Drinks firms Campari Group and Moet Hennessy have joined forces to build a premium European e-commerce business for wines and spirits. The joint venture will revolve around Tannico, Campari’s online retailer for wines and premium spirits. The two companies plan to transform the platform into a major e-commerce player across the European market. As part of the deal, Campari has agreed to sell 50% of…

Accolade Wines has appointed Caroline Thompson-Hill to the role of European Marketing Director. Thompson-Hill, who moves across from Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), has worked in the drinks industry for 15 years and her roles have spanned the UK, Europe and the US, working on large scale global innovations with responsibility for mainstream and luxury brands. At TWE she held a number of different marketing roles,…

The trade has reacted with sadness and concern to the news that Oddbins has lined up administrators following an “extremely tough” Christmas trading period. Around 500 jobs are at risk after European Food Brokers, which owns Wine Cellar and Whittals Wine Merchants along with Oddbins, filed a notice of intention to appoint Duff & Phelps to handle insolvency. It follows hot on the heels of…

Treasury Wine Estates’ European managing director has joined the board of the Wine & Spirits Trade Association. King is the second addition to the board this year, following Ridgeview chief executive Tamara Roberts. They join industry heavyweights Diana Hunter, Pierpaolo Petrassi MW, Charles Ireland, Laurent Pillet, Troy Christensen, David Mawer, Huw Pennel, Michael Saunders, Jo Thornton and Andrew Wilby on the board, along with WSTA…

Treasury Wine Estates’ European managing director Dan Townsend has sadly passed away. Townsend had just completed a two-year term as chairman of drinks trade charity The Benevolent, where he helped raise vital funds for members of the industry that had fallen on hard times. He held several senior roles during a 30-year career in the trade, including managing director at Matthew Clark and at Louis…

An IPA from Seattle’s Reuben Brews has arrived in the UK just days after it took gold in the New Style IPA category at a European beer competition. Crikey IPA, which is 6.8% abv, was praised at the European Beer Star awards for its tropical fruit, juicy citrus and pine hop profile, balanced with its “malt backbone”. Meanwhile, Reuben’s Brews also recently secured an award…

AB Inbev has accepted Asahi’s $2.9bn offer for some SAB Miller’s European premium beer brands, including Peroni, Grolsch and British craft beer Meantime.  The acquisition by the Japanese brewer also includes related businesses in Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and internationally.   The offer for the beer brands was initially submitted in February. It has now been approved by AB Inbev, “following completion of the…