Innovative approaches to vineyard management will feature at a free National Wine and Grape Industry Centre (NWGIC) vine health workshop in Mudgee on Tuesday August 23. NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) viticultural development officer, Darren Fahey, said local vignerons will gain insights into the latest technology available to keep their vineyards productive and business on track.
As CEO of the Barossa Grape & Wine Association back in 2011, Sam Holmes didn’t seem like an obvious candidate to apply for the Australian Rural Leadership Program. He’s glad he did however, describing it as ‘an amazing opportunity’. ‘At the BGWA we were annually circulating and promoting the program to local wineries and grapegrowers and the feedback was always how amazing the program was and that it was actually life changing,’ he said. ‘When our Chair, Linda Bowes, encouraged me to make time for personal development, I applied and was lucky to be accepted.
AN award-winning winery wants to relocate to the Surf Coast this summer, where it would establish a new vineyard and cellar door facility. Premium boutique firm Pondalowie Vineyards, which has been based in Bendigo for almost 20 years, has lodged plans to set up a new home in Bambra. Owners Dominic Joseph and Krystina Morris said the 40ha site on Bambra School Rd would replace their Bendigo complex.
TALK show host and wine lover Graham Norton is releasing a South Australian Shiraz following the international success of his Sauvignon Blanc. The Irish comedian teamed up with New Zealand’s Invivo Wines in 2014 and has sold more than 500,000 bottles of their 2015 Graham Norton’s Own Sauvignon Blanc By Invivo in Ireland, the UK, Australia and New Zealand since its release in October.
Ways to recycle the vast amount of plant waste produced by the wine industry are under investigation by chemistry and biotechnology researchers at Swinburne. Grape pomace is the skins, pulp, seeds and stems remaining after the fruit has been pressed for juice. While pomace contains tartaric acid, a common additive used to balance the acidity of the wine, it is of limited nutrient value. It is also too hard for animals to digest so can’t be used as feed, and degrades too slowly to be useful as compost.
When grapegrowers look back on the hot, dry summer of 2016, they may raise a glass to toast one of the best growing seasons they’ve had in a while. The sun has baked much of the land in southern Ontario this summer to the point where most farmers are crying for mercy. But for those looking to harvest grapes to produce wine, the sun is a grape grower’s best friend.
In an extended family group every member brings a different and distinct set of experiences and skills to the family table. To this end The Family of Twelve rotate the role of chair to ensure it benefits from the full range of talent and experience available to it. On July the 19th, the chairship passes from Mr. William Hoare of Fromm Winery in Marlborough to Mrs. Judy Finn of Neudorf Vineyards in Nelson, the first woman to be elected to the position.
California’s Carneros region may have been overshadowed by other appellations, but a small group of vineyard owners and vintners are looking to restore youth and excitement. One time, not so long ago, the most famous and sought-after place to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in California was Carneros. The region, which lies partly in Napa and partly in Sonoma, showed so much promise that big-name sparkling-wine producers from France and Spain opened Carneros outposts. Today, the former hot spot has been overshadowed by newer, cooler appellations.
Australia’s second-largest wine company, Accolade Wines, which owns brands including Hardys, Leasingham, Grant Burge and Banrock Station, is set to return to the stock exchange in a $1 billion-plus listing in the first half of 2017 as private equity firm CHAMP exits after six years of ownership.
South Australia is often synonymous with producing world-class wine, and the peak body representing the Riverland’s wine industry believes the region has all the ingredients to become a world leader in growing organically. Winemakers and grape growers in the region were out in force last week to learn more about bringing organic practices and soil health to their vineyards.