Historically to mark the start of a new wine season, today is Beaujolais Nouveau Day, on which more than one million cases of Beaujolais wine start their journey from the Beaujolais region of France across the country.

Justin Martindale MW has been announced as this year’s winner of the Madame Bollinger Medal, which is awarded for excellence in tasting and outstanding achievement in the Institute of Masters of Wine practical exams.

Penfolds is launching a new accessible AUD$50 range within the travel retail exclusive Cellar Reserve portfolio, aimed at recruiting wine drinkers into the premium wine category. 

Purcari Wineries PLC has announced the signing of the Share Purchase Agreement for a 76% stake in Bulgarian joint stock company Angel’s Estate Winery.

WSET (the Wine & Spirit Education Trust) is to hold its first ‘virtual open house’ event on October 19 - 20 2022 as part of an ongoing drive to raise awareness of its qualifications within the global drinks trade. 

Washington State’s Ste Michelle Wine Estates has announced the acquisition of Oregon winery A to Z Wineworks, the first strategic acquisition for the winery under the ownership of private equity firm Sycamore Partners.

VintageCellar is a member-only fine wine investment app that launched in the UK in July. Drinks International caught up with chief executive and founder Selim Bocti to talk about his mission to bring fine wine investment into the 21^st century.

Willamette Valley wine producer, Corollary Wines, has purchased 57 acres in Eola-Amity Hills with the aim to develop the state’s first property dedicated exclusively to sparkling wines.

Wine production in France has been forecasted to rebound this year following the frost-hit 2021 harvest but the ministry of Agriculture and Food has warned that worsening drought could curb volumes.

Portugal’s association of wine traders, Anceve, has called on the government for economic support as it warns rising costs have left many small- and medium-sized producers “on the verge of bankruptcy”.

For the first time in its history, Penfolds annual Collection release in August will comprise three country of origin portfolios, Australian, Californian and the inaugural French release.

Danish whisky brand Stauning has announced the launch of a limited-edition rye whisky matured in Marsala, Gewürztraminer and Romandalo wine casks.

Spier Wine Farm, one of South Africa’s oldest wineries, has joined the Freixenet Copestick portfolio from this month.

Famously the hero country for Malbec, Argentina has so much more to give when it comes to wine, thanks to the pioneers who are capitalising on the climatic possibilities. Sorrel Moseley-Williams takes a journey through some of the latest trends in this vast and varied land.

The wine industry doesn’t often mix naturally with the bartending community, but for Thibault Massina, an early education in Bordeaux lay the foundations for an organic pairing behind the bar.

The Wine Intelligence Global Wine Brand Power Index 2022 has reported that Yellow Tail is again the world’s most powerful wine brand with Casillero del Diablo meaning an unchanged top two.

The Old Kent Road in south London is one of the country’s oldest and most storied. The original track was paved by the Romans and used as their principal thoroughfare between old Londinium and the coast. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote about its use as a pilgrim’s way in The Canterbury Tales and later it was the route by which King Henry V and his men returned triumphant from the battle of Agincourt.

Spanish producer Familia Torres has retained its crown as The World’s Most Admired Wine Brand after topping the list for 2022.

Strong demand from the UK, the US and China helped South African wine exports increase by 12.1% in value to R10.2bn in 2021.

New Zealand Winegrowers has launched an online portal designed to support the trade in major export markets around the world.

The London Wine Fair will now take place from June 7-9 in order to avoid a direct clash with Prowein.

London Wine Fair director Hannah Tovey has branded Prowein's decision to move the Dusseldorf-based show to May "a direct attack" on the UK drinks trade.

Treasury Wine Estates, one of the world’s largest wine companies, has announced an agreement to acquire Frank Family Vineyards including the historic winery, brand and vineyard holdings.

Logistics companies within the global drinks industry have been battered by an unprecedented confluence of headwinds during the past 18 months.

South Africa has suffered greater than most countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has reported three times as many cases as any other African country, and many of the government’s attempts to curb the virus – closing borders, prohibiting or restricting the domestic sale of alcohol, and banning the transport of goods to the country’s ports – have had a damaging impact on the wine industry.

Alison Levett, the former chief executive of Enotria, was recently appointed to the role of non-executive chair at leading wine supplier Berkmann Wine Cellars. She discusses her vision for the company and the key traits and values required for a wine agency to thrive in the years ahead.

Indevin New Zealand has completed the purchase of 100% of the shares of Villa Maria Estate for an undisclosed fee.

It’s fair to say that the perception of canned wine among consumers has historically been less than favourable, perceived as the choice of hen parties, train-drinkers, and people with “it’s wine o’clock” fridge magnets. In recent years though, canned wine has matured and now some very good products are available in the format.

Popular trade show Cape Wine will return to Cape Town from October 5-7, 2022.

French wine production will fall to its lowest levels since 1970 after late spring frosts ravaged several regions, according to the country’s agriculture ministry.

The United States has once again topped the list of the most attractive wine markets in the world,  according to a new report from Wine Intelligence.

Pernod Ricard has taken a minority stake in the New York-based wine and spirits producer Sovereign Brands.

Celebrated wine writer Jancis Robinson MW has sold her eponymous website to U.S. digital media company Recurrent Ventures for an undisclosed sum.

Sometimes accidents breed innovation. In 1928 Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by chance, having thrown away a bacteria sample he thought was spent.

The man who helped establish Malbec as Argentina’s flagship grape is now bidding to showcase the country’s potential as a producer of world-class Cabernet Sauvignon.

Pernod Ricard UK has launched Leaps & Bounds, a new range of Australian wines inspired by dogs.

VSPT Wine Group has seen an 11% increase in sales for Q2 to maintain its number one spot in the Chilean market.

The UK’s most popular wines could disappear from supermarket shelves and pubs after the government proposed a 25% tariff on all wine imports from the US.

Trivento has been revealed as the world’s best-selling Argentine wine brand in a report by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.

The German Wine Institute (DWI) is calling for donations for wine producers in the Ahr Valley, devastated by last week’s extreme flooding.

Martini has announced that all its Asti grape suppliers are on track to being certified sustainable by Equalitas in 2021.

Kevin McCabe, former head sommelier of Zuma, Roka and Yautacha Group, has teamed up with, Antony Lyon, of Lyon's Seafood & wine bar, to open a new brasserie and wine bar in east London.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association has called for the UK government to swiftly remove tariffs on US whiskies.

A new law in Russia ordering French champagne to be labelled sparkling wine has caused unrest among producers.

South American wine producer VSPT Wine Group posted a 27.6% sales increase during the first quarter of 2021 in spite of poor exchange rates.

California is the latest major wine-producing region to struggle with Mother Nature after a drought emergency gripped the Golden State.

US wine imported into the UK could become one of several American products to be levied with new tariffs as part of the ongoing trade war.

Pernod Ricard says its New Zealand wine brands Brancott Estate and Stoneleigh will be unable to meet global Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc supply this year after one of the smallest New Zealand harvests in 10 years.

Heineken is in talks with South African wine and spirits producer Distell about acquiring “the majority” of its business.

A bottle of Pétrus 2000, which has spent 14 months aboard the International Space Station, is to be offered for sale by Christie’s.