SITT Preview: Specialist Importers Trade Tastings

London Wine Fair diary highlights

Masterclasses, tastings, new features, debate, seminars... there's much to see and take part in. Here's the highlights of the show...

London Wine Fair: Show areas

This year's fair promises to be even bigger, with an 11% increase in stand space and an 18% increase in the number of exhibitors, with over 20 UK importers who didn't exhibit in 2014 returning for this year's event. Here we list the show areas.

The Great British wine fair returns

Q&A: Aurelio Montes, vice-president of Wines of Chile talks about the big changes he's seen in over 25 years in the trade

Aurelio Montes established his eponymous Chilean winery back in 1988 and since then has witnessed big changes in the business. Harpers.co.uk caught up with the veteran winemaker, also the vice-president of the Wines of Chile, to find out more

Q&A: Chris Tomlinson, Tirril Brewery

Former pub owner turned brewer and distiller Chris Tomlinson of Tirril Brewery talks to Helen Arnold about the launch of Cumbria's first single malt whisky - the only malt in Britain made using a beer recipe

Q&A: Mission Estate's Giles James on toppling Cloudy Bay and looking beyond Sauvignon Blanc

Mission Estate, New Zealand's oldest winery, may not yet be the most familiar of brand names in the UK wine world, but it has just managed to topple Cloudy Bay from its position as best selling New Zealand wine in the on trade. Helen Arnold caught up with UK business development manager Giles James to discover how it was achieved.

New on-trade campaign to highlight Aussie premium wines

A series of Australian themed wine events will be held in ten of London's top restaurants next month, as part of Wine Australia's new on-trade campaign.

Food diagnostics company launces glycerol wine analysis kit

A new wine analysis kit which can detect glycerol in wine has been unveiled by Randox Food Diagnostics this month.

St Austell's Brewery appoints first exclusive wine buyer to drive more sales

St Austell's Brewery has promoted Louisa Fizpatrick to the newly created role of wine buyer, in recognition of her hard work and expertise and extensive knowledge of the wine world.

Mark Holdsworth, Half Hitch Gin, on breathing new life in to London gin

Camden Lock in north London was once the centre of the capital's gin production. Fifty years after the last distiller moved out, Mark Holdsworth is breathing new life into the area. He talks about craft gin and his plans for Half Hitch with Helen Arnold.

Quintessential buys French spirits producer Lafragette & Legier

Origin Wine spearheads new campaign to get more wines bottled in South Africa

South Africa is set to increase its exports of bottled wine next year, following a change in the quota of duty free wine that is allowed to be exported to the EU as from 2016. In a campaign spearheaded by Origin Wines, one of South Africa's biggest exporters, other producers are being urged to switch to bottling to take advantage of the new allowances.

Gallo targets new wine drinkers with its first fruit and low-alcohol wine ranges

American wine giant, E& J Gallo, is continuing its drive to appeal to so-called millennial consumers, with the UK launch of a low-alcohol and a fruit wine range which are targeted at drinkers who are currently intimidated by wine but aspire to drink it.

Profile: Bottle Apostle

Bottle Apostle is one of the new breed of independent wine merchants hitting well-heeled high streets across the country. Both cool and quirky, it has its sights set on young and affluent customers, as Helen Arnold discovers

Tim Heath, senior winemaker of Cloudy Bay, talks about the challenges of making an iconic Sauvignon Blanc

Tim Heath, Cloudy Bay's straight-talking 38-year-old Aussie winemaker, talks about the challenges of producing one of the world's most iconic Sauvignons, his winemaking ethos - and his loathing of accountants.

Caliterra's Rodrigo Zamorano on making wines that change people's perceptions of Chile

Chilean winery Errazuriz, established over 130 years ago, has owned Caliterra since 2004. Helen Arnold talks to its chief winemaker, Rodrigo Zamorano, about his new Edicion Limitada range, and the changing face of Chilean wine.

Vino Wines is gaining ground in Edinburgh

Quality wines combined with the canny idea to sell premium ready-meals is making Vino a destination wine store in Scotland.

Christmas Report: Gin is a must-have festive tonic

Once the preserve of the stockbroker set, recent years have seen gin reach a much younger and more fashionable audience. Helen Arnold assesses whether gin can stay on its upward journey

Christmas Report: time for big hitting whisky brands to shine

The whisky companies have been unveiling their big-hitting Christmas whiskies at a flurry of consumer shows in recent weeks, writes Dominic Roskrow, and it's clear that they're keen to cash in on the sector's current popularity by extending its appeal to new drinkers and attempting to be all things to all people.