o'farrell to signal go-ahead on csg, page-3

Not related to MEL, but what a way to demonstrate CSG...Ha... AGL Wine a gold medal!


Coal seam gas and wine share a glass in Hunter
SMH CBD 20/08/2012

THE energy company that has winemakers and horse breeders in the Hunter Valley (and Sydney radio announcer Alan Jones) seething over its plans to extract coal seam gas in the region impressed at least some of the quaffers at last week's Hunter Valley Wine Show.

''There is nothing to stop them entering,'' said one of the show's committee members, Bruce Tyrrell (pictured), of AGL Energy, which had entered some wines from its Spring Mountain vineyard.

''When we were putting the wines out last Sunday I was tempted to give them a shake,'' said Tyrrell, who, as a member of the Hunter Valley Protection Alliance, has been one of the most outspoken critics of coal seam gas activity in the area.

But Tyrrell conceded the AGL wine was ''pretty good''.

Advertisement ''Hate to admit it,'' said Tyrrell, whose winery dominated the medals table at the show, taking 13 golds, six silvers and 17 bronzes, and four trophies.

AGL bought its Spring Mountain vineyard in 2009 ''to demonstrate that gas exploration and extraction can successfully co-exist with vineyards''.

Spring Mountain's previous owner was former New South Wales premier and former Australian Vintage (aka McGuigan Simeon Wines) director Nick Greiner, who has also played down the impact of coal seam gas extraction on the environment.

AGL's 2012 semillon picked up a gold medal.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/coal-seam-gas-and-wine-share-a-glass-in-hunter-20120819-24gie.html#ixzz242WRiogk