There are some mysterious goings on in the world of whisky this week. Jura distillery has been inviting everyone to a seriously hush-hush event about a new whisky. But it doesn't say what that whisky is.
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Wine conferences around the world will soon have an excuse to tap up William Shatner as their guest speaker.
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Bubbles have long been beloved by the rich and famous. And that love in turn helps to spread the love more widely and boom! you've got a stellar success, says the Claret Pimpernel.
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We don't just have one Chief of the Week for you this time round, but eight. Yes the eight stand out winners who we have selected to receive the Harpers Rising Stars Grant to attend this month's Wine Vision conference in London.
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If you thought fox hunting had been banned, think again. It appears the concept has just mutated. Some people still get a thrill from the chase, so while it may be illegal to hunt and kill bushy tailed carnivorous mammals using horns, dogs and horses, a new form of hunting has now evolved.
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Comedian and writer David Mitchell is among the more perceptive columnists for the once great Observer, so it was with interest that I read his piece on how the taste of Champagne doesn't matter. When it comes to serving sparkling wine, he claimed, so long as it has bubbles, and says Champagne and not Cava on the label, any further qualities are immaterial.
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Those Google folk don't miss a trick - I guess they would not be working there if they did.
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Supergroup. That's the word on the street this week. There's a new one in the wine trade this week. Haven't you heard? Bibendum PLB.
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The Millione wine brand is a social business started by myself, Cliff Roberson and Mike Paul. All profits are used to build primary schools in Sierra Leone. Four schools have been running successfully and the fifth is half built.
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There really can only be one stand out personality in the wine and spirits world this week. Yes, Michael Saunders the new chief of the combined Bibendum PLB group following the former's takeover of the latter earlier this week.
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We've all heard the term "more money than sense", haven't we? Well, recently I was offered a case of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti 2011, at a mere £100,000 per dozen.
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As we have put such a focus on French wines this week with the France Summit it is only fitting that our Chief of the Week is none other than Anne Burchett, managing director of Sopexa UK, who won the Harpers Special Achievement Award at our French Wine Awards.
Read more...Mr. Camus joined Piper Heidsieck in 1994, quickly proving himself a master blender and taking an interest in every aspect of winemaking. "Style and quality are the result of many subjective decisions taken throughout the process as a whole, from harvesting right through to shipping. Therefore, one must be mult-italented, know what one wants and accept no compromise whatsoever as far as quality is concerned."
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As job titles go global rum ambassador is one to brag about with your mates down the pub. Really? Your job is to go around the world talking about and tasing and drinking rum?
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This year has seen a string of investment companies go to the wall. Misguided speculators are learning the hard way that the whole concept of wine as an investment class asset is little more than fool's gold.
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Salentein Pr1mus, Keermont Terrasse, Benegas-Lynch Cabernet Franc
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Never mind the old woman who lived in a shoe, now you can be the family who lived in a cork.
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Little did I know back then, over forty years ago when I was just knee high to a grasshopper, how important my hobby was to the retail supply chain.
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For all those skeptics out there who don't think retailers engage with their customers, we've got heartening news. They do. Pat on the back goes to Tesco drinks supremo Dan Jago for the following Twitter exchange.
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