Since its opening in 2008, New Zealand winery Yealands has championed sustainability. Its wines are now stocked in Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Majestic, among others. Speaking to Rachel Badham at the annual New Zealand trade tasting, Yealands chief winemaker Natalie Christensen shares her thoughts on the future for New Zealand wine   How did you get into the wine industry? It’s…

Hertfordshire-based wine merchant and producer Tring Winery will be closing on December 10, as independent retailers feel the pressure of rising costs. Opened in February 2020, Tring Winery was shortlisted for the Newcomer of the Year award at the 2022 Drinks Retailing Awards. Co-founder Alex Taylor announced the closure on Twitter this morning, attributing “non-stop increases in bills and materials” to the decision.  “The…

“It was never the grape’s fault,” Beyerskloof winemaker Anri Truter says of the historical perception of Pinotage in the UK. The Bottelary Hills winery is a champion of South Africa’s heritage red grape – and Truter says that wineries are now treating the variety differently, in order to achieve a more modern style. He’s speaking to Drinks Retailing in the Bottelary Hills ward of Stellenbosch,…

Herdade do Mouchão, a family-owned estate now owned by the sixth generation of a British-Portuguese family, is set to focus on the UK independent trade by offering a new summer promotion on three of its key table wines. The campaign, which runs from June 1 to August 31, offers a trip to the Alentejo region in Portugal to visit the Mouchão winery for the store…

Spain’s Ramón Bilbao has released its first official organic wines, a white and a red, with the latter securing a national listing at the Co-op. The Ramón Bilbao Organic red is a Tempranillo Garnacha blend from grapes grown at 600m altitude in Monte Yerga in Rioja Oriental where this higher altitude not only gives a fresher flavour to the wine, but also means easier fungus…

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…

Flint Wines has announced the addition of the first-ever Greek winery to their portfolio.  The importer will be adding three new Assyrtiko wines from Vassaltis Vineyards, located on the island of Santorini. The boutique winery, which only produced its first vintage in 2014, has appointed Flint as its official agent for the UK Market.  Owner, Yannis Valambous of Vassaltis Vineyards said; “We are excited and…