French laboratory unveiled new mildew resistant grape variety called Divico – available for planting in 2015
A French laboratory has unveiled a new grape variety that is resistant to mildew and other fungal diseases. Called Divico, it is a red grape and apparently needs just one to three treatments a year according to Agroscope, the laboratory that developed it, rather than...
Major alcohol suppliers, local distributors face off in court over Franchise law – could reshape the way wine and spirits are distributed in Missouri
A battle brewing in local courtrooms and in Jefferson City could dramatically reshape the way wine and spirits are distributed in Missouri. Lawsuits involving the country’s largest liquor suppliers began piling up in federal court in St. Louis in recent months as they...
Distell buys Scotch whisky producer Burn Stewart for $244m
DISTELL has bought Burn Stewart Distillers from CL World Brands and Angostura for $244m. Burn Stewart is a fully integrated Scotch whisky producer, which owns three malt whisky distilleries and a strong portfolio of Scotch whisky brands. Its principal activities are...
Bacardi sets $1B refinancing, shifts to U.S. model
Bacardi International Ltd is shifting to a U.S. pricing model as it looks to refinance an existing $1 billion revolver, allowing the company to pay lower initial interest rates, banking sources told Thomson Reuters LPC. Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays and BNP...
New York wine distributors are fighting to stop a State Senate bill that they fear would drive many out of business and force up prices for the end consumer
Initial objections to the “At Rest” bill when it was proposed last year have now turned to outrage after it emerged that Empire Merchants, one of the few distributors large enough to benefit from this proposal, has donated more than half a million dollars over the...
Diageo bid for majority stake in United Spirits set to fail
Diageo Plc (DGE) tried for years to buy part of Vijay Mallya’s United Spirits Ltd. (UNSP) before striking a November agreement to take a 53 percent stake in the company. That bid for majority control will likely fail, leaving Diageo with less than a third of India’s...
Constellation’s profit slips on tax costs – Crown Imports deal expected to close by end of current quarter
Constellation Brands Inc.'s quarterly profit shrank 21% as the wine and spirits maker's sharply higher tax rate and increased expenses offset its stronger revenue. Constellation has become a bigger player in Anheuser-Busch InBev NV's $20.1 billion bid to...
Winemakers roundtable: Wine supply and demand along the lines of the three tier system key drivers of wine pricing
Wine companies largely are caught between escalating costs of production and mixed perceptions of how much of the rising costs the market for finished wine will bear. Those are among the topics five of the Bay Area’s innovative wine entrepreneurs are set to tackle at...
Italian wine producers look to international growth to escape domestic economy
Italian wine producers are increasingly looking to international markets to escape their own crippled domestic economy. Producer after producer at this week's ViniItaly wine fair in Verona confirmed their commitment to develop or reinforce existing...