The trade organisation for the New Zealand wine industry has reported a 43.8% increase in grapes for the 2022 harvest, as producers look to rebuild stocks and sales. New Zealand Winegrowers said the 2022 harvest produced 532,000 tonnes of grapes, with “virtually every region and all principal varieties contributing to the production turnaround from the small crop in 2021”. The 2021 harvest yielded 370,000 tonnes…

The trade organisation for Australian wine has said 29 wineries will be present in the UK for London Wine Fair (LWF) next month. Wine Australia said the wineries from Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales are expanding into the UK and are seeking importers. The producers will be part of LWF’s Wine Unearthed new-to-market area. Highlights include sparkling wines, cool climate wines, and low…

Amathus Drinks has announced “significant expansion” of its agency portfolio of Italian wineries. In the last few months, a number of producers have joined Amathus’ growing Italian line-up, including Friuli winery Schiopetto, widely regarded as one of the pre-eminent Italian white wine producers, as well as long-standing Alto Adige winery Abbazia di Novacella. Both producers are regular winners of the coveted Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri…

Iconic Wineries of British Columbia (IWBC) is introducing CheckMate Artisinal Winery to the UK for the first time. IWBC is a collective of six artisanal wineries, each aimed at offering a unique representation of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, which it describes as “one of the world’s last great undiscovered wine regions”. One of these wine producers, CheckMate Artisanal Winery, was born out of a bold vision by…

Chateau Ksara, one of Lebanon’s top wineries, has appointed Rachel Davey as its UK brand ambassador. Davey has been a PR consultant in the wine trade and the wider drinks business since 2006 and currently works with the Plumpton Wine Division, Circumstance Distillery and the Champagne Sparkling Wine World Championships. The move follows the news earlier this year that Chateau Ksara has appointed Berkmann Wine Cellars…

UK imports of Washington State wine have increased by 37% over the past five years. The results follow an increase in demand from the UK market with top brands leading the way, as well as new players emerging on the market. The announcement comes as wineries in Washington State prepare to land in London for the Unsung Heroes tasting on March 10, 2020. The increase…

Paul Beavis, who stepped down as managing director of Champagne Lanson at the end of 2019, has taken on a new role as managing director of the Iconic Wineries of British Columbia, DRN has learned. The news comes in the same week that Lanson announced it was appointing Robert Rand as its new managing director with plans for a brand redesign, new product launches, a…