The Huntington Estate Music Festival continues to attract music lovers in its 22nd year.
The Mudgee Guardian reports that almost 800 patrons attended the five-day festival last week to see world-renowned performers, such as Guy Johnston (cello) and Andrew Meisel (double bass), finishing their unusual duo with a flourish. For those unable to attend the sold-out event, concerts were broadcast live on ABC Classic FM.

Wine writing can some-times be lip-puck-eringly dry. Maybe that’s why Natalie MacLean, an irreverent, lively and often self-deprecating wine writer, is so popular, reports the Vancouver Sun. Her first book, Red, White and Drunk All Over, won Best Wine Literature Book at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards and sold 50,000 copies in Canada alone.

Wine writing can some-times be lip-puck-eringly dry. Maybe that’s why Natalie MacLean, an irreverent, lively and often self-deprecating wine writer, is so popular, reports the Vancouver Sun. Her first book, Red, White and Drunk All Over, won Best Wine Literature Book at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards and sold 50,000 copies in Canada alone.

A quarter century ago, the Russells planted their first vines, giving birth to Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery, what would ultimately become New England’s largest vineyard. The South Coast Today, reports they started out with 40,000 vines — ordered from the Finger Lakes region of New York because they were thought to be hearty.

A quarter century ago, the Russells planted their first vines, giving birth to Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery, what would ultimately become New England’s largest vineyard. The South Coast Today, reports they started out with 40,000 vines — ordered from the Finger Lakes region of New York because they were thought to be hearty.

Australia’s embattled wine industry is rapidly moving online in response to an influx of cheaper home-brand labels on supermarket shelves that has pushed many independent wineries to the brink. But such is the power of Woolworths – its chains include Dan Murphy’s, BWS, Cellarmasters and Langton’s – and Coles – which owns 1st Choice, Vintage Cellars and Liquorland – that many winemakers refused to comment for fear of retribution, reports The Age.

British wine and English wine are two very different things, and it’s all too easy to get them confused, reports The Daily Mail. British wine isn’t made from grapes grown in Great Britain. It’s fermented and bottled on our shores, but the grape juice – often arriving in concentrate form – comes from abroad.

Winemakers will begin using a chemical additive that is also used in toothpaste and laxatives, after the Food Standards agency ruled it safe. The Australian reports that the Winemakers Federation of Australia has won approval to use sodium carboxymethyl cellulose — commonly known as cellulose gum, or food additive E466 — to prevent crystals and cloudiness in white and sparkling wines.

Faced with a grape glut and cheap imports, Australian winemakers face a challenging future, writes Eli Greenblat for Business Day. Australia’s biggest and most well-known family owned wine companies have posted flat revenue and shrinking earnings in the 2011 financial year as the sector faces a maelstrom of external shocks, led by the high Australian dollar, which has decimated exports, as well as a grape glut and competition from new world producers

While Yao Ming was growing up in Shanghai, wine was served with ice cubes. It wasn’t until the 7-foot-6-inch Chinese basketball player spent time with National Basketball Association teammate Dikembe Mutombo, a 7-foot-2-inch Congolese player, that he began to appreciate wine, reports The Wall Street Journal.