By Giles Fallowfield
Production in Champagne could increase by as much as 70 million bottles from the next (2007) harvest. L'Institut National de l'Appellation d'Origine (INAO) has decided to allow the maximum permitted yield in the appellation to rise from 13,000 to 15,500 kilos per hectare.
Several cases of top-end Burgundy were stolen from lorries en route to Richards Walford in the UK, in two unrelated incidents last week. The wines, which have a total market value of more than 5,000 and are all from the 2004 vintage, went missing some time between Tuesday and Wednesday last week (28 and 29 November).
Blavod Extreme Spirits, the producer of flavoured vodkas, is discussing being taken over by an unidentified American company. If an offer is made, it will value Blavod at no less than 12.8 million.
The message at the launch of The Wines of Chile, a new book by Peter Richards, was clear: Chile must overcome its cheap and cheerful image.
By Rebecca Gibb
After five lean years, sales of Burgundy are back to levels not seen since the 2001 campaign.
Edition number six of former Class editor Simon Difford's cocktail books, known as the diffordsguide' has been launched. Sponsored by Beefeater gin, it comes in a hardback format to resist splashes on the backbar and runs to 2,000 mixes. Difford has also released a guide to bars around the world, with an abbrievated list of cocktails, plus a Time Out-style pubs and bars guide to London.
Read more...The new GILT Champagne Lounge at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower in Knightsbridge, designed on a Champagne theme by Hirsch Bedner Associates and opened earlier this month, is to offer a full range of Pommery cuves. Chandeliers and the walls of the Lounge are lined with hand-blown Murano glass bubbles and the golden colour of the floor is intended to echo aged Vintage Champagne. Vranken Pommery Monopole UK manager Sara Hicks said: Designers wanted to give guests the impression that they're actually sitting in a glass of Champagne'.
Monika Reule has been appointed as managing director of the German Wine Institute.
Read more...Wines of South Africa has appointed Jo Mason as the new UK market manager, replacing Sophie Waggett, who is leaving the generic body to have a baby.
Read more...Berry Bros & Rudd's new non-executive director Philip Bowman is not afraid of change in the drinks industry - he embraces it, as Ron Emler discovers
Read more...Joe Wadsack, the voluble broadcaster and larger-than-life bon viveur, has teamed up with English crystal glass maker, Dartington, to promote its Winemaster range of stemware.
Read more...by Ron Emler
Rmy Cointreau has set itself up as a possible takeover target by announcing that it is pulling out of the Maxxium distribution joint venture to regain control of sales of its brands.
Bordeaux negoiant house Calvet has been sold to Les Grands Chais de France, which owns the JP Chenet brand.
Philip Bowman has been appointed as a non-executive director of London wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd.
Read more...On 14 November, the International Wine & Spirit Competition hosted its inaugural Mini-Showcase Tasting at Spier Conference Centre in Stellenbosch,
South Africa.
by Rebecca Gibb
The European Court of Justice has ruled that consumers will not be allowed to buy alcohol or cigarettes from Europe over the internet without paying domestic import duty.
Consumers are willing to increase their spend and experiment if they attend a wine course, according to the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and research from Wine Intelligence.
Read more...by Rebecca Gibb
Two-thirds of drinkers of Italian wine admit that they are confused by the country's grape varieties and regions.
The Bell at Skenfrith on the Welsh borders has won Champagne Taittinger's wine list award for small hotels, pipping Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham and The Crown at Whitebrook near Monmouth. According to judges the list was a really good read'. Holbeck Ghyll in Cumbria won the category for larger establishments, for Hotels and Spas in the UK and Ireland, beating Combe House in Devon, Cotswold House Hotel in Gloucestershire and Sharrow Bay in Cumbria.
Chris Corbishley, who is training to become a pastry chef at Stoke-on-Trent College, has won the Michael Nadell Pastry Trophy, sponsored by Champagne Duval-Leroy.
