Retailers are invited to Wine Australia UK’s largest free-pour tasting of the year, which takes place at Australia House in London on June 28. The focus is on alternative varieties and aims to shine a light on the history and evolution of wine Down Under. Alternative varieties arrived on the scene in Australia in the 1980s, but the last two decades have seen a surge…

London-based wine retailer Bottle Apostle is set to significantly ramp up its online business; meanwhile the company has confirmed it is not seeking out any new sites.   The founder of the five-strong chain, Andrew Eakin, told OLN he now viewed the website as its sixth store. “We are developing our website and it will go live by the end of…

The UK’s fascination with imported beer is nothing new but it definitely feels like it’s moved into a whole new phase in the past couple of years. The market has traditionally been dominated by straight-down-the-line 5% abv lagers, either those produced by the big multinational brewers or bigger brands from other producers brought in by smaller importers. In odd cases, such as the…

You’re probably familiar with Oz Clarke as Britain’s best-known wine critic, James May’s TV co-star in seeking out unusual beverages and one of the Three Wine Men along with Tim Atkin MW and Olly Smith. But did you know he was the youngest ever British Wine Taster of the Year in 1973, won the last ever World Wine Tasting Championship in 1982, and played the…

Conviviality Retail has opened the first Bargain Booze store in Kent as it seeks to conquer the affluent south east of England. The 1,400 sq ft store in Ramsgate was formerly a Budgens and is owned by William Morrison and daughter Annabel Duplessis. Duplessis said: “Strong competition in the local area meant that we were seeking a point of difference for the store on the…