González Byass puts in strong sales performance

González Byass has finished its financial year up with "really good growth on wine and Tio Pepe", says marketing director Jeremy Rockett.

Douglas Blyde on discovering the world of Amarone through Sandro Boscaini and Masi Agricola

Bedecked in stripes, from suit to socks, Sandro Boscaini, president of Masi Agricola, was in town earlier this month to celebrate the launch of a hardback book about arguably the best-known wine from Valpolicella, from where he was born. 'Amarone - The Making of an Italian Wine Phenomenon' is written by British expat, Kate Singleton (who also collaborated on Wines of Sicily and The Golden Book of Chocolate). Six corks, one embossed, grace its cover.

Buckingham Schenk launches pre-filled wine glasses in Sainsbury's

Buckingham Schenk has launched a range of pre-filled PET wine goblets under the Italian brand Cavatina exclusively to Sainsbury's.

Burgundy faces smallest harvest since 1950s

Burgundy is facing up to its smallest harvest since the mid-1950s after the vineyards of the Côte d'Or suffered a mixture of frost, hail, mildew and poor flowering.

Argentina's Catena family launches new wines in UK through Enotria

Argentinian wine dynasty Catena has launched wines from its new winery Bodega Cuarto Dominio in the UK through Enotria.

Christina Pickard looks at the latest winemaking trends in Rioja

"My favourite wine is Rioja". It's a line I hear a lot. Despite the UK's frequent absence on Rioja's top five list of most important export markets, the British have had a long standing love affair with wines from this notoriously wealthy Spanish region.

UK to become expert resource centre for global wine supply

The UK is turning itself into a global centre of excellence for wine distribution and understanding as it loses its place as the world's most critical wine market.

Oddbins blog: hunt for UK's top novice wine taster

A sustainability officer at Camden Council has been declared the UK's best amateur wine taster as winner of Oddbins' The Palate 2012 competition.

Win case of Absolutely Cracking French Wines

Harpers is offering one lucky reader a case of 12 wines, personally selected by the Harpers and IWC teams from a line-up of more than 150 at the Absolutely Cracking French Wines tasting, organised by Sopexa.

Geoffrey Dean on his discoveries in Piedmont

In contrast to the wettest British summer for a century, Piedmont enjoyed such a dry, sunny growing season that the harvest was completed much earlier than normal.

Jenny Mackenzie heads to Loire tasting with Les Caves de Pyrene

Les Caves de Pryene held a dedicated Loire tasting this week "to show the incredible diversity of the region and its vintage variation". It was also a timely reminder that the latest in its growing number of natural wine bars, the Green Man and French Horn in London's St Martin's Lane is dedicated to the food and wine of the Loire.

At Your Service events - October and November

Find out more about all the latest on-trade events in October and November.

Chile's Aconcagua Costa awarded DO status

The coastal section of Chile's Valle de Aconcagua has become a new Denomination of Origin, on the back of Viña Errázuriz's long-standing quest to establish the region as a new viticultural zone.

Bodegas Muriel joins forces with Off-Piste Wines

Off-Piste Wines has been appointed the new UK off-trade agent for Spanish wine producer Bodegas Muriel.

Find out more about all the latest on-trade openings this autumn

Find out more about all the latest on-trade openings this autumn.

Cape Winemakers Guild Auction achieves record takings

The 28th Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction has set record-breaking figures with the highest turnover and a complete sellout of all wines.

United Wineries looks to Russia, China and USA for growth

Spanish firm United Wineries has restructured its senior team as it turns its focus away from the UK and other mature markets and on to the faster-growing economies of Russia, China and the USA.

Jordan Wine Estate to help women enter wine industry

South Africa's Jordan Wine Estate has launched an initiative to help young women, both in the UK and at home, get into the wine industry.

Matthew Dickinson: why some wine business survive and others become extinct

Bill Hardy vows to protect family name

Bill Hardy, winemaker and family member at the leading Australian wine brand, is intent on safeguarding his heritage and has no intention of stepping down from the firm his family built.