ASIA is quickly developing a taste for West Australian grapes, with the trickle of premium wine into Singapore growing by almost 50 per cent last financial year. The state’s $720 million wine industry continues to grow in popularity in overseas markets according to the WA Government, which partnered with winemakers in an international marketing campaign in 2012. Wine exports grew by 23 per cent in China, and 19 per cent in the UK, with WA’s Margaret River region leading the charge — representing more than 60 per cent of exports.

The State of Australian Wine report published by Wine Australia has highlighted the results of the wine production, inventory and domestic sales survey of 2015. The report asked wineries around Australia to complete a survey, with the results showing an increase in total wine production and in the value of domestic sales. Wine Australia manager of market insights, Peter Bailey, said: “This is the second year we’ve conducted this survey and we estimate that we were able to collect data on 84 per cent of Australian wine production and 82 per cent of domestic sales.”

We’d suggest you sit down and pour yourself a drink before you hear this news — but, honestly, that would probably only make it worse. Harvest dates for wine around the world have been progressively shifting earlier and earlier, as the warming climate gives us warmer and warmer cold seasons. In a new paper out today in Nature Climate Change, researchers at Columbia University and Harvard University looked at the historical data for early harvests over the last 400 years in France and Switzerland.

Pinot Gris’ popularity with Kiwi wine drinkers is showing no signs of diminishing and Sacred Hill’s newly released, beautifully balanced Orange Label Pinot Gris 2015 shows why. Managing Director David Mason says Pinot Gris is naturally approachable and very palatable – a perfect example of Sacred Hill’s desire to make wines with sheer delicious drinkability. “The best New Zealand Pinot Gris are well balanced with subtle complexity as well as being easy to drink and match with food. That’s what makes them so popular,” he says.

New Zealand’s wine industry had its largest ever presence at the Prowein International Wine & Spirits Trade Show, following a record $1.54 billion in exports in 2015, up 14% on 2014. The 2016 event, held from 13 to 15 March in Dusseldorf, Germany saw a record number of New Zealand producers in attendance.

Australian winery McGuigan Wines has partnered with Waitrose on an exclusive range of wines under the Family Release brand. The Family Release range at launch features Chardonnay and Shiraz varietals has been specially developed for UK supermarket Waitrose by the winemaking team at McGuigan’s South Australian vineyards. Neil McGuigan, chief winemaker, said the move was a “fantastic achievement for the brand”.

Pinot Gris is the wine phenomenon of the moment. It’s the fastest growing wine category at retail level. It’s growing at 12.8 per cent a year, according to A.C. Nielsen market research. And yet it’s generally unpopular with wine writers, sommeliers, retailers and other opinion leaders. It’s mocked, much as Sauvignon Blanc was mocked before it.

Is there an Australian wine that’s more unique – or undervalued – than Hunter Valley Semillon? James Halliday reveals why this changeable white should be a national treasure. It’s tempting to say the climate of the Hunter Valley is utterly unsuited to viticulture because it suffers days of searing heat alternating with torrential rain. Vintages such as 2012 and (potentially) 2016 support that view, but 2011, ’13 and ’14 were very good to great: 2014 is considered to be the best since 1965.

Vintage 2016 was tough for Hunter vignerons, but at Bill and Wendy Lawson’s Catherine Vale vineyard at Bulga it was a time of heartbreak. As the harvest gathered pace on January 10, the esophageal cancer Bill was diagnosed with months before claimed his life at the age of 78. The Catherine Vale Semillon, Chardonnay and Verdelho had been picked, but the Areis, Barbera and Dolcetto crops were still to be harvested as Wendy had to cope with the loss of her husband of 40 years.

TWENTY years ago Lisa and Andrew Margan bought an empty paddock in the Broke Fordwich region of the Hunter Valley. They built a home and planted some vines. Today, it is an award-winning labour of love. Lisa and Andrew are at the helm of the Margan brand and distribute wines nationally and to 15 export markets. All grapes are estate grown and the wines produced in accordance with innovative sustainability practices.