MPs representing several vineyards within their constituencies emphasised the contribution that the UK wine industry makes to the rural economy through tourism, employment, tax and wine sales, all of which are set to increase revenue to the Exchequer as the industry continues to grow. The debate was led by Neil Parish MP, the UK wine industry’s ‘champion’ and chaired by Edward Leigh MP.  George Eustice…

The 50% reduction in GHGs is equivalent to taking 15,000 cars off the road each year, reducing oil use by 165,000 barrels annually or installing 18 wind turbines, the company said. Mike Dolan, chief executive officer of family-owned Bacardi, said: “We set an ambitious corporate responsibility goal, and we reached it nearly 15 months early. We not only achieved it; we surpassed it with outside-the-box…

The show, hosted by whisky experts Charles MacLean, Neil Ridley and Joel Harrison, will feature new masterclasses and over 100 whiskies available for sampling. Mini tastings and seminars on whisky will also take place throughout the evening, delivered by the hosts and external experts. Several whiskies will be launched at the event including The Norfolk from English Whisky and a new expression from Benromach. This…

The estate directly adjoins the 101-hectare Quinta de Ataíde that produced Symington’s Douro 2014 red wines, which will be available in the UK early next year. The Vilariça valley, where both estates are located has a relatively flat landscape. Charles Symington, the family member responsible for viticulture and wine making, said he has been increasingly impressed with the quality of the Douro wines made in…

In total, eight operator and eight supplier awards were handed out at Hotel Majestic, Cannes. Joe Bates, head judge, said: “The quality of entries this year was definitely up with suppliers and operators putting much more thought into their submissions. Reflecting broader trends in the market, there were a higher number of entries from single malt whiskies and premium wines, but fewer competitors…

The 2016 competition, run by Altos tequila, focused on the use of local Mexican ingredients, which challenged 21 bartenders to create a drink based on seasonal or foraged produce, sourced from Guadalajara’s markets. Ramage will become The Tahona Society global ambassador and will be given the opportunity to host Tahona Society programmes around the world in the coming year. Bethany Ham of Corner Door, LA and Simon…

More than hundred wines from thirteen producers in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay will form the portfolio, created by Condor Wines’ Lee Evans and Carla Bertellotti of Wines of Uruguay UK. Evans said: “Condor Wines initially focused on Argentina and Chile, but it was always our intention to introduce more from South America. A visit to Uruguay in April convinced me that this was a region…

Visitor numbers were up from 852 to 1,300 this year and the number of international speakers and seminars increased to meet demand. Paula Garcia, Barra México commercial director, told DI: “We want to give our attendees a big perspective on what’s happening around the globe and how far they can go learning from the best, but it is also important to have local speakers to show people outside México…

Matthijs van Zanten, Zamora international global marketing manager, told DI: “Premium Limoncello is in growth internationally and Villa Massa is leading that growth. We are focusing on building sales in all existing markets and in terms of new markets, we are looking at the opportunity to launch in the UK at the moment.” Villa Massa started to double its production in 2006 after its collaboration…

Available for IOS and Android, the app lets users know when their bottle of Mateus is at the correct temperature and perfect to serve. Users select the style of Mateus wine they are drinking, the approximate room temperature and where they are chilling the wine and then an alarm will go off when the wine is ready to serve. This is the latest initiative from…