Jerry Lockspeiser: Minimum pricing, maximum cost

In March 2012 our Prime Minister described the need to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol in terms that suggested the very fabric of society was at stake:

Mark Fiddes: Why UK drink advertisers need the Lionel Richie approach

I've always found Lionel Ritchie hard to like. First he turned The Commodores from the hard funk of 'Brick House' to the ultimate soppiness of 'Three Times a Lady'. Then came 'Easy like Sunday Morning', a ballad so middle of the road, it was dead hedgehog.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Wine Music Food Life

Do the first three constitute the third? They certainly enhance it. Wine Music Food Life is the tagline to the...

Mark Fiddes: The Prosecco Ultimatum

"The name's Battistella...Andrea Battistella. Licensed to Chill. Special mission to track down fake Prosecco...

Michael Karam: The alcohol revival in Lebanon

Greetings from Lebanon, where I can report that Levantine innovation has rekindled its affair with all forms of... 

Gavin Quinney: Ups and downs of going for Gold

If you're connected to wine in the UK, you could hardly have missed 'Wine tasting: it's junk science' in...

Bernadette Costello: Social media is vital for big brands

Three top consumer brands agreed to go under the knife for the Internet Advertising Bureau this summer...

Jerry Lockspeiser: We need to ban wine tasting at LIWF

Thank goodness. There will be no repeat of the Marie Celeste atmosphere in the hanger that is the ExCeL...

The World According To... Richard Evans

Finding success in the midst of recession

Gavin Quinney columist

The World According To... Matthew Dickinson

Unravelling the Burgundy negociant system

The World According To... Simon Thorpe

Winemakers get back on the road again

The World According To... Matt Walls

Learning to engage with natural wines

Richard Siddle: at last some genuine packaging innovation

In seven years covering the London International Wine Fair I have not once been stopped in my tracks by a new product on an exhibitor's stand. When you have seen one wine bottle you have seen them all - but not any more.

How can we replace the Fox?

While fair organiser Brintex has lined the path to west London's Olympia with more razzle-dazzle than the Rio Carnival, the CP has one question : where is to be annointed the new Fox? The traditional networking hotspot for the UK wine trade after a long day at LIWF.

The World According To... Mike Paul, wine industry consultant

Steve Barton, joint UK director of Brand Phoenix, recently predicted that the UK wine market will fall by a further 9 million cases over the next three years...

Columist stories needed

Richard Siddle: Are you keeping up with the power of the consumer?

So where did you buy your last bottle of wine? With your groceries at the nearest supermarket? From your friendly local wine merchant? Or do you get a case delivered once a month?

Richard Siddle: why we all need to back or risk losing LIWF

The wine trade is normally a very civil place to work. People speak when they are spoken to, have washed behind their ears and generally all sing from the same hymn sheet.

Richard Siddle: why we must all hope Tesco knows what it is doing

It was somewhat ironic that the announcement of Tesco's end of year results on Wednesday should be released on the same day the news bulletins were dominated by the funeral of Baroness Thatcher.