Coca-Cola Amatil’s Director Media and Public Affairs, Sally Loane will head the speakers’ line up at next year’s AusDrinks2008 to be held from May 18 to 20 at the Sheraton Mirage on the Gold Coast. Sally Loane will address the conference on the topic of ‘Media – Friend or Foe? Can we as industry ever win?’ Tony Gentile, AusDrinks2008 executive director stated Sally was best known as the long-time and popular ABC Sydney radio breakfast presenter and was arguably one of the most savvy media operators employed by Australian industry today. Sally is a former journalist and broadcaster who most recently presented the morning program on 702 ABC Sydney. She joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1999 after more than 20 years as a political journalist, columnist and feature writer with Australia’s leading broadsheet and tabloid newspapers, including The National Times, The Times on Sunday, The Australian, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Courier-Mail, the Sun Herald and the Brisbane Sun and as a reporter and newsreader on Channel 10.
Workforce Guardian has announced the launch of a comprehensive online employment relations platform that helps small and medium-sized businesses comply with Australia’s continually changing employment law. The platform provides a full suite of legally compliant tools and services that help employers to correctly manage all aspects of employment relations; including hiring, managing and exiting employees. Six variations of employment agreements are provided to suit all SMB business situations as well as over 80 templates, policies, forms and letters. Straightforward step-by-step guides walk employers through processes such as performance counseling, disciplinary action and dismissal. Customers can access Workforce Guardian’s employment relations experts if required. All material housed within Workforce Guardian’s platform has been verified by Clayton Utz and the documents and templates update as changes occur in legislation.
Hong Kong truffle enthusiasts have paid $227,000 for a 750gm white truffle from the town of Alba in Italy’s Piedmont region. Bids also came in from truffle fans in New York and Berlin during the auction, held on November 11. A tartufo bianco from the same region achieved the previous record price of $198,000 at auction last year. Italian truffle markets have seen a peak in prices for the delicacy after a dry summer. Sunday’s truffle auction raised a total of $578,000.
The South Australian wine industry has begun a major recovery with export sales booming, following several years of overproduction. Wine exports from Adelaide have rocketed to $573 million in the first quarter of this year, more than 40 per cent up on the same period last year. The industry described the rapid increase as a clear indication bottled shipments are growing strongly, prices are starting to rise and less discounted wine is being sold. The strong turnaround has raised the prospect of further price rises on the domestic and export markets next year. Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Information and Analysis manager Lawrie Stanford said that showed the potential of the industry when not burdened by oversupply. “It shows the potential to develop bottled wine sales and that the market is prepared to pay fair prices,” he said. “It’s not just a change in the mix but prices are improving and we are growing our premium, super premium and specialty sectors.The very high specialty sector has been growing for quite a while but it is the premium sector that is very important.” Mr Stanford said overseas consumers were trading up on Australian wine and it was a good picture for the industry. “The only concern on the horizon is supply uncertainties given the exceptional drought years we’ve had,” he said. “But the industry is getting back into balance and we are seeing the industry grow based on premium quality wine.” SA was driving the national industry with 62 per cent of exports. He expected bulk shipments to drop. Gemtree Vineyards chief executive Andrew Buttery, from McLaren Vale, said its export sales were growing by 30-40 per cent a year. Overseas sales now accounted for about 60 per cent of sales. “We’ve just employed a brand manager to service the U.S. and Canadian markets for us,” Mr Buttery said. Gemtree would lift prices next year because of strong grape price rises and the high Australian dollar
A newly published scientific study shows the incidence of eczema in infants fed on organic dairy products, and whose mothers also consumed organic dairy products, is 36 per cent lower than in children who consume conventional dairy products. While there is a significant body of evidence showing organic food contains higher levels of beneficial nutrients than non-organic foods, this is the first example of a definite health impact (i.e. isolated from other potential beneficial factors) of organic food consumption being published in a peer reviewed journal. While the study confirms it is organic dairy consumption that protects against the development of eczema, the scientists could only hypothesise as to the mechanism which delivered this protection. Their hypothesis follows the established facts of increased levels of the beneficial conjugated linoleic acid isomers found in milk from organically managed cows. A separate recent study confirms that higher levels of conjugated linoleic acids are not only found in cows’ milk but also in the breast milk of women consuming organic milk. This therefore underpins the hypothesis that the higher levels of CLAs in the breast milk of organic milk drinking mothers are a key mechanism in reducing eczema, as well as the organic dairy diet of the infants themselves.
It’s happened. Golden Circle, Australia’s fruit processing company, has signed a $120 million finance agreement with GE Commercial Finance.
This will reduce debt and support the recent restructure.
Established in 1947, Golden Circle manufactures over 500 products including shelf stable fruit and vegetables, fruit juices, drinks, cordials and jams.
Queensland-based farmers supply Golden Circle with more than 180,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables each year.
Due to rising input costs Golden Circle has faced several challenges over a four-year period.
New Zealand has regained its ‘05 supremacy over Australia by winning Wine of the Show, Best Red Wine and Best White Wine of the Show for ’07 at this years Tri Nations Wine Challenge.
Master of Wine, Bob Campbell announced the winners at the presentation dinner at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Westhaven, Auckland on Monday night (12th November).
After totaling all scores, Australia took Country of the Show followed by New Zealand and South Africa. Executive Chair Judith Kennedy commented that the standard of entries this Year has been higher than previous years and the competition between the three countries was fierce.
The Tri Nations Wine Challenge is unique in that wines are entered by judges’ invitation only and there are 321 wines in the competition.
The judges are: Robert Joseph (Chair), James Halliday (representing Australia), Bob Campbell MW (New Zealand) and Michael Fridjhon for (South Africa).
New Zealand’s Craggy Range Le Sol ’05 Syrah took top honors for Wine of the show and Red Wine of the Show.
Mt Difficulty Target Gully ‘06 Riesling won White Wine of the Show.
The two previous Wine of the Show winners were:
2006 - Australia’s Trevor Jones’ Wild Witch ’02 Shiraz
2005 - New Zealand’s Olssens’ Slapjack Creek ’03 Pinot Noir
November is a month of award celebrations – the Australian Hotels’ Association has held its state and national celebrations and the long-awaited Courier-Mail Food + Wine Guide Awards were announced last night (Tuesday, November 13) at the River Lounge in the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. Compiled by renowned food writers Lizzie Loel and Margaret Kennedy, the CM Food + Wine Guide is the culmination of years of work for the two who wanted Queensland and the Top End to have a food guide that reflected the extraordinary growth and development of the restaurant industry over the past five years. The awards recognised outstanding excellence in each category and were determined by quality and presentation of the food, service, ambience and décor. Over 500 culinary hotspots were visited, rated and compiled with Montrachet in Brisbane taking out the Audi Restaurant of the Year. The Courier-Mail Food + Wine Guide 2008 (Queensland, Northern Territory, northern NSW) is available from bookstores for a RRP of $26.95.
The annual Australian Hotels Association awards WA was held at the Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre with more than 1200 of Perth’s top hoteliers, industry people and sponsors in attendance.
While most of the country was battered by drought, frost, hail and other extremes of weather that reduced yields by about 30 per cent, WA had one of its best red wine vintages—and a pretty handy white wine vintage. Red grapes were particularly hammered in the east — with 2007 yields down almost 40 per cent and quality no better than average, leaving local winemakers in a strong position to take advantage of a shortfall. The situation will be even worse for eastern states vignerons next year. With vines struggling to recover, drought is expected to keep yields low in 2008, especially in the worst affected regions, along the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers. Five-star performers in STM’s top 100 wines for 2007 include local wineries Ferngrove, Sandalford and Stella Bella, each with four wines, and Leeuwin Estate and Tasmania’s Bay of Fires (with Kalgoorlie-born Fran Austin as winemaker) with three wines. With good winter rains in WA, all the signs are that the state’s next vintage should be a good one. Sunday Times (Perth), November 11.
Scientists have come up with the perfect excuse for heading to the pub after a game of football. Research has shown that a glass of beer is slightly better than water at rehydrating the body after exercise. Researchers suspect the sugars, salts and bubbles in beer may help people absorb fluids more quickly. The Granada University study will be welcomed by the legions of weekend sports enthusiasts who enjoy apost-match schooner. Sunday Telegraph, November 11.
