The Federal Budget will close a loophole which saw some wine producers claiming a producer rebate twice. Closing the loophole is estimated to save $10 million a year for four years, and will apply from July. Under the previous rules, a wine producer might claim the wine equalisation tax rebate then sell the wine to another producer. That producer would then mix the wine with another batch, and claim the rebate again on the entire volume. The Government says the measure “will protect the integrity of the rebate, and address unintended policy outcomes arising where wine is subject to blending and further manufacture”, reports ABC Rural.

2012 vintage will be a year to note for more reasons than quality and size. It is also the year where groundbreaking viticulture research into mildew resistant vines moves from the vineyard into the winery. Reported in Grapegrower & Winemaker’s April 2012 issue, the CSIRO has started small-scale ferments from new grapevines, bred through marker assisted breeding (MAB) methods, which are resistant to powdery and downy mildew.

Day-to-day operations and plans for the founding winery in Gibbston valley will not change now its biggest shareholder has gained approval from the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) to take a 100% shareholding. Otago Daily Times reports Gibbston Valley Wines chief executive Greg Hunt, of Wanaka, was asked to comment on the OIO consent for the share acquisition by the winery’s major shareholder, American Philip Dean Griffith.

Cooler weather, a late harvest, and an Indian summer should please wine connoisseurs this year, according to the New Zealand Winegrowers Association. New Zealand had a “fantastic April”, and promises to deliver very good quality wine once it hits the shelf, Philip Gregan, the head of the association, told TV ONE’s Breakfast.

Western Australian winemaker Murray Burton has finally opened his Margaret River microbrewery, Cheeky Monkey, having successfully overcome long-running opposition by a local biodynamic winemaker. The Shout’s James Atkinson reports Cheeky Monkey Brewing Company opened to the public on Saturday, having won approval to serve its own range of craft beers and ciders on-premise at the Wilyabrup microbrewery, which has licensed capacity for 450 people.

Vignerons in the New South Wales Upper Hunter say a local food and wine festival is helping to boost the credibility of wines from the region. ABC reports the Upper Hunter Wine and Food Affair drew in thousands over the weekend, with organisers saying it was one of their biggest in years

What is it about Dalwhinnie, questions Huon Hooke in Sydney Morning Herald. Is it that this Pyrenees vineyard manages to produce great shiraz more often than anyone else in the region – elder statesman Taltarni included? Is it that Dalwhinnie manages to avoid the regional eucalyptus and peppermint characters in its red wines more successfully than any other in this densely gum-tree dotted region?

Despite some headline-catching news, China’s wine market remains at an early stage of development. While this gives market participants an unprecedented opportunity to shape it to their advantage, it also increases the level of uncertainty under which key decisions must be made. In this Jing Daily column, Torsten Stocker highlight some of the key factors shaping China’s wine market, as well as its domestic wine industry.

There’s a small patch of land at Whorouly, close to Beechworth in the state’s north-east, where an extraordinary fruit salad of mostly unpronounceable grape varieties flourishes, writes Jane Faulkner in The Age. There is mtsvane, ehrenfelser, bacchus, odola, fer, teroldego, saperavi, brachetto and more. Its talented grower, Mark Walpole, does things differently.

Fluctuating currency markets and high transport costs are putting wine retailers under more pressure, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit. Noel Reid, wines and spirits buyer at Frederic Robinson, said: “I don’t think there’s anyone out there who could say that exchange rates and transport costs are not a problem for them at the moment, alongside duty hikes. It’s causing real concern in the trade and is putting pressure on house wines in particular. I know people who are having to try to source wines under 80 cents in order to hit their list price.”