PROSECCO DOC BANS CHEMICAL SPRAY
PROSECCO IS STAYING ahead of the growing issue of pesticide use in vineyards. Grape growers for the Prosecco DOC are set to be prohibited from using three chemical sprays, including one that was only recently judged safe by the European Union’s watchdog. Stefano Zanette, President of the Prosecco DOC council,... Read More
THE AMAZING DRIP-FREE BOTTLE
IF YOU’VE EVER poured a bottle of wine you’ve likely experienced the dreaded bottle drip: wine (almost always red) dripping from the bottle neck onto a tablecloth as you pour it. Leave it to a scientist to come up with a solution! Daniel Perlman, a researcher at Brandeis University in... Read More
CHAMPAGNE SALES POP
BUBBLY HAD ANOTHER sparkling year in 2O16. Sales of Champagne last year hit their second-highest level in value terms, although currency fluctuations related to Brexit hampered the year for the segment’s biggest market. Figures from the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne show sales of Champagne last year totaled $5.O6... Read More
RYE SALES ROCK
LAST YEAR was stellar for the whiskey category and rye in particular. A new Nielson CGA report shows that whiskey continues to lead spirits value sales growth in the US market, with rye expressions showing the biggest gains. Whiskey as a category showed value growth of 4% for the year... Read More
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS WHISKY?
THERE’S SOME valuable whisky gone missing and its owner would like it back. Poor Stuart Wilson of Birmingham, England waited ten long years for his own cask of single malt Scotch from Islay’s Kilchoman Distillery to mature and be bottled. Unfortunately, a shipping company’s mistake led to the theft of... Read More
OBITUARY – RICHARD ELIA
RICHARD ELIA 1941-2O17 Wine Publisher, Professor of English Richard L. Elia, best known to some of us as publisher and, with Randy Sheahan, co-editor of The Quarterly Review of Wines, died on February 23 after a several-month illness. He and his wife of 47 years, Harley MacKenzie, had long resided... Read More
HENDRICK’S GIN
ERIK ANDERSSON has been hired as the new ambassador for the US East market. In his new position he will oversee the eastern region of the country. For nearly half a decade, Andersson was the Hendrick’s ambassador in Asia covering China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. He began... Read More
LUCAS BOLS USA
BRETT DUNNE is the new Managing Director for Lucas Bols USA. Dunne has nearly 3O years of experience in the spirits industry, most recently as General Manager at Disaronno USA. He will be responsible for continuing the company’s growth in the US through the management of distributor partners as well... Read More
BREWERS ASSOCIATION
The trade association has named KEVIN DOIDGE as the organization’s new Sales Director. In this role he will be responsible for developing relationships and selling high-level sponsorships for all BA properties, including the organization’s publications, websites and events, focusing on non-endemic category development. With nearly two decades of marketing experience,... Read More
THE SCOTCH WHISKY ASSOCIATION
KAREN BETTS has been appointed as the Association’s new Chief Executive, effective May 19. She joins the SWA after a 16-year career in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, most recently as British Ambassador to Morocco. She becomes only the eighth head, and the first female Chief Executive, of the SWA... Read More