Michael Saunders was sitting at home, twiddling his thumbs and annoying his wife when Conviviality collapsed in spectacular fashion last year. He could only watch on from afar as his beloved Bibendum was pushed to the brink of extinction by a series of calamities at the parent group. Saunders was pleased to see C&C swoop in and save Bibendum PLB and Matthew Clark from…

The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has appointed Michael Saunders, the chief executive of Bibendum PLB, as its new chairman of the board. The last person to hold the position of chairman was Dan Jago, who had a three-year term in the role. Saunders, who is also chairman of drinks industry charity, The Benevolent, joined Bibendum in 1982. The company was bought by Conviviality…

Dom Perignon has teamed up with German artist Michael Riedel to celebrate the power of transformation for its Blanc 2006 and Rose 2004. Dom Perignon’s Chef de Cave, Richard Geoffrey, believes that each vintage undergoes three peaks of maturity, or ‘plenitudes’, and in between the years between these peaks, when the bottles are ageing on their lees, the wine is undergoing a gradual transformation and…

The organisers of Prowein are ramping up their focus on attracting UK buyers after all the exhibitors begged for more Brits. The number of British buyers jetting over to Dusseldorf for the annual March fair has risen sharply in the past few years, and 1,350 attended last year. Show director Michael Degen told OLN: “We are very focused on developing the British visitor base. Countries…

A memorial service for Michael Cox will take place at Southwark Cathedral on Thursday, April 10. Cox, former head of Wines of Chile and Master of the Vintners Company, died at home two weeks ago following a year-long battle with cancer. The service will take place at 3.30pm, but the cathedral has asked that nobody arrives before 3pm as there is a preceding service. Cox’s…

Before he died last week, wine industry doyenne Michael Cox donated his limited-edition collection of Taittinger Champagne to drinks trade charity The Benevolent. The charity is run by his twin brother David and it will auction the prestigious collection at The Benevolent Ball, which is held at The Dorchester hotel on London’s Park Lane on March 13. The collection is comprised of 12 vintages spread…