Russia has allowed Moldovan wine to be sold on the country’s shelves once again, ending a 20-month import ban. Wine imports from Moldova and Georgia, both former states of the Soviet Union, were halted in 2005, after Russian health officials said the wine was not fit for consumption. But both countries saw the ban as a political move after Moldova and Georgia cultivated…

Czech brewer Zatec is looking west to ramp up the contribution exports make to its business. Brewery director Martin Kec said the company wanted to build on its existing sales for its premium lager in the UK – which accounts for 85 per cent of its 30,000 hl of production through Coors Brewers – and in the US, where it signed a distribution agreement with Washington…

The vodka named after US entrepreneur Donald Trump is being launched in Russia. Brand owner Drinks Americas has signed a deal for a minimum annual order of 50,000 cases of Trump super-premium vodka with Russian distributor Recolte. The first 10,000 cases, worth US$1.5 million, will begin shipping in January. Recolte is owned by Alexander Timofeev, a former director general of Kristall, one of Russia’s…

Rémy Cointreau USA has signed an agreement to import wines from Tuscan producer Barone Ricasoli, based near Siena in the Chianti Classico denomination. Tennessee Police have found 2,400 bottles of Jack Daniel’s whiskey hidden in storage houses, including one bottle dating back to 1914 – thought to be worth up to US$10,000. The stash has been valued at US$1 million. Australian family-owned winery Yalumba is…

A Russian company has created a device that it says allows retailers to more easily sell draught beer from stores. Pegas, from Novosibirsk-prodmash, has been available in Russia for the past four years and is now being launched internationally. The dispenser is said to succeed where others may have failed because it does not produce foam and fills bottles three times faster. "Excessive foaming means…

Fortune Brands has strengthened its hand in the race to buy Absolut vodka by selling off its American wine business to Constellation for US$885 million (£428 million). The group said it was a strategic move to focus more on the spirits sector of the drinks industry, in which it sees itself as a long-term global rival to Diageo and Pernod-Ricard. Chief executive Norm Wesley said:…

Competition is hotting up in Scotch whisky after Bacardi said it had finalised a deal to buy land in Scotland in order to build a new facility. The Bermuda-based drinks group said it had signed a deal to buy a 43ha stretch of land in central Scotland, set to be developed for second maturation, blending and storage of its portfolio of Dewar’s Scotch whiskies. Many…