Winery rolls out a massive solar project

The Yealands Wine Group today rolled out the largest solar panel initiative in New Zealand at its Marlborough winery. 

Founder Peter Yealands, who has long been at the forefront of winery sustainability, said the unveiling underlined the company's belief in renewable energy. 

The installation at the company’s Seaview Vineyard of  918 photovoltaic panels brings to 1,314 the number of panels on its winery roof. 

This means the vineyard is now capable of generating 411.12 kiloWatts of solar power – the equivalent to powering 86 New Zealand homes - while offsetting 82 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

“We already had a pretty substantial solar array in place, but it takes a lot to power any kind of building and a winery’s no different," said Yealands. "By increasing the size of our solar array we will decrease our reliance on the national grid and generate 30% of the power we require to power our tank coolers, computers, you name it. 

"I've always been passionate about renewable energy and also about self-reliance. We have been carbon neutral since inception but that doesn't mean we can just sit back. Our new solar panels will further help reduce our carbon emissions and keep us true to our claim of being the most sustainable winery in the world.” 

The solar panel installation took a six-person team four weeks to complete. The panels were installed on the northern side of the winery’s roof to ensure optimum solar energy capture throughout the day and allow for the maximum number of panels to be installed.

The Yealands Wine Group includes Yealands Estate, Crossroads, and The Crossings brands. 

The combined entity is now one of the largest privately-owned wine companies in New Zealand, with a global reach of more than 70 international markets.

Hard work earns Fran a trip to Champagne

Delamere winemaker Fran Austin is on her way to Champagne at someone else's expense after winning the $10,000 Dr Don Martin Sustainable Viticulture Award. 

Austin, who runs Delamere at Pipers River with her husband Shane Holloway, will undertake a study tour of Champagne to investigate vineyard practices, winemaking and marketing in the world's greatest sparkling wine region. 

In particular, she will explore the economic and environmental sustainability of Champagne growers/producers and the relationship they have with Champagne Houses. 

She will share what she learns with other Tasmanian sparkling wine business. 

Wine Tasmania CEO Sheralee Davies welcomed the announcement of Fran as the 2016 Don Martin Fellowship recipient.

“The Alcorso Foundation has instigated this valuable program to support the development of individual wine professionals and, through them, the broader Tasmanian wine sector," she said. 

"With sparkling wine representing a third of Tasmania’s wine, this is a key area of focus for the sector and the insights Fran obtains from Champagne are expected to be of particular relevance to Tasmania’s sparkling wine producers.”

The Don Martin Sustainable Viticulture Fellowship was initiated by the Alcorso Foundation to commemorate influential Tasmanian viticulturist, Dr Don Martin. 

The fellowship is available to Tasmanian-based wine professionals to encourage research via study-based travel or new localised research projects across viticulture/oenology that benefits the broader sector.

Three things you did not know about New Zealand

New Zealand may have only a small population but its global achievements and inventions stretch from science and medicine to music and the arts. 

1. New Zealanders are among the most active people on earth. Both jogging and bungy jumping were invented here. Arthur Lydiard, a former marathon runner and well-known Auckland athletics coach, devised jogging back in 1960 as a method of preparation and building endurance for his world-class distance runners, including Olympic gold medallists Peter Snell and Murray Halberg. His unique training methods are credited with helping improve the fitness of millions of people. Snell and Halberg were both knighted, but Lydiard was not.

2. Global movie star Sam Neill has starred in dozens of films, splitting his time between New Zealand, Australia, and Hollywood. He played key roles in Jurassic Park, The Piano, The Horse Whisperer, My Brilliant Career and this year's Hunt for the Wilderpeople, as well as starring in TV series, including Peaky Blinders and Old School. What is less known is that since 1993, Neill has been producing world-class pinot noir in the cool Gibbston region of Central Otago. His Twitter account describes his Two Paddocks winery as “producers and purveyors of fine pinot to both gentry and ratbags”. He changed his name to Sam from Nigel at the age of 10.

3. From Xena: Warrior Princess to Master and Commander and The Lord of the Rings, New Zealand has produced some of the most famous names in film-making. From Sir Peter Jackson, writer, producer and director of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, to Wellington-born Hollywood superstar Russell Crowe, who has also headlined in Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind and LA Confidential, Auckland-born actor Lucy Lawless, known for her role as Xena: Warrior Princess, and Love Actually writer Richard Curtis, Kiwis play key roles in many areas of the global entertainment industry.

Find out several more things you probably didn't know about New Zealand right here: www.bbc.com/storyworks/travel/naturally-beyond-convention/did-you-know-

Wine and art come together in a new Wolf Blass range

The winemakers of Wolf Blass and artist David Bromley have teamed up to release a new "collectable" wine series. 

The pair has joined forces to release a three wines in the Bromley by Wolf Blass collection, which hits stores later this month. 

Bromley by Wolf Blass is a branded as a "celebration of two South Australian identities that are innovators in their fields – Wolfgang Blass in wine and David Bromley in art". 

The collection will feature some of Bromley’s most recognised art on the labels – from his Birds, Nudes and Butterflies series – providing the opportunity to buy into both the art and wine at an affordable price. 

Bromley says he has enjoyed the creative process of this new project. “There are so many beautiful synergies across the art and wine worlds, and Bromley by Wolf Blass seemed like the next natural step in mine and Wolfgang’s enduring partnership,” he said. 

“Both wine and art bring such joy to people’s lives; this is a collaboration in the truest sense and I’m thrilled with the result – a range of premium, beautifully packaged wines which make wonderful gifts or statement pieces for your home.” 

In 2014, Bromley commemorated Blass’s 80th birthday by painting his portrait, which was entered into the Archibald Prize. 

The Bromley by Wolf Blass collection will be available at Dan Murphy’s and other fine wine retailers from mid-October until sold out. The Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2015, McLaren Vale Shiraz 2015 and Adelaide Hills Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay all have an RRP of $29.99. 

King Valley winery sweeps national design award

A family-owned and -operated winery in Victoria's King Valley has won a prestigious national award for the design of its new cellar door and restaurant complex. 

Chrismont Winery, which opened its new facility last year, has been named the National Building Design of the Year at the 2016 National Building Design Awards. 

Designed by MG Design & Building, the facility was praised by judges for leveraging the natural environment to create an exceptional design. 

“The combined palette of concrete, stone, wood and glass creates a light and inviting contemporary interior, which makes visitors feel comfortable and invites them to relax and indulge.”

Chrismont’s owners, Arnie and Jo Pizzini, wanted to create "a unique wine and food destination for people to ‘relax and indulge’ when visiting the upper King Valley". 

Chair of judges Tamica Lewis said: “We were impressed with the way the walls and windows perfectly framed the views of King Valley, to appear as if it was floating above the winery, presenting the location in all of its natural glory.”

Opened in October 2015, the Chrismont Cellar Door, Restaurant and Larder offers all-day dining, wine tasting and function areas with a modern touch in a region fondly known for its tobacco kilns and rustic cellar doors.

“As you walk through the door you are immediately met with panoramic views of the region,” says Arnie. 

Chrismont is open 10am-5pm, seven days a week for cellar door tastings and for restaurant dining from noon at 251 Upper King River Road, Cheshunt, King Valley. (03) 5729 8220 reservations@chrismont.com.au. 

Somewhere beautiful to stay next time you visit Tasmania

The Huon Valley in southern Tasmania is a gourmet hotspot; home to several boutique wineries like Home Hill, Two Bud Spur, Sailor Seeks Horse and Stefano Lubiana's recent acquisition Panorama Vineyard, along with Willie Smith's, Franks and Pagan cider.

Now the region 45 minutes of Hobart has luxury accommodation to match its other attractions.

Two newly-opened luxury cottages at Frenchman's River, a 90-hectare cattle farm owned by McLeod's Daughters and Hi-5 creator Posie Graeme-Evans and her designer partner Andrew Blaxland give the region some accommodation with star quality.

The couple moved to Cygnet almost a decade ago as Posie's second career as a novelist took off and they have now opened the Writer's House and the Helmsman's House to share their little slice of paradise with visitors.

Think beautifully decorated and appointed cottages, private, both with sweeping views of the Huon River below, delightful garden decks, birds of prey overhead and a resident platypus in the dam. The southernmost region of Australia is both wild and beautiful.

If the setting is rural then the cottages are all country style, with roaring wood fires and every little luxury from Netflix movies on tap on the Apple TV to Bose sound system, luxurious baths and cupboards and fridges full of local gourmet treats (including a complimentary bottle of local wine, some local Pagan ciders and a beer or two).

Well-organised guests will time their visit to coincide with one of Cygnet's local festivals (a folk festival each January, the Le Weekend festival celebrating the port's links with France in April, or the mid-winter lantern parade), or, perhaps, with the lively Cygnet Market (held on the first and third Sundays of the month); a hive of activity with local foodstuffs, arts and crafts.

The name Frenchman’s River celebrates the little-known French history of the Huon region when, more than 200 years ago, French explorers sailed into Cygnet Bay and would have claimed Tasmania for France had they not been under the misapprehension that it was part of the mainland. Names like Bruny Island, Freycinet and the d’Entrecasteaux Channel keep alive the memories of adventurers Huon de Kermadec and Bruni d'Entrecasteaux.

Both cottages feature high-quality linens, original Tasmanian artworks, informative house books and comfortable furnishings.

The opening rate for The Writer’s House is $345 per night while the Helmsman’s House is $365 per night for one couple. All introductory package bookings are for a minimum two nights and are subject to availability. Free dinner is included for the first night if requested.

Frenchman's River is at 130 Winns Road, Cygnet. 0466 790 142 or see www.frenchmansriver.com.au.