New Porto Cruz facility opens

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.

Trivento to sponsor Premiership Rugby

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

Napa harvest begins

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.

Krug releases new vintage of Clos du Mesnil

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

New Zealand premium wine sales soar in the UK

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).

South East dominates UK wine comp

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.

Benevolent Roof Gardens party raises over £10,000

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.

New Zealand wine vintage up 29%

The 2014 New Zealand grape harvest has been completed with high quality grapes picked across the country, according to New Zealand Winegrowers.

Napa Valley auction nets $18.7m

Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) famous auction, the 34th, netted US$18.7 million this year.

London Wine Fair hailed a success

Brintex, organisers of the London Wine Fair, has hailed the reinvented, relocated trade show a success.

Treasury rejects KKR takeover offer

Treasury Wine Estates has rejected an AUS$3.05 billion (US$2.85 billion) takeover bid from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR).

Russia gets taste for imported wines

Russian consumers are turning to imported wines, especially sparkling wines, as traditional beverages such as vodka and beer decline in popularity, according to Wine Intelligence.

Moët UK Sommelier of the Year semi finalists

The Academy of Food & Wine Service (AFWS) has announced the names of the sommeliers going through to the semi-finals of the Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2014 following the regional finals held earlier this week in Bristol, two London venues and Stafford.

CA Grands Crus presents its 2013 en primeur Bordeaux wines

CA Grands Crus says it has succeeded in making exceptional terroir-focused wines across its portfolio of Bordeaux estates in the region’s most prestigious appellations, despite a challenging growing season in 2013.

Michael Jordaan to chair WOSA

Michael Jordaan, a 46-year-old venture capitalist and former CEO of South Africa’s First National Bank (FNB), has been appointed chairman of Wines of South Africa (WOSA).

South African wine harvest report

The South African wine industry expects an average sized, good quality wine grape harvest, with exceptional harvests especially in the coastal regions.

Kingsland and Legacy become Kingsland

Kingsland Wine & Spirits and Legacy Wines will now be known simply as ‘Kingsland’, the Manchester-based company has announced.

Pernod hit by unfavourable foreign exchange rates

Pernod Ricard’s net sales for the first nine months of the 2013/14 financial year totalled €6,186 million – down 7% on the same period last year. The company says the results are in line with the first half-year and sales were stable excluding foreign exchange and group structure effects.

Pernod buys Kenwood vineyards

Pernod Ricard has announced the purchase of Kenwood Vineyards in California’s Sonoma Valley from F. Korbel & Bros.

Rioja control board rates 2013 vintage as good

The Control Board of DOCa Rioja (The Consejo Regulador Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja) has officially rated the 2013 vintage “good”.

Accolade finalises Mud House deal

Accolade Wines has annoucned that it has finalised the purchase of Mud House and Waipara Hills and their assets, from the Mud House Wine Group.

Martini returns to offshore powerboat racing

Martini has announced that the brand is to sponsor Vector, the British powerboat racing team and global manufacturer of high performance powerboats and performance yachts.

Australian wine industry hits the wall

Australia’s wine industry hit the wall in 2013, after 30 years of surging growth, according to the The Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Directory (WID).

Kingsland appoints Guy Young

Kingsland Wine & Spirits has appointed former HwCg md Guy Young as commercial director.

Consumers like aluminium closure, claims report

An survey of 6,000 consumers, by IPSOS* to discover consumer preferences on wine and spirit closures claims the majority prefer an aluminium closure, over other closure options.

UK chancellor freezes alcohol duty accelerator

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the UK’s chief finance minister, has frozen the controversial so-called alcohol duty accelerator on spirits and standard cider.

WSTA steps up campaign to end alcohol duty escalator

New figures show pubs in Britain are becoming increasingly reliant on wine and spirit sales, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.

Inaugural AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction

The inaugural AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction 2014 (AfrABCWA), regarded by the organisers as possibly the most extraordinary international wine event ever seen in South Africa, will set a local philanthropic precedent.

Michael Cox memorial service – April 10

The date and timings of the memorial service to celebrate the life of Michael Cox, the former European head of Wines of Chile who died on March 20, will take place on April 10.

California wine exports reach 
all-time high

US wine exports, 90% from California, reached a record high $1.55 billion in winery revenues in 2013, up 16.4% compared to the previous year, according to the Wine Institute of California.

Napa auction raises US$5.9m

The Napa Valley Vintners' (NVV) 18th annual Premiere Napa Valley made history by bringing in a total of $5.9 million, nearly doubling the previous record of $3.1m raised in 2012.

Michael Cox has died

Michael Cox, a well known figure in the UK wine and spirits trade and latterly European director at Wines of Chile, has died.

Rioja reports record-breaking sales

The Consejo Regulador of Rioja (Wines from Rioja) has announced that Rioja sales have reached 277 million litres in 2013, surpassing the all-time record set before the global economic downturn.

Villa Maria buys prime vineyard in Hawkes Bay

The New Zealand owned winery has bought a 41-hectare property in the sought-after Gimblett Gravels sub-region in Hawkes Bay.

China is the world’s leading red wine market

China, including Hong Kong, is now the largest market for red wine, according to a survey commissioned by Vinexpo the Bordeaux-based exhibition company.

New Burgundian chiefs

Claude Chevalier and Louis-Fabrice Latour are the new president and co-president of the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB), the generic body representing the Burgundy wine region.

WSET wine educators of the year

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust's international Wine Educator of the Year is the Asia Wine Service & Education Centre, Hong Kong (AWSEC).

Sam Neill buys Desert Heart

Two Paddocks, the New Zealand wine producer owned by actor, Sam Neill, has bought a fourth vineyard, this one in Bannockburn.

Espaco Porto Cruz wins wine tourism award

Espaco Porto Cruz, the multimedia exhibition for contemporary Portuguese culture by young artists, has won the Best of Wine Tourism Award for the area of Porto, Portugal.

Napa secures recognition from Australia and Taiwan

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) has announced that it has secured certification mark protection for the Napa valley wine region in both Australia and Taiwan.

John Ratcliffe to head up Accolade

John Ratcliffe, the former head of Seagram UK and a driving force behind the once innovative specialist UK off licence chain, Oddbins, has been appointed CEO of Accolade Wines.

Concha y Toro excels at climate change awards

Viña Concha y Toro, Chile’s leading wine producer, was named as one of the top three organisations contributing to managing climate change at the annual Chilean ‘Leading Companies in Climate Change Management Awards’. 

US West Coast wine regions join up

The US West Coast wine regions of California, Oregon and Washington State are to collaborate in 2014 for their UK annual tastings. 

Direct sells Virgin Wines

Direct Wines has announced that it had sold its Virgin Wines UK business to the management team.

London Cru rejects French grapes

London’s first ever winery has announced that it has rejected seven tonnes of French grapes due to their poor condition.

Use pubs or lose them

CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale), is calling on British people to use pubs otherwise they will close. It claims 26 pubs close every week in Britain.

Cool drinks brands

There are no alcoholic drinks brands in CoolBrands top 20 ‘A-Listers’ of 2013.

SPI looks to expand more into wine

The SPI Group has announced that that it is looking to grow its global wine portfolio.

Dearie leaves Treasury

Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has announced that CEO David Dearie, has left.

Two new buyers at Laithwaite’s

Laithwaite’s, the UK subsidiary of global mail order wine business Direct Wines, has two new wine buyers.