The characteristics of the clay used to produce amphorae for winemaking are as diverse as the many types of wood for barrels. The trade is only just beginning to chart and recognise this, reports Roger Morris.

Ardbeg’s own Bryony McNiven will take charge of the Islay distillery in January 2026, becoming its first female manager in modern times. The chemist and lifelong Ardbeggian says she is “thrilled to be taking the reins” of the world’s peatiest malt.

A set of unique and indulgent wine insider experiences, along with some highly collectable bottles, are to go under the hammer as part of a Sotheby’s online fundraising auction for the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW).

Canada’s federal budget for 2025 has left its food and drink industry both “encouraged” and “concerned” about the future.

Diageo has reported disappointing first-quarter sales. The update comes as investors await clarity from chairman Sir John Manzoni on the company’s vacant chief executive role.

Bollinger’s team is celebrating what they describe as an exceptional 2025 Champagne harvest, combining early ripening, fine balance and healthy yields. Managing director Charles-Armand de Belenet and vineyard director Gaël Vuille say it could well become a declared vintage.

“Exciting but a little bit terrifying”, is how Hannah Tovey has described taking on the London Wine Fair, following her management buyout of the event, which was announced yesterday.

Equal Measures, a UK non-profit organisation that champions inclusion in the drinks industry, has announced its expansion into the wine sector, teaming up with Queena Wong and WSET.

Denmark Street in London’s West End is where the Sex Pistols lived; it’s where Rolling Stones recorded their first album, counting Clapton, Bowie, Hendrix and Dylan as regulars. But what’s it like to operate as a bar in London’s most famed music street today?

Vintners are missing a trick if they are not speaking to their coopers about ‘forest blending’, which can elevate your final product, one high-end Priorat producer tells Sarah Neish.

London Wine Fair event director Hannah Tovey has led a successful management buyout of the UK’s best-known wine trade show, under a new company, Vindustrious, backed by private lead investor, Perrin & Partners.

Ridgeview Estate Winery, one of England’s most prestigious sparkling wine producers, has entered administration but will continue trading while a sale is completed, according to administrators FRP Advisory.

India has stood out as a growing market for spirits even though global alcohol consumption has plummeted over the past four years.

Molson Coors has launched a scratch card promotion for its lager brand Madrí Excepcional that will roll out across more than 2,000 pubs throughout November. db finds out more.

The pedicab driver who stole more than £30,000 worth of fine wine and Champagne from London restaurants has avoided prison after returning part of his haul.

Diageo has filed its second motion in a matter of days to dismiss class actions alleging its Casamigos and Don Julio Tequilas contain non-agave alcohol. The drinks giant calls the New York case “implausible” and “manufactured”.

Berry Bros. & Rudd has unveiled its long-awaited US debut, opening a flagship Washington DC store, a dedicated US website and a private client service.

Christie’s is celebrates 200 years of Domaine Faiveley, the seventh generation Burgundian estate in Nuits-Saint-Georges, with an “epic” sale of rare Grand Cru verticals alongside “unicorn” large formats.

Sir John Manzoni faces mounting pressure ahead of Diageo’s annual meeting as shareholders demand answers over the company’s vacant chief executive position. Interim boss Nik Jhangiani’s future, and the company’s leadership strategy, are expected to dominate proceedings.

Edinburgh brewery Innis & Gunn is set to open one of the rarest bottles of ale in the world to assist in recreating a version of the historic beer which was made for an Arctic expedition.

Italian tax authorities have seized Campari shares worth €1.29 billion from its Luxembourg-based holding company, Lagfin, amid allegations of tax fraud. The Garavoglia family, which controls the group, rejects any wrongdoing.

ProWein’s new director Frank Schindler tells db that the world’s leading wine and spirits fair must evolve without losing sight of its foundations. From digital matchmaking to global dialogue, he’s intent on reshaping Düsseldorf’s flagship event.

Chef Dan Cox has announced that his Michelin-starred restaurant, Crocadon, located in St Mellion, Cornwall, is to close after three years of operation, as he looks to new pastures.

Rémy Cointreau has slashed its full-year sales and profit forecasts after a worse-than-expected second quarter. The Cognac maker continues to struggle in its key China and US markets, pushing back hopes of a recovery yet again.

The Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) is joining forces with the Licensed Trade Charity (LTC) to launch a series of wellbeing and practical support services to SIBA members, their employees and families.

Auction house Sotheby’s has announced the €1 million sale of Château Lafite wines from two cellars belonging to a member of the Rothschild family.

Forget limp toffee apples and cheap plonk. This Halloween, three wine experts conjure a fiendishly good line-up of wines to charm even the most jaded trick-or-treater, from pink fizz to ancient Madeira.

It’s been a big year for Jigger & Pony, which was crowned Asia’s third best bar by 50 Best Bars, and is gearing up to launch two new sites next year. As the business grows, principal bartender David Kim tells db that keeping up consistency will be its biggest challenge.

One of the UK’s oldest fine wine merchants has struck a new partnership with Truebell, a leading importer in the United Arab Emirates, to create “exciting opportunities for collectors, connoisseurs, and the hospitality sector” in the region.

Complete with its own vine nursery in the Barossa, Yalumba-owner Hill-Smith Family Estates has all the resources to trial new grape varieties to combat climate change. The problem, says head of sustainability Louisa Rose, is the consumer. Eloise Feilden reports.

A new international study has found that wine tourism remains a profitable and expanding part of the global wine industry, with 65% of wineries reporting positive returns and more than half planning to invest further.

Diageo has moved to dismiss a Florida class action alleging its Don Julio and Casamigos Tequilas contain non-agave alcohol. In its filing, the company likened the plaintiffs’ testing theory to “someone claiming the earth is flat.”

Despite cost-of-living pressures, Brits aren’t strangers to a good time, splashing nearly £4,000 each year (£3,776) at nightclubs, bars and pubs, according to a new study from credit card brand Aqua.

On World Champagne Day, Chapel Down and French TV star Fred Sirieix put American palates to the test in a blind tasting between English sparkling wine and Champagne – and two-thirds of participants preferred the English fizz.

Florence Tresarrieu will take the helm at Canadian manufacturing and distribution company Corby Spirit and Wine on 1 January 2026. She succeeds Nicolas Krantz, who moves to a new role within the Pernod Ricard Group.

Sato Wines – a Central Otago low-intervention wine brand made by Japanese ex-bankers – sometimes shies away from its natural wine identity. Joyce Yip finds out why.

While it’s widely held that binge drinking is detrimental to a fitness regime, record-breaking former American football quarterback Drew Bledsoe believes that fine wine and professional sport form a perfect pairing.

the drinks business is taking last entries before The Global Low & No Alcohol Wine Masters 2025 closes, a competition designed to celebrate the very best wines in this fast-growing category.

Global drinks software, data and marketing company Next Glass has acquired North Carolina-based supply chain business Ekos. db finds out how the union will move the industry forwards.

New boutique brand Dancing Duchess, highlights the confidence and creativity of the category of the category with its new release Pinot Meunier rosé.

As Chilean producer Viña Carmen takes on a new UK distributor Sarah Neish talks to winemaker Ana Maria Cumsille about the “very fresh” 2025 vintage and her relentless quest to find the perfect barrel for Maipo Valley Cabernet.

Indian and Australian officials are battling it out over tariffs on wine and dairy products as they move towards a long-term trade deal. Despite the challenges posed by high levies, is India still a market worth betting on for producers Down Under?

Mendoza’s winemakers are breaking from the region’s reputation for ‘cheap Malbec’, as they strive for premium positioning on a global stage. But is this realistic? At Vinexpo Explorer Mendoza 2025, buyers share their thoughts on the future of Argentine wine. db reports.

Our judging panel, made up of key players in the worlds of drinks and sustainability, have whittled down this year’s haul of impressive entries. We are proud to reveal the shortlist for db‘s Green Awards 2025.

The biggest Guinness hotspots in the UK have been identified in a new study that assesses each UK city’s “enthusiasm” for the stout.

The former NHS doctor and Love Island star is breaking into the world of beverages with new alcohol-free brand Dead Clear Drinks. In his first media interview he tells Sarah Neish he is in “the final stages of an agreement with a brewery” and how he plans to avoid “costly mistakes”.

What Spanish celebration calls for seven or eight chefs, more than 50kg of charcoal and around 25kg of fresh pork, washed down with aged Rioja? It has to be Fiesta La Matanza. Sarah Neish reports.

The pedicab driver who stole £24,000 worth of fine wine and Champagne from London restaurants has been given a final chance to return the stolen bottles before sentencing.

Praising Rioja for its constant adaptation, chief winemaker at Ramón Bilbao, Rodolfo Bastida, told db last week that climate change was driving up plantings of Garnacha in a land dominated by Tempranillo.

At Vinexpo Explorer Mendoza 2025, 80 international buyers from across Asia, Europe and the Americas discovered a new side to Argentina’s most famous wine region.