When you get overexposed to a smell, you no longer notice it. Anyone who’s taken wine exams is familiar with the creeping dread of repeatedly nosing an unidentified wine as the aromas only become more and more elusive. Similarly, it’s easy to become accustomed to the quirks of the wine trade as a whole. It is riddled with absurdity, yet that soon becomes normalised…

Aldi has launched a £3.99 sake from Nada-ku and says it costs 28 times less than a comparable sized bottle at renowned London restaurant Nobu. The retailer’s Sawanotsuru sake has a 65% rice polishing rate, indicating purity, and can be enjoyed warm or chilled. Tony Baines, joint managing director of corporate buying at Aldi, said: “In the UK, demand for Japanese cuisine is growing and…

Amigos Tequila Beer is gearing up to celebrate the traditional Mexican Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) holiday, with a raft of activity to include a series of parties. To support the Day of the Dead parties, Amigo has launched a special edition four pack into the off-trade channels. The pack gives consumers the chance to wine a crate of Amigos to celebrate…

Halewood’s Rioja brand Marques de Caceres will be the key sponsor of a four-day Spanish festival in Manchester this September. Festejar, which promises “Spanish soul with a Manchester heart”, is returning to the city for a third year, with a line-up featuring the best in Spanish music, culture, food and drinks. The festival will take over the city’s Albert Square for four days, kicking off…

The 18th annual Prestigio Rioja Prize will be awarded to actress and philanthropist, Eva Longoria. The prize is given by DOCa Rioja to individuals or institutions whose activities in sport, science, culture or commerce have celebrated and enhanced the appreciation of Spanish culture, of which wine is an integral part. Longoria was unanimously chosen by the panel for philanthropic work in support of Latin causes,…

Former buyers have spoken out about the culture of “creative accounting” across the big retailers and warned more could have their practices scrutinised in the wake of the financial investigation at Tesco. Consultant and former Sainsbury’s BWS boss Allan Cheesman told OLN: “There is creative accounting everywhere and the dilemma of City expectations and trader reality. “I am not insinuating anything, certainly not illegal. It’s just…

Drinks producers have committed to promoting responsible drinking at sponsored events in the widest ever partnership between producers, retailers, rights holders and representatives of sport, music and venues. The Portman Group has drawn up the first UK-wide code governing alcohol sponsorships of sports, music, arts and events. The code, which is binding for drinks producers, means they must promote responsible drinking in their sponsorships. Anyone…