Master of wine, Jancis Robinson, has been made a ‘Freeman of the City of London’ and an ‘honorary Freeman’ of the Worshipful Company of Vintners.

Davide Campari-Milano SpA has posted poor results in first quarter ending March 31, 2013 which it states is mainly due to the ‘one-off’ destocking in Italy.

Japanese whisky specialist, Number One Drinks Company has started  to distribute Japanese craft beer.

Chilean city and wine region,Valparaiso and the Casablanca valley have been voted into the Great Wine Capitals Global Network.

The London International Wine Trade Fair is returning to Olympia in west London in 2014 and is going back to being the London Wine Fair.

Diageo will have a new leader at the helm within two months having announced Ivan Menezes will succeed Paul Walsh on July 1 this year.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is to appeal against a Scottish Court of Session decision to dismiss its  petition for a judicial review of the Scottish Government's plan to introduce minimum pricing per unit of alcohol.

The petition by trade bodies against alcohol minimum pricing in Scotland has been rejected. 

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has announced two appointments to its EMEA senior management team.

The Millionaires Club 2013, Drinks International’s ranking of the biggest selling brands in the global spirits industry, is now available to download.

Anivin de France, the Association Nationale Interprofessionnelle des Vins de France, the French trade organisation for Vin de France wines, has appointed Bruno Kessler as its new president.

A new independent blending and bottling firm has formed, following the de-merger of Douglas Laing & Co.

Wines of South Africa has announced that Su Birch, its well known CEO, is leaving after 13 years.

Casa Cuervo SA de CV has appointed Think Spirits to replace Diageo as distributor of its Jose Cuervo tequila portfolio in Australia.

A new UK wine trade event at London’s Royal Albert Hall has received backing from the industry, with KWV the latest to pledge its support.

A Cognac brand rarely comes to market, so the news that Hine is under the hammer has had commentators chattering over potential suitors. Hamish Smith looks at the possible runners and riders.

Wines from Rioja is to host its first generic tasting in the UK.

SAB Miller executive chairman Graham Mackay has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. He underwent surgery yesterday - April 22, 2013, and will now embark on a course of treatment.

Patrón COO and Discus president John McDonnell has told Drinks International that work continues to reverse the Chinese ban on some tequilas.

Leading super premium spirits brands are targeting growth in Western Europe, contradicting popular perception that the region is beleaguered, its markets saturated.

Diageo, has reported 5% organic and 6% reported net sales growth for the nine months to 31 March 31. Volume was up 1%.

The value of direct-to-consumer shipments from American wineries increased to $1.46 Billion in 2012, and was greater than the total value of US wine exports, according to the 2013 Direct Shipping Report released by Ship Compliant and Wines & Vines.

South Africa’s Distell Group has bought Scotch whisky firm Burn Stewart Distillers from CL World Brands and  Angostura Limited for £160m (R2.2bn).

Visits to drinkaware.co.uk have surged after research that drinkers fail to report their true unit intake was published, the alcohol education charity claims.

The 2013 harvest in the Riverina region of Australia, at 300,000 tonnes, is just 8,000 short of the 308,000 2009 all time record, according to the Riverina Winemakers Association.

Johnnie Walker’s has been knocked from the apex of the whisky category after United Spirits’ aptly named McDowell’s No.1 sold more bottles in 2012, according to The Millionaires’ Club 2013.

The three fastest growing million-case spirit brands of 2012 all emanated from the brandy category, according to the Millionaires’ Club 2013.

European spirits exports were worth €10.2 billion in 2012 - 20% up from €8.5 billion in the previous year.

Bacardi’s decades of uninterrupted rum dominance could end this year as the Phillipines’ Tanduay and India’s McDowell’s No.1 Celebration close in on the category’s number one and two spots.

The Kentucky governor has signed a Bill to repeal a Prohibition-era ban on Election Day alcohol sales.

Diageo has named Teaninich near Alness in the Highlands as the location for its plans to build a new £50 million malt whisky distillery.

Scotch whisky sales growth slowed to 1% in 2012, while 11 of the sector’s top 20 export markets registered volume declines, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.

The Chianti Classico Wine Consortium has founded a company that will handle marketing for the denomination.

Diageo has invested £1 million in a visitor centre at its Talisker distillery on the Isle of Skye.

Brazil has officially recognised Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey as distinctive products of the United States, according to the Distilled Spirits Council.

Hite-Jinro’s soju brand, Jinro, remains the world's best selling spirit after growing sales 6% to 65.3m 9-litre cases last year, according to DI's soon-to-be-published The Millionaires’ Club 2013.

Stock Spirits Group has announced revenues dropped 0.9% to €292.4m last year but reported EBITDA growth of 6.8% to €68.8m.

Patrón Spirits has partnered with Mohor Trgovina to distribute its products in Croatia.

As ProWein closes the doors on its 2013 show, exhibitors championed the event as the "place to do business", ahead of its rivals, Vinexpo, LIWF and Vinitaly.

Poland and the Czech Republic are among the nations tipped as hot prospects for wine sales growth while parts of West Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia are showing potential, according to Wine Intelligence.

South African wine brand First Cape has launched in Ireland. 

The World Whiskies Awards winners were announced at a ceremony in London.

Entries are now open for this year’s International Beer Challenge, which is organised by Drinks International's sister title Off Licence News.

The wine and spirits industry has blasted the UK Chancellor’s “inflation busting tax hikes on wines and spirits”.

UK: The Chancellor has chosen to scrap the beer duty escalator and cut beer duty by 1p per pint. All other alcohol duty rises will increase as planned.

Diageo has signed the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles at a ceremony in Singapore.

Leading drinks industry figure Henry Besant died in hospital yesterday following a heart attack.

St Patrick’s Day (Sunday March 17) affords a great opportunity for some of Ireland’s biggest exports. Lucy Britner rounds up the action in Drinks International's St Patrick’s Day Preview.

English Wine Producers, the generic body representing English wine producers, is to exhibit at Prowein for the first time.

Drinks International has teamed up with show organiser Messe Düsseldorf to publish an extensive preview magazine of ProWein 2013.