The beleaguered winemakers of Beaujolais are celebrating after 2018 delivered the sort of vintage that can save many from biting the dust. Hail ravaged the region in 2016 and 2017 and some producers feared for their livelihoods as they headed into this year. But Mother Nature smiled on the area to the north of Lyon this year and superb conditions led to a…

Waitrose is adding a raft of wines from Sicily in a bid to further develop its “significant” market share in Italian wines. Maria Elener, the supermarket’s wine buyer for Italy, told OLN: “Our share of Italian wines has grown by 4.5% over the last three years and we now have a significant share of the Italian wine market; about 11.7%. We are looking at about…

Beaujolais wine exports to the UK rose by more than 20% in value terms this year compared to 2015, according to the latest figures. In July 2016 exports rose by 17.9% in volume and 20.9% in value since July 2015, according to Business France. This follows last year’s increase in 2015 of 14.4% in volume and 8.9% in value. The Crus are leading exports with…

Some things make better comebacks than others. The Phantom Menace was trite, The Force Awakens was triumphant. Cadbury ironically relaunched the Wispa and it’s still thriving nine years later, whereas its Aztec bar bombed after optimistically returning as the Aztec 2000. Heart-throb boy-band Take That’s comeback album enjoyed huge success, but poodle rock hellraisers Guns ’n’ Roses? Axl Rose is 54 now. Welcome To…

Three major Beaujolais producers have teamed up to buy vineyards in a bid to secure a long-term future for producers in the region. Boisset La Famille des Grands Vins, Les Vins Georges Duboeuf and co-operative Le Cellier des Saint-Etienne have joined forces to form BCD Développement. The company aims to start buying up as many vineyards as it can as soon as possible. Boisset and…

Inter Beaujolais has launched the second International Gamay Competition. Any international producer creating wines made up of at least 85% Gamay can enter the competition, which will be judged in Lyons on January 14, by a panel of winemakers, experts, merchants and critics. Last year’s competition received more than 600 entries from 11 different countries, and awarded 167 medals. The competition aims to raise consumer…

English winery Three Choirs Vineyards has produced the first English wine from the 2011 harvest. Three Choirs New Release was first produced in the early 90s as a patriotic response to Beaujolais Nouveau, and the first bottles will go on sale on November 17 – the third Thursday of the month, traditionally Beaujolais Day. The white wine is a blend of 70% Madeleine Angevine and…