The latest addition to the fast-developing Champagne Barons de Rothschild is a pair of single-site expressions from grands crus in Avize and Cramant – and Patrick Schmitt MW gets an early taste.

Once renowned for its naturally low-alcohol whites with a hint of fizz, Vinhos Verdes is diving into a new era – one that reveals the Portuguese wine region in all its technicolour glory, writes Sarah Neish.

France’s prolonged summer heat and drought are shrinking grape development across major wine regions, with Champagne growers expecting yields to fall around 10% and harvests beginning weeks earlier than normal.

Each nation participating in the FIFA World Cup 2026 battles it out to be named the world champions of beer.

French wine producers are facing another difficult growing season as record-breaking temperatures compound the effects of frost, hail and prolonged drought across key regions.

Valdobbiadene producer Andreola is developing traditional method sparkling and still wines from a nine-hectare vineyard in the Belluno Dolomites. During a visit to Sedico, the drinks business found a project shaped by the family’s ambition to move beyond the Prosecco label.

Britain’s hospitality sector is facing an existential crisis, and the wine trade can no longer afford to treat it as someone else’s problem, writes Benjamin Jack. Cutting hospitality VAT isn’t just about saving restaurants – it’s about protecting the future of wine itself.

Severe frost and hail have already caused extensive vineyard damage across parts of the United States and France, raising concerns over another difficult harvest year. Growers are reporting losses of up to 90% in some regions, with months of weather risks still ahead.

In the second of our series on the implications of the WHO’s ‘no safe level’ agenda, Tom Bruce-Gardyne explores the battle to impose cancer warnings on drinks, and ponders the motives. www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/06/alco...

When the UK voted to leave the EU, French winemakers mourned. But a decade on, one legendary Bordeaux wine company tells Amelie Maurice-Jones why Brexit has been a blessing when it comes to selling bottles to Brits.

So, what makes a good rosé? Such is the diversity of the category today, there’s no simple, single answer. Nevertheless, Patrick Schmitt MW has listed 10 things to consider when drinking pink wine – including his views on sweetness and ice in your rosé.

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway, drinks companies across the UK and North America are hoping football can help lift sales. Brewers and spirits groups are investing heavily in the tournament despite continued pressure on alcohol consumption in key markets.

An increasing number of Bordeaux producers are stepping outside appellation rules in favour of Vin de France, seeking greater freedom over grape varieties, winemaking techniques and branding.

Dom Pérignon pulled out all the stops for its annual party in Bilbao, Spain last week, delighting a starry guestlist with a performance by Tilda Swinton, and an exclusive tasting of its unreleased 2018 vintage.

The member-owned merchant has reported an operating loss for its latest financial year, having absorbed much of the cost of the 2024 budget rather than passing it on to members.

Following rule changes that allow 9% ABV wines to be produced from around the shores of Italy’s largest lake, Garda DOC is well placed to sell in the UK. db considers why.

Champagne house Maison Pommery & Associés saw its shares rise after the news broke that it had entered into exclusive negotiations with Henkell International, which could see the Germany-based company become the Maison’s majority shareholder.

A stash of late 19th-century wines, including bottles of Château d’Yquem, has been discovered underneath a chapel floor in the Czech Republic. The treasure is thought to have been hidden before its “Nazi collaborator” owners fled the region during the war.

After more than 20 years at Champagne Pol Roger, president Laurent d’Harcourt is set to retire at the end of 2026, and db has learnt today of his successor: Ayala MD Hadrien Mouflard.

A century ago, America was in the grip of Prohibition. When it ended in failure in 1933, the campaign to demonise drink appeared to be dead and buried. But it’s back in a coalition of NGOs, public health officials and temperance crusaders under the banner of the WHO.

An Indian court has denied Pernod Ricard’s plea to resume selling spirits in New Delhi, piling onto the legal and regulatory challenges the spirits maker is currently battling in the region.

A London wholesaler was snared by tax authority HMRC after buying more than 9,700 cases of wine “off the books”, sparking a legal debate over whether a “deliberate” omission is the same as a “dishonest” one.

The results of a Chardonnay tasting on Monday at the London Wine Fair have been revealed – and Australia has come out on top, with England not far behind.

Former Treasury Wine Estates executive Robert Foye has accused the company of pursuing a “volume chasing, order-taking mentality” across major markets as pressure mounts ahead of its investor day on 4 June.

James Bayley meets Franco-Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan and sommelier Anna Patrowicz to explore a wine region older than Burgundy, where producers navigate military checkpoints and water rationed to once every 40 days to make bottles they hope will be judged purely on what's in the glass.

A newly-formed investment company will purchase Veritas Vineyards & Winery, known for its stellar wine tourism offering, as the producer’s British founders retire.

The Miami-based trade fair, held at the end of April, reflected an industry in transition with Latin America and Gen Z firmly in the spotlight, reports Jacqueline Coleman.

Bordeaux authorities have unveiled a €20 million land fund aimed at addressing the financial pressures facing struggling growers across the region. The initiative will buy abandoned and uprooted vineyard land as part of a broader effort to reshape Bordeaux’s wine landscape.

A poll conducted at Fero’s inaugural Young Leaders event found that most young drinks professionals remain committed to long-term careers in the trade, but concerns over salaries, career progression and inclusivity remain.

From sun-soaked Greek lagers to crisp Czech pilsners, the holiday pint remains one of life’s great pleasures. As British summer begins, these are the beers worth travelling for.

Campari has reported modest organic sales growth in the first quarter and reaffirmed its full-year guidance despite challenging market conditions. The Italian drinks group said strong performances from Aperol and key international markets supported continued market share gains.

With Keith Isaac MW set to retire next month as head of Castelnau Wine Agencies UK, the wine and Champagne importer has appointed Yann Bourigault as its new general manager.

Pakistan’s oldest brewery, Murree Brewery, has begun alcohol exports to countries including the UK and Japan – despite the fact that it’s been banned for the country’s Muslim-majority population for almost 50 years.

AB InBev has posted its first quarterly sales increase in three years, buoyed by growth in premium beer, alcohol-free products and digital sales channels.

Almost two pubs a day closed across Britain during the first three months of 2026, according to new figures from the British Beer and Pub Association.

Robert Foye, former global chief operating officer of Treasury Wine Estates and now a shareholder in the business, has argued the company’s latest restructuring does not go far enough to address persistent weaknesses.

Berry Bros. & Rudd chief executive Emma Fox will leave the business later this summer after six years leading the historic wine and spirits merchant.

A bottle of Japanese sake made using space-fermented mash has fetched almost ¥110 million (£517,000), and things are still looking stellar for its producer, Dassai, which now has its sights set on making the drink on the moon.

On-trade wine sales have dropped sharply in recent years, but pockets of growth are emerging across value-driven, white and sparkling categories. Kathleen Willcox reports.

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) is removing the figure of Ariadne from its logo and adopting a simplified identity, as part of a wider rebrand to reflect its broader scope beyond wine.

Reaction from across the whisky sector has been swift following confirmation by Donald Trump that tariffs and restrictions on whisky imports will be removed after the state visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

Having chaired the UK’s most comprehensive, annual, blind tasting competition for just Champagne – The Champagne Masters – since 2011, Patrick Schmitt MW picks out 12 observations about the character of the sparkling wine right now.

US President Donald Trump has removed barriers on Scotch and Irish whiskey imports following the state visit by King Charles. Industry figures have welcomed the relief after months of declining exports and mounting financial strain.

Monica Galetti has been appointed executive chef at 130 Primrose, a new London restaurant offering paid hospitality roles and training to people with experience of homelessness.

Online retailer Naked Wines has reported “strong progress” on cost reduction and pricing measures in a trading update confirming it is on track to hit its expectations this financial year.

Wine accounts for less than 1% of alcohol consumption in Vietnam, but within that sliver, a shift is taking place, as drinkers develop a taste for white wine. Nimmi Malhotra reports.

Most Britons consider it unacceptable for MPs to drink alcohol before late-night votes, according to new YouGov polling. The findings come amid renewed debate about parliamentary culture and expectations of conduct in Westminster.

This year’s much-anticipated Bordeaux en primeur has started with the release of Pontet Canet this morning, with the price lauded as “a strong start” to a critical campaign.

Terold Invest, the parent company of Argentine wine powerhouse Grupo Peñaflor, has acquired UK business Off-Piste Wines in a move it says “significantly strengthens its position”, db can exclusively reveal.

The sparkling wine giant saw flat sales in 2025, but strong performances in Prosecco, Crémant and no-alcohol products flag future growth opportunities. db finds out more.