Daily News Oct 07 - Dec 07

                 Sydney Time

           Copyright © Ric Einstein 2008

Monday 31 December

Hangover for wine growers

THE party is over, and a hangover looms for Australia's wine industry. Years of boom will be followed by gloom as the nation's wine grape vintage plummets in 2008, a victim of the drought. The big dry will force as many as 1000 wine grape growers to quit the industry and follow a period of record exports and Australian winemakers being feted on the world stage.

Tolley steps down as wine chief

The man who has overseen an 833 per cent growth in Australia's wine exports has quit his job. Sam Tolley has resigned as chief executive of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation. Mr Tolley held the position for 13 years, starting when Australia's wine exports were valued at $360 million. This year, exports have topped $3 billion.

Bubbly binge sweeps Australia

Bubbly binge sweeps Australia. From Foster's Jewel, being marketed as being "light on calories" under its Yellowglen range to Domain Chandon's Z*D, standing for zero dosage, the sparkling market is developing a beat.

Wednesday 19 December

Wine imports flood into Australian market

WINE is starting to flood into Australia as the industry predicts imports may make up a quarter of wine consumed locally within two years. The increased volume of imports comes as major cask producers grapple with small vintages in 2007 and 2008 and the industry begins to face a wine shortage. That means wine prices have started to rise as some of the state's favourite white wines from the 2007 vintage run out. Wine retailers said such popular wines as the Shaw and Smith sauvignon blanc had sold out in some stores. Supplies of leading 2007 rieslings were also on the wane.

Grape growers' hopes of recovering Evans & Tate money fade

Grape growers say they have now given up hope of recovering any of the money owed by the troubled Evans & Tate winery. The company was placed in the hands of receivers earlier in the year and about 50 Sunraysia growers, in north-west Victoria, are still owed a total of about $1 million for the third payment for their 2007 vintage.

Enjoy the wine and taste the climate change

Wine makers are becoming aware of changes to the taste and make-up of their wines because of the changes in the climate. Sam Plunkett is the chief wine maker at Plunkett Fowles Wines in central Victoria and on a visit to central Queensland he explained that a few degrees difference in temperature could make a big difference to the fruit and the wine produced from it. "Every one-degree increase in temperature is like moving the vineyard north by 200 kilometres. As the temperature rises, more water is needed. That changes the style of wine and the way it's made," Mr Plunkett said.

EU begins final talks on controversial wine reform

EU farm ministers are today (17 December) embarking on what are set to be marathon talks on controversial proposals of the bloc's wine sector. The architect of the plans, EU agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel, has suggested that she is ready to fight for her plans despite strong opposition from some member states.

Police question Beaujolais five in illegal sugar probe

Growers and producers in Beaujolais are suspected of adding sugar illegally to raise alcohol levels. Police suspect about 70 wine growers or wine co-operative members of adding the sugar to their unfermented wine musts to bring alcohol levels above official set limits.
Five people suspected of involvement in the supply of the sugar, including a truck driver and a retired wine grower, were taken in for questioning last week by police, said Francis Battut, the local prosecutor in the Beaujolais capital, Villefranche sur Soane.

Wine list 'a mystery to millions'

Millions of people are suffering from "second-cheapest wine syndrome" in an effort to cover their ignorance in front of waiters and friends, new figures show. It is a tactic used by one in four diners to try to give the impression they are making an informed choice from the wine list while avoiding any accusation of being a skinflint. But in reality it also disguises the fact they have no idea about what type of wine goes with which food, said the survey of 1,000 restaurant-goers by the cheese brand Castello.

Thursday 13 December

Margaret River growers secure major wine contract

A small group of grape growers in Margaret River has been contracted to supply winemaker Evans and Tate. Margaret River grower Mark McAuliffe says six growers in his group have signed-long term contracts to supply Evans and Tate, which will be formally taken over by McWilliams Wines today. Mr McAuliffe says the growers can now get on with the business of growing grapes.

Beer, wine must have fat labels: survey

Australian students want alcoholic drinks to carry labels listing their ingredients and fat and sugar content, a major survey has found. A study of almost 6,500 university students has revealed that more than three-quarters want comprehensive labelling for beer, wine and other intoxicating beverages. Public health researchers behind the project say the findings strengthen the argument to force manufacturers to disclose the same information offered on soft drink and juice bottles.

(TORB Comments: I wonder who paid for this survey?)

Saturday 8 December

Falling dollar and drought could end Australian wines' price advantage

Australian winemakers, riding 10 consecutive years of rising export sales, may lose their price advantage on the world market as the Australian dollar trades near a 23-year high and a record drought pushes up the cost of grapes. Foster's and McGuigan Simeon Wines, the top two publicly traded winemakers in the country, are faced with either cutting profit margins to keep brands competitive or raising prices and risking a decline in their 10 percent share of global wine exports, according to Matt Hoult, an analyst at ABN AMRO Asset Management in Sydney.

Wine exports grow by 8% on pricey reds

THE value of Australia's wine exports rose by 8 per cent, their highest increase in three years, reflecting a growing world preference for expensive bottled wines, especially reds, over cheaper cask varieties. For the same reason, wine export growth by volume slowed to its lowest level in nine years, an industry report said. The value of wine exports rose by $227 million, the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation said.

Penfolds wins best export wine trophy

Penfolds' flagship cabernet sauvignon has been hailed Australia's best exported wine. Penfolds 2004 Bin 707 cabernet sauvignon, produced with grapes from the world's oldest continuously producing cabernet vineyard, has won the annual Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation export trophy. The George Mackey Memorial Trophy is awarded to the wine judged by the corporation as the most outstanding exported wine.

Wine exporters face EU crackdown

Australian wine exporters are facing tougher international labelling laws from the European Union. In the past, exporters have only had to apply a genetic label for the EU, but now each country is demanding specific labelling to comply with their own health regulations. South Australian exporter, Rick Anderson, from D'arenburg Wines, says it's costing the industry millions of dollars.

Fermenting a plan to shake, rattle and roll the vineyard

PLASTIC posts are not something you would expect people to get worked up about but, as Paul Halstead leans across the table to talk about Vertiplas, he gesticulates enthusiastically. Halstead and business partners Alf Crowe and Rick Stefanutti are the team behind a new plastic post that they say will revolutionise wine production. "They're inert, they're flexible, they're lighter, easier to install, they're very compatible with mechanical harvesters, so, for high-volume production vineyards, they're perfect," Halstead says, ticking off the positives on his fingers.

Evans & Tate end in sight - report

The sale of Evans & Tate is finally expected to close next week, local reports have claimed. Citing the ailing winemaker's receivers today (6 December), Australian Broadcasting Corporation said that the sale of E&T's operations should be completed in the next few days.

Foster's to truck grapes across Australia

Foster's is planning to truck 4,500 tonnes of grapes from Western Australia to South Australia to cope with shortages in supply. The drought and water shortage is expected to cut Australia's 2008 grape crop by about 30%. The latest forecast from the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation is for a 1.22m tonnes crop in 2008 compared with 1.47m tonnes in 2007 and 1.9m tonnes in 2006, a 'normal' year.

Monday 3 December

McGuigan Simeon Wines all bottled up

A TOUGH year for winemaker McGuigan Simeon Wines harvested bad news for shareholders yesterday after the company said it would not pay a final dividend. However after reporting a loss of $5.9 million for 2006-07 and a $11.5 million loss in the previous year, McGuigan said it may return to profitability in the 2007-08 financial year.

Australia short of water to turn into wine

Last week, the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation issued its estimate for the 2008 vintage, a figure that is shocking to anyone with any understanding of the dynamics of wine production. The second small vintage in a row may signify the beginning of the end of the Australian wine industry in its present form. The council is predicting 1.3 million tonnes of wine grapes at best, the same volume as the last vintage, which was 32 per cent below the five-year average. At worst, it estimates the crop will be as little as 800,000 tonnes. Australian winegrowers spoken to by the Herald are sceptical about reaching even that figure.

Australian Wines: Toast of the season for India

As the festive season kicks in, even hardcore whisky drinkers in India are going for a glass of Australian red. The fact that wine exports from Australia to India have gone up four times to 1.4 million litres from 360,000 litres just a year ago stands testimony to the fact. The Indian government's withdrawal of additional customs duty on imported wine this July also helped, Ali Hogarth, regional manager for emerging markets, Australian Wine and Brandy Corp, told media.

Wine gains on beer as US youth drink of choice

Wine is gaining ground on beer as the drink of choice for young Americans, a Nielsen survey has found. The so-called 'Millenial' generation still shows an overall preference for beer, which is still most often cited as the 'favorite' alcoholic drink, but wine and spirits are both gaining ground. On a dollar basis of purchases, beer has slipped as young Americans' first choice of alcoholic drink from 59%to 47%, and wine and spirits show even growth to 27% and 26% respectively.

Tuesday 27 November

Drought ups wine price and quality

The Australian wine sector will look to improve quality and ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry as the drought continues to affect the grape harvest. Delivering its annual supply and demand assessment today, the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation said the national grape harvest was expected to be 1.22 million tonnes in 2008.

Whining like drunken Bacchus

Ben Canaider presents an A, B, C, D guide to the type of wine buff you really are. A RECENT email from a reader was unlike most letters I receive. The tone seemed friendly and it contained a very interesting quote from one of those dead-posh, blindingly serious wine magazines. The tasting description was 133 words long: "Comprising a virtually berry-by-berry selection of perfectly botrytised fruit from each of the domaine's three sites, the 2005 Vouvray Cuvee Constance will be virtually ageless.

EU mulls wine reform to take on New World competition

The European Commission says the bloated wine sector must cut overproduction or risk further decline against cheaper wines from New World and other overseas producers. Its plan suggests pulling up unprofitable vineyards, ending subsidies for massive and costly distillation of unsold wine into industrial products and harmonizing labeling to make it more consumer-friendly.

Monday 26 November

Foster’s expands Lindemans range in UK

Foster's has invested in launch a heavyweight advertising campaign to support the launch of its Lindemans South Africa range across the UK. The company said today (23 November), that it has signed a deal with South African firm Origin, in an effort to introduce its wine brand's "logical extension" to the UK marketplace. The new range, which will also be supported by a GBP1m (US$2m) advertising campaign, will be "backed up with major below-the-line support," Foster's said.

Yalumba and the Institute of Masters of Wine Announce the Yalumba Scholarship Winner

Yalumba, Australia’s oldest family owned winery, and the Institute of Masters of Wine, today announced Joe Fattorini as the winner of the Yalumba Scholarship. Joe Fattorini - wine educator, wine writer and all-round wine enthusiast, has been selected from a group of outstanding entries and will receive this unique scholarship as part of the 2007/2008 programme. To enter, students were asked to complete an essay question which was specific to the Australian wine industry and its wines – the question that was posed: The Australian wine offering, particularly in international markets has become increasingly boring. To what extent is this true, and who is responsible-producer, retailer, consumer or journalist?
 

Company rejects NZ wine over copper levels

New Zealand wine authorities say a German company's rejection of a 4000 case shipment due to a high copper level should not harm the industry. The company rejected a pinot noir made by Te Kairanga after saying there were 3.6 parts of copper per million (ppm) in a wine bottled specifically for the German consumer, well over the European Union standard of 1 ppm.

Friday 23 November

 McGuigan says wine industry is recovering

McGuigan Simeon Wines says the Australian wine industry is recovering from a long hangover, and the company still expects to nudge into the black this year as the continuing drought. McGuigan moved to calm investors today in response to market and media speculation that the company is priced for liquidation.

EU Parliament panel against ban on sugar added to wine to boost alcohol content

Efforts by German and Austrian winemakers to retain the right to add sugar in their wines received a boost Wednesday as the result of a vote in a European Parliament committee. The committee voted to remove a proposed ban on sugar from an EU plan to reform the bloc's bloated wine sector. The proposed ban is part of an EU plan make the wine industry more competitive in the world market in the face of decreasing consumption at home and an increasing appetite for New World wines.

Iemma opens China wine joint venture

THE profile of NSW wine has received a boost in China with the opening of a new warehouse. The International Wine Stage is a joint venture between Sydney's GlobalLink Investment Group and China's Gold Coast Group. NSW Premier Morris Iemma, who is in China on a trade and investment mission, officially opened the warehouse at the Port of Lianhuashan in Panyu last night.

Thursday 15 November

Wine grape vintage expected to fall

The drought could force as many as 1,000 of Australia's 7,500 wine grape growers to exit the industry. "And one of the major reasons is because they are waiting to see what the incoming federal government's attitude might be to entering the water market. "If some of these growers are to exit, a major part of their financial plan is going to be what they can expect to get in terms of retiring their water rights, and secondly, what the taxation treatment of that might be.

New Greater Australia appellation will kill regionality: winemakers

The idea of a new Greater Australia Geographical Indication is meeting with serious opposition. Winemakers claim the move is at odds with the concept of regionality. The GI, which has been discussed for more than a year, would include Western Australia in the South Eastern Australia GI of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.  The new GI would ease pressure on producers of SEA-labelled wine, who have seen the country go from a surplus of 900m litres to fears of a deficit, after frosts and drought struck the country during the past year. Western Australia is the one state not to suffer from shortage of grapes. Pushing through a new appellation that would enable producers countrywide to include WA grapes in their wines would be an advantage to SEA producers.

Green wine? I'll drink to that.

Now an innovative Australian export winery is using Swedish packaging technology to dramatically reduce its carbon footprint and tap into a wave of green consumer activism now sweeping Europe. Invented by Tetra Pak, the same Swedish company that revolutionised the fruit juice market, tetraprisma is a multi-layer carton with a screw cap.
 

Tuesday 13 November

Constellation to consolidate Hardy operations

In a statement released today (12 November) the US drinks groups said that it will be consolidating winemaking and packaging currently taking place at its Buronga winery, to its Berri Estates winery, the largest in Australia. Both are located in the River Murray inland regions of central Australia. The initiative is part of Constellation's ongoing effort to identify and capture greater efficiency from its global wine production infrastructure, the company said.

Constellation Brands Buys Rival Wine Ops

Constellation Brands Inc. is staking a bigger claim in the more profitable end of the U.S. wine market with a deal to add Clos du Bois to its collection of $8 to $11 wines led by Robert Mondavi Private Selection. The world's biggest winemaker said Monday it is paying $885 million for the U.S. wine business of Fortune Brands Inc. In addition to top-seller Clos du Bois, the buyout would give Constellation the Wild Horse and Geyser Peak brands, five California wineries and more than 1,500 acres of vineyards in the Napa, Sonoma and Los Carneros grape-growing regions.

Sunday 11 November

Something to wine about

McGUIGAN Simeon Wines' scrip just keeps on falling and it's making a monkey out of just about everyone who has tried to pick the bottom. In August the country's third-biggest winemaker reported that it was unable to make a cent on nearly $300 million of sales, reckoning it had lost $5.9 million, but that was after a tax credit which, if extracted, left a $9.5 million loss.

Uvine: payment for creditors in doubt?

There are growing doubts as to whether creditors of collapsed wine broker Uvine will ever get paid. The new owner of the fund, Marqem Ltd, is due to make the first payment to creditors on 30 April 2008, as part of an undertaking to pay 80% of Uvine's debts back by September 2010. The company has announced on uvine.com that the 'trading platform will be back online in November.'

Oddbins: further dramatic fall into the red

UK wine merchant Oddbins registered losses of over £8m last year. The retailer – part of the French group Castel, which also owns high street chain Nicolas – increased its losses from £3m to £8.6m in the year to 31 December 2006, according to reports filed this week at Companies House in London. In his director's report, company secretary Timothy Daunt said the loss was due to 'a fall in margin due to lower product prices'.

Friday 9 November

US takeover of Aussie wine labels firm

An Australian printing firm which is the world's biggest producer of wine labels is being bought by an American company. Collotype, based at Mile End in Adelaide, has about 600 employees worldwide and customers in Australia, South Africa and the United States.

EU approves major budget to make wine producers more competitive

The European Union on Tuesday approved over €500 million ($725 million) to help make its wine producers more competitive in world markets. The funds for next year will go toward changing vines to produce better quality wine, relocating vineyards and improving techniques.

Wineries expected to charge for wine tasting

Mudgee wineries are expected to start charging for tasting of expensive wines after an overhaul of the state's liquor licensing laws. The changes announced by the New South Wales Government this week will also allow wine to be sold at approved wine shows and farmers' markets. Smaller bars in Sydney will be able to serve alcohol without food.The president of the NSW Wine Industry Association, David Lowe, says charges for tasting will be gradually introduced, starting with rare and expensive wines.

Monday 5 November

Tate class action

A group of disgruntled Evans Tate shareholders have launched legal action against former executive chairman Franklin Tate. After the wine maker went into receivership earlier this year, shareholders were unable to sue the company directly, hence turning their attention to Mr Tate.

Unscrewing the Asian wine market

New Zealand has dramatically changed the way it packages its wine, shifting 90 per cent of all bottled wines to screwcaps in the past five years. Winemakers claim that they have done so to improve the quality of their wine, but in Asia they may have hurt their chances of success in the premium end of the wine market. Asian consumers are notoriously sensitive to perceived status and, while they are not yet sophisticated wine consumers, they are prepared to spend extravagantly on wine that looks top class. Unfortunately for New Zealand's winemakers, prestige international wines do not have screwcaps.

Saturday 3rd November

Foster's 'threat' on wine discount

BEVERAGE giant Foster's Group has been accused of attempting to stop independent bottle shops from undercutting Coles and Woolworths on wine prices. Allen De Costa, general manager of the Local Liquor marketing group for independent liquor shops, claimed a Foster's sales manager threatened to withhold future discounts from the group if it sold Wolf Blass wine below cost price. Local Liquor outlets plan to sell Foster's Wolf Blass Red Label range for $6.99 a bottle for two weeks later this month more than 40 per cent off the regular retail price and below their cost price of $7.12 a bottle - as a special promotion.

Wine grape growers warned to be cautious about payments

The South Australian Riverland Winegrape Growers Association says growers being offered high prices for their grapes should make a careful assessment of the winery's ability to pay. The association's Chris Byrne says the drought has put the whole industry under pressure. Mr Byrne says in the past, growers have had to wait to get payouts when wineries face financial difficulties.

Parker slams Nossiter with 'Gestapo' slur

Robert Parker has accused Mondovino director Jonathan Nossiter of 'bigotry' and 'stupidity'. Posting twice on his bulletin board yesterday, the eminent US wine critic savaged the controversial filmaker for his views on the globalisation of taste. 'Anyone with half a chimp's brain can see through Nossiter's transparency easier than a JJ Prum riesling,' said Parker. 'It is Nossiter and his ilk (call them scary wine gestapo) chanting the same stupid hymn that demand wines be produced in one narrow style.'

Friday 2nd November

Deal done over troubled winery

New South Wales winery McWilliams, has edged out the Fosters Group and Debortoli Wines to buy the failed Western Australian wine company, Evans and Tate. Evans and Tate went into receivership in August, owing more than $100 million to the ANZ bank.

Currency flattens Foster's forecast

FOSTER'S GROUP says the strong Australian dollar will have an adverse effect on earnings and has brushed off suggestions that it might separate its beer and wine operations. Foster's also told shareholders at its annual general meeting in Adelaide yesterday the drought was tightening the grape supply, and Foster's might look overseas to fill any shortfall. Its chief executive, Trevor O'Hoy, said the higher value of the Australian dollar against the US dollar and the British pound was having a negative impact on its earnings, particularly for wine.

Good vintage expected despite hail: wine group

The president of the Margaret River Wine Industry Association, Peter Wood, says he still expects the Western Australian region to have a good vintage despite crops in several vineyards being wiped out by hailstorms. The Wilyabrup winery, Laurance Wines, lost 21 hectares of uninsured vines at the weekend, with the founder saying the winery could still lose all of this year's grapes.

Garrett wants wine name axed

BANKRUPT winemaker Andrew Garrett has launched legal action to have his name taken off the vintage he made famous. Mr Garrett today told the Supreme Court consumers were being "deceived" into believing he endorses the company that bought him out. He also attacked the justice system, claiming it deals "selectively" with those who cannot afford to hire lawyers. Since 2004, Mr Garrett has represented himself in numerous legal actions linked to claims he defaulted on $9 million in loans. He has also appeared in the criminal courts, accused of breaching restraining orders taken out by those he claims owe him money.

Why do we buy so much Aussie wine? Maybe it's all due to their crazy names

Northern Ireland's wine drinkers are voting with their wallets when it comes to the battle between Old and New World varieties, it seems. And wines from countries such as Australia or Chile are often outselling more established European varieties, according to a number of local wine merchants. A new report insists that Europe's wine industry must become more consumer-focused to compete with New World imports.

Thursday 1 November

Riedel sues Eisch over breathable glass claims

Wine glass manufacturer Riedel has filed a lawsuit in Germany against competitor Eisch challenging its marketing of a new line of glassware as 'breathable'. The dispute revolves around a proprietary technology by which Eisch claims its glasses are 'oxygenated' after being blown. Eisch contends that the resulting 'breathable' glasses aerate wine faster than normal glasses, making young wines more expressive after only a few minutes of being poured.

Qantas Wine Show of Western Australia

Another strong showing from the Houghton Wine Company and a touch of parochial pride marked the 30th Anniversary Awards Dinner of the Qantas Wine Show of Western Australia on Tuesday night. The only show in Australia to judge exclusively Western Australian wines, the Awards Dinner featured revered Sydney-based wine columnist and Chief Judge of the 2007 show, James Halliday as the keynote speaker. Speaking on the 2007 vintage in Western Australia, Mr Halliday said the whites had not shown the sort of varietal character or quality the judges had come to expect from Western Australian wines.

Turning wine waste into food, cosmetics

A small Blenheim company of four is doing the seemingly impossible, turning wine waste into make-up, food and vitamins, and they are doing it without using any chemicals. It's waste being used on the lips, face and even eaten for breakfast. Grape seeds, the waste from wine-making, is being pulled from the bin and turned into a saleable commodity.

Heard it thru the grapevine

SOMEWHERE in the back of my mind is a very scary wine statistic: every 64 hours, a new wine brand is born in Australia. No wonder the shelves are groaning in the liquor stores, and no wonder so many wine labels seem so unfamiliar. But as changing and confusing as the wine shelves might seem to a somewhat forgetful drinker, imagine what it must be like for an honest winemaker trying to get their wine on the shop floor in the first place.

Monday 29 October

Vines prefer recycled water over fresh water, study says

Reclaimed wastewater is healthier for vines than fresh mains water, according to a new study. The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) compared the effects of mains water and reclaimed (treated domestic) wastewater on the soil of a McLaren Vale vineyard planted for this purpose. The three-year, AU$350,000 (£155,000) study, the first of its kind, found that soil irrigated with the reclaimed water had fewer harmful pathogens, and higher microbial activity.
 

Wine professionals remain positive over climate change

Top wine professionals from around the world met in Chicago this week to discuss ways of reacting to climate change in the vineyard. In a seminar entitled 'the reality of climate change in the vineyard and how winemakers will react to it over the coming years', Serena Sutcliffe MW presided over a host of winemaking personalities. Those present vintners from Antinori, Planeta, Louis Roederer, Chateau Palmer, Grosset and Taylor Fladgate. Some present were concerned whether or not recent weather phenomena could be ascribed to global warming. David Powell, winemaker at Torbreck in the Barossa Valley, said that no one in Australia was sure if the recent droughts there have been a result of climate change or merely a long-term weather problem.

Saturday 27 October

Emperor of Wine" Parker picked apart in new book

Celebrated US wine critic Robert Parker, whose pronouncements have influenced Bordeaux wine sales for more than two decades, is picked apart in a new book released in France on Thursday and facing court action. Agostini, who trained as a lawyer, worked for Parker between 1995 and 2003, organising tastings and from 1997 translating into French his bi-monthly "The Wine Advocate" as well as other works. "When I was translating I saw what was not OK," Agostini told AFP. "But it's like a puzzle you have to put together little by little. The publication of another book on him in 2005, which was not contested, put its finger on a lot of other mistakes."

Chateau owner loses court battle over Parker book

Bordeaux doyen Alain Raynaud has failed in his legal attempt to strike passages from the Robert Parker exposé, published in France today. Raynaud, who heads up the Cercle de Rive Droite, had requested an injunction against the book Robert Parker: Anatomie d'un Mythe, from a Bordeaux court yesterday.

Woolworths, The Wine Company sign up Lanson

The company said today (25 October) that The Wine Company will become the brand's exclusive distributor in the on-trade, while Woolworths will retail the Champagne exclusively in the off-trade. A spokesperson for Woolworths said: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to build the profile of this prestigious Champagne house right across Australia. We plan to represent the brand well into the future and work alongside The Wine Company to ensure long-term market success for the brand."

Aussie Firm to Create Carbon Calculator

In collaboration with an international team from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the U.S., the Wine Institute has awarded a contract to Provisor Pty Ltd of Australia to develop a wine industry greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting tool -- a "calculator" to measure carbon footprints specifically from wineries. Project partners believe that such a tool used by the global wine industry will provide a "uniform and credible calculation methodology for industry comparisons," says Allison Jordan, Wine Institute communications programs manager and executive director of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA), a San Francisco-based nonprofit, created by the Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers.

Wine fiasco resignation refused

Nick Sage has offered to quit as competition director of the A&P Society awards after a double embarrassment followed last week's awards. It was revealed this week that he confused the numbers of the top two wines, which resulted in the champion's trophy going to a Gunn Estate chardonnay rather than Vidal Estate Reserve Syrah 2005. Sacred Hill, owner of Gunn Estate, withdrew the "winning" chardonnay because its chief winemaker, Tony Bish, was chief judge at the awards.

Thursday 25 October

Controversy strikes wine contest anew

A New Zealand wine competition tainted with controversy over a potential conflict of interest has suffered fresh humiliation after it emerged that the competition director added up the scores incorrectly - and the award should have gone to yet another judge. Step forward the real winner of the 2007 Hawkes Bay Wine Awards: wine judge Rod McDonald, who himself has a vested interest, for the trophy-winning wine was actually one of his - the Vidal 2005 Reserve Syrah.

Unauthorised Parker biography ignites passions

Hanna Agostini, Robert Parker's one-time representative in Bordeaux, is publishing an unauthorised – and by all accounts highly inflammatory – biography of the world-famous critic. Publicity for Robert Parker: Anatomie d'un Mythe, due out in French on October 25 from Editions Scali, describes it as 'the antithesis of an authorised biography'. Interviewing Agostini on the book, local Bordeaux newspaper Sud Ouest refers to alleged 'errors in Parker's prose' as detailed by the biography. 'Mme Agostini is not the first "unknown" person that attacks RP to get her 5 minutes of fame, neither will be the last one,' is one of the more temperate comments.

Tuesday 23 October

Foster's Wine Estates Announces Introduction of Boomerang Vodka

Boomerang Vodka, the first imported from Australia, is sourced from 100 percent premium Chardonnay grapes from the Barossa Valley, instead of the standard grain or corn-based vodkas. It is five times distilled, charcoal filtered and bottled close to its source in South Australia, producing a smooth, well-balanced and supple mouthfeel. It is approachable and easy to drink -- perfect served neat or in a mixed vodka cocktail.

Bordeaux wine sales doing slightly better

Sales of Bordeaux wine internationally rose three percent in volume in 2006-2007 but inched up only 0.4 percent at home, the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) said Monday. Export volume rose to 5.67 million hectolitres and grew four percent, the CIVB said. The previous year exports rose four percent but domestic sales remained stable. In France itself, the biggest consumer of Bordeaux wine representing 68 percent of the market, sales in 2006-2007 rose by 0.4 percent to 5.67 hectolitres, said CIVB president Alain Vironneau.

Record harvest in Champagne

The 2007 harvest in Champagne is set to result in the largest volume of wine ever produced in the appellation. If current figures are correct, this year will beat the record level of 375m bottles made from the bumper 2004 crop by over 13m bottles. Although the expected average yield of 14,000 kilos per hectare (ha) will not better the highest yield levels achieved in 1982 and 1983, the total amount of productive vineyard in Champagne has risen 38%. Plantings in the region have increased every year since the early eighties.

EU scratches scars in fight to remove surplus wine

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - EU ministers reopened old divisions on Monday over how to overhaul Europe's vast wine sector, clashing over plans to dig up centuries-old vineyards and rekindling a north-south rift on using sugar in winemaking. European Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel is keen to make sweeping changes to wine policy over the next few years, offering big cash incentives to producers to dig up their vines and finally drain the EU's lakes of surplus wine.

Ripe, flavoursome and back in favour

As the rest of the country was suffering drought, frosts and bushfires, the Hunter Valley had an early, low-yielding but very successful vintage this year. "Flavours and ripeness were excellent, especially for semillons," Brokenwood winemaker Iain Riggs says. "The reds will be deep-coloured and full of flavour." This good news, combined with an energetic crop of emerging winemakers and a swing in wine drinking tastes, augurs well for the region. Bruce Tyrrell of Tyrrell's Wines sees consumer preferences returning to more elegant Hunter styles after they flirted with bigger, bolder wines.

State Government backs Wine Australia regional Heroes

The South Australian State Government is backing a national initiative to promote Australia’s key wine regions in major export markets while the 2007 vintage down to around 1.1 m tonnes, down from 1.9m tonnes of last year. Primary Industries and Resources South Australia will sponsor an Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation program in the UK and Ireland to promote Australia’s distinctive regional wines under the Wine Australia Regional Heroes banner. Each participating business will showcase a number of individual regions and the signature wine styles that have made them famous – Barossa Shiraz; Clare Valley Riesling; Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and more besides.

100 helicopters scrambled to save New Zealand vines

Around 100 helicopters were called in to hover over Marlborough vineyards last night in a bid to save the local vines from fro The helicopters were hired out by winegrowers as an anti-frost measure. The draft created from their rotor blades is used to push down and circulate the higher, warmer air around the vines. 

Grape glut contributed to Evans & Tate failure: report

A report into failed Western Australian winery Evans & Tate has revealed the grape oversupply in the 2005/'06 financial year contribute. 
The report by administrators Ferrier Hodgson found the company acquired a number of major wine businesses, but paid too much and delivered too little.

Evans & Tate decision set for December

The future of ailing Australian wine company Evans & Tate will be decided in December, following a creditors meeting yesterday. A resolution was passed at this week's meeting, adjourning the meeting until 14 December, when creditors will decide what route to take with E&T. Among the options being considered are winding up the company, ending its administration or executing a deed of company arrangement (DOCA). The latter option would lead to an improved return to the creditors than liquidation.

Investment company Bordeaux Advisory disappears

Wine investment company Bordeaux Advisory has disappeared leaving investors chasing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of wine that had been bought at ten times its real value. Bordeaux Advisory (BA) specialised in selling minor Bordeaux wines, as an investment, at large markups.  On 3 September this year the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) issued a warning to all investors not to respond to investment offers from the company, which was originally based in Amsterdam and then moved to Luxembourg.

Thursday 18 October

Wine bottles pop in warehouse blaze

AROUND 60,000 bottles of fine wine have been destroyed in a blaze which gutted a massive warehouse. The sound of corks popping on vintages worth up to £350 each could be clearly heard as firefighters fought in vain to save the merchant’s premises in Mullingar, County Westmeath, in the Irish Republic. Paddy Keogh, owner of Wines Direct, said his warehouse was destroyed by the inferno as he prepared for his busiest time of the year. “It’s like farming – there’s a harvest season, and Christmas is our harvest season,” he said.

Tuesday 16 November

Funeral service for wine industry leader

Hundreds of people have attended a funeral service in Nuriootpa for Barossa Valley winemaker, Bruce Thiele. The winemaker, and Baron of the Barossa, has been farewelled by industry colleagues, family and friends at the Nuriootpa Catholic Church. Mr Thiele died suddenly during a business trip to Hong Kong more than two weeks ago.

China develops taste for Aussie wine

The latest statistics show China's thirst for Australian red wine has more than doubled over the past year to 7 million litres. The Wine and Brandy Corporation says there has been a rise of 140 per cent in bottled red wine sales. It has predicted that in five years, China will take more than 37 million litres of Australian wine annually.

An Anglo-Australian' teaches the Champagne business

PARIS: Stephen Charters could be forgiven for drinking on the job. In his particular niche of the academic world, such behavior would not be inappropriate. Charters holds the recently established Champagne chair at the Reims Management School, a first in France, and probably the world.

Foster's snaps up Evans & Tate vineyard lease

Foster’s Group Limited has entered into a new lease over two Australian vineyards from the Challenger Wine Trust. The Cocoparra and Woods Vineyards, located in New South Wales, were previously leased to the Evans & Tate subsidiary Cranswick Estates, the trust said today. Foster's now occupies almost 4% of Challenger's portfolio.

Winemaker invents sulphur removal tool

An Australian winemaker has patented a method of removing sulphur dioxide from wine immediately prior to consumption. James Pennington, of Rivendell Wines in western Australia, patented his PEWA (Preservative Elimination in Wine At consumption) system earlier this year. The system consists of a levered plastic stopper which is placed on the top of the recently-opened bottle of wine. When the lever is raised and dropped, a small amount of hydrogen peroxide is released. The hydrogen peroxide neutralises the sulphites and the stopper can be removed.
 

Saturday 13 October

Foster's Group rating lowered on grim future

Macquarie Equities has today (12 October) downgraded its rating of the Australian drinks company to 'neutral' from 'buy', warning of potential falling earnings in the future at Foster's. The company is facing what Macquarie described as headwinds due to the rising Australian dollar hitting export earnings.

UK pushes for bulk shipments of Aussie wine

Australia's largest wine export market wants our wine shipped in bulk, rather than sent over in bottles. Almost a billion dollars worth of Australian wine is sent to the UK each year, but UK importers see bulk shipments as more cost-effective, and more environmentally friendly, because they leave a smaller carbon footprint.

Glass of wine 'safe' for pregnant women

Drinking a small glass of wine every day is safe for pregnant women, a British health watchdog has suggested. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence's (NICE) controversial new draft guidance contradicts the British government's official advice which is for pregnant women and those trying to conceive to avoid alcohol altogether.

Starvedog Lane sweeps Adelaide Wine Show

South Australian winery Starvedog Lane has dominated the awards at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show. The Reynella-based winery collected the trophy for the most outstanding wine of the show for its 2004 shiraz viognier.

Beer losing its appeal, say wine-makers

British men are due to call time on the pint within a generation, according to a study published today which shows they are more prepared than ever before to give up beer in favour of burgundy. As male drinkers steadily leave behind their traditional tipple, the report claims that by 2039, when today's schoolchildren are well into their drinking years, there could be more men quaffing wine than downing pints in pubs and clubs.

Tuesday 9 October

A vine old state of affairs

WINE marketers come up with the craziest ideas. Remember Chairman's Selection? It certainly sounded impressive but who was to say that the guy at the head of the mahogany table had good taste in wine? Clearly, from tasting some of these wines, he didn't. Reserve and special bin were often cruel taunts. But "old vines" - now that was different, because the word old had roots, so to speak. It had meaning. Old was the opposite of young. It meant far advanced in years (it also meant weak and infirm, although wine marketers never pushed that line). But that was about as meaningful as the term got until a few weeks back, when Yalumba decided to launch its old-vine charter for public and industry debate.

15 Years of Information from James Halliday now Accessible Online

James Halliday and Hardie Grant Books have joined forces to develop www.winecompanion.com.au, an online resource with information on Australian wines and wineries spanning the past 15 years. Never before has such a wealth of knowledge on wine been so accessible. For more than 15 years Australia's leading wine authority  James Halliday has compiled detailed tasting notes on thousands of Australian wines annually, each with vintage-specific ratings and advice on optimal drinking, as well as each wine's closure, alcohol content and price, creating a vast archive of invaluable information on Australian wines and wineries.

Clare Valley hailed in wine competition

A South Australian winery has been hailed for producing the best riesling in the world at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London. Kilikanoon, from the Clare Valley, won the trophy for the best worldwide riesling for its 2006 Mort's Block riesling at the prestigious competition. "We are very proud of our Clare Valley rieslings and this trophy in particular gives me great satisfaction," Kilikanoon's founder and chief winemaker Kevin Mitchell said.

Australian Wine exports pass $3 billion mark for year

AUSTRALIA'S wine exports inched past the $3 billion mark in the year to September, despite bulk wine exports levelling out, according to the latest industry statistics. The Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation's September exports data showed wine exports grew by 9 per cent last month to $3.02 billion, on a 9 per cent rise in volume to 804 million litres.

Sound barrel

HUSH, please. My wine is speaking to me. That's why I am alone in the winery, embracing an oak barrel full of this year's pinot noir. I drape one arm over its curved mid-section while lowering my head to the open bung hole, jamming my left ear hard against it. Then I listen. I am conscious that this looks like the addled behaviour of a winemaker unhinged by too many hours alone in the cellar. But I want the wine to tell me if it has entered a new phase of fermentation.

Sunday 7 October

Company reveals devices to detect oxidation and cork taint

Two revolutionary wine devices detecting cork taint and oxidation levels in wines without opening the bottles have been unveiled. The devices, the only ones in the world of their kind, were developed by the University of California, Davis (UCD), with funding from the owner of the Crystal Springs resort in Vernon, New Jersey.

McWilliams and Pendulum to bid for E&T

Two revolutionary wine devices detecting cork taint and oxidation levels in wines without opening the bottles have been unveiled. The devices, the only ones in the world of their kind, were developed by the University of California, Davis (UCD), with funding from the owner of the Crystal Springs resort in Vernon, New Jersey.

Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson release new 'World Atlas of Wine'

The cream of the wine world gathered in London's Fortnum & Mason last night for the launch of the new edition of The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson. The release, scheduled for October 11, was celebrated in the sumptuous new food and wine hall of Fortnum's - London's most celebrated grocer, a few doors up from the Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly. First published in 1971, and originally written by Johnson alone, the Wine Atlas is now in its sixth edition, and remains one the most popular books on wine.

Supermarket wine bargains raise hackles in France

Wine-lovers across France are crowing over bargains picked up this year at the annual round of supermarket wine fairs, but the hackles of chateaux owners are yet to settle. The big stores for their part are patting themselves on the back. Twenty five percent of annual wine sales in France take place nowadays during these wine fairs -- or "Foire aux Vins" as they are known -- said Guillaume Halley, director of the Champion supermarket in Bordeaux." We generally sell about five million bottles during the two-week wine fair," Halley said. "This year we noticed that volume is going down and value is going up with the 2005 vintage on the shelves, because everyone knows it is such a great year."

Friday 5 October

Central Otago Pinot Noir Named Best in the World

Bald Hills Vineyard from Central Otago has won six trophies at two of the world’s most prestigious wine shows including Champion Red at the International Wine Challenge. BANNOCKBURN, New Zealand 3rd October, 2007– Winning a Regional and an International Pinot Noir Trophy at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2007 was a thrill for Central Otago’s Bald Hills Vineyard, but when this success was repeated the following week with Bald Hills Pinot Noir 2005 taking out the Champion Red Trophy at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Dr Blair Hunt and his wife Estelle realised their vineyard was producing something very special.

Constellation Says Net Rose 5.4%, Boosts Forecast

Constellation Brands Inc., the world's largest winemaker, said profit rose more than analysts anticipated on demand for Svedka vodka and higher-priced wines. The company raised its full-year forecast. Second-quarter net income climbed 5.4 percent to $72.1 million, or 33 cents a share, which exceeded analysts' estimates by 2 cents. Sales declined 32 percent to $892.6 million on an accounting change, the Fairport, New York-based company said today in a statement.

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