The Drinks Business

Champagne shipments to the UK are up 5.8% in volume this year and retail sales are broadly stable, but James Simpson MW of the Champagne Agents’ Association warns that consumer demand, not stock, will be the real test of the market’s recovery. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

How Malbec can hit the heights – literally Awards success is vindicating 100 years of high-altitude winemaking at Rutini Wines. db details the history and geography behind its Master medal-winning Rutini Apartado Gran Malbec. #partnercontent #malbec thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

Australia is benefiting from the collapse in US wine exports to Canada, with Hill-Smith Family Estates predicting the country could soon overtake America as its third-largest market. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

WineGB has announced the departure of chief executive Nicola Bates. The announcement comes a day after the drinks business reported concerns among some English wine producers over the trade body’s membership value and marketing strategy. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

“Sono Qui” – “I’m Here”: how kitesurfing sparked a one-of-a-kind Sicilian project There was never a grand plan in devising Sono Qui; instead, it came from discovering a beautiful vineyard and a serendipitous meeting of minds. #partnercontent thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

Champagne Collery pays tribute to ‘amazing’ 1930s figure Champagne Collery’s limited-edition blanc de blancs release celebrates a remarkable businesswoman who guided the house through some of the 20th century’s toughest years. #partnercontent thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

The sub-£15 bottles proving Spain is a hotspot for value García Carrión’s medal-winning wines are proof that sensational bottles don’t have to cost the Earth – as proved in The Under £15 Masters earlier this year. #partnercontent #spanishwine #winelover thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

How quality and scale are putting Cretan wine on the map Crete is a Greek wine powerhouse and Michalakis Estate has the reach and the expertise to bring its wines to international drinkers. #partnercontent thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

Natural authenticity: rediscovering Port with Porto Cruz Porto Cruz is inviting consumers to rediscover the Port category by embracing aperitif culture, while the brand also seeks to drive awareness of the Douro’s unrivalled heritage. #partnercontent thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

A bottle of wine will attract between 11p and 15p more in alcohol duty from February 2027, depending on its strength, while a standard bottle of gin or Scotch whisky will face an increase of 43p. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

Harold van den Broek, chief financial officer for The Heineken Company, said he has the firm’s South African wine brands under “strategic review”. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

US-based Bryce Wiatrak MW was the star of the Institute of Masters of Wine’s annual awards ceremony in London last night, taking home three of the seven prizes as the 11 new MWs of 2026 were formally inducted. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

California winegrowers are increasingly exploring dry farming as a way to reduce irrigation and prepare for future droughts. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

Heineken has teamed up with Amazon to create the world’s first streaming service for nights out as part of a new Fire TV experience. Jessica Mason looks more closely at the concept. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

The Banfi Brunello Ambassador Club has welcomed ambassadors from key international markets, strengthening a community built on decades of shared zest for Brunello di Montalcino. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

Rafael Nadal has entered the wine business by launching El Tenista, an organic Monastrell produced in partnership with Spain’s Gil Family Estates. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

Indian tax authorities are investigating whether Diageo and Pernod Ricard have incorrectly classified bulk Scotch whisky imports under the UK-India free trade agreement. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

Researchers have found that pubs introducing alcohol-free beer on draught have witnessed no loss in drink revenue, with the move also not cannibalising traditional alcoholic beer sales. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

Moët & Chandon has retained its position as the world’s most valuable Champagne and wine brand, according to Brand Finance’s 2026 rankings. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…

The 29-year-old beat 65 candidates to the top spot after five-days of gruelling competition, with France’s Pascaline Lepeltier bagging second place and Japan’s Wataru Iwata coming in third. db reports. thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/1…