As harvest time nears an end, Coonawarra wine producers in the south-east of South Australia say the signs point to a high-quality vintage. The crop volume is down by as much as 15 per cent on last year and the fruit is smaller. Coonawarra Grape Growers Association president Daniel Newson said cool nights helped the fruit mature at the ideal time, reports ABC News.

Change is on the horizon for how and where you buy wine. Remember the passage of Initiative 1183 last fall? The initiative approved the privatisation of liquor sales and distribution, and also allowed for discount pricing on wine and spirits. By June 1, all state liquor stores must close and private sales from qualifying retailers can begin. Will this affect the way you purchase wines? Almost certainly. For starters, you’re going to see a smaller selection of wines at large retail grocers. You can also expect that smaller space to be occupied by fewer wineries, and those wineries will likely be larger ones that can take advantage of the discount-pricing feature, reports The Bellingham Herald.

Wine for me, as it probably is for many others, is a bit like art. I know what I like and what I don’t, but not much more. So, in order to expand my horizons, I’ve decided to spend a few days in Central Otago to learn a bit more about the local wine and to get some tips about what to look for, as well as making some new discoveries. I’m not sure I’ll ever get to the point where I can comfortably admit to detecting notes of white peach and freshly mown lawn, but I’m keen to enhance my appreciation of what I’m imbibing nonetheless, writes Jeff Kavanagh in Otago Daily Times.

Many Marlborough wine producers say the region is being unfairly saddled with a large amount of the country’s excise tax for wine. Saint Clair Family Estate owner and managing director Neal Ibbotson said as the country’s largest wine producing region, Marlborough wineries were paying $127 million a year to the Government. New Zealand wineries paid a total of $170m in excise tax to the Government last year, reports The Marlborough Express. The past three years had been the toughest the industry had experienced in 30 years but the Government would not give them a break, he said.

Vok Beverages has acquired premium South Australian winery, Step Rd, along with several associated wine brands. Vok, which already distributes wine brands including Andrew Garrett, Queen Adelaide and Minchinbury, recently announced the acquisition of the Step Rd Winery situated in the Langhorne Creek region. The deal also includes the multi award-winning wines of the Step Road, Beresford, Katherine Hills, Trig Point and Crystal Brook brands, reports The Shout.

My knowledge of wine, or lack thereof, is embarrassing. I enthusiastically enjoy it, but when ordering at a bar my requests are rarely more specific than red or white, followed by a blind stab at the wine list. But the annual Wine Harvest Festival is just around the corner, and it seems the perfect time to discover the fabulous cool-climate wineries on Canberra’s doorstep, writes Larissa Nicholson in the Canberra Times.

An accommodation project worth more than $2 million at the area’s highest profile winery could begin as early as next year. A boutique guesthouse, apartment complex and recreational vehicle short-stay area are proposed to complement Cassegrain Winery. The project would promote tourism and create jobs as it is grows in stages, reports Port Macquarie News.

The NSW government will invest $40,000 in a social media campaign to boost the sales of locally produced wine. Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner on Tuesday launched the initiative, Ask For It, at the new Food and Wine Garden at the Royal Sydney Easter Show. The campaign which is jointly funded by the NSW Wine Industry Association is designed to encourage consumers to be loyal to locally produced wines, reports AAP.

Stephen Doyle’s hands are stained red from picking grapes, but the winemaker has made the quick 260km dash to Sydney from Orange, so he can showcase his Bloodwood wines at the A+ Australian Wine Celebration. Like all agriculture-based industries, there are the natural elements to deal with, but adding to the woes these days is the high Australian dollar, which has lead to an influx of cheaper imports. It’s one of the reasons why Wine Australia is throwing its support behind the inaugural celebration of this nation’s wine, reports AAP.

Southern grapegrowers have labelled this year’s harvest a success, despite lower than expected yields. The season ran two weeks ahead of schedule, with many wineries finishing their harvest in late March. McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association chair Peter Hayes said the season, which started flowering in September last year, had provided quality over quantity. He said there were no reports of any significant disease in crops, reports the Southern Times Messenger.