Life of a salesman: Week 2: Anyone for Beaujolais Nouveau?

As I write this, the wine bar across the street is doing a Beaujolais Nouveau Day breakfast, complete with red, white and blue bunting and a blackboard shouting Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivée! Despite a steady decline in popularity since its heyday in the '70s and '80s, the Beaujolais breakfast is a wine world idiosyncrasy that refuses to die, blithely rooted in a time when blackberries were fruit and latte was Italian for milk.

Can you tango like that?!

Best chat up line heard in 4 gruelling days doing a stint at The World Travel Market, pushing wines of Argentina to the travel trade. Can't accuse moi of not pulling her weight.

Wines in the Press: The clash of the titans

The focus is very much on Europe this week. Victoria Moore and Jancis Robinson MW hone in on France, with Robinson concentrating on Bordeaux and Moore pitting the same region against other French "titan" Burgundy. Susy Atkins and Tim Atkin MW tell us why they're into their Italian reds, whilst Anthony Rose rounds things off with a look at UK retail stalwart Oddbins.

Wine: Art or Science? The debate ends here

Is wine an art or a science? Books have been devoted to the subject and the debate rages on. But in Mildura today eight judges at the Alternative Varieties Show settled the issue once and for all.

A Harpers hello from down under!

Harpers' features editor Rebecca Gibb is in Mildura, judging at the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show this week. In between tasting more than 600 wines, Rebecca will be filling us in on her trip in a series of blogs. Here's blog number one...

Wines in the Press: Sweet sherry and brilliant Bordeaux

Santa Rita chairman passes away

Don Ricardo Claro, chair of the Santa Rita wine group in Chile, has passed away after suffering a heart attack.

Wine Australia starts hunt for "best and brightest" wine talent

Wine Australia has launched its search for candidates for its scholarship programme, which will offer 12 industry members the chance to go to Australia and participate in a series of educational workshops.

Foster's delays decision on wine division

Foster's Group has delayed until next year a decision on what to do with its ailing wine business.

Wines in the Press: sake, Constantia and the trouble with single varietals

Jancis Robinson mulls over the mysteries of sake, Jonathan Ray visits the Western Cape, and Anthony Rose joins the wine club. Meanwhile, Jane MacQuitty considers what to drink in a recession and Tim Atkin tires of the domination of the big five grape varieties in New World wine.

Las Moras steps up marketing campaign

Argentinian wine brand Finca Las Moras is stepping up its UK marketing activity following major new listings for its wines.

Wines in the Press: From old wines to sweet wines

Blog special from the winners of the Harpers/ Wines of Argentina competition - Part 3

In the latest installment of out blog special from the winners of the Harpers/ Wines of Argentina Steak Your Claim competition, wine business entrepreneur Dominic Crolla tells us why he's dreaming of steak. Over the next few days, each of our five winners are enjoying a tour of each of the main wine regions and visiting key producers to give them a taste of what Argentina can offer the UK, and sending back missives of their travels. Here's Dominic's blog...

Paragon re-establishes Australian connection

UK distributor Paragon Vintners has re-established an Australian representation in its portfolio by winning the full UK distribution for South Australian winery Jip Jip Rocks.

Wines in the Press: Malbec, Muscadet and wines in the desert

This week Jane MacQuitty assesses the future of Oddbins, Victoria Moore goes back to her roots and Jonny Beardsall takes a trip to the Namib desert to meet a remarkable winemaker. Meanwhile Joanna Simon is surprised by the following on new website thewinegang.com.

Wines in the Press: Chardonnay and PX are back in vogue

Some unfashionable wines get some good publicity this week; Jancis Robinson sings the praises of sweet Spanish PX varieties and Jamie Goode attempts to reverse some of the damage Bridget Jones has inflicted on Chardonnay in recent years. Elsewhere, last month's Dispatches programme on the use of chemicals in wine is still a talking point; this week Jane MacQuitty has her say.

Constellation reports $23 million second quarter loss

Constellation Brands has reported a second-quarter loss of nearly $23 million (£13 million) on the sale of some of its vineyards and production plants in Australia.

Australia storms to victory in IWSC competition

Australia took pole position at today's annual International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), scooping a total of 34 awards.

Vergelegen launches vintage "V"

Premium South African winery, Vergelegen has launched the 2004 vintage of "V" - its flagship wine - onto the UK market. The wine, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (90%), Merlot (7%) and Cabernet Franc (3%), has an RRP of £56 and is targeted at both the high end retailers and on-trade. The 2004 is the third vintage of "V" to be released in the UK.

ZGM appoints award winning winemaker

International wine producer ZGM has appointed award-winning winemaker Julian Grubb to its team.