With the exception of sun-loving categories such as Champagne, Pimm's and lager, the drinks trade has traditionally waited until the run-up to Christmas before launching into a frenzy of marketing and promotional activity. Although, arguably, this pattern is less true for wine brands than spirits - with ros being, obviously, far more of a summer drink than Scotch or Bailey's - most brand owners still have concentrated on the crucial November/December bi-month for their big promotional pushes. A few brands and generics might have made an appearance on the County Show circuit or at the odd classical music concert, but major summer campaigns from wine's big players have been the exception rather than the rule.
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Argentina is looking to grab at least 6% of the total wine market by 2020, according to Roberto Luca, president of Wines of Argentina (WoA).
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David Hohnen, the man behind Cloudy Bay and Cape Mentelle, has launched a new range of Margaret River wines with the help of his daughter and brother-in-law.
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The International Wine and Spirit Competition used the opening day of Vinexpo earlier this week to announce the first round of Trophy Winners in this year's competition.
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The last of the Bordeaux estates have released their prices for the 2004 en primeur campaign, two months after its start.
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Italy was the only European country that enjoyed an increase in sales of wine to the UK in 2004 (AC Nielsen), so the mood should be upbeat as 44 leading Italian importers gather at Lord's Cricket Ground for the seventh Definitive Italian Tasting, instigated by the Italian Wines Committee of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association and organised by Hunt & Coady.
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The Wine and Spirits Trades' Benevolent Society is likely to be badly hit by the takeover of Southcorp by the Foster's Group and the possible takeover and carving-up of Allied Domecq by Pernod Ricard, the Fortune Group and Diageo.
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Constellation Brands has been given until 29 June by the Takeover Panel in the City of London to make a formal counter offer for Allied Domecq.
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Following an introduction by Harpers editor Christian Davis, Sam Harrop MW kicked off the Harpers New Zealand Pinot Noir Seminar by posing a question that has been vexing many in the wine industry.
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A revelatory tasting of old Bouchard Pre & Fils Burgundies dating back to 1858, the year before publication of Darwin's Origin of Species, inspired high-profile musings on the evolution of some of the world's most sophisticated wines at a dinner at The Capital Hotel in London on 3 May.
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What makes great leaders in our industry?' asked Lulie Halstead at the LIWSF Wine MBA seminar.
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With the retail sector consolidating, and ranges and the supplier base being rationalised, the on-trade has become flavour of the month.
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Taming the screw: A manual for winemaking with screw caps, by Australian wine writer Tyson Stelzer, was due to be launched at the LIWSF this week.
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Award-winning producer Vergelegen has launched V', the most expensive South African wine ever released.
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Five high-profile leaders in the world wine community are set to be quizzed by Harpers editor Christian Davis at a special event at this year's London International Wine & Spirits Fair.
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Let's begin with a rather stretched analogy. World War I was a terrible conflict that exacted a terrible human toll. Yet this otherwise disastrous war yielded a significant positive benefit for the aviation industry as both sides sought more effective warplanes to master the new arena of aerial combat.
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Robin Fedden, travelling in Syria and Lebanon at the end of the Second World War, offers this advice to thirsty travellers in his travel book Syria and Lebanon: Quite good wine is made in certain parts of the Lebanon, particularly in the Bk'aa [sic] Valley, in the neighbourhood of Chtaura. It is relatively cheap. On the other hand, most of the wine in the out-of-the-way villages is hardly recognisable as such, and is best avoided.'
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The board of Allied has recommended the 7.5 billion takeover offer from Pernod Ricard - although speculation is growing that a counter bidder could be formulating an offer.
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Although Chile's 2005 vintage has so far proved to be good news for winemakers, it is developments in the boardrooms rather than the vineyards that are making the headlines.
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E&J Gallo has announced a number of personnel developments within its European division following the sudden departure of vice president general manager, Europe, Tamara Minick-Scokalo.
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