Mount Gambier is best known for its Blue Lake and as home of the 19th-century poet Adam Lindsay Gordon. It’s less known for its wine. Situated in a rather remote spot on the Princes Highway half-way between Melbourne and Adelaide, it’s also our most recent geographical indication. Mount Gambier will probably be the last GI for some time: authorities have put the cost of wine regions applying for a new GI up to $27,500.Timing is everything, and Mount Gambier’s late beginning as a wine region has held back its development, writes Huon Hooke in the Sydney Morning Herald.

When David Atkinson told the Perth Mint he could put gold flakes in wine he had no idea what he was getting himself into. “We said ‘yes’ and at that stage I had no idea how to do it,” said the Swan Valley winemaker who has since spent 10 years perfecting the art of making gold-infused wine. While gold-infused sake exists in Japan and liquers made with gold flakes are available in Germany, David Atkinson believes Janebrook is the only winery in the world that makes sparkling wine with that golden sparkle, reports ABC Rural.

The surge in foreign imports to Australia should be welcomed not feared, Australian wine professionals say. A combination of a strong Australian dollar and aggressive discounting by Australian supermarkets has led to a drop in the price of European wines, and a surge in imports. Professionals at the Australia Day tastings in London yesterday did not agree the situation is wholly pessimistic, however, reports Decanter.

As we continue our wait for summer to ramp up the action and deliver the weather we deserve, there’s New Zealand’s first “Summer of Riesling” to inspire sunny thoughts. The Summer of Riesling is a worldwide movement encouraging the consumption, discussion and enjoyment of Riesling. This summer the movement arrived in New Zealand along with its New York founder, Paul Grieco. Grieco owns the Terroir Wine Bar in the East Village and it’s there this idea first took flight. It was a single-minded attempt to get guests to try this noble grape, reports The Marlborough Express.

In a first for a New Zealand wine brand, Brancott Estate has launched a new smartphone application which brings together the world of wine and entertainment in 14 unique consumer experiences. The launch of the new application (app) follows the release of a contemporary new look for Brancott Estate. The distinctive and innovative packaging was launched across the entire range and the design is unique and focuses on celebrating the heritage of Brancott Vineyard, where the original Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc vines were planted, reports Voxy News.

British consumers aren’t tiring of New World Sauvignon, according to David Cox, head of UK and Europe for the New Zealand Winegrowers.“I don’t think there is Sauvignon fatigue,” he told The Drinks Business at the country’s annual UK tasting last week, despite the event’s focus on Grüner Veltliner and Pinot Noir, as well as Bordeaux blends, Chardonnay and Riesling.

The Mayor of the Light Regional Council says the developers behind a proposed revitalisation of the Seppeltsfield Winery need to have official community consultation before council approves anything. The Seppeltsfield Estate Trust need council permission to amend the zoning of its land in the Barossa to cater for the redevelopment. Bill O’Brien says it is in support of the project but the trust need to present a more detailed concept plan, reports ABC News.

To celebrate Seppelt’s 160th birthday, departing senior winemaker Emma Wood went in search of some of the great old Sepps wines of yesteryear. She scoured the museum stocks at Great Western but, sadly, not many oldies were to be found. Successive owners have not only battered and bruised the name of Seppelt during the past 30 years, but left little witness to the wealth of its wine history, writes Jeni Port in The Age.

Kingsland Wines and Spirits has announced the launch of a new division called Legacy Wines, through which it will plans to focus on the Impulse, On-Trade and European export sectors. The division will initially focus entirely on wines from South Africa, New Zealand, USA, Chile, and Australia, with products being introduced in the UK over the next few weeks.

In economically slow times, consumers respond with frugality and examine a coin twice before spending it. The same is true for wine, as a glance at the statistics shows, reports Beverage Manager newsite. In Germany, for example, 2010 sales dropped by only 0.7 percent whereas spending on wine decreased by 2.7 percent.