Wine industry

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.

Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration event manager Richard Broadhead says sales of the region's globally renowned luxury varietal are starting to bounce back from the throes of recession.

A clutch of luminaries has descended on Queenstown for the Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration, featuring a global cast of wine writers, media movers and hospitality heavyweights.

Organisers for tomorrow's Central Otago Pinot Noir celebration in Queenstown say with strong ticket sales and wine aficionados flying in from around the world, the event is shaping up to be a "raging success".

What can the New Zealand wine industry do to protect its "premium" brand image internationally? Rob Hamlin has a suggestion.

As another glass of discounted premium New Zealand wine slips down around the summer barbecue, spare a thought for the winemakers.

An excellent start to New Zealand's grape-growing season, indicating a record 300,000-tonne potential harvest in 2011, has wine industry leaders nervous.

The Government is at least considering switching the collection of its $145 million alcohol excise from winemakers to retailers, a Bannockburn winemaker says.