The former chief winemaker at Stonehaven, Sue Bell, has bought a stately old shearing shed in Coonawarra and is converting it into a winery. The Glenroy Woolshed is built from local stone and has a unique atmosphere. It’s gradually becoming the home of Bellwether, her new brand. The move is a welcome injection of energy into the South Australian region that could use a little innovation, writes Huon Hooke in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Our love for Sauvignon Blanc has been one of the hottest affairs you could imagine. Seduced by its showy, up-front personality, we spent $440 million on the popular white drop last year. Much of the passion for the wine that exudes vibrant passionfruit flavours is directed towards Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. And much of what we are buying now is cheaper than it ever was. Down, down, down goes the price. And perhaps with it, also its trendiness is waning. Pinot Gris and Moscato might soon be our top drops, writes Tony Love in The Advertiser.
Australia’s top sparkling winemaker, Ed Carr, is looking anxiously at the calendar in the run-up to Christmas. Of the 25 sparklings he makes for the Accolade group, Carr is responsible for seriously high-end bubbles, the kind taking on the French at the cash register this festive season. Will Australian drinkers stand by the home team? Carr hopes for a little patriotism but he’s realistic. With the price of quality champagne continuing as low as $40 and $50 a bottle, it’s another tough year for Australian sparkling winemakers, writes Jeni Port in The Age.
Yallingup may be better known for its surf than its wine but little known producer Cape Naturaliste Vineyard’s red wine has been named one of the world’s best. The small producer’s Torpedo Rocks Cabernet Merlot 2009 has won the London International Wine Fair trophy for best red wine from a single vineyard at the International Wine and Spirit Competition awards. Owner Craig Brent-White said it was a major coup for the “most western vineyard in Australia”, reports The West Australian.
A sale of Burgundy wine at the world’s biggest charity auction Sunday drew lower bids than in previous years as economic jitters hit home. The sale of the so-called President’s Lot is a highlight of the annual “Hospices de Beaune” auction, at which rich wine enthusiasts bid for fine Burgundy wines in a yearly sale whose proceeds are donated entirely to charity. But economic worries crimped enthusiasm at Sunday’s sale. Most auctioned bottles drew less than their expected bids, while the President’s Lot — a 460-liter barrel — raised 110,000 euros, reports Reuters.
Besuited fat old men with black teeth droning on about malolactic fermentation is the last thing the wine industry needs if it wants to educate and attract younger consumers. That’s according to Pancho Campo MW, founder of the Wine Academy of Spain, who said that wine’s image should be “simple and sexy”, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit. Speaking at the recent Wine Future 11 conference in Hong Kong, Campo said: “The biggest problem of the next generation is that we are losing millennial consumers [aged between 18 and 25].”
Asia’s thirst for rare and fine wine is moving beyond the dining table as the industry seeks to tickle the region’s capital markets as well as its taste buds. China is already the fastest-growing wine consumption market globally, and industry experts say wealthy Chinese business people are now also developing an appetite for the investment opportunity that wine offers, reports AFP.
The future of National Wine Month hangs in the balance after WSET boss Ian Harris said he will no longer run it. The month long festival, which launched last year, aims to raise a peak of awareness about wine – encouraging new consumers into the category and pushing existing wine drinkers to trade up. Harris said given the 30% growth in the WSET’s operations worldwide, he no longer had the time to dedicate to organising it, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.
Around 10,000 revelers have once again flocked to the Wairarapa for the 20th annual Toast Martinborough festival. Spread across eleven wineries and with musical acts ranging from Rodger Fox to the Warratahs, the sun shone on festival goers throughout yesterday, reports NewsTalk. Toast Martinborough General Manager Rachael Fletcher says the day ran smoothly.
Wealthy English investor, the Vestey family, has extended its business interests to the Adelaide Hills by taking a stake in wine company, The Lane Vineyard at Hahndorf. The move continues the Vestey family’s escalating involvement in the Australian wine industry, concentrated in Victoria until now, reports Adelaide Now.