Beaujolais producer Georges Duboeuf and his UK agent Berkmann Wine Cellars continue to stand defiant after the court ruling on 4 July 2006 which fined Duboeuf 30,000 (21,000) for illegally blending over 200,000 hectolitres of wine, mixing grapes from different appellations.
There are so many ways to answer this question that it is a struggle to know where to begin. But let's start with the most animal instinct of all: self-preservation. And let's start not with consumers, but with retailers.
South African wine producer Boschendal has introduced a new range of premium wines for the off-trade made up of three single varietals and two dual varietals.
The Edrington Group has revealed a growth in both group turnover (up 3.7% to 263.4 million) and operating profits
(up 6.5% to 71.9 million) following the recent announcement of its financial results for the year ending 31 March.
The most important feature of a wine closure is the ease of use, a new survey has shown. The survey, conducted by Skalli & Rein in May, and featuring 1,000 responses from 55 countries, showed that simplicity' was the key feature of any wine closure.
The director general of the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins du Languedoc (CIVL) has come out against the European Commission's proposals to uproot 400,000 hectares of vineyards over the next five years (see Harpers, 31 June).
Read more...Werner White has been appointed as managing director of the newly formed Kuehne + Nagel division, KN Drinks Logistics.
Read more...British pensioners could soon be entitled to a complementary case of wine as part of a government initiative to help mop up the European Union wine lake, which is currently approaching
800 million gallons.
Corney & Barrow has appointed three new sales personnel to its on-trade team, as it looks to expand its national on-trade presence.
Read more...The UK arm of Sherry producer Gonzalez Byass has created
three new roles at the St Albans-based company.
Lay & Wheeler has recruited four new staff to its team.
Read more...Wine+, the new on-trade wine event, has appointed Luchford APM as its PR agency.
Read more...The world's largest wine producer, Constellation Brands, increased its earnings in the three months to the end of May by 13%, which was more than analysts expected. Net sales were up 5% to $1.2bn, a record for the group in the first quarter of its financial year, which did not include a contribution from Vincor, the Canadian group purchased by Constellation earlier this year.
Read more...As high alcohol levels are becoming more and more contentious in the industry, the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) has pulled together a panel to discuss and debate this topic as a precursor to its annual showcase tasting.
Read more...by Dawn Cran
Industry-funded sensible drinking advocate The Portman Group is stepping back from consumer communication following the signing of an historic' agreement for the formation of a new self-governing trust to be regulated by both industry and non-industry experts.
The leading alcoholic drinks brands may have retained their positions in the market but this AC Nielsen results show that the UK take-home drinks trade is currently going through some subtle, but surprising changes.
Read more...Strong sales of brands such as Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff will be the main factors in generating organic revenue growth of 6.5% for Diageo in the year to the end of June.
Read more...Prestonfield
Priestfield Road
Edinburgh EH16 5UT
Tel: 0131 662 2305
www.prestonfield.com
John Power began his career at the five-star Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, where he trained as a sommelier before moving to the Witchery by the Castle in 1998. Earlier this year he took on the new role of central wine buyer for all of James Thompson's Edinburgh restaurants, including the Witchery by the Castle, Tower restaurant in the Museum of Scotland and Rhubarb at the five-star Prestonfield hotel, where he is now based.
Key suppliers: Raeburn Fine Wine, Cheviot Wine, Corney & Barrow, Justerini & Brooks, Fine & Rare Wines.
Camus has launched what it believes is the first-ever range of Cognacs bottled under screwcap.
Read more...The Wine Standards Board (WSB) ceased to exist on 30 June after 33 years. Responsibility for wine inspection and the implementation of the European Union (EU) wine regulations in the UK has passed to the Food Standards Board (FSA).
Read more...
