Wines of Great Britain has announced strong positive growth in sales with an estimated 5.5m bottles of English and Welsh wines sold in 2019, up 70% on the previous year.

English winery Hattingley Valley has launched its first still red wine, a 2016 Pinot Noir, since being established in 2008.

Zamora Company’s Spanish wine producer Ramón Bilbao has begun organic conversion for vineyard plots in Rioja and Rueda.

Quintessential has acquired all US wines within the Accolade Wines portfolio including the production, global sales and marketing of four labels: Geyser Peak, Atlas Peak, Outlot and XYZin.

Grupo Sogevinus has added two brands to its portfolio through the acquisition of Quinta da Boavista, an 80 ha property that was part of the first delimitation of the Douro region.

Argentina’s Catena Zapata is now recognised as the best winery in the world having topped The World’s Most Admired Wine Brands, conducted in association with market research specialists at Wine Intelligence.

Taylor’s port has declared a ‘Classic Vintage’ for the third year in a row having experienced “exceptional” conditions in the Douro Superior region.

Sales of rare wines and spirits to Chinese buyers has led to a 25% jump in Asia sales during March according to global merchant BI Fine Wine & Spirits.

Ramón Bilbao has launched its Spanish Wine Academy online in light of the necessary postponement of its international events calendar this spring.

Domaine de la Commaraine has announced the purchase of 5,8 ac of vineyards in the Côte de Nuits to supplement the 9,3 ac of its Clos in Pommard Premier Cru.

Romania’s largest wine exporter, Cramele Recas, has purchasing a further three ventilators and medical equipment for the emergency hospital in Timisoara, Western Romania.

Snowy conditions have caused minimal vine damage in Bordeaux according to a report released by the Counseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux.

Argentina’s Catena Zapata has topped this year’s list of The World’s Most Admired Wine Brands, conducted in association with market research specialists at Wine Intelligence.

The Wine Institute of California has argued that wineries are an “essential business” and should be allowed to maintain operations during a lockdown.

The Institute of Masters of Wine has announced seven new Masters of Wine, from five countries. The total number of MWs in the world is now 396 in 30 countries. 

Drinks International has named Louis Roederer as the World’s Most Admired Champagne Brand in 2020, a magazine which ranks champagne brands from 1-30 based on the votes of the world's top wine experts.

Crus Bourgeois du Médoc has unveiled a new three-tier classification for its wines which have been introduced to add clarity for consumers.

Villa Maria premiered a feature length documentary called Vintage in London this week ahead of its Amazon Prime launch later this month.

Ridgeview Wine Estate in Sussex, England is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and the opening of a new winery at the estate. 

Champagne is a category in which brand reputation has a key role. Its expense clearly plays a part in consumers' brand loyalty - creating a reluctance to experiment with lesser-known brands as they might in the craft-spun worlds of beer and gin, for example.

That 90% of our sample of the world’s best bars say they stock sherry goes some way to explain the renewed importance of this Spanish fortified in the modern cocktail bar.

Manhattan, Martini, Martinez... the list of reasons to reach into the fridge for vermouth are many, and never has the bartender had such a choice.

England Rugby has extended its partnership with Champagne Bollinger as their official champagne supplier for a further five-years. 

Symington Family Estates will celebrate its 200th anniversary of Graham’s Port and the 350th anniversary of Warre’s Port.

Spanish wine brand Ramón Bilbao has exceeded its targets on sustainability in both its winery and vineyards.

A page has turned in Beaujolais, Georges Duboeuf has passed.

Wine Source Group has announced the increase of private equity firm Saphir Capital's shareholding to a new majority stake of 51% in the business.

A joint venture between Kingsland Drinks and Indian wine producer Soul Tree has brought the first shipment of bulk wine from India to the UK.

The National Wine Agency of Georgia has claimed 2019 as a “tipping point” for Georgian wine exports to the UK, with record sales and new distribution agreements nationwide.

A GlobalData representative has claimed the threat of 100% US tariffs on champagne could be critical to the exports of powerful champagne houses.

The Consortium for the Protection of the Prosecco Denomination of Origin (Consorzio Tutela Prosecco DOC) is celebrating 10 years of success.

The Cava DO is seeking to redefine itself to claw back the middle ground in sparkling wine, between champagne at the top end and prosecco at entry level.

Romanian wine producer Cramele Recas has predicted a record harvest for 2019 with almost 30,000 tonnes of grapes.

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust has announced a three-year deal with The Wine Show to be its official wine education partner.

Co-op and Taylor’s have joined forces to fund a reforestation project in the Douro Valley through the sales of port this Christmas.

Spanish winery Murviedro has released Vallejo Avenas Chardonnay 2018, made from grapes of a single plot in the municipality of Venta del Moro, with D.O. Utiel Requena.

Leading New Zealand wine producer, Yealands Wine Group, has announced the appointment of Tiffani Graydon as CEO.

Brand Australia has got its mojo back, so says Neil McGuigan, the mercurial CEO of Australian Vintage, which owns McGuigan Wines.

After a few tough years due to drought, South Africa is coming back, according to the founder and chairman of the Premium Independent Wines of South Africa.

Taylor’s has launched a new Historic Limited Edition across the UK market in the run up to Christmas.

Wine brand Trapiche has been named Argentina’s Most Awarded Winery by World Ranking Wines & Spirits.

Taylor’s port has launched a new digital campaign to promote the “conviviality and versatility” of port in the run up to Christmas and New Year.

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. has announced a high quality harvest for 2019 - the first under its new recognition from UNESCO.

The 2019 harvest in the Rioja DOCa saw approximately 385m kg of grapes harvested, of which 342m kg were red.

Major French wine producer Les Grands Chais de France has bought Maison Desvignes Ainé et Fils near Chablis.

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger will step down from the family business and allow his daughter Vitalie Taittinger to become president of Taittinger Champagne from 31 December 2019.

President of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, Olivier Cuvelier, was in London this September at a selected tasting of the new Official Selection of Crus Bourgeois wines from the 2017 vintage.

Pernod Ricard has announced that Laurent Fresnet, currently head winemaker at Champagne Henriot, will be G.H. Mumm’s new chef de cave.

It is with deep regret that the Symington family announces the death of Ian Symington, a leading figure in the Port trade for nearly 50 years.

The Wine & Spirits Education Trust marked its 50th anniversary this week with the first ever global WSET Wine Education Week.