Peter Gago, Penfolds chief winemaker, Tyson Stelzer, wine journalist, and Grant Dickson, co-owner of fermentAsian restaurant and formerly the wholesale manager for Rockford Wines, have been inducted into the Barons of Barossa. The announcement was made at The Barossa Grand Cellar Dinner at Chateau Tanunda on Thursday night, April 16, and Stephen Henschke, Grand Master of the Barons of Barossa said that three men were well deserving of the recognition.

Early results released from a University of Adelaide-led research project have revealed overseas wine trade and consumers hold very positive feelings about Australians and Australian wine. When trade and consumer focus groups in the United States, United Kingdom, China, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and India were asked what they think about Australians and Australian wine they responded with descriptions of ‘authentic’, ‘exciting’, ‘sincere’, ‘strong’ and ‘reliable’.

Treasury Wine Estates stock price hit a 52-week high this week peaking at AUD$5.89 per share before retreating and closing at $5.89. The stock’s one year return is up 57.66%. It is good news for the wine company as it was less than a year ago when it was fending for a possible takeover from capital private equity firm KKR and Rhone Capital. The company made two different bids last year, which TWE rejected.

The price of cask wine could double within 18 months, with major drinks companies and health experts lobbying the Abbott government to revamp a tax system that unduly favours bulk wine sales. The federal government is considering changes to rebates for the wine equalisation tax in the May budget, which could signal the first moves towards a broader volumetric tax on alcohol sales in Australia.

Accolade Wines has appointed experienced wine industry executive, Jeff Bond, as of Grant Burge Wines general manager. Michael East, Accolade Wines general manager Asia Pacific, said Bond’s recent experience as CEO at Peter Lehmann Wines, coupled with his marketing experience and understanding of the global drinks industry through time with Maxxium, made him the ideal person to lead Grant Burge Wines. “Jeff’s experience and his engagement with the Barossa will really help ensure the brand stays true to its origins and to Grant and Helen Burge’s ambitions for the business,” East said.

Signs of a revival in demand in the important, high-income Japanese wine market present opportunities for New Zealand wine producers, according to Rabobank’s latest Wine Quarterly report. After a nearly two decade-long hiatus, beginning after the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, the Japanese wine market has now ‘come of age’ with the country’s wine drinkers increasingly open to new consumption occasions, wine styles and innovations, the report says.

That’s the top trend in wine this year, that we’re feeling better about the economy and trading up: Buying more expensive wine than the wine we bought during the recession, moving from $4 bottles to $8, from $8 to $12, from $10 to $15, and from $15 to $20. The wine business calls this trend premiumisation, and the salivating at the prospect has reached epic proportions. That’s because the wine business doesn’t necessarily want to sell cheap wine — it’s not as profitable and it doesn’t carry the prestige that selling more expensive wine does (a much more important reason than consumers can possibly imagine).

Buenos Aires: The country’s world famous wine industry is under threat from climate change. The Andean region — where the wine is mainly produced — is set to become one of the most affected by global warming, according to a report by the Energy Secretariat that was released yesterday. The region, which includes Mendoza, San Juan, La Rioja, Catamarca, Salta and Jujuy, is on track to experience higher temperatures, more frequent and longer heat waves and dry periods, less rain and changes to the flow of the rivers, all phenomena that will affect wine production and force producers to implement measures to adapt to a shifting climate.

If you’ve ever been tempted to hop on a plane and take an impromptu trip to Europe, now is the time. With the dollar at a 12-year high, currently at $1.07 against the euro, Americans have the opportunity to book a 5-star Italian hotel or overindulge at a French bistro without the financial regret that would have accompanied such splurges just a few months ago. Changing exchange rates are also impacting the wine industry, albeit slowly

Global wine inventories appear to be balanced, according to the latest wine report from Rabobank – but the report warns of variations in supply between the premium and generic ends. Premium wine grapes appear to be slightly tighter, Raobank’s Wine Quarterly Q2 2015 report said. but generic and commodity varieties have “much broader availability”.