Sam Neill's Two Paddocks acquires fourth Central Otago vineyard

Actor- turned- winemaker, Sam Neill, has acquired a fourth vineyard in Central Otago, New Zealand, adding six additional hectares of Pinot Noir to his vineyard portfolio with the purchase of a Bannockburn estate called Desert Heart.

Casa Silva produces first wine from Chile's most southern wine region

Casa Silva has produced the first wine from what it claims is Chile's southern most wine region in the region of Chilean Patagonia some 350km from Bio Bio the previous most southern area capable of growing wine in the country.  

Olivier Krug talks to Giles Falllowfield about ID codes and keeping "Krugists" happy

I know his travel schedules are hectic but four continents in the space of one week seems excessive, even for him. In London, partly to see the pop-up Krug Kreperie in Covent Garden central market run in conjunction with Pierre Koffman, Olivier Krug is on a similarly lightening trip here after recent spells in Australia, Singapore, Canada and the USA. "I prefer quick visits where I can see lots of people in a short time as this means fewer days away from Champagne," says Krug.

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Rolling update: Key drinks figures tell MPs about the damage duty increases have on UK businesses

Leading figures from across the UK wine and spirits industry joined the trade lobby that took the Call Time On Duty campaign to MPs at the House of Commons last night.

Australian Vintage boss predicts strong 2014

Geoffrey Dean on how Australia's future could well be Orange

When Stephen Doyle, the renowned winemaker at Bloodwood in the Orange region of New South Wales, received a complementary message purportedly from an England cricket team official in early January, he was not sure if it was genuine. An avid cricket fan, Doyle sent a witty response, writing that his wine's "deceptively spicy aromatic movement through the air is likely to bowl you sweetly over". He was pleased to hear from your Harpers correspondent that the individual in question, Colin Gibson, is indeed the ECB's director of communications. 

?Let's finally Call Time On Duty: how to get involved

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association is leading a new campaign, Call Time On Duty, aimed at persuading George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to scrap the duty escalator on wines and spirits. Here's how you, your business and your customers can get involved.

?Interview: Dan Townsend on building fine wine brands at Treasury Wine Estates

The pressure on wine brands to succeed in the UK is nowhere more intense than at Treasury Wine Estates. Richard Siddle asks its UK head, Dan Townsend, how it can succeed with both mainstream and fine-wine brands

Major wine players must invest more in their brands to compete, warns David Dearie

It is vital the industry's major wine companies start to invest major sums in their brands if they are to compete against other drinks categories, has warned former Treasury Wine Estates chief, David Dearie.

Panos Kakaviatos explores the world of Dom Pérignon

Champagne may be great to drink anytime, but it is good to know that one need not spend too much on a fine bottle. During a Paris salon earlier this month, I tasted through some lovely bottles of moderately priced non-vintage Champagnes, including Drappier, Piper Heidsieck and Larmandier-Bernier. These and others provide well balanced aromas and flavours of citrus, brioche and a full bodied character, complemented with fine bubbles and freshness.

British drinks producers back London Collections:Men

Two Good, 2 Bad for 2013, 2 Hopes and Fears for 2014: David Gleave, Liberty Wines

As we welcome in the new year, David Gleave, managing director of Liberty Wines, looks back on his 2 Good, 2 Bad memories of 2013 and looks ahead at his hopes and fears for 2014. 

Two Good, 2 Bad for 2013, 2 Hopes and Fears for 2014: Simon Doyle, Concha y Toro UK

Simon Doyle, general manager of Concha y Toro UK helps see the new year in with his 2 Good, 2 Bad for 2013 and his 2 Hopes and Fears for 2014.

Two Good, 2 Bad for 2013, 2 Hopes and Fears for 2014: Olivier Bourdet-Pees, Plaimont Producteurs

Two Good, 2 Bad for 2013, 2 Hopes and Fears for 2014: Julian Dyer, Australian Vintage

This time in our festive round up of 2 Good, 2 Bad from 2013 and 2 Hopes and Fears for 2013 we turn to Julian Dyer, general manager for UK and Europe for Australian Vintage. 

Two Good, 2 Bad for 2013 - Hopes and Fears for 2014: Andrew Hawes, Mentzendorff

Two Good, 2 Bad for 2013, 2 Hopes Fears for 2014: Julian Dyer, Australian Vintage

This time in our festive round up of 2 Good, 2 Bad from 2013 and 2 Hopes and Fears for 2013 we turn to Julian Dyer, general manager for UK and Europe for Australian Vintage. 

Vino Fresco hopes to capture share of the lighter wine category with new carbonated drink

A new wine based drink, Vino Fresco, hopes to tap in to the drinking trend popular across the Mediterranean of adding carbonated lemon and lime with red wine to make a refreshing style drink.

Geoffrey Dean basks amongst the vines and winemakers of Margaret River

After the desert-like 40-degree heat of Perth for the Test match, it was quite a relief to encounter Margaret River's Mediterranean climate with temperatures in the mid-20s. World-class Chardonnays abound there, of course, but Voyager Estate has raised the bar to new heights with its expressions of the varietal.