THE state government should be doing more to help Tasmanian wineries export their product to the world, according to international marketing body Wine Australia. On the final day of the Wine Tasmania annual conference, Wine Australia stakeholder engagement manager Ali Lockwood said it was critical to get the state’s fine wines on the international market.
With Chinese buyers snapping up Bordeaux châteaux at a rate of knots, continued consolidation among former rivals and big brewers eying up their craft counterparts, the drinks world is ever-changing. Last week rumours were rife that AB InBev could be preparing a takeover bid for Diageo, a deal that would bring together the world’s biggest producers. The rumour mill went into overdrive after a prominent columnist in Brazil claimed that the country’s richest man, billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann, might be thinking about putting together a takeover bid for the world’s largest premium alcoholic drinks company.
A winemaker walks into a barber shop and sits in the barber’s chair. The barber notices the winemaker looks sad and asks, “Andre, why are you looking so glum?” Andre replies, “Due to climate change, the temperatures are rising in Burgundy, France. That’s created an unprecedented streak of great vintages, about a decade’s worth, in fact.” “That’s good,” says the barber. “No, that’s bad. The popularity of Burgundy has swelled worldwide demand to such an extent that prices for many these wines have skyrocketed beyond what most wine lovers can afford.”
Judging whether a wine is worthless or worth thousands might sound like a pretty good gig. Better still, Maureen Downey says she created the job for herself, and is paid hundreds of dollars an hour to separate fine from fake wine. There is one drawback. “Unfortunately, tasting is not part of what I do,” sighs Downey. “We can’t verify via the contents of the bottle. For one thing, if you were to open a bottle, you destroy it, so authenticating at that point is kind of useless. I’m often the thirstiest person in the wine industry.”
Air New Zealand will broaden the range of wine in premium cabins as it pushes back on claims it is being stingy topping up glasses in the back of the plane. Passengers have complained in several letters to the Herald’s Travel magazine that the airline of holding back on wine during flights, one questioning whether it wanted to be known as “the Scrooge of the sky.”
Hawke’s Bay winemaker Hugh Crichton has claimed the King of Chardonnay crown. His Vidal Legacy Chardonnay 2012 has received the International Chardonnay Trophy at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) in London. The awards are the world’s largest and most influential wine competition. More than 16,000 wines were judged by a panel of 240 experts including some of the world’s greatest winemakers, sommeliers and masters of wine.
Yalumba has launched a completely reworked online presence to share stories with customers from around the globe. Launched to staff and club members of the Yalumba Wine Room on Friday, the rebooted site has a strong focus on photography and video of the company’s wines, winemakers, cooperage, nursery and wine room along with a blog. Nick Waterman, Yalumba managing director, said the revamp was in response to consumer demand for an innovative online presence, and reflected the competitive nature of the global wine industry.
France’s wine industry faces a major shake-up over the next 3½ decades as the impacts of a warming atmosphere force changes to traditions that have lasted generations. Already the grape harvest, which was once in late September, is routinely brought forward. In Bordeaux, the harvest has gone from the end of September to the end of August at times as farmers battle increasing levels of ¬alcohol in the grapes caused by heat. Champagne grapes are regularly being harvested two weeks earlier compared to 20 years ago.
One of the country’s most experienced sommeliers has been appointed customer experience manager at Craggy Range Winery in Hawke’s Bay. Advanced sommelier Michael Bancks is working towards becoming New Zealand’s second only Master Sommelier and returns to Craggy Range after three years in France. Formerly manager of Craggy Range’s Terrôir Restaurant for six years from 2004, Bancks was awarded the title of Sommelier of the Year at the Culinary Fair in 2008 while in that role.
An extra 600 beds are needed to keep up with predicted labour demand within the horticulture and viticulture industries in Central Otago, a new labour market report says. The Central Otago Labour Market Survey was released on Monday and highlights labour issues facing the horticulture and viticulture industries in the region. Accommodation provision was one of the biggest issues to resolve, with the report predicting labour demand to grow with an additional 600 beds required by 2018/19. The report also highlights a lack of suitably trained staff.