White wine is starting to gain exposure and popularity in Asian markets and it’s widely expected this enthusiasm will continue to grow. This observation was made early this year in a letter from Peter Fredatovich, export manager at Distant Land Vintners. The company’s new releases have been doing well in a range of competitions and this has resulted in strong interest from buyers in southeast Asian and Chinese markets. Here’s proof that there’s value in entering competitions – success can pave the way in an export drive to market, reports the Marlborough Express.

It’s hard to imagine that given today’s standing of Tasmania’s wine industry, that it wasn’t that long ago that many believed a wine industry in the state wouldn’t work. Winemaker Andrew Hood remembers the sceptics… he was one of the pioneers of Tasmania’s industry that has established an international reputation for it’s cool climate wines. Today, ABC Rural profiles Andrew’s journey through the national wine industry, and along the way, witness some of the rises and the falls in this significant industry.

Two more WA wine producers have been sold to overseas interests. Margaret River’s Woodside Valley Estate and the Perth Hills Western Range are in the final stages of being acquired by Hong Kong-based beverage giant Palinda Wines. Palinda is the private family company of Chinese businessman Jacky Wong, whose interests in beverage distribution throughout Hong Kong and mainland China are significant. It is believed that the acquisitions of the two WA wine labels are part of a massive expansion of Mr Wong’s 150 stores, reports the West Australian.

A report on Australia’s wine industry could increase the pressure on the struggling sector. According to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, 80,000 more tonnes of grapes will be crushed at next year’s vintage. For many winegrape growers, it’s costing more to pick their grapes than what they can sell them for. The industry has been oversupplied for over five years. Poor growing conditions have pushed yields down for the past two of those years, but the Federal Government’s peak agriculture research bureau, ABARES predicts a 5 per cent increase in production for the next growing season, reports ABC Rural.

Australians are drinking less alcohol and even the steady growth in wine quaffing has stopped. The latest figures by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that beer drinking has plunged to a 65-year low. And for the first time in about two decades, the nation’s wine intake has dipped slightly, despite the wide availability of inexpensive products, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

Chateau Montus, one of the leading chateaux in the Madiran appellation, was severely struck by hail on Sunday evening – while Bordeaux suffered rainfall two-and-a-half times the average. Hailstones of up to 1.5 centimeters in diameter pelted the communes of Castelnau-Rivière-Basse and Madiran, ‘destroying a large part of vines,’ local newspaper SudOuest reported. At least 50% of vines at the 85ha property were hit, owner and winemaker Alain Brumont said, with some plots losing up to 95% of their early-season shoots and buds, causing around €3m damage, reports Decanter.

California’s Napa Valley Vintners has upped the ante in its quest to protect its brand name. It has joined the Organisation for International Geographical Indications Network (oriGIn) – which lobbies internationally for more effective legal protection for Geographic Indications. OriGIn has 350 producer associations across 40 countries, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit. For more than a decade, NVV has campaigned for global protection for the valley, and its brand integrity. “Consumers around the world need to be assured that when it says ‘Napa Valley’ on the wine label, the wine truly comes from this extraordinary place,” says Linda Reiff, executive director of the NVV.

Church Road Winery is celebrating the life and legacy of Tom McDonald, legendary winemaker, with the launch of the new premium Church Road McDonald Series available from early May. Tom McDonald (1907-1987) devoted his lifetime to producing outstanding New Zealand wines at the site of the current Church Road Winery in Hawke’s Bay. This dedication to creating fine wines saw him forge both a remarkable legacy and enviable future for the Hawke’s Bay region and Church Road wines today. This new series celebrates his vision and entrepreneurial spirit, reports Voxy News.

Word has it that the cellars at Buckingham Palace hold some of the world’s greatest wines from sublime vintages. While it is most unlikely that Her Majesty ever pops downstairs to select something special for dinner, one suspects her highly knowledgeable cellar master knows every bottle by name, provenance, vintage and producer … when its optimum drinking time is due, and whether it will go best with the freshly caught Balmoral salmon or the Argentinian grass-fed beef, reports The New Zealand Herald.

Australian wines have a particular taste. The standard rules and methods of production emphasise high acid levels that lead to a “rich sweet wine, with an acid kick at the end”, Decanter magazine wine writer Andrew Jefford says. That description could be applied to the wine industry as a whole. For a long time the industry has had a sweet and rich ride to the export market but now the strategy of producing cheap wine for overseas markets has come back with a stinging bite, reports BRW.