Three Hunter Valley wineries have been named in this year's top 50 vineyards.
Katrina Barry (Graveyard Vineyard), Angus Vinden (Vinden Wines Somerset Vineyard) and Brent Hutton (Keith Tulloch Wines) all made the cut for the Young Guns of Wine annual awards.
It's the third year in a row that Mr Hutton has made the list and he could be happy to appear next to "some very big names".
Hunter Means Business asked the viticulturist what Keith Tulloch Wines was doing differently to achieve such recognition.
"My approach is around sustainability and not just farming wine," he said.
"We're always looking for ways to work with the environment rather than against - we have biodiversity beds with Australian natives, that attracts the beneficial insects that eat the ones we don't want.
"We haven't sprayed an insecticide for the past three years jsut by working with nature."
And what about this year's vintage?
"Geez it looks good," he said. "I think it'll be one to remember."
Kurri abattoir $19m redevelopment
To pair with all that wine, we're going to need some red meat.
Alexander Downs has lodged a development application for a $19-million rebuild of its meat processing facility at Kurri Kurri.
The group bought the abattoir in 2016, with the intent of eventually upgrading the facility, which is close to 50 years old.
"To not invest in the development would lead to the plant's closure as eventually the existing plant will not be able to comply with current legislation requirements," planning documents state.
The new processing facility will feature the sector's latest technology, and be more sustainable and environmentally friendly, with solar panels and several water and energy efficient measures.
The site can process up to 1700 head of stock a week, or roughly 140,000 kilograms of meat for all you city slickers (as a former agricultural journalist and self-proclaimed concrete cowboy, I'm allowed to say that).
The existing facility employs approximately 35 full and part-time staff, but the new operation will employ up to 60 people.
The entire rebuild and demolition process is expected to take just under two years once approved.
Information provided by NSW Treasury estimates proposed development will generate $30 million to the local economy.
Free AI course for businesses
Australian small and medium business owners can get to access a new free course in artificial intelligence 101.
The National AI Centre (NAIC), coordinated by Australia's national science agency CSIRO, announced it will provide one million scholarships to support Australians to learn fundamental skills and adopt AI technology in their business operations.
The 'Introduction to Artificial Intelligence' course will be delivered through TAFE NSW and will cover topics including challenges and risks, common misconceptions, real world applications, and advice from industry experts.
Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic said a lot of business owners and workers have heard of AI, but they're not sure about how it applies to them.
"With this course, they can dip their toe in the water and get the basic skills that get them thinking about how AI can get their business working smarter and faster," he said.
"This is practical and pragmatic support for small businesses, who don't have the same access to tech know-how as big business, but have just as big a need to improve productivity."
Mr Husic said the free course was the latest milestone in the government's AI ambitions, and a step towards its target of 1.2 million tech-related jobs by 2030.
For more information about the free course, head to the NSW TAFE website.
