Majestic Wine called the Christmas trading period "challenging" despite posting a narrow sales rise.

Ginger-haired people will get a discount when they shop at Oddbins this month.

Bargain Booze plans to expand its frozen food offering in 2013 after latest Nielsen data showed the category is worth £285 million in the convenience channel.

Copestick Murray has launched a limited-edition variation of its I Heart brand to target romantic shoppers in the build-up to Valentine’s Day.

Bottling specialist Cobevco has snapped up one of only 301 global Masters of Wine as its new winemaking consultant.

Trading Standards officers in Buckinghamshire seized counterfeit and grey market alcohol in raids on shops over the Christmas trading period.

Off-licence chain Wine Shak has gone into liquidation, leading to a possible 34 job losses. 

Alcohol and tobacco retailers in North East Lincolnshire have been praised by enforcement agencies for a dramatic improvement in preventing under-age sales.

Christmas trading has been described as “not exceptional” by trade association the British Retail Consortium.

William Grant is to cask every drop of whisky distilled today to create a limited edition “Christmas spirit” of the future.

Seven men who conspired to illegally import 9 million cigarettes have been jailed following an HM Revenue & Customs investigation.

James Murray, the director of the London International Wine Trade Fair, is stepping down to explore "new horizons".

Chilean winery Viña Undurraga has appointed Gonzalez Byass as its exclusive UK distributor.

Virgin Wines said it achieved record sales of £2.16 million in the past seven days as thirsty customers snapped up 31,500 cases ahead of Christmas.

Rugby fans can win £5,000 by showing off their rugby skills in front of 80,000 fans at Twickenham in a promotion run by Greene King.

Carlsberg UK has appointed James Lousada as sales director.

New Zealand Winegrowers has announced Chris Stroud will succeed David Cox as the body's UK and European marketing manager.

The Glenfiddich distillery is marking the single malt’s 125th anniversary with a Christmas tree made of whisky bottles.

Champagne sales will be flat in 2013, according to an expert from the Reims Management School.

Government plans to slap a 45p minimum unit price on alcohol will cost drinkers an extra £659million per year and almost half will come from the poorest households, new research has claimed.

F E Barber has announced plans to close Stratford’s Wine Agency’s Cookham office after it bought out the firm in September.

Former Oddbins owner Simon Baile has been forced to close a number of stores in his Excellar chain and is looking to restructure its ownership.

Tesco’s new category director for beers and spirits has vowed to move away from heavy discounting and try to reconnect with jaded shoppers through a greater range of new products.

The drinks trade will soldier on doggedly through increasingly hostile market conditions in 2013, according to an exclusive OLN survey of hundreds of drinks retailers.

Accolade Wines’ UK boss has outlined his vision for the company as he prepares to implement a raft of changes across the business.

Morrisons is in the final stages of recruiting a new head for its wine team as it steps up its presence in the category.

Asda has refused to sign up to a protocol adopted by other major supermarkets which could restrict controversial half-price deals on wine.

Hundreds of volunteer police cadets carried out undercover test purchase stings at off-licences across London as part of a crackdown on the trade called Operation Condor.

Justin Llewelyn, Taittinger’s UK ambassador since 1998, died of a heart attack on December 8, aged 59.

Direct Wines global wine director Justin Howard-Sneyd is to set up his own consultancy firm. He will continue to work for the company, whose operations include Laithwaite’s, as global wine consultant.

The explosion in the number of gin brands flooding the UK market will soon fizzle out, according to a leading distributor.

Coe Vintners’ premium spirits arm Mangrove UK has laid out plans to double in size in the next three years by targeting the UK off-trade.

Bibendum has shaken-up its managment team to "streamline" its UK business.

Suppliers have slammed government plans to put a minimum unit price of 45p on alcohol because they believe it could open the floodgates for a raft of laws from those hell-bent on destroying the drinks trade.

The Government has proposed a ban on multi-buy deals and a minimum unit price on alcohol of 45p as part of a 10-week consultation on its Alcohol Strategy launched today.

The London International Wine Fair 2013 aims to be easier to navigate, more exciting and more focused on UK businesses than previous outings.

The wine and spirits industries must grow more vocal and join the beer lobbyists in fighting the duty escalator that is crippling the entire drinks trade, according to Accolade Wines.

Tesco is pushing a wide range of 2009 Bordeaux wines purchased en-primeur in the spring of 2010 on its wine-by-the-case website.

David Cameron’s plans to introduce a minimum unit price on alcohol are based on flawed research and will punish moderate drinkers, according to a new report by a leading think-tank.

There are now 301 Masters of Wine in the world after Cees van Casteren became only the second Dutchman to achieve the ultimate wine title.

Three New World generic wine marketing agencies are coming together for a major London tasting in 2013 in a move that will change the face of the UK wine trade events calendar.

HMRC has set up a taskforce to tackle tax fraud in the alcohol industry in Scotland.

Kick Energy aims to build on the success of previous partnerships with Avenger’s Assemble and Batman by launching an on-pack promotional link-up with eagerly anticipated computer game Far Cry 3.

The new owner of Thierry's said it is feels "no moral obligation" to repay debts to suppliers left out of pocket by the importer, but it is willing to negotiate. 

The Christmas price war has kicked off as supermarkets slashed Champagne prices to less than £10 in a desperate bid to gain market share.

The organiser of the London International Wine Fair will not rule out a return to the capital’s Olympia venue.

Mayfair and Silk Cut cigarette supplier JTI has called for more prosecutions and tougher penalties to curb tobacco- related fraud.

Diageo has urged retailers to stock price–marked packs (PMPs) in the build-up to Christmas after 41% of the 500 convenience shoppers it inter- viewed said they want clearer pricing.

Waitrose and Gerry’s Wine & Spirits were the big winners as the movers and shakers of the spirits industry gathered for the glittering International Spirits Challenge awards dinner in London.

Bottlegreen plans to increase turnover from £15 million this year to £25 million by 2017 after teaming up with global brands like Diageo and Bacardi to make cocktails.