A Welsh vineyard claims to have launched Wales’ first fortified wine. White Castle, a vineyard based in Monmouthshire, is introducing 1581 to the market, a drink which it describes as being similar in style to Port. The grapes are harvested and aged in the same way as Port and the result is a drink with an abv of 19%. The company’s co-owner, Robb Merchant, said:…

This seven-strong chain has expanded beyond Cambridge to Salisbury, Royston in Hertfordshire and Ampthill in Bedfordshire and has scooped the OLN Drinks Retailing Award for Independent Drinks Retailer of the Year three times. It has a team of buyers who source many products directly from producers to give the range a difference, and makes a point of championing upcoming and on-trend wine regions and…

The 2014 release of Tio Pepe Fino En Rama has arrived in the UK, a week after it was bottled on April 21. The unfiltered, unclarified fino was transported from Jerez in a refrigerated truck. It is the fifth time González Byass has released an en rama fino in the UK. The selection process began in October 2013 when head winemaker Antonio Flores (pictured) chose…

At first sight, the latest export data from Jerez’s Consejo Regulador make for some pretty grim reading. Total imports of sherry in the UK fell more than 1 million litres, from just over 12 million litres in 2012 to just over 11 million litres in 2013. This is typical of the downward trend that has dominated the UK sherry market over the course of the…

I like sherry. And I like port. But which is better? There’s only one way to find out. FIGHT! In the past that could have summed up the supermarkets’ attitude to fortified wine, as sharp price cuts on ports were the signal they had taken their gloves off for the festive season. But so far this year discounts such as 33{7c69fd72f8e2bab9ee87ef5a2685d86c0107c79a8a610a3574925e3ec9a3ba47} off Croft Extravagance port (now £6.65 in…

Spar has revamped its British fortified wine range to give it a more contemporary look and bring it into line with the rest of the Spar own-label range, which has been redesigned recently. The three-strong range, priced at £4.49, is attracting consumers looking for a cheaper alternative to sherry, according to Spar spokeswoman Cath McIlwham. She said:  “We have a strong market share in this…