• "Ancient Lines", by Filippa Edghill.
    "Ancient Lines", by Filippa Edghill.
  • "The Last Resort II", by Hannah Nowlan.
    "The Last Resort II", by Hannah Nowlan.
  • "Sorbet", by Evi O.
    "Sorbet", by Evi O.
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A new project is aiming to give the much-maligned “goon” cask a new lease on life, by pairing it with limited-edition artworks.

Pord is an eight-inch aluminium barrel adorned with designs from three different artists – Evi O, Filippa Edghill, and Hannah Nowlan – and filled with Mitchelton wine, available in time for Australia Day.

According to spokesperson Anna Webster in a blog post for Pord, the project will help shake up the image of cask wine.

“Cask wine is becoming cool. There’s an ironic appeal to a retro resurgence, as natural winemakers who seal their bottles with cork and wax will attest to, and playing around with packaging and methods of serving are fun, easy ways to innovate.

“In Pord’s case, packaging premium wine in an art-covered mini barrel that is as appealing empty as it is full is a prime example of this,” said Webster.

Once empty, the barrel can then be reused as home décor – Pord suggests using it as a vase, centrepiece, ice bucket, cookie jar, or storage container.

“As more producers look to package their quality wine in casks, not only will the stigma surrounding it fade and vanish, it may come to be seen as preferable way to do it,” said Webster. “By bringing art into it, Pord goes a step further, creating packaging that’s as appealing as the wine itself.”

Food & Drink Business

The Central Coast is about to receive a boost to its local food and beverage manufacturing industry, with construction starting on the $17.14 million Food Manufacturing Innovation Hub, funded by the federal government’s National Reconstruction Fund (NFR).

The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) says Australia is at a “critical crossroads” when it comes to R&D and decades of rhetoric have not delivered material change.

New Zealand’s national organisation for the country's grape and wine sector, New Zealand Winegrowers, has released its 2025 Sustainability Report, highlighting the industry’s commitment to environmental preservation and sustainability through its climate change, water, people, soil, waste, and plant protection goals.