Let the pubs do the flag-waving this year and celebrate England’s patron saint’s day by stocking more regional – and patriotic – drinks, says Christine Boggis Concern about food miles and a growing interest in where products come from have been pushing local sourcing up the drinks retailing agenda for some time. Now the cider boom, English wine’s growing reputation and mushrooming microbreweries around the…

The popularity of cider-over-ice just keeps growing, with sales soaring 22 per cent to £421.2 million in the year to Dec 30 2006, and volumes climbing 15 per cent, according to Nielsen. Own-label cider ranges have seen knock-on growth of 10 per cent, making them worth £31.7 million – 8 per cent of the overall market. Now retailers are getting ready to cash in on…

When six professional tasters blind-tasted a range of Champagnes for the December 2006 Which? Magazine, no-one would have predicted the effect the results would have on sales of one in particular. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Premier Cru 2000 beat big-name brands – including best-seller Moët & Chandon – to the top of the list and customers couldn’t get to the wine aisle quickly enough. Sales…

Bottle Green launched premium Rhône brand Palais des Anciens. The range has been developed in partnership with Rhône-based Vignobles de Peloux and initially comprises five wines, priced from £5.99 to £14.99. Bottle Green marketing manager Liam Grand said: “The Rhône’s current performance in the UK suggests consumers are returning to provenance-based products. Palais des Anciens provides the consumer with premium wine quality and traditional packaging…

A China, which is now the world’s biggest beer market, is also making progress with wine – both as a producer and importer. Its domestic consumption rose 23 per cent between 2001 and 2005 and is forecast to increase by a further 36 per cent between 2005 and 2010. China is among the top 10 wine consumers and should reach ninth place by 2010. Its…

M ost employees wouldn’t expect to be threatened with knives, guns, or other dangerous tools during a normal working day. For staff in the off-trade, however, this is something that increasingly seems to go with the territory as the number of armed robberies rises. But when the culprits have fled and the police have taken statements, what happens to the victimised members of staff and…

It might be tipped by critics as the hottest item on the market, but Douro table wine has struggled to grab the attention of UK punters. Laura Clark talks to the region’s pioneering winemakers to find out why The turnaround in the Douro has been nothing short of spectacular. Wind the clock back 10 years and the iconic terraced slopes of Portugal’s Douro Valley were…