By EUNICE MURRISON
Wine retailers across the UK enjoyed a healthy Christmas trading period. Berry Bros & Rudd (BBR) and Lay & Wheeler both saw double-digit year-on-year growth, while Majestic's like-for-like sales rose by 4.4%.
UK wine drinkers will spend more on still and sparkling wine than any other European country by 2010, according to new research from Vinexpo.
Black Bottle was repackaged earlier in 2006, and now has a new website to complete its revamp: www.blackbottle.com.
The Women of Wine (WoW) Christmas party was held at the Met Hennessy HQ in London's Mayfair last month.
The newly formed northern branch of Buddies of the Benevolent (BOB) is celebrating Burns Night on 25 January from 7.30pm in Freemasons Hall, central Manchester.
We asked key figures in the UK wine trade for their predictions for 2007. This is what they said:
Three new Italian agencies have been added to the Matthew Clark portfolio: Ruffino, Fontana Candida and Bigi.
Diageo has taken a step forward in the Chinese market by entering a joint venture with Sichuan Chengdu Quanxing.
Blavod Extreme Spirits is continuing talks with an unidentified suitor about a potential takeover bid, but its latest financial results will not have increased its attractions.
The world could toast the success of athletes at London's 2012 Olympics with Bride Valley Brut English sparkling wine if a joint venture between Champagne Duval-Leroy and wine writer Steven Spurrier comes to fruition.
By RON EMLER
The Swedish government has effectively fired the starting gun in the race to buy Absolut vodka.
John E Fells will now be responsible for sales and distribution of wines for Jackson Wine Estates, whose portfolio includes Kendall-Jackson in California, Via Caline in Chile, and Yangarra Estate in McLaren Vale, Australia.
Read more...Jeremy Beadles, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), has warned that Finnish plans for health warnings on back labels would encourage other national governments to follow suit.
Jo Burzynska reporting from New Zealand
As one of the many Riesling lovers vainly holding out for the variety's long-prophesied but never-nigh renaissance, my heart sank a little with the news that plantings of the Germanic great had been overtaken by Pinot Gris in the vineyards of New Zealand.
by Rebecca Gibb
Fortnum & Mason wants to leave behind its dusty old Hogwarts image' with a 24-million revamp.
Clementine Communications now handles the PR for Champagne Montaudon - one of the only family-run Champagne houses remaining in the region.
Read more...Following the launch of a new website for Bunnahabhain Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky earlier in 2006, an online shop is now up and running.
David Yunghanns of Wingara Wine Group has warned that fake versions of top Australian wines are on the increase.
Read more...Thresher's trading director, Alex Anson, is leaving the company to take up a new position as European buying director for Nuance Group, based in Zurich.
Morgenrot Chevaliers PLC, an independent wholesaler in the north of England, is relocating to new premises in Manchester after 36 years of trading from its original site in Bolton.
