Iconic Californian producer Daou Vineyards is ramping up its focus on exports in a bid to put Paso Robles on the international wine map.

With the term ‘sparkling’ gaining credence in wines from England, Canada and Spain, champagne can’t afford to rest on its laurels. Jamie Goode reports

The no-low science bit

08 February, 2018

Low and no-alcohol wines were once horrible parodies of the real thing. not any more, writes Jamie Goode.

Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits has recorded a third quarter of contrasts, with improvements in France but penalisation in the US and Poland. 

Belvédère SA, the wine and spirits company in Europe and the US, has announced has announced the composition of its executive committee, headed by CEO Jean-Noël Reynaud.

The two Spanish wine regions have come together to raise awareness of their wines in the all-important US market.

Wallaces–TCB (Tennant Caledonian Breweries), formed after the completion of the acquisition of Wallaces Express, Scotland’s largest wines and spirits wholesaler, by C&C Group, has announced the following senior management appointments, reporting to chief executive, Brian Calder.

Entries are now welcome for the first-ever Investec Food & Drink Entrepreneur of the Year 2014.

Vinexpo 2015

12 May, 2014

The next Vinexpo exhibition will be held in Bordeaux, France from Sunday June 14 to Thursday the 18th 2015.

Travel Retail up 9.4%

22 October, 2013

Global travel retail sales are up 9.4% to US55.8 billion, according to the president of the Tax Free World Association president, Erik Juul-Mortensen.

There is increasing awareness and demand for low and lower-alcohol wines. Christian Davis checks on who’s doing what

Tuscany

21 December, 2012

With classic regions and the famous Super-Tuscan wines, exports are Tuscany’s life blood. Christian Davis reports

Guala Closures, a leading maker of aluminium closures for spirits and wines, has bought the Metal Closures division of South African company, MCG Industries.

Eastern promise

18 September, 2012

With ProWein 2013 in mind, Thomas Brandl finds out how winemakers in central and south-eastern Europe have made efforts to modernise and become more competitive.

New Zealand winemankers Tiki Wines has released a 2011 Pinot Gris to the UK, Finland, Iceland, Channel Islands, Ireland and the domestic market.

Chilean wine

30 July, 2012

Despite a strong peso, consumers are prepared to pay the price for quality Chilean wine. Christian Davis reports

Accolade Wines has unveiled a new look for its Echo Falls Californian wine brand in key European markets, including the UK, Netherlands and Spain.

German wine

28 May, 2012

German wines are world class but they are predominately white and the world wants red. It is a niche player in terms of volume, so how is it doing, asks Christian Davis

InterLoire, the interprofessional body for Loire wines has announced that 18 wines from AOC Touraine and Vins de Pays du Val de Loire 2011 vintage have been selected as “Ambassador wines” for the Sauvignon Blanc de Loire project this year.

Su Birch, CEO of Wines of South Africa (WoSA) is the winner of Wine Intelligence’s inaugural ‘10 for 10 Business Award’.

Accolade has launched a new wine under the Hardys brand at ProWein, Germany.

Wine merchant Laithwaites Wine has concluded the purchase of Chateau du Bois, a vineyard near the village of Castillon in Bordeaux, France.

Australian Wine

24 February, 2012

Consumers in Australia’s top two export markets are abandoning its wines for cheaper alternatives leaving producers wondering if Asia will grow big enough to compensate for US and UK declines. By Graham Holter

Michel Roux launches wine

23 January, 2012

London chef Michel Roux Jr has joined forces with French wine maker Michel Chapoutier to create wines named after Roux’s restaurant Le Gavroche.

There has been a seismic shift in the Chilean and Argentinian wine industries, according to some leading experts.

Camus Wines & Spirits is set to unveil a new look for its Calvados Berneroy range in global duty free.

Nomacorc has launched Select 100, a closure for fragile wines and full bodied red wines that requiring extended aging.

Direct Wines, the world's largest independent wine merchant with a turnover of £350 million, has announced major changes to its buying and merchandising teams.

Hardys and Banrock Station brand owner Accolade Wines is to receive a £150 million financing facility from GE Capital.

The major Rioja producer, Marqués de Riscal, has held a charity auction in Beijing of 100 vintages dating from 1862 to 2005.

The Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB) has teamed up with comedian Dom Joly to produce a series of videos.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Assoication (WSTA) has announced that Nick Hyde, managing director of Diageo Wines Europe, is its new chairman.

English wines have come of age – Georg Riedel has chosen suitable stemware for their wines.

French distributor DIVA (Distribution Internationale de Vins et Alcools) has created DIVA South Africa to market some of the country’s ‘premium’ wines to an international audience.

Nomacorc, the leading alternative wine closure producer, has announced the introduction of NomaSelector, which is software that recommends a closure tailored for a specific wine.

New Zealand’s Ara Wines has launched One Estate, a sparkling wine made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, in the UK.

The International Wine Challenge announced its winners last night at the Hilton hotel in London

Grupo Codorníu has extended its Raimat range of wines with the addition of Castell de Raimat Xarel.lo-Chardonnay and Castell de Raimat Chardonnay Barrica.

Sparkling wine brand Follador has launched its premium range of Proseccos to travel retail.

Accolade Wines has launched a low alcohol wine under the Stowells brand. Stowells Light is 5.5% abv and a 125ml glass contains one unit of alcohol and 56 calories.

The emerging South Korean market could boost the fortunes of wine importers, according to research by Wine Intelligence.

Costellation Wines Australia and Europe has officially become Accolade Wines - as of June 27. Accolade brands include Hardy’s and Echo Falls.

Entrants aiming to crack the US market need to take a bold approach, according to a wine importer.

SPI Group has acquired shares in Argentinean winery Achaval-Ferrer, as part of its strategy of investing in “jewels of the wine world”.

Christie’s has conducted a 36-hour wine auction in Hong Kong and New York, with sales totalling US$11.2m.

South African winery Linton Park has announced the launch of The Rhino of Linton Park range.

Jeff Clarke has been appointed chief winemaker at Marlborough’s Ara Wines.

Clink! Wines, distributors to the UK and mainland Europe, has appointed Mariola Martinez as operations manager.

on 14 February, 2011

I’m not very good at geography. When I finished the WSET Advanced course in Wines & Spirits I vowed I wasn’t going to do the Diploma. The G word is such a large part of the course and you have to remember where a particular region is, what grows there, what the climate’s like and what the soil type is.......

UK importer PLB has been appointed by Rioja winery Bodegas Navajas, with effect from March this year.

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Ben Branson

Ben Branson on the future of non-alc spirits

In his inaugural column for Drinks International, Branson takes a wider look at the overall non-alcoholic spirits sector to identify which brands will thrive and which won’t survive.

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