WSTA puts the consumer at the heart of its annual conference

How the wine and spirits trade can best tackle the "Consumer Challenge" will be the key theme of this year's Wine & Spirit Trade Assocation conference to be held in London on September 25. engage with

Southern Comfort announces follow-up TV ad

Bacardi Brown-Forman has announced the next stage of its 'Whatever's Comfortable' ad campaign for Southern Comfort in the UK.

Louis Jadot purchases Oregon vineyard

Maison Louis Jadot has announced that it has purchased Resonance Vineyard in Oregon's Willamette Valley for an undisclosed fee.

Valerie Lewis's move to Enotria opens door for Alex Layton

The last month has seen a number of changes amongst senior marketing and communications roles at major wine companies in the UK with Valerie Lewis, formerly of Negociants UK, replacing Ben Smith as head of communications at Enotria following his recent move to take up the same role at Concha y Toro. Alex Layton has subsequently moved from Westbury Communications to take over Lewis' head of marketing and publicity role at Negociants UK.

Searcys to open Gin Joint next month

Searcys is to launch Gin Joint, a brasserie and bar situated in the Barbican Centre, where around 40 gins will be available, including one chilled on tap.

Half of wines sold in Scotland below proposed minimum price

Lucas Bols launches honey liqueur

Lucas Bols has announced the launch of Bols Honey Liqueur to offer bartenders a new twist for cocktails.

William Grant & Sons takes New Zealand Whisky Company to court

Global Scottish whisky giant William Grant & Sons is taking Dunedin DoubleWood, part of the New Zealand Whisky Company, to court, claiming the DoubleWood name confuses consumers with its Balvenie brand's DoubleWood.

Naked Wines secures additional £6.4m for expansion abroad

Norwich-based Naked Wines has announced it has secured a third round of funding of £6.4 million from German WIV Wein International AG, a founding shareholder in the company, bringing the total amount invested by WIV in the online retailer to £15.4 million.

Jack Daniel Distillery to undergo $100m expansion

Brown-Forman is to invest US$100 million in expanding the Jack Daniel Distillery. 

Cobevco brings Rob Higgs's 'Corkscrew' to Beautiful South Tasting

The headline sponsor for the Beautiful South tasting, bottling specialist Cobevco, will be pouring a selection of its customer wines from the specialist Rob Higgs "Corkscrew" at the event in September.

Provence harvest begins after most vineyards escape weather damage

Vineyards in Provence have escaped wide-scale weather damage and the harvest looks set to begin this month. 

Step up to the Bénédictine challenge

Bartenders are being challenged to come up with a new Bénédictine cocktail for the Bénédictine Cocktail Challenge.

The Whisky Shop opens Manchester store

Luxury drinks retailer the Whisky Shop has opened a new 600sq ft store in Manchester which aims to provide a dedicated platform for some of the world's most exclusive whiskies. 

Treasury sees 50% profits dip due to unsold wine in US

Treasury Wine Estates has seen annual net profits slide by 50% due to one-off charges on unsold wine in the US, but sales in the UK have shown signs of recovery in recent months.

Bartenders battle it out in Buffalo Trace competition

Scottish bartenders battled it out last week in a Buffalo Trace Barrel Aged competition to create an original cocktail using the spirit.

Alastair Campbell to speak at Alcohol Concern conference

Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell is to speak at Alcohol Concern's Annual Alcohol Conference in London in November. 

London Cru winery names grape suppliers

London Cru, the first urban winery to set up shop in central London, has announced its first vintage grapes will be supplied by top French producers including Jeff Coutelou of Mas Coutelou, from Languedoc-Roussillon, William Jonquères d'Oriola of Château in Roussillon and Jacques Lurton, the renowned French Flying Winemaker.

Marlborough celebrates 40 years with a record 2013 harvest

This week marks the 40^th anniversary of the first grapes planted in Marlborough at Brancott Estate and coincides with New Zealand's recording-breaking 2013 harvest of 345,000 tonnes.

Cointreau to host pop-up bar at London Fashion Week

Rémy Cointreau is to launch a pop-up bar for its Cointreau brand to coincide with London Fashion Week.