This Month
Is this Australia’s best shiraz?
These wine show judges certainly think so: the Great Australian Shiraz Challenge turns 30, and it’s needed now more than ever.
- Max Allen
July
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Life & Leisure
Getting a taste for grenache? Try these new old-vine examples
South Australian producers are serving up a bunch of great grenaches – here are four you need to know about.
- Max Allen
July
Seppeltsfield buys up as Australian Vintage offloads two vineyards
The ASX-listed producer behind McGuigan and Tempus Two will exit one property in NSW and sell another in South Australia to its privately owned rival.
- Kylar Loussikian
June
- Updated
- Wine
Treasury Wine’s profits buoyed as Penfolds goes all in on China
Treasury says Penfolds profits will grow 15 per cent this year, but margins will fall as the company spends more rebuilding its export business to China.
- Updated
- Simon Evans
May
- Exclusive
- Tourism
On Hamilton, a family dynasty bets there’s more money in islands
After showing potential buyers around last year, Sandy Oatley and his family are instead developing a new resort as they double down on the island.
- Primrose Riordan
March
Treasury Wine set for $100m profit bump
The owner of Seppeltsfield Estate and Gemtree says the company took a $40m hit from Chinese wine tariffs and regaining lost sales could take three years.
- Simon Evans
Dry conditions to cost Australian farmers, with grim outlook for wine
Dry conditions and soft international grain prices have led to Australia’s agricultural output dropping by 15 per cent, hitting farm incomes.
- Tom Rabe
January
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Life & Leisure
Try these wine ‘discoveries’ to share with friends
A dozen stories about all things alcoholic – and not – to keep you current and content.
- Max Allen
November 2023
Buying your steak direct from paddock to plate
These food companies are bypassing retailers altogether and selling fresh produce direct to consumers.
- Nina Hendy
Treasury’s Tim Ford strikes the $1.6b deal of his life
It took six months to buy Daou Vineyards. Shareholders will judge the wine CEO’s tenure by how well he can turn the business into a brand like Penfolds.
- Simon Evans
August 2023
- Opinion
- Life & Leisure
The little-known grape varieties powering Australia’s wine industry
In his new book, the Financial Review drinks writer explains how new wines and styles since 2000 have been good for growers and great for drinkers.
- Max Allen
- Exclusive
- Australia's China challenge
China could back down on barley tariffs within days
China is facing pressure on multiple fronts to lift punitive tariffs imposed as part of its campaign of economic coercion.
- Andrew Tillett and Michael Smith
July 2023
- Opinion
- Life & Leisure
This new book is a fresh take on Australian wine
US citizens “think the whole country is just one climate”, explain the authors of a tome published this week. Those who visit are blown away by the diversity.
- Max Allen
- Opinion
- Life & Leisure
This ancient French network is the secret to top Aussie wine sales
With just one transaction via La Place de Bordeaux, winemakers’ entire export allocations can be sold to customers in more than 70 countries.
- Max Allen
- Exclusive
- China relations
Coal is flowing to China, but other Aussie exports aren’t so lucky
Months after Beijing indicated it would lift its sanctions, there has been little progress on reviving shipments of lobster, beef, timber and wine.
- Michael Smith
June 2023
HSBC to big four: our institutional bank in Asia is bigger than you
As ANZ and CBA build up institutional banking services, the world’s 8th largest bank says it is the top regional player and targeting more Australian companies.
- James Eyers
April 2023
- Exclusive
- Australia's China challenge
Chinese officials welcome to inspect Australian abattoirs
Trade Minister Don Farrell says it is one of the options available to the government in its bid to convince Beijing authorities to overturn bans on local goods.
- Andrew Tillett
Is Penfolds owner Treasury Wines worth a punt on China restart?
UBS says Australia’s biggest wine group is a “buy” and headed to $15 next year, but that is still way off the $19 reached in its glory days.
- Simon Evans
Trade disputes, detained Australians raised in meeting with Chinese minister
As a senior Chinese minister visits Canberra, industries have hailed a potential end to Beijing’s trade sanctions.
- Andrew Tillett, Michael Smith and Simon Evans
How this winemaker sold his Aussie sparklings to 15 countries
The Master of Wine experimented until he could make “clean, pure and fruity” sparkling wines under the Astro Pop and Piggy Pop labels. They’re now a hit in 15 countries.
- Max Allen