Loire Valley sparklers herald UK uplift

Loire Valley fizz has enjoyed a surge in exports to the UK, with Crémant de Loire having jumped just shy of 50%.

Affordable tiers of English still wines ‘crucial’, says Oz Clarke

Affordable tiers of still whites and red blends will be essential in supporting the rise of English sparkling wines both at home and on export markets.

English Wine Week set to fizz

Picnics, quizzes, virtual tours, tastings and winemaker webinars are among the myriad events set to fly the flag during English Wine Week on 20-28 June.

Hattingley marks anniversary with TV wine first

Hattingley Valley has become the first English wine producer to launch a TV advertising campaign, to kick off just head of English Wine Week (20-28 June).

“Smallest vintage in living memory” delights Oz winemakers, if not accountants

Off the back of a “rollercoaster ride”, variously involving frosts, drought, heatwaves, horrendous bush fires and finally the disruption of Covid-19, Australia’s 2020 vintage is expected to produce some “sensational wines” from a very low yielding crush.

Grupo Rioja calls for more support as ‘Basque Wine’ shored up

Rioja wine producers have lashed out at the ‘insufficient measures’ adopted by the Spanish government yesterday to alleviate the impact of Covid-19 on Spain’s wine sector.

Oregon commits to ‘anti-racism and equity’

As the fallout from the death of African-American George Floyd continues to reverberate around the western world, Oregon Wine Board has responded with a commitment to embed “more fully” an inclusive and racially equal approach across the state’s wine industry.

Southern hemisphere winemakers share lessons from crisis harvesting

Producers from across the southern hemisphere have shared their experiences of what it was like to complete their 2020 harvests while infrastructure closed down around them and the movement of people became restricted.

Torres hits emissions target early

Catalonia-based wine producer Familia Torres has hit its target of reducing carbon emissions by 30%, when measured against levels in 2008, a year early.

New role at Doña Paula for Atkin’s ‘Viticulturalist of the Year’

Doña Paula Estate’s Martín Kaiser has taken on a new role as director of viticulture and winemaking at Doña Paula, building on 14 years as viticulturalist at this Santa Rita Estate’s-owned Argentinian winery.

Louis Latour continues quest for affordable sites outside of Burgundy

Maison Louis Latour has been ramping up its search for the best slopes for its hero Pinot Noir grape outside of Burgundy as a way of offering customers “stable” wine prices.

Nyetimber expands across Kent with 205,000 new vines

Nyetimber has gone ahead with plans to rapidly expand its area under vine, with a major planting of 42ha at a new site in Kent.

Concha y Toro brings harvest forward to tackle one of most challenging harvests yet

Rathfinny’s 10th anniversary delivers Classic Cuvée launch and new ecommerce site

English wine estate Rathfinny marked its 10th anniversary with the launch of its inaugural 2016 Classic Cuvée on Monday, “completing” its line up of Sussex sparkling wines.

Q&A: Bruce Jack, The Drift Estate, Bruce Jack Wines, La Bascula

Andrew Catchpole catches up with the irrepressible Bruce Jack for the lowdown on life during the Covid crisis and publishing his own magazine.

Wine GB unveils new initiative to support UK producers

Wine GB has unveiled a new initiative aimed at boosting sales of English and Welsh wines to help producers and growers hit by the lack of cellar door sales and the on-trade closure.

South African wine exports set to resume

The South African government has announced that the ban on exports of wine imposed during lockdown will be lifted from the end of this week as the country eases its measures. 

South Africa makes U-turn and bans wine exports

The South African government has banned exports of wine and spirits during lockdown.

Cape open for business with wine export go-ahead during SA lockdown

South Africa’s wine industry breathed a collective sigh of relief yesterday as permission was granted for wine to be included in allowable fresh produce products for export.

Friday Read: UK wineries battle coronavirus crisis with British determination

Rapidly slowing exports, a pivoting to direct to consumer sales as on-trade sales stall and vineyards on lock down – such is the picture of the UK wine industry today as it grapples with the ongoing disruption from the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19).