It’s well reported that Australian wine sales into mainland China have been booming, driven by a compelling mix of favourable trade deals, attractiveness of style to Chinese consumers and a firm commitment by the Australian industry to push into that market. Moreover, as with many other territories around the world, the US included, such buyers are prepared to pay a good price for the pleasure of listing the wines.
Read more...
Bibendum PLB is reasserting itself as a major premium player on the UK wine scene. Andrew Catchpole meets chief executive Michael Saunders to discover what’s in store
Read more...
As we eagerly await the Christmas trading results, Lisa Riley looks back at 2018 and the ups and downs across the drinks categories
Read more...
New Zealand’s wine scene has come a long way since its inception in the 1970s. Jamie Goode meets the personalities driving change in leading region Marlborough
Read more...
Alternative formats are sometimes looked down on by the wine elite, but the best packaging innovations don’t just stand out on shelf, they create entirely new ways of reaching and interacting with the consumer. Jo Gilbert investigates
Read more...
As automated technology gets more affordable and efficient, it will free up businesses to place people at the heart and soul of the drinks trade – if used correctly. Jo Gilbert reports
Read more...
A census in a rabbit warren, needle in a haystack – numerous similes come to mind when attempting to get to grips with 2019’s plethora of events. Concern over the looming prospect of Brexit hasn’t dampened the trade’s voracious appetite for putting on a grand show, and next year promises to be no exception.
Read more...
As the halo effect from health and sustainability grows, pulling in everyone from full-time vegans to flexitarians, consumers are increasingly looking for the “V” symbol on wines. Jo Gilbert asks, can the wine trade afford not to be vegan?
Read more...
There’s been no shortage of innovation in wines and spirits over the past year.
Read more...
Rioja’s Viñedos Singulares classification is a major step towards elevating the region’s status, writes Tim Atkin MW.
Rioja’s Consejo Regulador is the oldest in Spain, a body that owes its existence to a Royal Decree, no less, of October 22, 1926. From the start, the Consejo’s mandate included the right to take legal measures against “usurpers and counterfeiters of the Rioja brand”, as well as to issue production seals, demarcate the region and decide on its future direction.
Thanks to its renewed reputation as a drink to be taken seriously, Lisa Riley looks at tequila’s potential in the UK as an upmarket and fashionable spirit.
Read more...
Good design may only sell the one, first bottle if the liquid inside is discovered to be below par. But present the most sublime booze in a mediocre or off-putting package and the painstaking craft of the distiller or winemaker is likely to be left collecting dust.
Read more...
Linking up online and offline channels is now expected by not only consumers, but B2B clients too. Jo Gilbert looks at the companies bringing greater visibility to the supply chain while oiling the wheels of stock management and logistics
Read more...
Christmas and spirits go hand in hand, with festive sparkle helping to boost the sales of retailers and operators who can convince consumers to shop with them. Jo Gilbert sits down with brand owners and distributors working to make this Christmas the best one yet.
Read more...
It’s been just over a decade since North Dakota, the final state to host a winery, joined the party, adding to the substantial growth of many states’ wine tourism and consequent direct consumer sales. California’s primacy remains constant, though its share of US production continues to slide from what
Read more...
Following The Vineking’s soft opening of The Tasting Rooms in Reigate last month, Lisa Riley meets the brains behind the new venture and hears about the raison d’être – accessibility
Read more...
Leading lights from Oregon and Washington talk Andrew Catchpole through the trends and developments in their respective states
Read more...
At first glance, the day-to-day logistics of running a bonded warehouse is scarcely of any interest to the wider trade, let alone consumers. Regarded as a prosaic stepping stone in the overall supply chain, firms such as Berry Bros & Rudd (BBR) have been managing these “holding bays” for decades, a regulated space where imported goods that are intended for export can be stored without actually entering the UK market. Duty and VAT payments are deferred until the wine is sold or removed from the bonded warehouse. It’s that simple.
Read more...
Travelling with fellow MWs in the Golden State, Natasha Hughes MW delves far beyond the usual suspects.
Read more...
Chris Wilson looks at the age-old conundrum – how can fortified wine break away from its seasonal reputation?
Read more...
