Cider producers from across Australia will gather in Melbourne this weekend to salute the winners of Australia’s largest and most prestigious cider show.

Industry peak body Cider Australia will host the 2017 Australian Cider Awards Dinner on Friday night at The Craft & Co in Collingwood.

Cider Australia President Sam Reid said the organisation is proud of its achievements over the past year and thankful to finally have clarity on its future and where it needs to focus its efforts.

“The sheer weight of activity in the cider sector is inspiring – Cider Australia is working with Wine Australia and the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia on the recently announced cider program under the Export and Regional Wine Support Package to accelerate cider export capabilities, and with levy body Horticulture Innovation Australia to implement a 100% Australian juice certification scheme for cider”, said Mr Reid.

“In addition, we feel we have now really landed the message with stakeholders at all levels of Government of the benefits that are gained by regional communities around Australia when consumers choose ciders made from Australian grown fruit”.

“We have taken the opportunity to postpone our annual cider festival this year and will instead convene a much needed Cider Industry Forum on Saturday 28th October.”

The Cider Industry Forum, to be held at The Malthouse Theatre in Southbank, is a full day of industry development activities aimed at continuing to step-change the quality of ciders produced in Australia.

“The Forum will conclude with the inaugural Australian Cider Awards Exhibitor Tasting, and event that allows entrants to the Awards to taste up to 250 ciders and learn and will help to improve the quality of ciders produced locally”, Mr Reid said.

 

The Full Program for the Cider Industry Forum is below.

For further information and media queries contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson at office@cideraustralia.org.au or 0434 559 759.

 

Cider Australia’s Cider Industry Forum
Saturday 28th October 2017
The Malthouse Theatre, Southbank VIC

Full Program

9.15am	Welcome and introduction
9.30am	General Meeting of Cider Australia (Cider Australia Members only) – General business
10.10am	Morning tea
10.40am	– Export and Regional Wine Support Package update
11.00am	– Cider R&D
11.20am	– WET reform update – Australian Taxation Office
12pm	Lunch
1pm	Cider Producers Forum – Quality assurance in cider: Product stability and sterility
2.30pm	Australian Cider Awards Exhibitor Tasting (Awards entrants only)
4pm	Close

 

RSVPs essential – contact office@cideraustralia.org.au

Entries are flowing in to this year’s Australian Cider Awards as the call for participation extends to international producers.

Cider Australia hosts the largest and most prestigious cider competition in Australia, with the 2017 Awards promising to showcase the best of the best ciders available for sale in Australia.

Entries to the Awards close on Friday 1st September 2017.

The judging, undertaken blind and in accordance with detailed style specifications, will take place on 26th and 27th September in Melbourne.

Chief Steward of the Awards Nyall Condon, from the Bellarine Peninsula’s Flying Brick Cider Co, said the Awards is a prime opportunity for producers to see how their ciders stack up against the competition.

“We are aiming to boost international entries this year to further expand our horizons and keep the judges interested and on their toes”, said Mr Condon.

You can enter the 2017 Australian Cider Awards online via www.cideraustralia.org.au/awards

Winners of the awards will be announced at a gala dinner on the evening of Friday 27th October at The Craft & Co in Collingwood. Details are attached.

2017 Australian Cider Awards – Key dates

Entries Open	Mon 5 June
Entries Close	Fri 1 Sept
Deliver Entries	1 Sept – 15 Sept
Judging (closed to public)	Tue 26 and Wed 27 Sept
Awards Dinner	Fri 27 Oct
Australian Cider Festival	Sat 28 Oct

 

For more details contact Cider Australia executive officer Jane Anderson on 0434 559 759 or visit www.cideraustralia.org.au 

FULL DETAILS ON AWARD CLASSES AND RULES ARE IN THE 2017 Awards Information & Style Guide. Media representatives are invited to visit the judging in central Melbourne, but this is closed to the public.

Cider Australia welcomes today’s announcement by the Federal Government that it will restrict the Wine Equalisation Tax rebate to genuine cider businesses that sell branded Australian cider and perry.

The WET rebate scheme was designed to support small wine producers in rural and regional Australia but has faced substantial ‘rorting’ and claims by unintended recipients.

Cider Australia president Sam Reid said the reforms acknowledge the local cider producers whose activities directly support rural and regional communities and drive diversity and ongoing growth in the Australian cider market.

“Once these reforms are enacted a cider business will need to own the apples and pears in a product from pressing through to the final packaging, in effect restricting ciders made from imported juice concentrate”, said Mr Reid.

“The reforms reflect Cider Australia’s view that the rebate should only be available to cider made from 100% Australian juice that supports regional agricultural communities in Australia. It’s also a great opportunity for us to start a conversation about Australian Craft Cider, which we feel will be the next growth driver for the category”.

“Cider Australia would like to commend Senator Ruston and her team for the consultative manner in which they have engaged the industry, ensuring a positive outcome for Australian growers and producers”, said Mr Reid.

With the assurance that Australian craft cider producers will continue to be eligible for the rebate, Cider Australia will now refocus its efforts on the definition of cider and truth in cider labelling.

“Cider Australia remains concerned about the impact of cuts to the rebate cap without any change to the current disparate definitions of cider in Australian tax laws and the Australia New Zealand Food Standards (FSANZ) Code and calls on the Government to rectify this and improve the integrity of cider labelling”.

“For instance, globally most countries have a minimum juice content included in their definition of cider and yet we still don’t have any requirement in either of the legal definitions in Australia”.

“We look forward to working with the Government to reform current labelling laws to level the playing field and provide consumers with accurate information about where the fruit in their cider comes from. We believe that this will improve the ability of our members to innovate and capitalise on emerging export opportunities like we have seen in the wine industry”, said Mr Reid.

For more details or interviews contact Cider Australia President Sam Reid on 0434 734 797.