Hollywood star and activist Leonardo DiCaprio has acquired an equity stake in Remy Cointreau’s Champagne Telmont for an undisclosed fee.

Graham’s Port has announced the launch of its 2017 Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) presented in three brightly coloured tubes.

Freixenet Copestick has acquired English sparkling wine producer Bolney Wine Estate for an undisclosed fee.

There wasn’t a huge amount to celebrate last year, but it doesn’t take much of an occasion for champagne corks to fly in the world’s best bars – almost 90% of our bars stock the French sparkler. Three-quarters have two champers and two-thirds have three or more.

Sales in the first nine months of 2021 of sparkling wines made under the protection of the DO Cava have increased by 16.45% on the same period in 2020.

Portuguese wine producer, Esporão, has announced its partnership with Hatch Mansfield as their UK distributor.

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.

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

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.

The Port of Leith Distillery company has launched a new white port alongside its Portuguese partner Martha’s Wines.

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.

Andrew Carter is set to take over from Frazer Thompson as CEO of Chapel Down winery from September this year.

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.

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

Cult Wines has announced the record sale of 2013 Domaine Leroy Musigny, a rare Grand Cru Burgundy, to a customer in Asia.

The 2021 South African wine harvest has been estimated at 1,461,599 tonnes, 8.9% larger than in 2020.

A bottle of 1821 Grand Constance sold for a record-breaking R420,000 (£21,222) at the Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction in Stellenbosch.

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.

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

Familia Torres has expanded its range of red Priorat wines with Secret del Priorat 2018 made from Garnacha, Cariñena, Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

The Symingtons have bottled six Quinta Vintage Ports from 2019 and will release two en primeur – Quinta do Vesúvio and Dow’s Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira.

Vineyards across France have been hit hard by overnight frosts, partially compromising the 2021 harvest.

The Bollinger family has announced the acquisition of Oregon-based Ponzi Vineyards which will be its first winery in the US.

According to the Champagne Bureau USA, the exports of champagne to the US fell almost 19% in 2020 year-on-year.

Campo Viejo has announced the launch of Winemaker’s Blend, a new blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Bobal.

Terlato Wine Group has announced an exclusive sales and marketing agreement with Champagne Lanson to become effective April 1, 2021.

Wine research and content company Liquid Icons has launched The Golden Vines Awards and fundraising event that will support diversity and inclusion-related wine education funding globally.

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the largest wine and spirits distributor in the United States, has signed a national distribution agreement with Foley Family Wines.

Natural and organic ecommerce wine shop, Lucy’s Wine, has launched in the UK.

Drinks importer and distributor, Rusty Rabbit International, has launched a new premium champagne brand called Lapin Rouillé Champagne.

Online retailer Wine Access has acquired Napa Valley merchant 750 Wines for an undisclosed fee.

The London Wine Fair 2021 will now take place virtually between 17-19 May in light of the ongoing uncertainty around the Covid-19 global pandemic.

In branding, marketing and ownership, champagne is the spirit category of wine. Not coincidently, it’s also the wine style you’ll see most in cocktail bars – somehow a glass of good sparkles fits the environs perfectly. Then you have classic cocktails which call for its use.

Exports for English sparkling wine brand Nyetimber have grown by more than 90% in 2020.

Moradillo de Roa 2016 from the Legaris winery (DO. Ribera del Duero) has been named the Best Spanish Red and one of the 30 best wines in the world by the International Wine Challenge.

Third generation port winemaker James Symington has passed after more than 40 years working in the trade.

Prosecco DOC producers are now legally allowed to export Prosecco DOC rosé after it gained approval in the Official Journal of the European Union.

All of Australia’s top five export markets experienced value growth in the 12 months to September 2020 reaching a total value of almost $3bn, according to Wine Australia’s latest Export Report.

D.O. Cava has launched a new website which gives the Spanish Designation of Origin a new look with more digestible content.

Wines of Great Britain has appointed Simon Thorpe MW as its new CEO, starting Monday 26 October.

Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits has agreed to sell 100% of its shares in wine brand Moncigale to parent company Grands vins JC Boisset.

Milano Wine Week 2020 will take place from 3-11 October with both face-to-face and remote options.

Catena Zapata has released its 2017 vintage of Nicolás Catena Zapata and Adrianna Mundus Bacillus Terrae which will be distributed with La Place de Bordeaux in Europe and Asia.

UK retailer Majestic Wine has launched a new initiative called ‘Majestic Diversity In Wine Scholarship’ to help strengthen the wine industry's inclusivity.

Wines of Great Britain has announced strong positive growth in sales with an estimated 5.5m bottles of English and Welsh wines sold in 2019, up 70% on the previous year.

English winery Hattingley Valley has launched its first still red wine, a 2016 Pinot Noir, since being established in 2008.

Zamora Company’s Spanish wine producer Ramón Bilbao has begun organic conversion for vineyard plots in Rioja and Rueda.