Tasmania has been touted as the 'most exciting wine area in Australia' by national industry group Wine Australia.

Representatives from the organisation recently toured the state and praised the high quality of Tasmania's cool climate wines.

They say Tasmania has escaped the effects of the wine glut on the mainland, because of its continual production of premium wines.

Paul Henry, the general manager of wine development with Wine Australia, says the secret to Tasmania's global success will be developing in a measured fashion.

"If it continues to progress in a measured, sensible and above all, sustainable pace, then I think the future's incredibly bright," he says.

"The opportunity for Tasmania to be recognised as a region really of cool climate excellence in a global sense. I think that's on the table too."

Source - http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201003/s2839467.htm

New England wine producers are warning the local industry will suffer under higher taxes proposed in the Henry Tax Review.

The review recommends replacing the current Wine Equalisation Tax, and its rebate, with an alcohol content/volumetric tax - similar to beer and spirits.

The independent Member for Northern Tablelands, Richard Torbay, is warning the new tax would eliminate many local producers.

He says he has asked Premier Kristina Keneally to oppose the proposal at the next Council of Australian Governments meeting.

Link - http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/19/2850582.htm

After six months of talks, Constellation Brands, Australia's biggest wine group, and middle-ranked player Australian Vintage have abandoned plans to merge their local and British operations.

It is believed the stumbling block was a third party, probably a financial institution or overseas pension fund, that did not support the combination of the businesses and the proposed new corporate structure's debt and equity position.

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It marks  the final chapter of a seven-year saga.

Thousands of litres of juice sent to major winemakers had to be quarantined in 2003, when Rivers Wines was suspected of passing off juice from sultana grapes for a bigger profit.

Chardonnay grapes were selling for about $1000 a tonne at the time, while sultana was going for a quarter of the price.

The Adelaide Magistrates Court has convicted Andrew Hashim, Rivers' managing director at the time, of 34 counts of keeping false or misleading label claim records. Rivers Wine pleaded guilty in 2007 to 97 counts of the same charge.

The court found that Hashim, 40, had instructed his staff to make the false records.

Rivers Wines is facing a maximum penalty of $1.4 million, while Hashim could pay up to $102,000.

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