Crazy Wine militants strike again
Speed cameras and a telephone hub were trashed near Narbonne, with the spray-painted initials of the shadowy vintner group left nearby, local newspaper Midi-Libre reported.

Coonawarra on the Road
For the sixth consecutive year, the famous Coonawarra wineries under the banner of the Coonawarra Vignerons Association, will showcase their wares at this very popular and celebrated event. Due to high demand, Canberra has been added to the roster of capital cities throughout the nation. With over 100 wines to enjoy from individual Coonawarra wineries, visitors will have the opportunity to taste the wines and meet the winemakers and owners behind these famous brands. Click HERE for details.

Palandri Wine sells assets
CERTAIN Palandri Wine Group assets have now been sold to the privately owned Global Wine Holdings Pty Ltd. Fourteen parties expressed their interest but Deloitte Partner Gary Doran, who along with Neil Cussen and John Greig are the appointed Voluntary Administrator for the Palandri Wine Group, said that the sale was the best outcome for Palandri creditors.


Climate pact for wine industry
An agreement is being signed by wine industry groups and the South Australian Government aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions in wine production


Champagne sales plummet in US
Champagne sales to America in January 2008 fell by 33% compared to January 2007, as a result of the dollar's fall in value against the euro, and general economic uncertainty in the country.
 

Fancy Dinner? 100 feet off the ground?

Dinner in the Sky takes place at a table suspended at a height of 50 metres by a team of professionals. It seats 22 people around the table at every session with chef, waiter and entertainer in the middle. Dinner in the Sky is an event that can be organized anywhere (golf court, public place, race track, castle, vineyard, historical site…) as long as there is a surface of approximately 500 m2 that can be secured.
www.dinnerinthesky.com 

2007 Jimmy Watson Award
Scarpantoni Estate's 2006 "Brothers Block" cabernet sauvignon was awarded the Jimmy Watson Trophy at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show. Aged in French oak, it will sell for around A$25 ($21) a bottle when released in 6 months.
http://www.scarpantoni-wines.com.au/
 

Halliday's Top Winery for 2007
Balnaves of Coonawarra was judged the best from more than 2,000 wineries across the country in the latest edition of James Halliday's prestigious "Australian Wine Companion".
Doug Balnaves is the general manager of the family business and he says winning the award is the high point of the wineries 17-year history. He says it will boost awareness of the small brand across the country.
"We're very fortunate when you consider sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't and it's wonderful when it does go your way," he said. "We've found the successes have certainly enhanced our image throughout Australia and it does travel overseas as well and its a big thing."
www.balnaves.com.au

Aussie wine too good
Friday, August 10, 2007
Australian wine has an image problem in the United States, and it’s all too evident when you visit.

Basically, it comes down to the fact that most Aussie wines are too good for the low prices we are asked to pay for them. That means certain wine buyers don’t believe they are as good as they are. They see the lower price and assume the wine to be modest, when, in fact, it’s actually quite good.

Most people who have experienced wines that sell for about $10 to $15 — know they are very good wines and great values.
But those Americans who traditionally buy $20 to $25 domestic wines may not realize that Aussie wines at lower price points are at least as good and perhaps better.
 

Regional differences are key to really appreciating Australian wine
Jonathan Ray
Today Australian brands dominate the British market, with five among the bestselling top 10: Hardy's, Jacob's Creek, Wolf Blass, Lindemans and Banrock Station. One in every four bottles of wine bought in this country now comes from Down Under.

Sadly, the success of these big brands can obscure the fact that there is much for wine lovers to enjoy from Australia. Now is as good as time as any to discover this. Because of a combination of drought, bush fires and frost, this year's production is down about a third on previous vintages and, although this fall is not so dramatic that producers won't be able to meet demand, it is likely that we will see fewer "buy-one-get-one-free" deals on the more popular names and fewer own-label wines in the supermarkets. It could be time to trade up.

Chilean wines hotting up
Chilean winemakers are gearing up for an increased assault on the competitive Australian wine trade.
Douglas Murray, director and founding partner of leading Chilean wine producer Montes, has spent the last week in Australia and says his company soon hopes to sell 50,000 cases a year here.
Chilean wines are extremely popular in Britain and the United States with drinkers seeing them as offering both quality and value for money.
"We've been in the Australian market for 15 years and are becoming more visible - there's huge growth in the import sector in Australia," Mr Murray said. "Australian consumers recognise quality and value, and many of them are looking for something different to drink.
"The chance to sample and taste the wines of Chile is proving increasingly attractive. We find when people taste our wines, they buy them, and come back.
"Australia is the leader when it comes to New World wines, and we've learnt a lot from them. We'd like, in turn to double our sales here, but it would be stupid to put a time frame on that."
http://www.monteswines.com/