WINEBUSINESS.com reports that estimates from the 2009 Vineyards Survey indicate that total wine grape production was down 8 per cent from 2008, confirming industry expectations of a lower harvest.
According to the latest report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, wine grape growers cultivated 163,000 hectares of vines for the 2009 season.
Red wine grape production was higher than white wine grape production.
South Australia was the highest red wine grape producing state with 52 per cent of total red wine grape production.
New South Wales was the highest producer of white wine grapes with 37 per cent of total white wine grape production, closely followed by South Australia with 36 per cent.
AMAZON.com has ended a trial program to sell wine online, the company confirmed but declined to give details about why they ended the program.
The wine sales pilot, which the e-commerce giant launched last year, was intended to sell wine from California’s Napa Valley and other US. regions.
YELLOW Tail father and founder of Casella Wines has died following an illness. The Sicilian grower, a former prisoner of the British Empire in India during the second world war, emigrated to Australia in the late fifties where he set up the famous vineyard in New South Wales.
Following a hugely successful production throughout the years, the vineyard and Casella launched the Yellow Tail brand in the US and recorded sales of one million cases in the first year. Global annual sales total over 12 million cases under the guidance of Filippo’s son John and the entire family.
