For Mike and Angela Sparks there is immense satisfaction to be found looking out over their vineyard while sipping a glass of syrah made from the grapes they’ve grown there. Not such an unusual thing in a winemaking country you might think, except the Sparks’ family vineyard is right in the middle of Auckland city, planted in the backyard of their home. Where other people might have shrubs, trees and vegetable beds, they have vines staked in neat rows, growing up a high wall and over a pergola, covering a large part of their steep section on the slopes of Mt Eden.

China’s increasing thirst for premium Australian wine has helped push export values to a 13-year high. Local winemakers are hiring Chinese speaking staff to cater for an influx of savvy wine tourists at the cellar door. Despite the surge there are warnings that Australian export vintages are under growing threat from the vineyards of France and South America.

The days of Australian winemakers producing “palate killing” Shiraz to please Robert Parker are finally over according to one key winemaker in the country. Speaking to the drinks business during a trip to London this week, Chris Hancock MW of Robert Oatley Vineyards in New South Wales, said, “We have just about lost all of the jammy, alcoholic, heavy, dead skin Shirazes that are Parker pleasing palate killers, which is an hallelujah moment. Instead, we’re moving towards lighter, brighter more interesting wines from quality producers.

Amongst Great Southern winemakers, Mr Diletti is something of a household name, and his talents won the 2015 Winemaker of the Year title from the famed wine writer and critic James Halliday. Mr Diletti’s winemaking journey began when he created his first vintage back in 1986 after his father Angelo established Castle Rock close to the Stirling Ranges and backed his son’s passion. “Dad not being a wine maker is definitely why it’s worked so well, he’s left me alone to make all my own mistakes!”

While Australian wine exporters enjoy the surge in the value of their sales to China, cellar doors at home are also noticing a greater number of eager Chinese tourists. Winemakers believe the increasing sales both at home and abroad are strongly influenced by the relatively weaker Australian dollar, but they are quick to add it is also due to a growing awareness among Chinese consumers about Australia’s many wine regions. The industry in Australia has been working to educate Chinese consumers not only about wine culture, but also the many regions where Australian wine is produced.

Would you drink wine that is $2.89 a bottle? Alcohol is the latest battleground in the price was between retail giants Woolworths, Coles and Aldi. Wine has never been cheaper in Australia, with some varieties costing less than bottled water. A high demand from supermarkets and shoppers, imported wine competition and an oversupply of local wines has meant good news for consumers looking for a cheap bottle of plonk. CEO of the Winemakers Federation, Tony Battaglene said most consumers don’t want to pay a lot for their wine.

Most western wine drinkers probably wouldn’t use terms like dried hawthorn or Chinese sausage to describe the taste of certain wines. But Australian researchers say those terms are a useful part of a world-first project aimed at better-informing Chinese consumers, and increasing Aussie wine exports. Armando Corsi and Larry Lockshin could probably spend all day talking about and describing the taste of wine. Which is a good thing, because much of their academic focus at the University of South Australia has been on the popular fermented beverage. In particular, solving the problem that certain western flavour descriptions can pose for Chinese consumers.

Wine industry experts in Marlborough are saying the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday was more damaging than the last event to shake the region. The 2013 Seddon earthquake caused an estimated $100 million worth of damage to wine companies and grape growers, who are putting a brave face on the latest tremors. Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens said he had been out to inspect more than 20 wineries, and was impressed at the resilience shown by staff. “There has been damage, and it’s fair to say it’s bigger than the last event across the board, most wine companies have had some impact in terms of wine loss or tank movement,” he said.

Competition (IWSC), winning the trophy for New Zealand Wine Producer of the Year, announced last night in London. The winery, which produced New Zealand’s first Sauvignon Blanc in 1974, had a medal tally which incorporated the Trophy alongside 12 medals, including Gold Outstanding for the 2013 Matua Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, five Silver Outstanding medals, four Silvers and a Bronze. This now means that Matua has received the title of NZ Wine Producer or Winemaker of the Year at a major international wine competition four years consecutively.

Grape growers and winemakers around the world will be able to easily assess powdery mildew in the field with the help of a mobile application just released globally. PMapp, which supports decisions about grape quality, has been developed by the University of Adelaide in close collaboration with the Australian grape and wine sector, and supported by Wine Australia. “Powdery mildew is a serious disease that affects grapevines worldwide and can cause off flavours and aromas in wine if it is not controlled,” says project leader Eileen Scott, Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.