There is no one quite like Randall Grahm on the wine planet. That is possibly a good thing. The wine world needs someone who stands apart in the wings, who sees things not only as they are but also as they might be, who keeps his feet on the ground and his head in the clouds, who is provocative, highly articulate and comments on wine’s banalities as well as brilliance. The laid-back Californian is known equally for his “vinthology” Been Doon So Long and Twitter musings as he is for the wines he produces at Santa Cruz vineyard Bonny Doon, writes Jeni Port in The Age.

The Clare Region Wine Grapegrowers Association says growers are abandoning their vineyards because high water costs are limiting their ability to make a profit. Current peak water costs for Clare growers are nearly $3,000 per megalitre, which is nearly three times more than in the Barossa Valley. Association president John Bastian said SA Water had also increased transport charges for off-peak water by almost 20 per cent. He said most growers could not afford the rise and had few alternatives remaining, reports ABC News.

The London International Wine Fair has announced a summit on the theme of future global trends, which will take place on May 21. How today’s issues can impact wine businesses and influence future direction in an uncertain economic climate is the theme that will be discussed by an international panel of speakers drawn from wine and finance. Senior investment columnist at The Financial Times and editor of The Long View, John Authurs, will open the conference by painting a picture of life without the euro, reports Harpers Wine & Spirit.

The continuing success of Prosecco is good for Champagne, Lanson managing director Paul Beavis has said. Prosecco’s sales were up by nearly 50% in 2011, the Champagne Category Report for 2011, launched by Lanson International last week, found. Such success was good for all sparkling wines, Paul Beavis, managing director of Lanson International, told Decanter.com. ‘I think it proves its point as an introducer to the sparkling category. Prosecco’s done a good job in terms of value.’ The report, which used research from analysts Neilson and CGA Strategy, comes shortly after the news that Champagne’s 2011 exports were up by 5.1%, reports Decanter.

I love the first line on the Auburn Wines’ website: “We grow Riesling. We craft Riesling. We love Riesling. A lot.” First, because it intrinsically explains why they chose to become New Zealand’s only riesling-exclusive winery. Second, as they used the words “A lot” instead of “Bigtime”, “Totally” or “Fully”, which they easily could have because with their wrap-around shades, beanies and cargo pants, the Auburn crew (with the exception of the girls) all look like bewhiskered Gen-Y snowboarders, reports The Aucklander.

Ask anyone where the world’s most popular wine website is located and they’ll probably say Paris, London or New York. In fact, it’s situated in west Auckland and attracts more than 1.5 million unique visitors a month. Wine Searcher (www.wine-searcher.com) is an online search engine that will pretty much tell you all you need to know about any wine in the world, reports The National Business Review.

Like the fine wine he promised to multi-millionaire investors, Simon Mickleson displayed a complex character. His clients didn’t know the self-proclaimed wine expert with money and contacts was a serial conman who faked vintage wines by doctoring bottle labels, stole credit cards, took cash for wine he did not have, and sold historic chateau cases he didn’t own for thousands of dollars. Yesterday he was convicted of 16 counts of fraud after being charged with a $1.3 million scam that took in New Zealand’s top auction house, a leading surgeon, senior law firm partners, and the lawyer to the Todd Property Group – owned by New Zealand’s richest family, reports The New Zealand Herald.

The gimmicky blue table has brought out the inner child. It’s like being in a science museum all over again, tongue lolling in concentration as buttons are pressed and switches fiddled with. This particular piece of touchscreen whizz-bangery, however, is for educating adults, not children. The sliders control factors such as acidity and fruitiness, the ultimate aim being to find a wine you love. Identify a contender and another finger jab conjures detailed tasting notes. It’s a very Hong Kong approach to wine tasting, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

The French owners of Jacob’s Creek winery have given $4000 to an animal rescue group that helped relocate its kangaroos. Orlando Wines during the week compensated Fauna Rescue $1000 in outstanding costs for relocating the 23 kangaroos to Banrock Station, near Barmera, in January and donated $3000 to the volunteer-based animal welfare group. The Sunday Mail last weekend reported claims by Fauna Rescue that it found the kangaroos, once used as a tourist drawcard at award-winning Rowland Flat winery, in “malnourished” state with some in “shocking pain from injuries”, reports The Sunday Mail.

Britain’s decision to lift the minimum price of alcohol in a bid to counter widespread drunkenness should prompt the Australian government to rethink its refusal to increase taxes on cheap grog, Greens health spokesman Dr Richard Di Natale says. The British government late last week announced it would almost double the floor price of cheap, strong drinks such as cider and wine to “turn the tide” against binge drinking, which accounts for half of all alcohol consumed there, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.