Erin Smith takes a look at the overall trends influencing the wine industry and looks ahead to who are the likely winners and losers from a changing global economic picture.
Read more...Gordon Ramsay is to open a new London restaurant, the Union Street Café, close to Borough Market focused on offering seasonal Meditteranean dishes specialising in Italian artisan producers.
Read more...Diageo has revealed the 10 single malt whiskies that will make up its annual limited edition Special Releases for this year.
Read more..."It makes me very sad that I can't go there," says French oenologist consultant Stephane Derenoncourt speaking from Beirut yesterday. "You have no idea what is like to make wines by [looking at] photographs, and emails and receiving grapes [samples] by taxi. This is not how it is supposed to be done, but this is our baby. We started from scratch and now we are working with exciting terroir that will one day be famous all over the world. I know these wines can age and I want to be able to taste the war vintage in 15 years."
Read more...When Harpers gave its Best Label Design Award for 2010 to Chene Bleu, months of original thought by the French winery's co-owner, Nicole Rolet, were recognised. The wines, first made in 2006, were very good too, even if they needed time to evolve, but their development in the past three years has lifted them to super premium level. Plaudits have rolled in from the likes of Bettane, Robinson, Parker and Spurrier, with the Frenchman trumpeting Chene Bleu as a new 'grand cru.' As a winery can't officially be one in this part of southern France, a 'Super Rhone' is perhaps more apt, particularly as the domaine has followed the example of the Super Tuscans in sidestepping appellation rules. One day, Chene Bleu may be spoken of with the same reverence as Sassicaia and Ornellaia. Its wines are that exceptional.
Read more...Newspaper executive Lord Black will deliver the keynote speech on how an industry needs to respond from potential government regulation at this month's annual Wine & Spirit Trade Association conference.
Read more...David Harker, chief executive of Durham County Cricket Club (DCCC), has bought the Newcastle Local Wine School from founder Chris Powell who has built the business up in to a network of franchised schools around the country.
Read more...Up to 750 guests from around the world are expected to fly in to Adelaide later this month for Savour Australia for what organisers are claiming is "the most comprehensive exploration of Australian wine ever undertaken".
Read more...On a beautiful sunny day a couple of weeks back I drive down to Gillingham, that's not the Kentish one, but the market town in Dorset knowing not what awaits me. The 'Great Taste' awards have run since 1994 organised by the Guild of Fine Food, "promoting excellence in speciality food". In that time over 80,000 products have been blind-tasted by judges including top restaurateurs, chefs, food critics, fine food retailers, buyers and cookery writers.
Read more...It will surprise many Headbangers that The "AC" in AC/DC could easily stand for Appellation Controllee.
Read more...If you wanted to go somewhere to see the future of shopping in the UK then a trip to Watford would not be very high on your list. But ier this week a mini army of analysts, retail consultants and journalists all headed to see what Tesco's so called destination store of the future was all about.
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