June, 18, 2012 UK: Fine wine sales boost Majestic Wine's profit

(Reuters) - Britain's Majestic Wine Plc reported a 14 percent rise in full-year pretax profit partly helped by strong sales of its fine wines priced above 20 pounds a bottle. The company, which operates 181 stores across the United Kingdom, said comparable sales from its UK stores for the 10 week...

June, 18, 2012 UK: New on-trade wine and spirits division for Carlsberg

(Harpers) - Carlsberg UK has branded its wine and spirits division in a bid to bolster its on-trade business and communicate the range and expertise it can deliver to the sector. Under the Carlsberg UK umbrella, Crown Cellars World Wines and Spirits brings together a comprehensive range of premium ...

June, 18, 2012 US: Donald Trump fires socialite Patricia Kluge from her own former winery

(FoxNews) - Donald Trump has fired one-time fabulously wealthy socialite Patricia Kluge from her own former winery. Kluge -- who famously got a $100 million divorce settlement in 1990 from Metromedia billionaire John Kluge, then blew the lot building her lavish estate and declared bankruptcy in J...

June, 18, 2012 NZ: Grape harvest down 23%

(Stuff) - The volume of grapes harvested in Marlborough this year was down almost one quarter on the 2011 crop. However Marlborough wine industry leaders say after four years of oversupply the lower yields will help spur its recovery. The New Zealand Winegrowers 2012 Vintage Survey showed 188,...

June, 17, 2012 US: Okla. grocery store wine proposal draws opposition

(AP) — A movement to allow Oklahomans to purchase their favorite wine in grocery stores is being opposed by retail liquor merchants and anti-addiction groups that believe making wine more accessible will lead to higher rates of alcohol abuse in the state. Oklahomans for Modern Laws has filed an in...

June, 17, 2012 Chinese Wine Lovers Go Californian as Taste Widens

(BusinessWeek) - At Shi Tang, a private wine club in Shanghai, Jesse Coffino circled the table, splashing crisp Graziano chenin blanc from Mendocino county into glasses of 15 eager members. All were regular drinkers of French wine but had never heard of Mendocino. Coffino had to unroll a map. ...

June, 17, 2012 Iranian Officials Warn Alcohol Abuse On The Rise

(Rferl) - Wine has always been a part of Iranian culture. References to it even appear frequently in poetry. But since the 1979 revolution, alcohol has been banned in Iran -- punishable by flogging, fines, and jail time. Despite the stiff penalties and the confiscation of millions of liters of...

June, 17, 2012 US: Thinking outside the bottle

(PressDemocrat) - With summer heating up, wine lovers are hitting the trails, kayaking on the Russian River and heading to music festivals. And increasingly, vintners are finding innovative ways to help consumers take their wines along. Higher-end wineries are starting to sell wines in boxes, bag...