the nation’s grape and wine industry. A submission lodged by the industry’s two peak associations, the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA) and Wine Grape Growers Australia (WGGA), urged the government to take action before the 2016 vintage so wine businesses can take full advantage of the more favourable Australian dollar and recent FTAs.