Purity, precision and terroir were very much the buzz words at the 2016 Vintage Port Preview Tasting in London on May 17, where Symington Family Estates, The Fladgate Partnership and Quinta do Noval collaborated to show wines from the recently and unanimously declared 2016 vintage.
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The Co-op’s new conversion of its major own-label range will boost the UK’s Fairtrade wine volumes by 20%. Jo Gilbert explores a category on the rise.
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A new approach is needed in the battle to revitalise sherry’s image, argues James Lawrence
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Experts are predicting that cannabis is going to be the next major challenge to wine and spirits, and is already appropriating the alcohol industry’s vernacular. Jo Gilbert reports
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Swept up in the whirlwind of healthier eating and drinking trends, Jo Gilbert finds vegan wines are broadening their mass-market appeal
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It’s long been the case that Champagne sales are a barometer of the times, with a rise or fall in fortunes reflecting the performance of the broader economy. This has held true in the UK market through various recessions and dips, and the current downturn in Champagne sales is no exception.
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2017 saw an increase in exports for Bordeaux to key markets such as UK, Germany and Belgium, with the US and China also on an upward trajectory, delivering significant growth in higher priced wines.
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As the thirst for craft products continues apace, Lisa Riley assesses the ongoing stellar performance of gin
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Provence has long established itself as the darling of rosé of production – pale, pink, dry, with quaffable delicate fruits and a commercially-proven track record which has seen its flagship style imitated by most pink-producing regions across the world.
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The opening panel at Harpers’ annual Think Rum event delved deep into the premium possibilities to grow the category. Andrew Catchpole reports
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Despite the premium gin and Japanese whisky assault, single malt Scotch is riding high in a market driven by exploration. Tom Bruce-Gardyne reports
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Low- or no-alcohol products are no longer resigned to Dry January. Jo Gilbert reports on how waistband- and hangover-friendly alternatives are fast becoming one of 2018’s top trends
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With rum attracting younger consumers than other spirits, Nigel Huddleston considers its growing appeal
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Cava producers in Extremadura, South West Spain, are fighting a move from the Spanish government to ban further plantings of Cava grapes until beyond 2020.
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The apex of The City’s Gherkin building provided a suitably swish setting for the UK launch of the new Cava de Paraje Calificado on Monday, signalling the quality-focused ambition of Penedes leading sparkling winemakers.
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The love of sparkling has led to a spike in production in the Crémant de Bordeaux AOC and others around France. Jo Gilbert reports
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For most in the drinks world Christmas trade – the eight weeks or so leading up to the nation’s fuzzy wake-up call on January 1 – is a crucial period in the annual sales calendar.
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First the bad news – on March 8, Chancellor Philip Hammond hit UK spirits with a near 4% hike in duty pushing the tax on the average bottle of Scotch to an eye-watering 79%. Having scrapped the duty escalator in 2014, followed by a cut the year after and then a freeze, this unexpected blow from “Spreadsheet Phil” provoked fury among distillers. “It is staggering that the Prime Minister stood up in Scotland on Friday [March 3] and said that Scotch whisky is ‘a truly great Scottish and British industry’ … and just five days later the Chancellor hammers this industry at home,” thundered Charles Ireland, managing director of Diageo GB.
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Spain’s famous fizz needs some imaginative thinking to return its sparkle, argues James Lawrence
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A wave of young brewers are shaking things up in sake, increasing its popularity with a new generation in Japan and internationally. Anna Greenhous reports
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