Austria takes top design prize

Austrian wine and spirit producer, Esterhazy Wein, has walked away with the top prize from the 2009 Harpers Wine & Spirit Trades Review Design & Packaging Awards.

Australian Albariño mix up

The Australian wine industry is reeling from the announcement that many of their Albariño wines will have to be re-branded after DNA testing found that a number of varieties thought to be Albariño, were in fact the little known grape variety Savagnin Blanc (Traminer) which is almost exclusively grown in Jura Eastern France.

SAB Miller sees beer sales dip

SAB Miller's beer volumes dropped by 1% in the first three months of 2009, but remained 2% up over the full-year to the end of March.

Amayna Moves to Alliance

Chilean winery, Amayna, has announced that Alliance wine will now handle its UK distribution.

Kirin sells Pernod Ricard stake

Kirin Holdings Netherlands BV, a unit of Japan's biggest beverage maker, agreed to sell its 3.74% stake in Pernod Ricard SA (RI FP) to the Ricard family.
The move came after Pernod took back control of its brands in the Japanese market. Kirin's stake will be bought by Le Delos Invest 3, a company owned by the family of founder Paul Ricard, Paris-based Pernod said in a statement.

Absolut deal drives Pernod growth

Pernod Ricard saw sales in the nine months to the end of March increase by 9%, to stand at 5.6 billion euros.

New Prosecco PR campaign

US debut for Beam's Red Stag

Jim Beam is trying to pep-up the Bourbon category with the launch of a version of the whiskey flavoured with black cherries.

Latour first of the blocks with lower price

Trade loses 12 million bottles in wine sales

Further evidence that the wine sector is facing one of the most difficult years in its history is revealed this week with the news that year-on-year volume wine sales fell by 1% in the off-trade last year.

Wines in the press, April 11-12

What the newspaper wine critics had to say over the Easter break

Wine sales down by 12 million bottles

Further evidence that the wine sector is facing one of the most difficult years in its history is revealed this week with the news that year-on-year volume wine sales fell by 1% in the off-trade last year.

"A vintage like no other" - Bordeaux 2008

The Berry Bros & Rudd buying team is classing the Bordeaux 2008 vintage to be "like no other."

08 Bordeaux 'a mixed bag'

Berry Bros has drawn up a list of 42 wines from the 2008 Bordeaux vintage that it will offer to customers - subject to agreements on price.

Nederburg launch new world cup wine range

South African wine company Nederburg,  has created a range of limited edition wines especially for the FIFA World Cup.

First Drinks in Remy Cointreau coup

UK premium drinks supplier First Drinks has announced that it will handle the distribution of Remy Cointreau brands in a major coup for the company.

Geodis open new global distribution centre

Geodis the groupage and logistics specialist has extended its European wine distribution operations by opening a new global distribution centre in Dover.

Wild Turkey sold to Campari

Pernod Ricard has sold its Wild Turkey bourbon brand to Campari for €433 million in cash.

Medics call for increased prices

Doctors and nurses believe that increasing alcohol prices would be a better way of dealing with binge drinking than government health campaigns.

Gallo to make £5.99 central price point

E & J Gallo hopes to drive premium Californian wine sales in the UK with the national roll out of its Redwood Creek brand and a commitment to make £5.99 and upwards its central price point for the UK.