Q&A: Philip Cox, co-owner, Cramele Recas

The co-owner of the Romaninan winery talks to Carol Emmas about how the UK market has opened up to Eastern European wines

From the Shop Floor: Katherine Canfield, Hangingditch

A tasting of 50 wines in under 50 minutes is just another day in the life of an independent wine merchant. Anyone working in this sector will agree that most days there is rarely an occasion for which three hours can be spared to leisurely taste and assess a range of wines. It is often an accomplishment to dedicate that amount of time to sleep.

Geoffrey Dean on Port's best opportunity for generations - the 2011s

Collectors of vintage Port will be anticipating the imminent delivery of the highly acclaimed 2011s, whose shipment from Porto began this week.

Anne Krebiehl goes back in time with New Zealand's Rippon Vineyards

You rarely meet pioneers in 2013, but in the wine world it is still possible to encounter people who broke new ground. To taste their wines is a privilege. Yesterday's vertical of Rippon Vineyards Pinot Noir with vintages going back to 1990, presented by Lea & Sandeman, was a taste of early Central Otago viticulture, the 1990 being only the second commercial vintage coming from this stunning vineyard on the shore of Lake Wanaka.

Vivienne Franks calls on the trade to get behind Virginian wines

Vivienne Franks, in our latest AWEsome column, from the Association of Wine Educators, does her best to extol the virtues of the wines of Virginia.

Anna Greenhous on unusual styles of sake to enjoy on World Sake day

Anna Greenhous marks today's World Sake Day, with specialist tastings taking place in London, by taking an in-depth look at unusual types of sake.

Q&A: Agnès Aubin, Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac

The director of communications and promotion for the BNIC on how Cognac is going from strength to strength

Jonathan Cahill: One small step in price, one great leap in value

One of the great ironies of the wine industry is that it deals in a product that has a deep well of the primary ingredient in choice, which is, as a consequence, the main element in marketing - emotion.

Douglas Blyde discovers Hampshire wine at Hattingley Valley

A minibus ordinarily reserved for the school run chugs restaurateurs, sommeliers and writers of various generations from Basingstoke station to Hampshire's Hattingley Valley. There, chicken sheds have made way for a winery which, beyond cobbled walls, is cutting edge, complete with Coquard press from Epernay run by solar power.

John Humphries: discovering the wonders of Grappa

I had it. A wrap. Concealed in a torn Mars Bar wrapper, a quarter of a gram. Of Saffron. La Mancha's finest from an obliging chef. I retraced my steps from Dean back to Wardour Street for the second session of a Grappa master class with Grappe Marolo from, Alba, Italy. I was attending for two reasons, to learn about a spirit that had always assaulted both by palate and my nostrils with its pungent, raw aromas and high alcohol. I had also volunteered to make a Grappa cocktail, a Sour, the classic recipe but with the aromatic intensity of a few sprigs of fresh rosemary added to the shaker.

Douglas Blyde delights in three new releases from Glenfiddich

The minds behind Glenfiddich, the most awarded and potentially most exported single malt whisky, gathered in Piccadily at the HQ of the Royal Society of Chemistry to launch three newcomers to the range.

Deborah Sleep: what the wine trade can learn from the re-positioning of Hardy's

Deborah Sleep, director of customer insight agncy, Engage Research, looks at the wider lessons to be learnt from the repackaging of Australian wine brand, Hardy's, and how consumer insight is helping it to reposition the brand in terms of price and quality expectations:

Richard Bampfield: Why admitting you just 'don't know' can be the most insightful answer of all

In the latest of our series of "AWEsome tales" from members of the Association of Wine Educators, Richard Bampfield takes heart from winemakers and members of the trade, regardless of how experienced or educated they are, who admit they are still looking for answers when it comes to understanding the intracies of wine production.

Matthew Dickinson on rubbing shoulders with the French political elite

Last week, I had the potentially dubious pleasure of being invited to the French Embassy in London to participate in a round table discussion with a roll-call of French dignitaries - the French export minister Mme Bricq, a senator, a (rather attractive, and surprisingly young) 'député' - as French MPs are known -  the Ambassador, a raft of bureaucrats, the chief executive of Danone UK etc. As far as egos, remuneration and importance in the general pecking order went, I was way down the far end of the table.

Chris Porter on how together the Benevolent and drinks industry are changing people's lives

What a year it is turning out to be for The Benevolent. Many of you will have read about the changes that we are making to our core strategy, moving away from a "bricks and mortar" approach. Instead we are concentrating on delivering help where it is most needed, in the homes of employees from our industry who are now unable to work due to an unexpected deterioration in their personal circumstances or the onset of serious illness. The Benevolent's support means that they can remain in their own homes, within their communities, close to their friends, families and loved ones.

Enter Story Headline

Laura Vickers on what wine brands can learn from success of revamped Black Tower

The iconic black bottle of Black Towerhad its peak back in the 1980s, reaching sales of 18 million bottles a year, but their sales nosedived in the 1990s as New World wines grew in popularity and filled their place in the market. Since then, the company has been striving to recover its previous levels of success.

Enter Story Headline

John Nevens on how the rise in English wine is a lesson for all drinks companies

John Nevens, director of category management specialists, looks at how changing demographic trends and social habits are impacting on the kind of food and drink we buy, and how the rise in interest and popularity of English wine is something that is relevant to all drinks suppliers.

Carol Emmas reports back from Liverpool's Whisky Lounge Fest 2013