Scotch whisky exports hold steady, despite Chinese decline

Scotch whisky exports held steady in 2013 at £4.3 billion, despite a sharp drop off in China, according to figures the Scotch Whisky Association.

'No compelling reason to buy' Bordeaux 2013, say merchants

Merchants have so far sold very little, if any, Bordeaux 2013 wines, as collectors lack any compelling reason to buy.

Virgin Wines sees "loyal customers" join its Wine Bank

Virgin Wines says strong customer loyalty has encouraged 40,000 of them to join its Wine Bank Scheme, which offers customer 20% discount.

Liv-ex survey finds 'significantly less demand' for Bordeaux 2013 wines

The annual Liv-ex en primeur survey found that 78% of merchants expect "significantly less demand" - down by at least a fifth - for 2013 wines compared to their 2012 counterparts.

Gun-shaped vodka bottle breaks marketing rules

Red Army Vodka, packaged in a gun-shaped bottle, has been ruled "entirely inappropriate" for suggesting a link towards violent and dangerous behaviour.

Spain's Grandes Pagos wines kick off global campaign

Spain's 27 top single estate wineries, collected under the Grandes Pagos de España banner, have launched a campaign to put their wines on the map internationally.

UK wine firms should look to US market for growth, says senior trade figure

British wine firms should look to the US, where domestic wine consumption is outpacing supply, says trade stalwart James Forbes, who has formed a US-focused company.

Bacardi's chief abruptly retires

Bacardi's chief executive Ed Shirley is to retire and will leave the role after just two years and with no successor named.

Argentina wine consumers 'attractive' to retailers

Monkey Shoulder gets UK brand ambassador

Fast-growing malt whisky brand Monkey Shoulder has appointed bartender Grant Neave as its full-time UK brand ambassador.

David Beckham gets behind new Diageo Scotch whisky

Diageo is launching a new Scotch whisky called Haig Club, in partnership with footballing great David Beckham and music mogul Simon Fuller.

Liberty Wines recruits commercial director

Liberty Wines has recruited Jon Worsley as commercial director to boost the company's premium position.

TWE's new chief executive says "structural changes" inevitable

A week into his new role as chief executive at Treasury Wine Estates, Michael Clarke has admitted "there is a lot that needs to be fixed."

Argentinian wines grow 20% in off-trade

Argentinian wines are surging ahead in the off-trade, with growth of 20% in the last year, as the market "moves up to suit Argentina", says the European director of the country's generic body.

Brancott Estate doubles marketing spend

Pernod Ricard UK has doubled its consumer marketing spend on New Zealand wine brand Brancott Estate.

Supermarket wine price wars are dumbing down market, says report

Supermarket wine price wars are threatening to'dumb down British consumers' attitudes to wine, exclusive research from Harpers Data & Insight team reveals.

Wine Australia's Yvonne May takes extended leave over illness

Wine Australia's European director Yvonne May is taking extended leave from the generic body to receive treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

Bordeaux negociants say demand for 2013 wine is 'dead'

Wholesale wine merchants in Bordeaux were underwhelmed by a rapid burst of 2013 en primeur price releases Monday morning, describing current demand as "dead."

UK trade still finds Bordeaux 2013 wines to buy

After much criticism ahead of the 2013 en primeur tastings, it seems that many UK merchants have been undeterred by negative press and plan to buy and sell this year's wines.

Entire Bordeaux 2013 production will be drunk within 10 years, says UGCB president

The head of the body which represents Bordeaux's top chateaux has predicted that 2013 wines will have been consumed within 10 years, but merchants are less sure.