The acquisition includes the Frank Family Tasting Room located at 1091 Larkmead Lane in Calistoga, the Benjamin Vineyard in Rutherford, the S&J Vineyard in Capell Valley, and a portfolio of award-winning luxury wines.

Initial forecasts by Vinpro indicated that 10% of all wine-related jobs would be lost, and 80 producers and 350 wine- growers were expected to close their doors. A July survey of wine grape producers, wineries and other wine-related businesses conducted by Vinpro found that 58% would have to make “drastic” changes over the next year to overcome the challenges brought on by Covid-19…

The sale includes Villa Maria’s Marlborough, Hawkes Bay and Auckland wineries, vineyards, supplier agreements, the flagship brand Villa Maria as well as Esk Valley, Vidal, Leftfield and Thornbury. “The coming together of two successful New Zealand wine export businesses supports our vision to become the leading New Zealand global wine business, spearheaded by the Villa Maria brand,” said Greg Tomlinson, chairman…

In 2020, South Korea rose eight places to take second place, where it remains again this year and the ranking is part of the Global Compass 2021 Report – an annual study that measures key economic and wine market factors to rank wine’s attractiveness in 50 focus countries. “The US’s strong economic rebound, partly funded by government stimulus, along with a…

The new port wine features Malvasia fina, Viosinho, Gouveio and Donzelinho grapes and is first fermented on its skins for a week before fortification with one part grape spirit to three parts wine. It is matured for an average of three years in 10,000 litre old oak barrels and the distillery will distribute the producers’ wines while working towards plans for new whisky products.

The range will launch with a Shiraz and a Chardonnay, with labels that showcase dogs’ “inquisitiveness, bravery and loyalty”. The Shiraz features the ‘Bob’, a masterless dog who travelled thousands of miles as a companion to many train drivers and engineers in South Australia, whilst the Chardonnay champions the ‘legendary Pickles’, a black and white collie known for finding the stolen 1966 World Cup trophy.

Despite a low exchange rate, the increase in sales revenue was mainly driven by a 7% growth in volume across the business with international sales up 6% and domestic performance up 5%. Better prices in the international and domestic Chilean markets can be attributed to a better sales mix and the wine group’s gross margin showed an increase of 7%, from…