Wine industry

Church Road Winery in Hawkes Bay has introduced a new series of wine to celebrate its founder, Tom McDonald.

Although the New Zealand wine industry's story is a tale of expansion, winemakers feel the narrative's hard edges as sharp growing pains.

Global wine exports are continuing along a general growth trend with the exception of South Africa and Australia, as the strength of their domestic currencies dampens demand in export markets.

The Central Otago wine industry is happy to bask in some reflected glory after a local man won the national Young Viticulturist of the Year contest.

Nick Paulin made history at the weekend by being the first Central Otago person to win the national Young Viticulturist of the Year title, then headed straight back to work.

A marked increase in New Zealand's grape harvest this year has been driven by strong yields and a young vineyard estate which continues to mature.

An increase of 12c-a-litre in the wine excise tax could be "another nail in the coffin" for small Central Otago grape growers and those still establishing a market for their wine, Central Otago Wine Association executive committee member James Dicey, of Bannockburn, said yesterday.

Changes to wine excise tax regulations, benefiting more than half the country's wineries, have been welcomed.

Grape growers around Central Otago are pretty pleased with this season's harvest, Wine Institute chairman Steve Green, of Bannockburn, says.

Among the guests at the Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration recently were a bevy of Asian wine writers, reflecting the growth of New Zealand wine exports there. Charmian Smith talks to Jeanie Cho Lee from Hong Kong about wine and Asian food.