Lord's Cricket Ground is the best venue in the UK for tastings, and the annual generic shindigs of Wines of Chile and Wines of South Africa are the best single events, according to a poll of tastings organisers and attendees conducted by Harpers.
The Bordeaux seminar held as part of the Renaissance of the French Vineyard event - the two-day festival of food and wine at Raymond Blanc's Manoir aux Quat' Saisons on 21-22 November - addressed some of the most urgent questions relating to the world's largest fine-wine region.
HM Revenue & Customs has still not released full details of the proposed changes to self-invested pension portfolios (SIPPs) - which will allow fine wine to be included in a portfolio (and be eligible for tax relief) - despite the new laws expected to come into force by April.
Edward Cavendish & Sons is making its first move into Spanish wine with the addition of the premium Cavas from the house of Nadal to its portfolio.
Sourced from the Cava heartlands of Penedes, the three-strong range - Nadal Brut, Nadal Rosado Brut and 2000 Nadal Brut Especial Gran Reserva - range in price from 8.99 to 9.99.
Following Hallgarten's decision to end its distribution of the wine from Beelgara and invest in fellow Australian company Berton Vineyards, the distributor has announced that it is restructuring its Australian range.
Blavod Extreme Spirits, which produces a black vodka, has been forced to amend its first-ever national TV advertising campaign, after an industry watchdog objected to the words shave me'.
After years of speculation and rumour, a Champagne producer has finally taken the plunge and planted a vineyard in southern England. But it's a small grower from Avize and not a well-known house that has made the first move, planting 3 hectares (ha) of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir near Hambledon in Hampshire.
Montana - New Zealand's bestselling wine brand, accounting for more than 50% of the country's production - will be taken under the control of Australia's Orlando Wyndham group following Diageo's decision not to exercise its option to buy the company.
Armit, formerly known as John Armit Wines, has decided to withdraw from The Bunch, the trade group of independent merchants, and it will not be taking part in the forthcoming press tasting in January.
The Wine Academy of Spain is organising the first world conference on Global Warming and Wine'. The two-day conference, held 24-25 May 2006 in Barcelona, will feature professors and winemakers from around the globe' to explain what climate change and global warming are and analyse the most immediate and future repercussions'.
Speakers include viticulturalist Dr Richard Smart, Professor Bernard Seguin of the INRA in France and Dr David Smart of UC Davis, California.
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has secured Government funding to deliver subsidised training courses
to London clubs, pubs, restaurants and bars.
Brian McGuigan, one of the best-known figures in the Australian wine industry, is stepping down from the helm of the company he founded, McGuigan Simeon.
A Bordeaux Syndicat has set itself against the region's ngociants by threatening to withhold certificates allowing wine sold to be labelled Bordeaux or Bordeaux Superior unless it has been bought for minimum price of e1,000 a tonneau.
London-based Moreno wines has added the wines of Dominio de Valdepusa - Marqus de Grin Carlos Falc's DO Pago wines - to its portfolio.
Wine drinkers in the UK are increasingly concerned with alcohol levels, new research from Wine Intelligence has revealed.
In its latest Leading Thinkers seminar, held in London last Thursday (24 November), the company identified five consumer groups, complete with average age, income, average bottle spend and buying habits. The results can be seen in the table on the right.
Rioja producer Bodegas Montecillo has released a limited-edition Gran Reserva 1994 to celebrate its 130th anniversary. Winemaker Maria Martinez is also celebrating her 30 years with the company. The wine, which is aged in 100% French oak, is made from Tempranillo sourced from the Rioja Alta region. Distribution is through Hayman Barwell Jones.
Read more...The rumour mill has been spinning for a week or more over the future of the former Wilmington publications Wine International, Wine & Spirit International and Drinks International, which were bought by William Reed in September.
Reh Kendermann is moving to the screwcap closure for both its German (Kendermanns) and Romanian (River Route) wine ranges.
We've had disco, flares, Abba and Blue Nun; now Surrey-based spirits specialist James Rackham is looking to revive another '70s staple: the drinks trolley.
Oeneo - the French-owned closure company formerly known as Sabat - has opened a plant capable of mass-producing Diam, the world's only taint-free' cork-based closure.
