Brown-Forman: the next big deal?

Mergers and acquisitions are the name of the game at the moment in the spirits world and whiskey brands are taking centre stage.

The Week That Was: top news, Q&As and opinion on Harpers.co.uk

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we haved done a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.

Languedoc-based winery aims to create a world class sparkling wine in Kent

A Languedoc-based winery has taken up the challenge of trying to create a world class sparkling wine in a new vineyard in Kent.

Final Call: Should 2013 Bordeaux en primeur be cancelled?

Some leading figures in the UK wine trade have called for the cancellation of the 2013 Bordeaux en primeur campaign, but is it just a select number of critics or a vast majority of buyers?

Constellation Brands stock is climbing

Constellation Brands is starting 2014 on a high note, with its stock prices hitting a 52-week high last week of $81.51 on better than expected Q3 earnings and revenue reports.

Mangrove adds Old Forester Bourbon to its range

UK distributor Mangrove will now offer Old Forester Bourbon whiskey as part of its portfolio of specialist spirits and liqueurs.

?Expect to pay higher prices for New Zealand wines

Price pressure is escalating on New Zealand wines as short vintages and a lack of new plantings mean demand is exceeding supply.

Sales of European and fine wine set to grow in US

The US wine industry is facing challenges as it hits "transition point" with younger consumers moving into the market, but sales of European and fine wine are set to grow, says Silicon Valley Bank.

Sam Neill's Two Paddocks acquires fourth Central Otago vineyard

Actor- turned- winemaker, Sam Neill, has acquired a fourth vineyard in Central Otago, New Zealand, adding six additional hectares of Pinot Noir to his vineyard portfolio with the purchase of a Bannockburn estate called Desert Heart.

NZ annual London tasting focuses on sustainability and new styles of wine

New Zealand Winegrowers will be hosting their annual London trade tasting at Lindley Hall at the Royal Horticultural Halls, a new venue for the tasting, on Tuesday, January 21, with a focus on sustainability and new styles of wines.

Anna Greenhous gives tips for food and Sake matching

There is a mysterious Japanese saying which literally translates as: "Sake never fights with food". At a glance this doesn't make much sense. What they mean to say is that sake matches well with food. It doesn't create the kind of mismatches wine sometimes makes - as testified by anyone who's ever drunk a tannic red with smoked salmon, creating an unpleasant metallic taste. Or been disappointed to find their Champagne, though great with sushi, is ruined when wasabi is added, the delicate flavours disappearing as the heat takes over.

Sonoma County to be first completely sustainable US wine region

The Sonoma County Winegrowers announced yesterday a three phased plan that will make Sonoma County the first 100% sustainable wine region in the US.

Exploration among younger generations is key to showing French Wines diversity

The 12th annual French Wine Discovery Tasting, which showcased over 120 exhibitors, was held at the Tobacco Dock yesterday on January 14th, 2014.

Wine's winners and losers in 2013 and predictions for 2014

HMRC launches official protection scheme for Spirits in the UK

In order to better protect Spirits in the European Union, the Spirit Drinks Verification Scheme has been launched beginning with Scotch Whisky on January 10, 2014, in order to protect different Spirits from fraudulent and sub-standard products that are made in the UK.

Enter Story Headline

Enotria to add Australian Burch Family Wines to portfolio

Burch Family Wines, which has a winery in Margaret River in South West Australia, and a winery in Denmark, in the Great Southern region, is the newest addition to the Enotria wine portfolio.

California's lack of rainfall is major threat to winemakers in 2014

2013 marked one of the driest year's on record in California, with cities like San Francisco reporting the driest year since 1849, when annual rainfall totals first started being recorded.  Los Angeles similarly, reported only receiving 3.6 inches of rain in total for 2013, well below the average of 14 inches. This could be catastrophic for agriculture and wine producers should conditions not change in the near future.

Over 77,000 fake Smirnoff Vodka bottles to be destroyed

Singapore Customs has handed over 77,850 counterfeit Smirnoff vodka bottles to brand owner, Diageo. The authorities first discovered the shipment in June 2013 and have only now released them to be destroyed. 

Douglas Blyde goes on a mission to discover the Médoc

A bottle bigger than a very big man towers over revolving baggage at Bordeaux airport. Around it, sommeliers gather. Bacchanalian worship. They are set to explore the Médoc. Between the Atlantic and river Gironde, 12,000 acres of tropical sea then marsh drained by merchant Dutch in the seventeenth century support tenacious vines. The châteaux with the best hand of land gained lasting recognition from the 1855 classification ordered for Napoleon III's Universal Exposition. It emerged all reds bar one (Haut-Brion, Graves) were reaped from the Médoc. However, in addition to those hallowed bottles (the Grand Cru Classé accounts for 20% of production) this is a land of diversity.