New Zealand wine innovator dies

New Zealand winner innovator Peter Yealands has died at the age of 76.

"It's with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of our founder, Peter Yealands," Yealands Wines announced.

"After decades of groundbreaking work and a life dedicated to innovation, Peter leaves a legacy of bold thinking and environmental stewardship. His incredible career spanned construction, engineering, marine farming, agriculture, forestry, and viticulture."

It added: "Peter will be deeply missed, and we’ll continue to be guided by his motto 'Think Boldy, Tread Lightly, and never say it can't be done' in everything we do at Yealands."

I visited Yealands in Marlborough several years ago. He was a force of nature; proud of the use of baby doll sheep in the vineyards, and the use of music to encourage the vines to produce quality grapes.

Yealands, a self-made man who left school at 14, died in Blenheim over the weekend. No cause of death was given.

The winery said: "His curiosity and drive lead him to run many successful businesses in the construction, engineering, forestry, marine farming, agriculture and viticulture sectors.

"Over his extensive career, achievements included obtaining New Zealand’s first marine farming license and pioneering the development of mussel farming in the Marlborough Sounds, setting up Kaiuma Deer Estate, and designing ship buoys and life rafts for the maritime industry.

"In 1998 Peter developed his first vineyard in the Wairau Valley. Two years later, he purchased a block of land in the Awatere Valley and started developing the Yealands Seaview Vineyard.

"At the time, Seaview’s landscape of rugged, undulating terrain and wild coastal winds was considered unsuitable for grape growing, but Peter saw otherwise. 

"In the following years, Peter continued to purchase adjacent farmland to establish what is now one of New Zealand’s largest and most coastal single vineyard sites."

Yealands Estate Winery officially opened for business in 2008 - with a focus on sustainability but Yealands retired in 2018 when the business was taken over Marlbourough Lines.

Yealands Wine Group interim CEO Liam Kelly said: “While Peter hadn’t been involved with Yealands for some time, his legacy lives on in the business built through his inspiring vision and relentless determination.

"A number of our team members worked closely with Peter and still talk fondly about him. We extend our condolences to the family."

Virgin Australia launches a new baggage locating app for flyers

Like many people I am travelling with hand luggage only when if I fly, if at all possible.

Some bad experiences during the chaos of Covid have made me - and millions of others - wary of checking their baggage lest it comes lost, or is delayed.

To aleviate such fears, Virgin Australia has launched Australia's first-ever airline baggage tracking tool across more than two-thirds of its domestic network.

Following a successful pilot of the program in May, most guests will be able to track the status of their checked baggage via the Virgin Australia app.

The announcement follows Virgin Australia’s investment of more than $400 million in digital innovation, technology and customer experience initiatives.

The tracking tool will be available on most domestic routes between major airports, including Sydney-Melbourne, Brisbane-Sydney, Melbourne-Gold Coast, Melbourne-Hobart, Adelaide-Melbourne, Sydney-Sunshine Coast, and more.

The airline’s remaining domestic network, including select services departing Perth, are expected to feature the tracking tool soon.

To access the tool, flyers must download the Virgin Australia app and enable push notifications via the app setting. Once enabled, a series of push notifications will be sent to the guest’s phone throughout the journey, reflecting the bag being checked-in, transferred to an international partner airline, or available for collection at the final destination. The tool will also advise the guest which carousel the baggage is available for collection from.

Virgin Australia Group Chief Customer and Digital Officer, Paul Jones, said: “It’s our mission to be Australia’s most-loved airline and that means we need to listen to our customers to ensure we are offering the services that are most important to them.

“We know the potential of lost baggage is a concern for travellers globally and anticipate today’s announcement will give many guests that extra level of comfort knowing where their bag is at every step of the journey."

Rex innovation a challenge to airline big guns

Rex is getting serious about offering an option to Australia’s big three domestic airlines. 

In what is being promoted as an “Australian first”, Rex is to introduce real-time bidding for an upgrade to business class on its domestic jet services.

Passengers booked in the economy cabin will be invited to bid for an upgrade to business seven days before departure. 

Bidders will be able to adjust their bids whenever they are outbid, thereby giving themselves a real chance of success to secure an upgrade.

“All passengers love an upgrade: this new element of gamification in the bidding process will be a fun and economical way for our economy passengers to experience our amazing business class product and service,” said Michael Venus, Rex’s director of media.

The initiative is part of a series of passenger enhancements being rolled out ahead of the upcoming launch of the airline’s new loyalty program.

This will include the introduction of a neighbour-free seating product in the economy cabin across the airline’s domestic and regional networks, and new or expanded lounges in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

As part of a special introductory offer to launch the Rex Bid Up programme, minimum bidding across the airline’s domestic network will start from as little as $10.

Rex is Australia’s largest independent regional and domestic airline operating a fleet of 61 Saab 340 and 7 Boeing 737-800NG aircraft to 58 destinations throughout all states in Australia. 

     

Wynns heads in an unexpected direction

Take another look. Your eyes are not deceiving you. 

Meet a colourful new wine range from Wynns Coonawarra Estate, reliably excellent producers of fine wines, but also traditional and quite conservative. 

The mainstay of Wynns is the classic gables labels - and a range of stellar cabernet-driven reds. But the winery has released a new tier of wines that represent a creative renaissance of Wynns’ pioneering years.

Dubbed "Reframed", the tier comprises four new wines that are described as "an artistic, contemporary take on classic Wynns’ varietals, styles, winemaking, and wine occasions". 

“Our new Reframed wines give us licence to approach varieties in different ways using unusual varietal combinations for Coonawarra and the Limestone Coast,” says Wynns winemaker Sarah Pidgeon.

“We’re taking the knowledge and experience of the Wynns team and putting a modern twist on our traditional winemaking practices by exploring new ways to express our beautiful grapes. We’re picking earlier for freshness with barbecues, beaches, picnics, and casual occasions in mind. 

"We’re blending in unexpected ways to build interest and texture, and we’re bringing a lighter touch to winemaking by using little or no oak to maintain the freshness and aromatics of each wine.

“As the Coonawarra region’s pre-eminent wine producer, we’re pushing boundaries to innovate and create new varietals that spark intrigue and are either unique or hard to find, attracting a new generation of wine explorers. But rest assured, the quality of these wines is classic Wynns.” 

The "Reframed" wines are: Wynns 2021 Reframed Coonawarra Cabernet Rosé: Wynns 2021 Reframed Limestone Coast Fiano, Pinot Grigio, Arneis 2021; Wynns 2021 Reframed Coonawarra ‘Rogue Vines’ Shiraz Riesling 2021 and Wynns Reframed 2021 Coonawarra Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon. 

My take: I was sent samples of the Fiano/Grigio/Arneis blend and the Shiraz/Riesling to try and must say they are unlike any Wynns wines I have tried before; thoroughly modern in style. 

Both are light-hearted without being lightweight; immediately accessible and ready to enjoy on release.

The slightly rebellious Italian white blend is both fresh and textural and would pair well albacore tuna and eggplant, while I matched the idiosyncratic floral and energetic shiraz/riesling with a veal stew and turmeric rice. Unusual, but excellent. 

These wines are perhaps not for traditional Wynns drinkers, but they open up the brand to a younger audience. 

A boutique wine label worth seeking out

It is always exciting to discover a wine label that has previously flown under your radar.

That was the case this week with Kerri Greens, a Mornington producer that sent me two bottles of its vibrant 2021 wines to sample.

You may recall that earlier this week I reviewed the new MANDI wines from Mildura, made by Kevin McCarthy from Quealy Wines.

Well Kerri Greens is made by another member of the McCarthy family - and sent to me by the family's resident PR whiz Celia McCarthy.

The Kerri Greens team comprises winemaker Tom McCarthy (Celia's brother and son of Katherine Quealy and Kevin McCarthy) and viticulturist Lucas Blanck (Domaine Paul Blanck, Alsace).

The vibrancy of the wines underlines their organic and sustainable approach in three different Mornington vineyards.

"The vineyards are managed with a strict viticulture regime aimed at quality, with sustainable practices including no irrigation, pruning techniques promoting longevity and fruit intensity not yields, mowing under vine to avoid herbicide, canopy management aimed at exposure, inter-row cover crops for nutrition and soil structure, and spray regimes using organic principles," says Tom McCarthy.

"Off the vine, the winemaking follows a predictably similar line, additions are kept to a minimum using wild yeasts unhindered by initial additions of sulphur allowing the unique biology of the vineyard and season to have its impact. There is no rush to bottle and where possible it takes place without fining or filtration."

I tried the 2021 Pinots De Mornington Rosé, an innovative blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier and pinot gris that just screams out "summer enjoyment" and the totally hip "fumé blanc" 2021 Samophire Sauvignon Blanc, whole-bunch pressed, wild yeast fermented in older barriques, unfined, unfiltered.

Both wines retail for $30 and are full of freshness and vibrancy. Join me in discovering something new. Kerri Green, for those wondering, is the name of a local surf break. 

See www.kerrigreens.com/ or visit cellar door at 38 Paringa Road, Red Hill South Friday-Sunday.   

 

Fancy a quick air taxi trip across town?

Fancy the idea of catching an air taxi helicopter for a quick trip across town?

The reality may be far closer than you think.

German urban air mobility (UAM) pioneer Volocopter has completed the first test flights with its 2X aircraft in Seoul, South Korea.

It was the first-ever crewed public test flight of a fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi in South Korea.

It was a milestone in Volocopter's plans for introducing air taxis globally and was overseen by the Korean Ministry for Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT).

The five-minute test flight took place at Gimpo International Airport, covered approximately 3 kilometers, reached a maximum altitude of 50 meters and maximum speeds of 45 km/h.

Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter, said: "With MOLIT's comprehensive K-UAM roadmap, South Korea is well positioned to achieve the goal of commercializing UAM by 2025.

"We are extremely honoured to conduct the nation's first crewed public eVTOL test flight and prove yet again that the future of air taxis is here and now with Volocopter's aircraft.

"As the pioneers of the UAM industry, we look forward to working closely with friends and partners from both the government agencies and private sectors to make UAM a reality in South Korea."

German Ambassador to South Korea Michael Reiffenstuel said: "South Korea and Germany have enjoyed a close relationship for more than a century.

"We are connected by a common experience of a divided nation and strong ties in trade, education, and technology. We strongly welcome deepened cooperation in new sectors such as digitalization, e-commerce, and urban air mobility."

Seoul is the second city in Asia that Volocopter has conducted a test flight following the first successful public flight trial over Singapore's Marina Bay area in 2019. 

Volocopter is scheduled to conduct another public test flight at Incheon airport on November 16.

See www.volocopter.com