BY JACK HIBBERD
The European Commission's proposals for reforming the European wine regime would open the door for cross-country EU super-blends - with vintage and variety allowed on the label.
Amid all the crisis talk about wine lakes and enforced distillation comes the news that Italy's wine exports are in unexpectedly rosy health. Comparing the first quarter of 2006 with the same period in 2005, the official Italian statistics institute, ISTAT, has revealed that sales abroad have increased 17% by volume and 9% in value.
Read more...BY RICHARD WOODARD
Port shipper Barros Almeida and Kopke has been bought by Sogevinus - the drinks arm of Spanish bank Caixanova - in a deal that makes Sogevinus the fifth-biggest producer in the Douro Valley.
Ren Renou, president of the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO), died on Sunday 18 June.
Read more...How have you got your head around so many different saks?
When I first arrived I was a bit scared, to be honest. I knew as much about sak as most Europeans do: absolutely nothing. There is a perception that saks are really alcoholic, or that they all taste the same, but this is complete rubbish, you can find many different sorts of sak. For eaxample, Mukantei Ginjo from Kikusui brewery is more about high acidity and freshness to go with sushi. However, if you are eating toro, the fatty belly of the tuna, you need a sak with texture to fight it, such as Momo Shizuku, from the Matsumoto brewery.
The chairman of the body charged with spearheading black economic empowerment in the South African wine industry has resigned to concentrate on his business consultancy.
Read more...BY JACK HIBBERD
Wines of South Africa (WOSA) has launched its first full-scale consumer campaign based around the diversity message it launched to the trade last year. The major focus for the campaign is a 170,000 advertising campaign on the London Tube network, which started last week and will run up to 2 July.
Jackson Family Wines - the producer of the Kendall-Jackson brand - has bought the Murphy-Goode Estate Winery for an undisclosed sum. The Murphy family will retain its vineyard holdings.
BY JACK HIBBERD
Beaujolais's most famous son, Georges Duboeuf of the eponymous wine company, had reason for triple celebration last week: the success of the perfect' 2005 vintage; the near-end of the long-running wine scandal'; and the launch of his first varietal Gamay.
BY RON EMLER
America's largest brewer is moving closer to greater involvement in the wine and spirit sectors.
How did you get started?
I was born in Ashford (Kent) but then
we moved to Cyprus, because my father worked with the army. He became ill and died, so we returned initially to Deal but then moved to Ashford. It was full of London overspill so it was a tough environment. To keep out of trouble, I did two paper rounds, worked in a sweet shop and in a fish and chip shop - I used to have a barrow at Ashford station and served Bill Deedes (the Conservative MP and former editor of the Daily Telegraph).
Sicily is technically a region of Italy, but really it stands alone. The island has been invaded by so many cultures over the years - Asians, African, Europeans - that it has its own brand of cosmopolitan charm that transcends the Italian canopy.
As a community, Sicily is virtually self-sufficient, and its main income has traditionally been agricultural exports. Dramatic mountain ranges slice through much of the landscape, with Mount Etna as their ruler, and, not surprisingly, considering that Sicily has a number of hectares under vine comparable to that of the whole of Australia, vineyards are never far from sight.
The finance director of the collapsed fine wine merchant Mayfair Cellars sold almost 1 million of customers' wine without authorisation and then passed on the proceeds to his partner, according to the administrators report.
Shares in Majestic Wine rose marginally as soon as its results for the year to March 27 were announced, reflecting the market's relief that the figures were almost exactly what brokers had predicted. Last week, some had expressed fears that the pace of Majestic's long unbroken run of record profitability would be slowed.
ARDBEG
News: Ardbeg's cult following by peat freaks is set to continue, with a raft of single malt releases for 2006. (Single malt bottlings have increased to 70% of distillery production since manager Stuart Thompson's arrival nine years ago).
Two former United Wineries employees - Bill Rolfe and Toby Hancock - have left the company to launch a new wine business, 10 International.
Read more...Some 41 winemakers from Friuli Venezia Giulia will be in London in July for the second UK SuperWhites event.
Read more...A new guide with information for those wishing to visit Scottish distilleries has been published by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).
Read more...The Portman Group, the responsible drinking organisation, has decided to issue guidance to retailers after a landmark decision regarding the promotion of gift packs containing alcoholic drinks.
Read more...Mocot delayed by Brazilian officials
Mocot, the new contemporary Brazilian restaurant in London's Knightsbridge, has put back its opening date once again - this time to mid-August.
