700 New Zealand wineries can’t be wrong and this 20-21 May thousands of people will have the opportunity to dive in amongst some of our very best and search for their favourite drop. WINETOPIA presented by Singapore Airlines is an event where imaginations will run wild, personalities come alive and all the senses will be satiated. WINETOPIA presented by Singapore Airlines is coming to Shed 10 in Auckland’s CBD for two big days of celebration.

Within Australia, Margaret River has a big reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon. And yet, they’ve always struck me (and many other Americans) as wildly inconsistent. Some could charm with finesse and savoury flavour profiles, but too often I found myself wrinkling my nose as excess herbal, weedy and vegetal notes obscured the fruit.

If an exclusive weekend celebrating fine music, food and wine sounds enticing, read on. All three are pitched in perfect harmony at the exclusive Margaret River Weekend of Music in the region in early April. The Australian String Quartet will team up with some of Margaret River’s most renowned chefs and wineries for four thrilling performances over the April 8-10 weekend.

Angaston’s Yalumba Winery continues to lead the way in the country’s booming organic wine industry, thanks to one passionate viticulturist – Brooke Howell – who was recently recognised as the nation’s top young organic leader. Howell, 27, was labelled Silver Young Organic Leader at the Australian Organic Awards – and was praised for her efforts in converting some of the winery’s vineyards to organic management.

Wine Australia will be celebrating the storied history of Australian wines at its largest showcase yet at ProWein this month. Some 46 winemakers will be showcasing more than 500 wines from 21 distinct wine-producing regions to illuminate the diversity and depth of Australian viticulture. Australian wine expert Thomas Curtius will partner with a number of exhibitors throughout the day.

Treasury Wine Estates has increased chief executive Michael Clarke’s pack package by 29.4 per cent in recognition of his hard work turning around the wine company. The company has increased Mr Clarke’s fixed remuneration to $2.2 million a year, from $1.7 million, effective March 1, citing the “significant turnaround of the business over the past two years under his leadership and strategic initiatives put in place for future growth”.

The 2015 harvest in Bordeaux included a substantial rise in the amount of wine destined for crémant production and a fall in that for rosé. Production figures from the ‘Syndicat Viticole des AOC Bordeaux et Bordeaux Supérieur’ showed a 2% increase in volume over 2014 to 2.9 million hectolitres. According to Vitisphere, the union’s president, Hervé Grandeau, was quick to point out that, “it is a great vintage in terms of quality and in fact normal in quantity. There is no lack of wine but no is there a glut.”

Babich Wines, one of New Zealand’s oldest and most respected family-owned wine brands, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. To mark the milestone, the Babich family has dusted off the archives and is sharing 100 never-before-heard stories from its history. “We are throwing the doors open and sharing the most intimate parts of our history,” said Joe Babich, the managing director and second-generation winemaker .

Hawke’s Bay is cementing itself as the fine wine region of New Zealand, with its latest success in a high-calibre competition. The region’s powerful line-up of champion trophies was bolstered this week with another supreme award – the Royal Easter Show’s coveted Champion Wine of the Show going to Villa Maria Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014. The trophy is the latest in a string of highly-coveted accolades.

The news is all good from around South Australia for vintage 2016, now progressing from the early harvests of white wine grapes into the state’s more famous Shiraz variety and other reds soon to follow. Yields are reportedly higher than expected after a prolonged dry season leading into harvest, with good rains in late January and early February helping both quality and quantity in most areas, according to industry experts in the regions.