A toast to a grape result

IN A sea of gloomy news, it feels good to celebrate one of Tasmania’s most exciting industries. Today the Mercury reports that local pinot noir fruit has fetched a price of $10,000 a tonne.

It’s the first sale of its kind in Tasmania, and the price fetched from this small but precious crop may not be repeated any time soon. Watching the evolution of our state’s wine industry gives us all something to be optimistic about and proud of.

The grapes were grown at Tinderbox Vineyard, which was first planted by owner Liz McGown in 1993.

To give some perspective about just how good the price is, Tasmanian grapes average about $3000 a tonne — and $10,000 is comparable to prices fruit growers in South Australia are paid for shiraz grapes that will eventually be made into Penfolds Grange wine. To see Tasmanian grapes fetching prices in that range shows just how far our industry has come, and also reminds us that we can compete with the best on the mainland and internationally.

Our state’s wine grape production is worth more than $50 million, and last season we enjoyed another record crop.

Industry production figures show growers last season produced 17,180 tonnes of grapes, at a value of $2977 a tonne. Tasmania produces one per cent of Australia’s total wine grapes by volume, which equates to 4.2 per cent of Australia’s wine grape value — which is an enviable position to be in terms of high-quality, high yield product.

It’s a good news story and one we’ll be happy to raise a glass to.

Bad taste in the mouth

AS many parts of the Tasmanian economy prosper, there has been a lot of discussion around how wealth is being distributed.

The internet lit up yesterday when the Mercury published online the story of a homeless man who was fined $250 for trespassing after he was caught taking food out of a skip bin behind a Launceston business.

The magistrate offered the man the opportunity to do community work instead of paying the fine, but the man turned down the offer, saying it may interfere with his ability to find paid employment.

In the magistrate’s defence, he can only play the hand he is dealt in accordance with the law.

But it was how the homeless man ended up before the court in the first place that people really took exception to. In this case, the Mercury was reporting, as we do, on a matter before the court.

On face value of the case, people have found it hard to believe a person could end up charged with trespassing in order to steal food, which, if the man was willing to take it out of a bin, he was obviously pretty desperate for. The man said he didn’t think he was doing anything wrong by taking food out of a bin — and according to the reaction, most people would agree. with him. This sort of incident leaves us all feeling a little bit ashamed and wondering about how we treat our most vulnerable.

$10,000 IS COMPARABLE TO PRICES FRUIT GROWERS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA ARE PAID FOR SHIRAZ GRAPES THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE MADE INTO PENFOLDS GRANGE WINE

Responsibility for all editorial comment is taken by the Editor, Jenna Cairney, Level 1, 2 Salamanca Square, Hobart, TAS, 7000