The Qantas epiQure Halliday Wine Companion Awards for 2017 made history last night with James Halliday naming Sarah Crowe of Yarra Yering his Winemaker of the Year for 2017 – the first time a female winemaker has won the award. Crowe, 41, has carved a remarkable reputation at Yarra Yering and is at the top or her game as Australia’s best winemaker.
Australia’s wine industry is growing on the back of surging exports to a Chinese market that is increasingly seeking a top quality drop, wine critic James Halliday says. Australian wine exports have grown to $2.1 billion per year, and the average price paid for wine grapes has grown by 14 per cent to $526 per tonne — the highest level since 2009.
Otago wines are getting exposure to international markets thanks to airline endorsements Rebecca Fox discovers. Lowburn winery Domaine-Thomson’s Explorer pinot noir is the latest Otago wine to appear on the wine list of an international airline. Last week Air New Zealand announced a Fine Wines list of 47 wines, including nine from Otago, that will be served on its business premier flights from September.
The state of the Marlborough visitor economy was front and centre at a Smart and Connected meeting that took place in Blenheim on Tuesday. Presentations from different sector groups highlighted the opportunities and challenges facing the region, which saw an increase in visitor spending following a bumper summer season. The most recent Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates, released by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, showed visitor spending in Marlborough grew by 4.2 per cent to around $343 million in the year to June.
Demand has risen for wine education in key markets including China, the UK and North America, the WSET has reported, after seeing the number of candidates rise for the 14th consecutive year. The education charity for the wine and spirit industry reported a 17% increase in the number of students taking its exams in the last year, up to more than 72k.
Thinking about growing your business and tackling the Chinese market? Ever wanted to export to China but not sure how or where to start? The Innovation & Collaboration Centre is hosting two half-day workshops which aim to provide a deeper understanding of Chinese business culture and help build strategies for market success in China.
Australia has no native grape varieties suitable for winemaking or table and dried grape production. As a result, grape varieties have historically been imported from overseas, but the imported varieties did not always suit Australian conditions such as heat waves and periods of limited water supply. New grape varieties were needed that would survive in these challenging conditions.
WITH a publican grandfather and a wine maker father, Shaun Silkman was likely destined for hospitality. To his credit, Mr Silkman finished most of an economics degree before arriving at the cellar door at award-winning Pokolbin winery First Creek, of which the Silkman family is major shareholder. “I went straight from school to uni, so I dropped out, got an insight into [First Creek] and loved it,” he said.
A MICRO-WINERY is creating its own vintages in the heart of the lower north shore. English winemaker Tom Munro has been making his own brews from scratch since he was nine years old. And when love took him to a new life in Neutral Bay he kept up the tradition. “I had a basic winery in the cellar of our house in north London. That’s when I started and I’ve been making wine ever since,” he said.
STAYING small but increasing brand presence is a common goal for many small producers. And it’s no different for boutique winery owner Ken King, who recently added to his impressive trophy room with a gold medal at the 2016 Australian Boutique Wine Awards for his 2014 Heathcote Shiraz.