CYT signs Premiership rugby sponsorship deal for Trivento Argentinian wine

Trivento, the Concha y Toro Argentinian wine brand, has signed the first wine sponsorship deal with Premiership Rugby which will see its wines promoted across all grounds and coverage during the 2014-2015 season.

Oxford Wine Company signs deal to be exclusive UK importer of Downton Abbey wines

Ted Sandbach of the Oxford Wine Company has become the exclusive UK importer for a special Downton Abbey range of wines, created by French producer, Les Grands Chais de France.

Vinoteca to offer Riesling by the glass straight from 20-litre kegs

Vinoteca, the London chain of wine bars and restaurants, is introducing what it claims will be the first Riesling to be sold by the keg in the capital.

Douglas Blyde takes a trip back in time with Luxardo and Maraschino liqueurs

In honour of today's British visitors, the Union Jack is draped alongside the bandiera d'Italia at Luxardo's distillery near Padua. But both are motionless given the lack of breeze.

Meet Downton Abbey's new cast

Move over Hugh Bonneville, Downtown Abbey has a new cast.

Katie Jones recovers from last year's destroyed vintage to release new 2013 wine

Katie Jones, the English winemaker based in the Languedoc in France, who saw last year's vintage destroyed by vandals, has successfully released her new 2013 wine which is now available in the UK.

CBI reports strong and growing retail sales figures

Further signs the economy is recovering come today with the latest CBI retail figures that show volumes have grown solidly in the year to July and that retailers expect future sales to be even stronger through the summer.

Hakkasan teams up with WSET to provide first dedicated sake training course

An increasing demand for sake amongst UK consumers is not being met by the trade, according to Christine Parkinson, head wine buyer at the Hakkasan restaurant group, which has recently put the sommeliers in its London branches through a new WSETdedicated sake course.

Geoffrey Dean is blown away by beauty and quality of Switzerland's Lavaux wine region

When Patrick Fonjallaz's grandfather bought a 32,000-litre foudre at the Geneva Exposition of 1897, he got home to find it was too big to fit into his cellar on the northern shore of Lake Geneva. So he built another one, where the magnificently ornate foudre is still housed. It is not used for wine maturation any more, but stands sentinel-like in the winery, a reminder of the canton of Vaud's distinguished winemaking history.

Top chefs team up for Indian cycling challenge to raise money for Action Against Hunger

Leading chefs and members of the drinks and hospitality  industries are to cycle across 400 kilometres of Rajasthan in India to help raise money for Action Against Hunger.

Skye Gyngell to open first standalone restaurant at Somerset House

Skye Gyngell, who made her name at the Petersham Nurseries Café, is to open her first solo venture,Spring, at Somerset House in London in October.

Memories of red thongs and "Semillons" inspire Andrew Shaw to join Team Cox

Andrew Shaw, head of buying at Bibendum Wine, is the latest wine industry stalwart to sign up to take part in the upcoming Médoc Marathon in Bordeaux to help raise money in memory of Michael Cox, the former UK head of Wines of Chile.

Tesco to replace chief executive, Philip Clarke, with outsider from Unilever

Chief of the Week: The Wirral

OK I may be biased having been brought up, schooled, educated and shown the way to a good life on the Wirral, but this week's Open golf championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course in Hoylake only reminds me of what a wonderful place it is.

Total World Cup drinks sales reach £1.1billion despite fading interest in final weeks

Final drinks sales for the World Cup reveal that overall beers, wines and spirits were up by £15.1 million for the five weeks of the tournament to top £1.1 billion.

Glenmorangie in full swing for the second year of its Open golf sponsorship

As thousands of golf fans head to the Wirral on Merseyside for the Open Championship, Glenmorangie is in full swing for the second year of its high profile sponsorship of the tournament.

Imogen Taylor on "exciting" white South African wines and making it as a young sommelier

Douglas Blyde talks to the 22 year-old sommelier of Greyhound at The Test in Stockbridge who says it was not her father of Stone Vine & Sun fame that inspired her to take up a career in wine, but getting her hands dirty out in wineries around the world instead.

Andy Palmer on why big brands have forgotten advertising is about "selling"

There is a prevailing school of thought in the advertising business that to change consumer behaviour you first need to change consumer attitudes [and by consumer behaviour we mean getting people to buy stuff].

Berry Bros & Rudd and Roberson win Independent Merchants of the year at IWC 2014

Berry Bros & Rudd and Roberson Wine were named Large and Small Independent Merchant of the Year at last night's International Wine Challenge awards dinner. 

South Africa's Charles Back receives a Lifetime Achievement award at IWC 2014

Legendary South African winemaker and producer, Charles Back, received the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Wine Challenge awards dinner last night in London.