Buckingham Schenk sees Argentina and Prosecco sales soar

Buckingham Schenk see sales of its Argentinian Viñalba brand rocket, with Prosecco also leading the charge while pre-filled goblets hit sales of 1 million.  

Heston Blumenthal to open Melbourne version of Fat Duck on February 3

The Australian version of Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck restaurant is to open in Melbourne in February 3 2015 with reservations being taken from October 8.

Accolade Wines switches its European division from the UK to Poland

Accolade Wines is to run its European affairs from a new dedicated office in Warsaw, Poland rather than manage the operation from its UK headquarters.

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An independent Scotland is bad news for Scotch whisky in short-term, says Rabobank

An independent Scotland will have a negative impact on the Scotch whisky industry in the short term, says a new report from Rabobank.

French harvest looking good, say estate owners

French winemakers are optimistic about the current harvest, especially given the current spell of good weather is making for perfect harvesting conditions.

William Grant & Sons invests in Tullamore whiskey with new Irish distillery

William Grant & Sons officially opens its new Tullamore state-of-the-art whiskey distillery today in Ireland to help keep up with international demand for what is now the second largest Irish whiskey in the world. It is the first time that whiskey has been produced in Tullamore for 60 years.

Baking hot September boosts prospects for Bordeaux 2014 harvest

September's "baking hot" weather in Bordeaux has "greatly improved" the prospects for this year's harvest, with chateau owners comparing it to 2008.

On-trade hit by decline in spirits sales across all venues

Declining year-on-year spirits sales in the on-trade will have brand owners hoping for a substantial pick up in the last few months of the year leading up to Christmas.

Views of the Beautiful South: Mario Pablo Silva, Casa Silva

Here Mario Pablo Silva , managing director of Chilean wine producer Casa Silva, gives his impressions and hopes for the UK market on the back of last weeek's Wines of the Beautiful South tasting.

Buyers should act quickly to secure Languedoc wine from 2014 harvest

Wine buyers looking to secure wine from the Languedoc this year are urged to act quickly following predictions the yield could be down as much as 40% on last year, according to the grape broking business, Ciatti Group.

Global wine harvest predictions released by Ciatti

The overall European wine harvest for 2014 looks like being down on last year, according to the latest report from Ciatti, the global grape broking business, but France is set to return to its position as the biggest wine supplier in the world.

Bordeaux Index sees 'green shoots of recovery' in fine wine market

Fine wine merchant Bordeaux Index is seeing a recovery in the market thanks to growing demand for Bordeaux wines from the US and Asian markets.

Independents all set for September's Specialist Importers Trade Tasting

Next week's SITT (Specialist Importers Trade Tasting) promises another sell out event offering independent wine merchants, restaurants, bars, pubs and sommeliers the chance to taste wines specifically targeted at them from around the world. 

Consumer confidence rises despite drop in wine and spirits sales says WSTA

There are further signs that the economy is recovering and consumer confidence is returning despite a fall in wine and spirits sales, according to the latest market report issued by the Wine & Spirit Trade Association.

Business and drinks experts to share innovation insights at WSTA conference

Experts from both inside and outside the drinks industry will share their experience on the importance of driving innovation through business at tomorrow's annual conference of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association.

Diageo faces shareholder protests over executive bonuses at AGM

Diageo chiefs are bracing themselves for a tough ride at this Thursday's annual company meeting over a row with some investors over the levels of boardroom pay.

New firm North South Wines ramps up activity

Newly-created North South Wines is planning to boost its team as it gets ready for a series of product launches in the coming months.

Views from Beautiful South: Ricardo Rabelo, Finca Flinchman

Following this week's Wines of the Beautiful South tasting in London Harpers caught up with key figures from across the Chilean, Argentinian and South African wine industries to assess their thoughts on the UK wine market for their wines.

Your view: the impact of Scottish independence on the drinks trade

With only three more days to go until the big Scottish independence vote we ask the UK wine and spirits industry what it thinks will be the best outcome for individual businesses and look at some of the big issues that might arise after the Yes/No vote. Will alcohol duty rates differ in an independent Scotland? And how would drinks firms cope with trading in separate currencies north and south of the border? What do you think is the right future for Scotland and the rest of the country. Take part in our poll and let's find out...