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.

Marisco Vineyards owner Brent Marris has bought the Leefield Station property in the Waihopai Valley, Marlborough.

New Zealand Winegrowers has announced the appointment of Chris Stroud as its new marketing manager – Europe.

Stock Spirits Group has acquired Slovak spirits company Imperator and an ethanol manufacturing plant in Germany.

Inter Beaujolais calling for entries for this year’s International Gamay competition, now in its third year.

Diageo has announced shareholders of United Spirits Limited have approved the preferential allotment to Diageo, at a price of INR1440 per share, of new shares amounting to 10% of the post-issue enlarged share capital of USL.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has announced two trade agreements with Colombia and Peru and its Association Agreement with Central America.

James Cluer MW of Fine Vintage has announced the opening of a Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) - approved wine school in Tuscany, in partnership with the Consorzio Chianti Classico.

Attracting younger wine drinkers and in-country representation is key to success in Asia, says research commissioned by Messe Düsseldorf, the company behind ProWein.

SPI Group has appointed Andreas Ioannides to the role of regional director of the Middle East, Africa and India.

Diageo has terminated discussions with JB y Compania SA de CV and Lanceros SA de CV over the sale of Jose Cuervo tequila.

Diageo is to launch US$10 million strategy to "empower" two million women in 17 countries in Asia-Pacific by 2017.

Diageo and Suntory have held talks about bidding $10 billion for American drinks giant, Beam, according to reports in today’s Sunday Telegraph (December 9).

Gin sales have peaked in the UK, while tequila, bourbon and rum are on the rise, according to Mangrove Spirits.

The Distilled Spirits Council of the US (DISCUS) has applauded the Senate's approval of legislation that will extend permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to Russia.

Château Bernadotte from the Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux, has been acquired by Hong Kong group King Power Group from Louis Roederer.

Tourism, not agriculture, is the future for the Western Cape, according to Charles Back, whose Fairview farm is one of the most popular tourist destinations in South Africa.

Share a new idea every day is the catch phrase of Pernod Ricard Chatter, its first corporate social network.

UK: Children of parents who drink above the Government’s unit guidelines are more likely to have been drunk than children of parents who drink less, according to Drinkaware.

Brintex, the organiser of the London International Wine Fair, has announced new initiatives to reinvigorate the 2013 show.

Esporão, the leading family-run Portuguese wine company, has appointed Barwell & Jones to be its exclusive UK agent

The board of Accolade Wines has announced that CEO Troy Christensen will be leaving his position today (November 30).

The WSTA has slammed UK Government proposals for a 45p minimum unit price for alcohol, branding the strategy untargeted and unfair.

Accolade Wines has called for unity across the drinks trade in a bid to encourage the UK government to re-think the alcohol duty escalator. The company's WineNation 2012 report claimed tax is having “a crippling effect” across the industry.

Agave India has rolled out a six-strong range of spirits and pre-mixed cocktails to Maharashtra, following their launch in Goa last year.

Rabobank, the Dutch bank which focuses on the wine trade, has identified Mexico, Brazil, Poland and Nigeria as future growth markets for wine consumption.

US: Screw caps are closing the gap on synthetic cork wine closures, according to research by Wine Intelligence. But natural cork still remains the most popular closure. 

Wines of Argentina, Wines of Chile and Wines of South Africa have come together to launch a collaborative generic tasting for 2013 - called The Beautiful South.

The 17th Vinexpo exhibition is to be held from 16-20 June 2013 at the Bordeaux Lake Exhibition Centre.

Bordeaux wine consultant Olivier Dauga has announced that his Prix Raisin award will be increased to include marketing and financial services for the winner in 2013.

A major exhibition about scotch whisky, Scotland’s 'national drink', will open on 29 November at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

Messe Düsseldorf Group, organiser of Prowein, has struck a deal with China International Exhibitions to create Prowine China – a show hoped to become the “leading wine fair in China”.

A major exhibition about scotch whisky, Scotland’s national drink, will open on 29 November at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

US: William Grant will no longer distribute Stolichnaya vodka in the US after the current contract for importation, distribution and marketing expires on December 31, 2013. 

Online wholesale business, Ooberstock, has signed up Diageo’s Guinness and C&C’s Magners cider to its portfolio of brands.

Gruppo Campari has seen only moderate growth so far in 2012 after a heel-dragging performance in Europe tempered advances in emerging markets.

Diageo plc, United Breweries (Holdings) Limited and United Spirits Limited have announced agreements under which Diageo would acquire a 27.4% stake in USL, the leading spirits company in India.

Diageo has announced three changes to the executive committee, with immediate effect.

Pernod Ricard has announced that the lawsuit brought against the company, Diageo and Seagram in New York by a number of regional departments of Colombia, has been dismissed, without prejudice.

Gruppo Campari has initiated its tender offer for 100% of the issued shares of Lascelles deMercado Co Limited, which owns J Wray & Nephew and Appleton rums.

French cooperative Les Vignobles Foncalieu has acquired Château Haut Gléon in AOC Corbières, Languedoc.

Hankey Bannister 40 YO was named Supreme Champion spirit at the International Spirits Challenge awards dinner last night (Nov 5).