Hallgarten Druitt boosts sales and marketing teams

Hallgarten Druitt & Novum Wines has recruited a former Mirror journalist to head up its communications team and added an extra national accounts manager.

Off-trade: 'ferocious' Christmas business on cards

Retailers battling for share in the off-trade are going to get "pretty damn ferocious" in the run-up to Christmas, while difficult conditions mean the industry is approaching 2013 with caution.

New group winemaker for Waipara Hills

Kiwi winery Waipara Hills has appointed former Lion New Zealand director Ben Glover as its new group winemaker.

Free Run launches its own French wine brand

Free Run Wines is launching its own French wine brand - Les Calades - to plug what it sees as a gap in the market.

Retailers' own labels overtaking branded wines

It's a "scary" time for wine brands as supermarkets' own versions are leaving them out in the cold, say experts.

Future of National Wine Month uncertain

The future of National Wine Month hangs in the balance after WSET boss Ian Harris said he will no longer run it.

Free Run launches new wine range from Rueda

Free Run Wines is launching a new range of white wines from Spain's Rueda region, in conjunction with Felix Solis Avantis.

National Wine Month 2012 to kick off with major event

Building on the success of May's inaugural National Wine Month, next year's will kick off with a major event, and be fronted by a mainstream personality.

Free Run launches new Champagne with Tesco.com

Free Run Wines is launching a new Champange with Tesco's online wine arm.

Waipara Hills in range overhaul

Free Run Wines will be unveiling new packaging for Waipara Hills at the New Zealand annual trade tasting to coincide with an overhaul of the range.

Free Run Wines to launch new Chilean range

Free Run Wines has teamed up with Chilean winery Viña Las Niñas to launch a new range into the UK.

Tour de France

When: Wednesday 14 March, 10am-5.30pm
Where: The Nursery End Pavilion, Lord's Cricket Ground, London NW8
Contact: Tina Coady on 01638 614 775 or register at www.franceunderoneroof.co.uk

The Spanish celebrate diversity

This year's Wines from Spain tasting celebrates the 25th anniversary of the creation of the generic body, and will feature 30 Spanish bodegas seeking UK representation, as well as 55 importers, with more than 2,000 wines available to taste.

New year, new show

Flix Sols capitalises on demand for Spanish wine

The Flix Sols Avantis group is celebrating further expansion in Spain with the opening of a new winery in Rioja and the launch of two new wine ranges. Pagos del Rey SL is the subsidiary company overseeing the winery, which will have an annual production of more than 7 million bottles.

France under one roof

France Under One Roof
Wednesday 22 March
The Nursery End Pavilion,
Lord's Cricket Ground, Wellington Road,
London NW8 (North Gate Entrance)
10am-5pm
For more details contact Jane Hunt MW on 01451 831682; janehuntmw@aol.com

Small regions, big story

For a wine produced by a co-op in a region little known in the UK outside of the trade and wine enthusiasts, it is quite a result: Via Bajoz's Cao brand, from the DO of Toro in Castilla y Len, sold 13,000 six-bottle cases in Tesco during a single week last month.
The main reason for this sales spike was, as always, a hard-and-fast discount that saw the retail price fall from 4.49 to 2.99 for the blend of Garnacha and Tinta de Toro (the local version of Tempranillo). A general Tesco promotion that gave a further 20% discount on any six-bottle cases coincided with the Cao promotion, meaning bulk buyers could have a bottle for as little as 2.38.
Price, however, doesn't tell the whole story. Cao's success is also about PR. As Ben Smith, who runs Bibendum's PR department, explains: I sent out a couple of bottles to
the major newspaper journalists, and the response was fantastic.

No Spain, no gain

The Spanish tasting is once again setting up residence at London's Old Billingsgate (EC3), although there will be a new format for 2006, with both the Importers Fair and Exporters Fair taking place under the same roof. Held on 8 March and running from 9.30am to 6pm, the fair will feature the wines from 50 importers and 30 bodegas seeking representation, as well as a themed tasting area - New Wave Spanish Wines: Top 106 - and a tutored tasting led by Jancis Robinson MW entitled Cutting Edge Wines from Spain.
Members of the trade or press interested in attending should call 020 7409 0494 or e-mail celine@spearcommunications.co.uk

M-erlot C-abernet C-armenre

Wines of Chile
Annual Trade Tasting

Lord's Cricket Ground
London NW8

Tuesday 13 September

10.30am-5pm

Waipara Hills gets UK off trade listing

Free Run Wines Ltd have been appointed to represent the Waipara Hills boutique wine brand to the UK off trade.