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The week that was

Top stories: There were several moves for well-known names and faces in the trade this week, with new ventures for James Hocking, former wine director at The Vineyard Cellars, Peter McCombie MW, as well as a team-up for Bibendum’s premium wine portfolio and Gilbeys, Ireland’s largest wine distributor.

Elsewhere, a deal or no-deal scenario continues to drum up debate as we speed towards the Brexit deadline.

March 29, 2019 seemed so far away when Article 50 was triggered on the same day in 2017. Now the two years is almost officially up – and so is our power to back out of Brexit stay in the UK – where does that leave the trade?

More on our coverage below.

• James Hocking sets up new Californian wine agency
• Macron targets 80% ban on glyphosate
• Peter McCombie MW joins C&C Wines as portfolio ambassador
• Gilbeys and Bibendum join forces in Ireland
• UK wine industry faces big bill and paperwork hell in no-deal Brexit
• UK restaurant numbers dip for first time in nine years
• Post-Brexit trade deals could pressure Government over duty rises

Analysis and Insights: Pushing Brexit brouhaha to one side, we looked at how the UK market continues to be the shop window for the world of wine, with the on-trade in particular driving premium sales.

Elsewhere we looked at what true sustainability means in business and how it can drive, not drag on, the bottom line.

Finally, we hung around Europe for a look at how Austria has become a sommelier secret weapon, and how 100 years after the negroni was invented, the French aperitif is now stronger than ever.

• France versus Italy: why the French are wining the aperitif game
• UK still ‘litmus test’ as global benchmark for wine brands
• Tapping into green gains
• Where do we go from Grüner?

People and Opinion: This week Tim Atkin MW talked us through the fascinating revival of some of South America’s original grapes.

We also caught up with the head honcho of Maison Ferrand; and bartender Jim Meehan of New York’s famous speakeasy Please Don’t Tell gave us his tips on how to make it in the uber-competitive bar world.

• Tim Atkin MW: Celebrating Creole
• Q&A: Alexandre Gabriel, MD, Maison Ferrand
• Q&A: Jim Meehan, co-founder, Banks Rums