Phil Sexton was a pioneer in craft beer with Matilda Bay in 1983 and hopes to give it some modern-day sizzle with a new boutique brewery at Healesville

There must be something in the water, judging from the growing numbers of distillers in the Northern Rivers region of NSW.

Maggie Beer Products is doing better but Laura McBain is slashing costs by $2 million at the loss-making Paris Creek organic milk business.

Schobers Estate was first planted in 1977 and later acquired in 2009 from Constellation Wines Australia by wine retailer, the late Jim Murphy and Canberra lawyer Michael Phelps.

It was one of 12 vineyards owned by Schild Estate run by Ed Schild and his son Michael. The Schild family's ties to the Barossa Valley date back to 1866.

Would the big liquor chains and hotel groups have enough clout to help rivals if a combined Asahi-CUB started lifting beer prices?

Vanya Cullen has good reason to sing the praises of her parents and the biodynamic methods she has adopted in the family vineyard.

The Lloyd family has put on a retrospective tasting to celebrate the winery's 50th anniversary, going back to the very first claret they released.

When one player has more than 50 per cent of a market, the ACCC generally frowns.

Provenance, barrel-ageing, terroir ... meet the frustrated winemakers brewing beer.