A two-class wine market is emerging in the UK as some wine drinkers splash out and others are increasingly drawn to hard discounters, according to new research from Wine Intelligence.

Master of wine Laura Jewell is leaving Tesco to become Wine Australia’s regional director for Europe including the UK following the untimely death of Yvonne May.

Wines of South Africa’s major trade show, Cape 2015 is to be sponsored for the first time by express logistics company, DHL Express.

A trend towards sobriety among younger drinkers and increased regulatory pressure could reduce wine sales of the future, according to Barry Clark of Future Foundation.

The Millennial consumer group represents a misunderstood and largely untapped market, according to Tyler Balliet, a speaker at Wine Vision 2014.

International expansion is not necessary for wine businesses to develop, according to speakers at Wine Vision 2014.

Casella Family Brands, producers of the major Australian wine brand Yellow Tail, is set to buy Peter Lehmann Wines.

The Spanish wine industry is finally coming of age, according to an experienced observer and operator.

Rhône wine brand Les Dauphins is running a social media campaign in aid of the BBC’s Children in Need charity appeal.

The Great Wine Capitals' has announced the winners of its 'International Best Of Wine Tourism' awards.

Fine wine and luxury spirit retailer Le Clos has unveiled the ‘most complete and unique’ collection of Penfolds Grange. 

Wines of South Africa (Wosa) has opened a third international office, in Hong Kong.

Bibendum Wine has announced that it will merge with drinks importer PLB Group. The union of the two UK drinks companies will form The Bibendum PLB Group.

English wine producer Chapel Down has registered a record yield this year, harvesting enough grapes to produce almost a million bottles of wine.

McWilliam’s Wines Group has announced it is 100% family owned after purchasing shares held by E&J Gallo. 

Australian Grape and Wine Authority have announced the appointment of Stuart Barclay as market development general manager. 

Noilly Prat is enjoying growth for the first time in around seven years because of growing demand for vermouth from bartenders, according to brand owner Bacardi. 

Champagne Canard-Duchêne has announced a 2.54% volume increase between January and July 2014. 

Yealands Family Wines of New Zealand -  a leading sustainable winemaker - has appointed Helen MacFarlane as its new business development manager for the UK and Republic of Ireland. 

Chapel Down, the market leader in English wines and beers, has completed its equity crowdfunding offer in 24 days by raising the maximum allowable amount of £3.95m and achieving a new world record in the process.

The Wine Fusion has launched a mulled wine version of its Pig in a Poke ahead of the winter season. 

Kingsland, the specialist UK fillers, packers and bulk wine shippers has added FirstCape and Distell to its South African portfolio, as part of a strategic partnership with wine brand builders, Brandphoenix.

Despite a challenging year Siobhan Thompson, CEO Wines of South Africa (Wosa) is optimistic that South African wines are on the up.

Santa Rita Estates (SRE) has announced that the new CEO of the group will be Andrés Lavados, who has replaced Silvio Rostagno.

Agnes and Hermann Seifried, from Nelson’s Seifried Estate winery, have  beeen inducted as fellows of New Zealand Winegrowers, one of the New Zealand wine industry’s greatest acknowledgements.

The wine trade is in mourning after Wine Australia’s UK/Europe Regional Director Yvonne May lost her battle against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and passed away on Friday, aged 53.

Les Vignes Olivier Decelle has released the Maury Sec, Mas Amiel 2012.

Distell has announced the addition of a new wine range - 56  Hundred - to its Nederburg wine portfolio. 

The generic body for the Ribera del Duero wine-producing region of Spain has announced the launch of its first-ever major promotion in the UK.

A methuselah of Pol Roger Blanc de Blancs 2004 - estimated at £5,000-£10,000 - is to be auctioned at Bonhams, London on September 11, in aid of the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation. 

The harvest has begun, and the 2014 crop looks to be impressive in both size and quality, according to the Conseil des Vins de Provence.

The Napa Valley Vintners has announced it will donate $10 million to create a disaster relief fund to help the immediate needs of local residents and businesses impacted by Sunday’s earthquake.

More than a quarter of Americans are spending more on wine in the off premise, according to a new report from Wine Intelligence.

The damage from the earthquake that took place recently in California’s premium wine producing region, Napa Valley, is variously estimated at between US$500 million and $1 billion.

Treasury Wine Estates is the subject of a bidding war, according to reports from Australia.

Recent research reveals that 59% of French wines analysed contained significant quantities of a particular form of phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, and only 17% did not contain any detectable quantity of at least one of the reprotoxic phthalates.

The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships has announced its medal results of the 2014 competition.

La Martiniquaise owner of the Gran Cruz, the world's largest producer of port, has announced the opening of a new site with a modern winery and centralised bulk storage.

Argentinean wine brand Trivento has signed an exclusive deal to be an ‘Official Supporter of Premiership Rugby’, in the UK.

Demand for wine is growing with a shift to new markets and consumers, according to Rabobank.

Two research studies into consumer closure preference in two of the world’s most dynamic wine markets, China and the US show that cork is the preferred wine stopper, according to Amorim the world leader in cork stopper products.

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) trade association has announced that the first of Napa Valley’s sparkling wine producers have begun picking grapes, two days earlier than the start of last year’s harvest.

Champagne house Krug has released of a new vintage of its rare single vineyard cuvée, the Krug Clos du Mesnil 2003.

UK distributor Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines has expanded its marketing and sales teams with Chris Wilson joining as communications manager and Clare Cutler as national accounts manager.

New Zealand wine has become the number two country of origin in the UK market for wine sold over £7, according to the latest Nielsen data (MAT June 21, 2014).

Julie Campos will replace Dominique Pierre as managing director of the Centre Vinicole Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte in 2015.

Wines sealed with screw-caps dominate the UK and Australian wine markets, according to a new report published by Wine Intelligence yesterday.

Pernod Ricard Winemakers are about to launch Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel, a range of red wines finished in whisk(e)y barrels.

The English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition, the industry's annual national wine awards, has boasted an unprecedented number of medal winners, with vineyards in south east England dominating.

UK drinks industry figures gathered for the Benevolent Roof Gardens Party last week to celebrate the end of the London Wine Fair 2014. They raised more than £10,000 for their trade charity.