The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has announced two new trustees - Mentzendorff managing director Andrew Hawes and Jonathan Driver who, after leaving Diageo in 2006, has become a global consultant.

Anivin de France, the organisation responsible for promoting Vin de France, has announce that 88 wines have been selected to represent the category in 2013.

Maximilian J. Riedel is to become president of Riedel Crystal, from July 1.

Diageo Ireland has said the delivery of ten new giant brewing vessels “underscores” its commitment to the future of brewing at its Dublin brewery - St James’s Gate.

Beam has announced the retirement of Ian Gourlay, the company’s senior vice president of global operations & supply chain, effective April 1.

Davide Campari-Milano SpA has announced that it is taking over the distribution and marketing of its recently acquired Appleton rum brands from Kobrand from March 1.

Entries are now open for this year’s International Cider Challenge, organised by UK trade title and DI sister magazine, Off Licence News.

Diageo is to sell its products directly to online shoppers via a new website branded Alexander & James. 

Pernod Ricard has reported half-year revenue growth of 6%, with good performances in China, India, Eastern Europe and the US offsetting declines in Western Europe.

Pernod Ricard has eased concerns over Cognac supply with the purchase of 100% of the shares of the winemaker, distiller and wholesaler Le Maine au Bois SAS.

Five English wine procuders are to exhibit under the English Wine Producers (EWP) banner for the first time at ProWein 2013. 

The Distilled Spirits Council (Discus), which represents the spirits industry in the US, revealed its 2012 findings in New York this week.

Bibendum CEO Michael Saunders has warned the UK wine trade that business conditions will remain “tough” in 2013 and voiced his “violent objections” to minimum unit proposals.

In the run up to wine show season, Hamish Smith catches up with Vinexpo CEO Robert Beynat. 

With convenience at its heart, the pre–mixed drink is always going to involve an element of compromise – the category will probably never be one for the purist. But that doesn’t mean it should be spared our scrutiny. 

China Resources Snow Breweries - a joint venture between SAB Miller and China Resources Enterprise - is to buy Kingway Brewery’s brewing facilities for a total cash consideration of RMB 5.38bn (US$864m).

World wine consumption is forecast to grow 5.3% in the period 2012-2016, according to IWSR research  presented by Vinexpo today at a London press conference.

World sprits consumption is set to increase 9% over the period 2012-2016, buoyed by 14% growth in Baijiu sales, according to IWSR research commissioned by Vinexpo.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) meets with Economic Secretary to the Treasury today (February 5), ahead of the Budget in March.

Bacardi has appointed Andy J Gibson to the role of chief marketing officer and president of Bacardi Global Brands.

A bottle of Hine Grande Champagne Cognac from 1952, to commemorate the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II, is among several lots of Cognac to feature in auctioneers Bonhams’ sale on February 14 in London.

Gruppo Campari has sold liqueur brand Punch Barbieri to Distillerie Moccia for € 4.45 million.

Diageo has announced plans to invest £1.5 million in expanding the its global brand archive.

Paul Walsh has disputed there are bourbon and tequila gaps in Diageo’s portfolio and said the group’s priority is building existing brands, not acquisitions.

Diageo CEO Paul Walsh today said down-trading markets in southern Europe could have a positive effect on Diageo’s Scotch brands.

Diageo, the world’s largest premium alcoholic drinks company, has announced its interim results for the six months ended December 31, 2012

Diageo has announced an agreement to buy a 50% interest in the company which owns United National Breweries’ traditional sorghum beer business inSouth Africa.

Climats du Vignoble de Bourgogne, a lobby organisation for the Burgundy region of France has failed to get the world famous wine-producing vineyards of the region listed by UNESCO as one of its World Heritage sites.

Brintex, organisers of the London International Wine Fair (LIWF), have announced  the appointment of Ross Carter as exhibition director, replacing James Murray who resigned after 10 years in the role.

Bordeaux-based producer and négociant, Maison Sichel has reported that 2012 was the company’s second best year since it was established in 1883.

An EU court has dismissed Budweiser Budvar’s challenge against AB Inbev's use of the term ‘Bud’  in the latest round of the decades-long trademark saga.

Specialist bottler, Cobevco will be offering ‘bag-in-box’ as part of its beverage filling capabilities from the end of May.

Beam has sold several spirits brands to Luxco for $65 million.

Pernod Ricard has announced formally the signing of an agreement with Arcus-Gruppen to sell the Danish spirits brands Aalborg and Brøndums, German brand Malteserkreuz Aquavit, and the Danish bitter brand Gammel Dansk. The Aalborg production facility in Denmark is part of the transaction.

Wine distributor Steven Garnier has appointed Daniel Hart to the newly created role of agency manager. He was formerly senior buyer at Enotria. 

Russian Standard distributor Roust has appointed Oleg Kirillin to the role of CEO.

Molson Coors UK & Ireland has bought the Franciscan Well craft beer brand and micro-brewery in Cork City, Ireland.

South Africa’s 2012 exports reached 417 million litres, the largest amount that the country has exported to date and 10 million litres more than the previous record, according to Wines of South Africa (Wosa) the generic body for the South African wine industry.

Wine Country Ontario won Best Generic Wine Body at the Wine Tourism Awards 2013.

Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte saw volume slide by 6% in 2012, but managed to retain value.

Wines of South Africa has said that riots in the Western Cape don't appear to be connected to the wine industry.

Bacardi has appointed Eric A Kraus to a newly created role of senior vice president, chief communications and corporate affairs officer.

Consumers’ fear of fakes is the biggest obstacle to imported wine sales in the Chinese off-trade, according to Wine Intelligence.

The Wemyss family is to open a new £3 million distillery in Fife next year where it will produce Kingsbarns Single Malt Whisky.  

William Grant & Sons marked its 125^th anniversary on Christmas Day last year by distilling a spirit that will be released in decades to come as a Christmas-themed Glenfiddich.

Bacardi today announced plans to "internationalise" the elderflower liqueur St-Germain, after buying the brand from Cooper Spirits International.

The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) has joined a coalition of 107 organisations calling for President Obama to take action to prevent a strike at ports spanning the coast from Houston to Boston.

Beam has acquired Irish whiskey brand 2 Gingers for an undisclosed sum.

The Craft Distillers Alliance has criticised a brewery in East Anglia for breaking the rules governing the production of whisky after it launched a new spirits product made with one of its beers.

Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier and Financière Bernard, is the new president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux.