New Zealand is on track to outperform world trade growth as increasing demand from Asia and Latin America fuels agricultural exports, say economists for the HSBC bank. New Zealand’s trade will grow at an annualised rate of 5.9% over the next five years, outperforming forecast world trade growth of 3.8% annually, according to the latest HSBC Global Connections report.
The colour we admire in a white wine tends to be finely nuanced – especially when we’re talking young whites. There’s everything from virtually colourless to straw, straw yellow, straw gold, straw with a pink or green tinge – so many permutations, and we haven’t arrived at pale gold yet.
Deborah Walton-Derry and Peter Morice write in Marlborough Express this points to the obvious – white wines aren’t white, although a very young wine may be colourless. Pale green, pale copper or even amber are the colours associated with “white” wine.
Moet Hennessy, the wine and spirits arm of France’s LVMH luxury group, says it will make red wine in China where a taste for the better things in life has boomed along with the economy. AAP reported Moet Hennessy said it had joined forces with VATS, a Chinese wine firm, to develop a vineyard of 30 hectares in Yunnan province, southeastern China.
A new trade agreement will remove the duty on U.S. wines exported to Korea, a growing market for California vintners.The agreement, announced this week by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, will take effect March 15. Korea’s import duty on U.S. wine is currently 15 percent, reports Press Democrat.
The Orange Region Vignerons Association (ORVA) has been investigated by NSW Fair Trading after allegations that it has breached laws regarding disclosure of interests and financial gain to members.
The Central Western Daily has reported that NSW Fair Trading wrote to ORVA late last year to outline a number of allegations that the association was in breach of the Associations Incorporation Act 2009. NSW Fair Trading wrote that the matters warranted further review and requested information including a disclosure of interests register by January 31.
THE Orange wine region’s participation in Wine Australia’s Regional Heroes Foundation Partnership (RHFP) program has benefited all ORVA members and the region as a whole, ORVA president David Crawley says. Mr Crawley said Orange had hosted a number of international trade ambassadors under the program and would host a delegation of Chinese visitors next week.
Ray Beckwith can toast the preserving effects of alcohol when he celebrates his 100th birthday today.
Working at South Australian winemaker Penfolds in 1936, Dr Beckwith, a scientist whose innovations laid the foundations of the Australian wine industry, hit upon the idea of using pH — a measure of acidity — as a means of preventing the microbial spoilage that had until then ruined 30 per cent of its annual production, writes Blair Speedy, in The Australian.
Greg Gallagher is known for sparkling, but he came to Canberra for Shiraz, Chris Shanahan writes in Sydney Morning Herald.These days, Canberra and Shiraz is a no-brainer for aspiring vignerons. It’s our most successful grape variety thanks, initially, to Clonakilla, but now thoroughly bedded down across the district. But when Greg and Libby Gallagher planted Shiraz at Murrumbateman in 1995, Canberra’s reputation for fine wine was a fraction of what it is now – and Shiraz had barely emerged as a contender for top spot.
Perfect weather set the scene for the Declaration of Vintage in Tanunda on Sunday, reports the Barossa & Light Herald. Forecasting the result of the 2012 vintage, Louisa Rose said things were looking like another good year. “You know it’s a good vintage when winemakers are relaxed and even have time to go to lunch,” she said. “Grapes are well-coloured and the flavour is also very good. All we have to do is pick the grapes at the right time for a great result.”
David Laity learnt firsthand what goodwill meant in February 2009 when Black Saturday destroyed his home and most of his possessions. Out of the ashes came an idea to help not-for-profit organisations, many of which had helped him. The new Daylesford resident said the concept of Goodwill Wine was about branding a quality product to raise money for charities. He was given $15,000 by the Red Cross following the fires and, rather than replace what was lost, he invested that money into Goodwill Wine with the intention of “paying it forward”, reports the Hepburn Advocate.