Drinkaware opens alcohol-free café for under-18s

Drinkaware is hoping to highlight the risks of excessive alcohol consumption to 16 and 17-year-olds with the opening of an alcohol-free café in Newquay, Cornwall.

Currency update, July 16: sterling's good fortunes continue

Currency daily update for July 16 from Smart Currency Exchange: sterling continues its rally against the US dollar, hitting a two and a half month high.

London lauded as world cocktail capital

London was confirmed as the world's leading city for cocktail mixology last night as The Connaught Hotel's Erik Lorincz was crowned overall winner of Diageo's Raising the Bar competition.

New wine buyer for Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's has appointed Spar wine trading manager Dror Nativ to the position of buyer for Australia, New Zealand and wine formats.

WSTA appoints new policy manager

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association has appointed Aileen Keyes as its new policy manager.

Currency update, July 15: sterling jumps by nearly 1%

Currency analysis for July 15 from Smart Currency Exchange: sterling jump by nearly 1% to $1.53/ £1 - the highest rate in two months.

Big names sign up to appear at Harpers global wine conference

Dan Jago at Tesco, Justin James of Sainsbury's and Direct Wines' Justin Howard-Sneyd are just three of the big names who will be speaking at Harpers Wine & Spirits' inaugural Global Wine Conference 2010 in London on September 7.

Currency update, July 15: sterling hits two month high against dollar

Currency daily update for July 15 from Smart Currency Exchange: sterling hits two month high against the dollar.

For specialist drinks currency advice go to www.smartwinespirits.com

Register now for merchants seminar

Independents looking for fresh ideas on how to promote their business are invited to attend the Top Merchants seminar on July 19 at the Bristol Hotel, Bristol.

Diageo weighs up possible merger

Analysts believe Diageo could be weighing up an eventual merger deal with SABMiller or AB InBev as it faces up to stagnating spirits markets in its core territories of Europe and North America.

French expect 2010 vintage to match 2009

France expects to produce 47.3 million hectolitres of wine in the 2010 vintage, broadly on a par with the 2009 figure.

Alsace wine labelling overhaul on the horizon

The newly elected president of Alsace wines' trade body the CIVA has pledged to make Alsace wine labels easier to understand for consumers.

Bordeaux 2009 "overpriced"

Bordeaux lovers can find better value in previous vintages than in the 2009 en primeur market, Liv-Ex has declared.

Currency update, July 14: inflation helps boost sterling

Currency analysis for July 14 from Smart Currency Exchange: inflation figures a boost for sterling
For specialist drinks currency advice go to www.smartwinespirits.com:

Rosé a bright spot for on-trade - WSTA

Figures released by the Wine & Spirit Trade Association show that sales of rosé wine have grown by 21.4% in value in the past year, with volumes ahead by 18.4%.

Free Portman training for online alcohol marketers

The Portman Group is offering free, interactive training to encourage responsible online marketing of alcohol products.

Restaurant discounts are "unsustainable", says report

Top-end restaurants are discounting at "unsustainable" levels as they try to woo customers, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Islay sales boost Morrison Bowmore

Morrison Bowmore Distillers has reported a 7% increase in pre-tax profit to £3.8 million in 2009.

Friends in tribute to Helen Thomlinson

Friends and colleagues of Helen Thomlinson are planning a meal in September to celebrate the life of the former Hatch Mansfield and Rosemount sales representative.

Chase Distillery looks to break into the US market

UK spirits specialists, Chase Distillery, hopes to break into the US market by appointing Pelican Brands as its American distributor for its range of English spirits and liqueurs.