Wine

When the final siren sounds at Barossa Park on Saturday, 11 April, the party is just getting started as Tanunda’s main street transforms into the ultimate post-match destination with food, wine and entertainment. A hallmark event on the Festival of Footy calendar, the Barossa Food & Wine Village, returns for Gather Round 2026, reimagined on a bigger scale.

Adaptation to climate change is happening at ground level amongst the vines in Australia. One winemaker in the vanguard is Mudgee winemaker David Lowe, who, in 2021, made a major decision in pivotting his certified organic and biodynamic estate away from "delicate French varieties" and towards hardy Mediterranean styles better able to handle a hotter, more volatile future.

Madison Eastmond. The crushing economic pressure of the wine industry has forced a Riverland family to dump their grapes – and prompted a Chaffey election candidate to pledge advocating for locals outside "the top end of town" ... "Where are our (local politicians)?," Mr Koutouzis asked.

Some of Victoria’s top drops are headed to the world’s largest wine museum, further cementing our international reputation. Minister Pearson today revealed seven Victorian wineries will be featured at the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux, which welcomes more than 400,000 wine lovers a year.

Madison Eastmond. Visiting the Riverland as part of a broader regional tour of South Australia last Wednesday and Thursday, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas met privately with local growers and wine industry representatives to discuss current issues within the industry, including falling grape prices, increasing water and production costs, and tolls on mental health.

A Riverland MP is urging locals and visitors to show their support for the region's wine industry while enjoying the summer holiday season. Member for Chaffey Tim Whetstone launched his Local Labels campaign last week, highlighting the range of Riverland wines available from wineries, liquor stores and venues like hotels, clubs, cafés and restaurants. "This summer is the perfect time to celebrate and the exceptional wines that our region produces, while also sending a clear message that this is an industry worth fighting for," Mr Whetstone said.

The Riverland's State and Federal MPs say an initiative promoting the resting of vineyards will have little benefit for the economic health of local wine grape growers. The State Government last week announced a rebate – of $40/hectare – for Riverland wine grape growers to rest red wine vineyards, through the use of the chemical Ethephon, for the 2026 vintage.

Sebastian Calderon. Members of the Riverland's wine grape growing community last week gathered to discuss the potential economic viability of olive crops in the region. ... Sanoop Varughese, transformation and innovation officer at CCW, said the olive sector presents a unique opportunity for growers ready to diversify and future-proof their operations.

Recently, my wife and I visited the Clare Valley as part of our wedding anniversary and a short five day holiday to catch up with family and friends ... Part of the time was spent visiting the wineries in the Clare Valley Wine Region. It is one of the oldest wine regions in Australia. There are five districts or sub-regions in the valley: Auburn, Clare, Polish Hill River, Sevenhill and Watervale.

Hugh Schuitemaker. Last week's Riverland visit by the State Opposition Leader has highlighted Labor's indifference towards the region, Tim Whetstone says. Alternative premier Vincent Tarzia made his first trip to the Riverland since taking over from disgraced former Liberal leader David Speirs in August 2024, and Mr. Whetstone said the continued absence of Peter Malinauskas – who last visited during the flood, in November 2022 – says plenty about the two parties.

Barrel Farm is one of Albany’s newest food and beverage venues and its creation was just a labour of love and very much a family affair. Owned and operated by the Buxton family, Barrel Farm has been the decades-long dream of parents, Peter and Peg Buxton ... Situated on one of Albany’s old dairy farms, it is a creative blend of old and new.

McLaren Vale’s Grenache & Gourmet, the festival for curious palates, returns this Friday 19 September to Monday 6 October, enticing visitors to explore and experience all that Fleurieu Peninsula has on offer.

Australia’s wine industry is showing signs of recovery after one of its most challenging decades – but the rebound remains fragile and uneven. According to ANZ’s latest Agri InFocus report, wine exports rose 13 percent in value to $2.48 billion in the year to June 2025, driven largely by renewed trade with mainland China following the reopening of that market. 

Hugh Schuitemaker. Struggling Riverland grape growers would have a better chance of staying in the industry – and sustaining the region's economy – if an indicative pricing Bill being introduced to State Parliament today becomes law, an SA MP says. The Bill would force processors to release indicative prices by September 30 each year, giving growers the choice of opting out of loss-making vintages months in advance, rather than plunging further into debt ... MLC Sarah Game will introduce the Bill to the upper house ...

Hugh Schuitemaker. Peak representative bodies say the Riverland is at risk of "long-term economic" catastrophe, unless direct support is provided for the South Australian wine industry. The Advertiser on Monday reported local grape growers were "grappling with one of the worst crises to hit the industry".

Peter Christen. The crispness of winter mornings has well and truly arrived at Panacea Estate ... It's during these tastings that I'm often reminded how confusing wine language can be—especially one of the most misunderstood words of all: dry...

South Australia has much to learn from New Zealand's trade and export strategy, says Chaffey MP Tim Whetstone. Mr Whetstone, also opposition spokesperson for trade and investment, recently made the trip overseas to meet with his New Zealand counterpart, who has committed to doubling NZ's export value within the next decade.

Peter Christen. There's something undeniably gothic about wine. Its colour, its history, its slow transformation in the dark. At Panacea Estate, we often say wine tells stories—but sometimes, it tells ghost stories.

J Robotics has been selected as a finalist in the inaugural Propel-AIR program ... with their chemical-free vineyard treatment platform. The Ocean Grove-based agricultural technology company has developed a smart platform that uses targeted UVC light to treat grapevines for powdery mildew without chemicals.

Among the red gums lining the Murray River, the endangered Regent Parrot is fighting to hang on. With its bright yellow plumage and unmistakable flight, it’s one of Australia’s lesser-known but most threatened species ... Duxton Vineyards, one of Australia’s largest vineyard holders, is working with the NSW Government’s Saving our Species (SoS) program to restore critical habitat for the Regent Parrot.

Hugh Schuitemaker. The Riverland's Federal MP says recommendations from an industry report examining dealings between wineries and grape growers should be implemented "as quickly as possible" ... "I welcome the recommendations of the Emerson Review and note that they echo the calls I and others have been making for many months," Barker MP Tony Pasin said.