The little Wairarapa village that’s won the hearts of the world’s top wine writers is now to be toasted in a prestigious New York City showcase. Larry McKenna of Martinborough’s Escarpment Vineyard will this month speak about his pinot noir to around 1000 people at the NZ$3500-a-head New York Wine Experience, after it ranked among the top 10 in a leading magazine. The winery’s Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir 2013 placed seventh in Wine Spectator’s top 100 wines of 2015, whittled down from more than 20,000 labels.

The 17th Canberra International Riesling Challenge featured an outstanding collection of wines from eight countries with a record number of medals awarded. This is clearly a reflection of the outstanding 2015 and 2016 vintages in the Southern Hemisphere, coupled with a heightened professionalism and attention to detail by winemakers and viticulturists. The Chair of the Canberra International Riesling Challenge (CIRC), Ken Helm said the increased appetite and awareness of consumers in quality Rieslings will be met with the release of these wines to the market.

The 17th Canberra International Riesling Challenge featured an outstanding collection of wines from eight countries with a record number of medals awarded. This is clearly a reflection of the outstanding 2015 and 2016 vintages in the Southern Hemisphere, coupled with a heightened professionalism and attention to detail by winemakers and viticulturists. The Chair of the Canberra International Riesling Challenge (CIRC), Ken Helm said the increased appetite and awareness of consumers in quality Rieslings will be met with the release of these wines to the market.

Two new feature areas will keep things interesting. The Kurrajong Kitchen Cheese Alley will showcase the best cheese in the biz, while at the Luigi Bormioli glass masterclass you can sample four wines for $50 and get a take-home set of four glasses valued at $70. Last year 13,000 people strolled through the Expo doors, which according to CTM Events sales and events coordinator Emily John was a magic number.

Imagine a wine event that’s … fun. You don’t have a pencil in your hand. You’re not racking your brain for clever things to say on brightness or salinity. You can just say, “Yum. Can I have more?” Pinot Palooza is back this Saturday for its fifth and biggest year yet. A wine party celebrating pinot noir, the one-day festival features DJs, great food and more than 100 wine producers. We chat to Dan Sims, the event’s organiser and founder of Bottle Shop Concepts, about why you should get a whole lot of pinot into your life this weekend.

Clearview Estate in Hawke’s Bay is taking advantage of an abundant natural resource – the onshore wind fondly known on the Cape Coast, as ‘the doctor’. Over 400 Riesling grapevines have been planted in its Te Awanga front paddock over the past week, and the sea breeze, in addition to the stony soil, will have a big impact on the resulting wine style. The new Riesling vineyard is considered to be among the closest to the sea in New Zealand, and Clearview winemaker and co-owner Tim Turvey says the wind will cool and moderate grape ripening.

A pioneering vineyard that led the conversion from sheep farming to grape growing in its region has been placed on the market for sale, ending six generations of family ownership. Francis Estate Vineyard at Ward, South-East Marlborough, was established as a sheep and beef breeding farm by Frederick William (Billy) Francis and his wife Agnus Elizabeth Francis in 1905. The farm remained a meat and wool production focused operation until the late 1980s when the removal of farm subsidies affected the profitability of the sector nationwide. Seeking better yields from the land, the great-great-grandchildren of founder Frederick Francis planted grapes, while part of the farm was retained for grazing and cropping purposes.

The town of Caldari di Ortona in Abruzzo has installed a free, 24-hour wine fountain. The fountain was put in place by the Dora Sarchese winery and is primarily designed to quench the thirst of pilgrims taking the Cammino di San Tommaso, thousands of who pass by every year. English and Welsh wine was the most drunk tipple, making up 44 per cent of the total booze consumed in 2015, the same as in 2014. The government’s cellar, which was established in 1922, contains 33,669 bottles of wine and spirits with a total stock value of £809,990 – while in the shops the cellar would cost you an estimated £3.25million.

The sixth recipient of the $10,000 Dr Don Martin Sustainable Viticulture Award, presented by the Alcorso Foundation, has been announced as Francine Austin of Delamere Vineyards.
Fran will undertake a study tour of Champagne to investigate the vineyard, winemaking and marketing practices of this benchmark sparkling wine region. In particular, Fran will explore the specific economic and environmental sustainability of Champagne growers / producers and the relationship they have with Champagne Houses. These relevant learnings will be shared with the diversity of Tasmanian sparkling wine business and production models in Tasmania. Potential linkages between Tasmania and Champagne will also be explored during Fran’s travel.

An initiative designed to bring together PhD wine industry research students and regional vignerons commenced today in the Coonawarra wine region; and the first-time in regional South Australia. Under the ‘Regional Program’ funded by Wine Australia, the Limestone Coast Grape and Wine Council partnered with the ARC Training Centre for Innovative Wine Production (TC-IWP) – based at the University of Adelaide, to deliver the unique program. Each of the eleven students gave a 10-minute snap-shot presentation on topics ranging from: berry shrivel and cell death; optimization of early harvest regimes; the alcohol ‘sweet spot’ and the use of RO; and, extracting greater benefit from waste components of vinification.