The Bordeaux seminar held as part of the Renaissance of the French Vineyard event - the two-day festival of food and wine at Raymond Blanc's Manoir aux Quat' Saisons on 21-22 November - addressed some of the most urgent questions relating to the world's largest fine-wine region.
HM Revenue & Customs has still not released full details of the proposed changes to self-invested pension portfolios (SIPPs) - which will allow fine wine to be included in a portfolio (and be eligible for tax relief) - despite the new laws expected to come into force by April.
A grandfather's rusty old megaphone stuffed unceremoniously into the hedge of a quinta that had to be sold in the battle for survival - a poignant reminder of the bleak postwar years when the Port trade itself almost went under. But when the Symingtons recovered the megaphone in 1998, Dow's bicentennial year, they had bought back the estate, Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira, that Dow's had been forced to sell in 1954. They had already purchased (in 1989) and renovated the huge historic estate on the opposite south bank of the Douro Superior - Quinta do Vesuvio - and in 1999, three of the younger Symington partners took on the neighbouring Quinta do Vale de Malhadas. In the five years since then (2000-04), Symington Family Estates has invested a further e36 million in major capital projects.
Edward Cavendish & Sons is making its first move into Spanish wine with the addition of the premium Cavas from the house of Nadal to its portfolio.
Sourced from the Cava heartlands of Penedes, the three-strong range - Nadal Brut, Nadal Rosado Brut and 2000 Nadal Brut Especial Gran Reserva - range in price from 8.99 to 9.99.
Following Hallgarten's decision to end its distribution of the wine from Beelgara and invest in fellow Australian company Berton Vineyards, the distributor has announced that it is restructuring its Australian range.
Blavod Extreme Spirits, which produces a black vodka, has been forced to amend its first-ever national TV advertising campaign, after an industry watchdog objected to the words shave me'.
After years of speculation and rumour, a Champagne producer has finally taken the plunge and planted a vineyard in southern England. But it's a small grower from Avize and not a well-known house that has made the first move, planting 3 hectares (ha) of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir near Hambledon in Hampshire.
Montana - New Zealand's bestselling wine brand, accounting for more than 50% of the country's production - will be taken under the control of Australia's Orlando Wyndham group following Diageo's decision not to exercise its option to buy the company.
Armit, formerly known as John Armit Wines, has decided to withdraw from The Bunch, the trade group of independent merchants, and it will not be taking part in the forthcoming press tasting in January.
The Wine Academy of Spain is organising the first world conference on Global Warming and Wine'. The two-day conference, held 24-25 May 2006 in Barcelona, will feature professors and winemakers from around the globe' to explain what climate change and global warming are and analyse the most immediate and future repercussions'.
Speakers include viticulturalist Dr Richard Smart, Professor Bernard Seguin of the INRA in France and Dr David Smart of UC Davis, California.
How did you start devising restaurant wine lists?
Well, I was a bum for a long time and then decided I wanted to work as a buyer. When I figured out there weren't many buying jobs, I went into sales. I originally worked for David Gleave at Wine Cellars, which was then bought by Enotria. That was a great two years. I really like Remo Nardone; he's got a great business.
Other people in the trade are really sniffy about Enotria, but it has loyal staff and customers. Then I went to Bibendum, and then I started this.
Attendees
What kind of tasting do you find the most useful and why?
Generic, both annual and special, as well as the LIWSF. It's better to be focused on a single area or country. The LIWSF is good for networking and finding something new and exciting but not for business meetings.' - Philippa Carr MW, Asda
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has secured Government funding to deliver subsidised training courses
to London clubs, pubs, restaurants and bars.
Brian McGuigan, one of the best-known figures in the Australian wine industry, is stepping down from the helm of the company he founded, McGuigan Simeon.
A Bordeaux Syndicat has set itself against the region's ngociants by threatening to withhold certificates allowing wine sold to be labelled Bordeaux or Bordeaux Superior unless it has been bought for minimum price of e1,000 a tonneau.
London-based Moreno wines has added the wines of Dominio de Valdepusa - Marqus de Grin Carlos Falc's DO Pago wines - to its portfolio.
Wine drinkers in the UK are increasingly concerned with alcohol levels, new research from Wine Intelligence has revealed.
In its latest Leading Thinkers seminar, held in London last Thursday (24 November), the company identified five consumer groups, complete with average age, income, average bottle spend and buying habits. The results can be seen in the table on the right.
Nature morte automnale, one of the eight courses comprising the Burgundy Menu, was less auspicious than delicious as the signature dish of an event heralding The Renaissance of the French Vineyard. But the trompettes de la mort were savoured rather than sounded at the two-day annual festival of food and wine held at Raymond Blanc's Manoir aux Quat' Saisons near Oxford on Monday and Tuesday 21-22 November. The event - supported by Sopexa, which offered members of the paying public and the trade the opportunity to taste more than 60 Absolutely Cracking Wines from France', as well as by corporate sponsors such as Spiegelau and The Sunday Times Wine Club - largely met Blanc's objective of showcasing the creativity, dynamism and excitement across four great French vineyards': Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhne and Languedoc-Roussillon.
A Champagne price war between leading retailers is widely expected to be a major feature in the run-up to Christmas and
the New Year in the UK off-trade. After two years in which the really deep price cuts have been largely avoided, the pretty consistently bad news from high-street retail in general means that, once again, the likes of Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Morrisons will be using fizz - and Champagne in particular - as a way of bringing reluctant shoppers into their stores.
Rioja producer Bodegas Montecillo has released a limited-edition Gran Reserva 1994 to celebrate its 130th anniversary. Winemaker Maria Martinez is also celebrating her 30 years with the company. The wine, which is aged in 100% French oak, is made from Tempranillo sourced from the Rioja Alta region. Distribution is through Hayman Barwell Jones.
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