...Yes, that's right! Level vodka has come up with a cocktail to go with Turkish delight, not an obvious thing to match a drink with, but why not?

The Turkish Delight+

25ml Level vodka

12.5ml tawny port

12.5ml sugar syrup

Soda water

3-4 fresh figs

Method: shake the vodka, port, fig pulp and syrup together with ice. Strain over crushed ice into a Martini glass, top with soda water and garnish with half a fresh fig

l To Cork or Not to Cork

George M Taber, who wrote the book on the famous controversial Judgement of Paris tasting, turns his attention to another topic that polarises views among the wine elite: whether to use traditional cork, metal screwcaps or synthetic closures. Taber endeavours to weave his way through all the research and conflicting views.

Published by Scribner.

Price: US$26

l The Míele Guide

Asia is to have its own independent restaurant guide, published in October and sponsored by Míele the German cooking and laundry appliance maker. Publishers, Ate Media, says it will not accept any advertising or free meals from any of the restaurants reviewed. The first edition will evaluate restaurants in 16 countries such as Hong Kong, Philippines and Vietnam.

Published by Ate Media.

Price: US$15

Game, set and match with Lanson (bottle shots)

Lanson is the official supplier of Champagne for the Wimbledon tennis championships. To capitalise on the event, it will have a sampling bar at Heathrow's terminal three and has produced a special gift pack. While sampling Lanson, travellers can watch some of the great Wimbledon encounters in previous tournaments, such as Bjorn Borg versus John McEnroe. The specially packaged bottles of Lenson will come in a zipped chill-sleeve in the Wimbledon colours of green and purple. They will retail for £25.99 at Waitrose, a multiple retailer in the UK.

Glenfarclas

The famous single malt whisky brand has launched a new website, which gives a company history and takes you on a virtual tour of the distillery. There are a lso tasting notes. Visit glenfarclas.co.uk.

Pena de Pato

Sogrape's recently launched wine brand, Pena de Pato, which means duck feather in Portuguese, has its own website which will take you on an interactive journey through the country's key four wine regions. It claims to help you "sample" seven flavours. That should be interesting.

Visit penadepato.eu.

Japan's most famous cuisine, sushi, is eaten traditionally with sake but many prefer beer. The Royal Garden Hotel's executive chef, Steve Munkley, sushi chef Ricky Idris and Beer Academy co-founder, Rupert Ponsonby, got together at the London hotel last month to match different beers with various sushi dishes from around the world.

Following the tasting g uests were asked to choose their favourite combinations , which were:

?atec Pils (Czech Republic) with minted cucumber maki rolls (pictured right); Sol (Mexico) with warm-grilled eel nigiri; Schneider Weiss (Germany) with sea bass, ginger and soy sauce and Kasteel Cru (Alsace) with chicken teriyaki sichimi roll (pictured left).

== Bitters taste of victory ==

The Baltic region plays a proud role in the history of beer. It is home to many of the great beer styles - including Russian Imperial Stout - but decades of Communism shackled and stifled investment. After the Cold War ended in 1989, many of the surviving brewer ies were bought up by international players who realised there was quick and easy access to fresh pastures.

The Baltic beer markets of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are moving into a new phase, according to Danish brewer Carlsberg. Although there ha ve been signs of discounting among cheap, lower-quality beers, growth in volume and value has come from a greater focus on premium brands and cost efficiency. Carlsberg says the trend will be the way forward for a major player with an already strong market share.

This is a U-turn for the three Baltic states because for years their drinking image has been likened to binge-drink ers and alcohol abusers .

The latest Brewers of Europe figures suggest the current average consumption in the more mature Baltic beer markets has reached 73 litres per person - considerably higher than the world's average of 25 litres. The potential for growth is clear, however, given that consumption in the Czech Republic tops 150 litres and in the UK is nearly 100 litres.

Looking at the numbers, there is every reason to get excited about the Indian winemaking scene. Sales are growing at a steady 25 per cent year on year and are now worth around £50 million (4 billion rupees) at retail. From four wineries producing 2 million litres of wine in 2001, India now has 54 wineries producing 13 million litres.

Driving this is India's middle class, which is forecast to double to 450 million people by 2015, according to India's National Council of Applied Economic Research. That's a lot of extra income, that India's young professionals are keen to spend on aspirational products such as wine.

"The market is currently about 1 million cases a year," says Alok Chandra, an independent wine consultant based in Bangalore. "My estimate is that this will increase ten fold to 10 million cases in 10 years."

But take a glance at the wine list of the five-star Imperial Hotel in Delhi and you won't find any Indian labels. Many of the more up market liquor stores also overlook local producers in favour of the better-established French, Italian or Australian brands. This is in part due to the better margins on offer from imported bottles. While most Indian wines sell for around the equivalent of £5 a bottle, foreign wines are often three or four times as much, partly due to heavy taxes on imports but also due to higher mark-ups.

There is, however, another factor at play here too - quality. "Grape growing, especially by table grape growers, is unsophisticated," says leading wine writer Robert Joseph, who has taken an interest in India's wine industry. "I was calmly told that Shiraz was failing to ripen in a vineyard that ripened Cabernet," he says. "That kind of statement would raise eyebrows among half-knowledgeable winemakers elsewhere.

"Winemaking is also less sophisticated than it ought to be. A winery with high ambitions, and contracts with top French experts, ruined its first attempt at premium wine by overdosing it with oak chips. It then tried to claim that time in bottle would sort this out."

It's a good time to be a Prosecco producer. The understated Italian wine has never, it seems, been more popular - there were 50 million bottles produced in 2007, up 14 per cent on the 2005 figure, and Prosecco is winning over new admirers in undeveloped export territories.

Wine consumption in Italy and in Germany, Prosecco's top export market, is not expected to grow (see box), leaving producers with no option but to seek out new opportunities in other markets. It's no easy task, with Champagne sales booming around the world, but Prosecco has a different story to tell. It promotes itself as a less fussy, more everyday indulgence than its prestigious rival - something that particularly appeals to consumers who are either intimidated by Champagne or can't afford to drink it as often as they would like.

About a third of Prosecco is exported, increasingly to the relatively untapped markets of the UK and the US. UK sales have risen five-fold since 2000, to reach 1.1 million bottles in 2006, while sales in the States have more than doubled to 1.4 million bottles over the same period. In the UK it has been dubbed by some "the new Pinot Grigio"; the LA Times recently declared "Prosecco is definitely the bubbly of the moment in Los Angeles" and reported that "retailers are having a hard time keeping the stuff in stock".

"Five or six years ago, trying to sell Prosecco was like trying to sell Asti Spumante or something," Lance Montalto, the buyer for Wine House in West Los Angeles, told the newspaper. "It just had this huge stigma, like trying to sell rosé in the old days. Now it's just a force. It practically sells itself."

Fresh approach

The first major UK tasting was organised by the Prosecco DOC di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Consorzio in London last October. Attendance was encouraging: the event attracted around 100 journalists and trade representatives. Peter McCombie MW, who conducted a Prosecco masterclass at the event, urged on- and off-trade retailers to feature at least two different Proseccos on their lists: one for appreciation as an aperitif or food wine, the other as a mixer in Bellini cocktails.

"The whole point of Prosecco is freshness and delicacy," he said. "When pairing sparkling wine with spicy food, bubbles can handle spicy food well, but the higher acidity of Champagne can be too much for Thai food, for example, whereas Prosecco can work very well."  

This month , for the third year in succession, the US trade experienced an American version of Vino in Villa, "a walk-around tasting of the finest brut, extra dry, dry and cartizze Proseccos from 25 leading producers", according to the Consorzio.

The events took place in New York City on June 5 and in San Francisco on June 9 and were an offshoot of Vino in Villa Italy, hosted each May by the Consorzio at the Castello di San Salvatore in Susegana, Treviso. The two-day festival is built around a grand tasting comprising more than 70 producers of DOC Prosecco and attracts more than 12,000 visitors annually.

Built-in advantage

Max Gancia, export director at Fratelli Gancia, says exports are "performing well" and not just in the traditional key markets of Switzerland and Germany.

"New markets such as Belgium, Finland, Russia, Poland and Greece have seen a significant growth for Prosecco," he adds. "Overseas we increased our quota in China, Japan, the US and Canada."

Gancia believes Prosecco has some in built advantages when it comes to export marketing. "The term Prosecco has a positive connotation around the world as it is easy to pronounce and its name is linked as a sound with 'secco' or 'dry'," he says. "Not many consumers are aware that Prosecco is a grape variety coming from the Veneto region. Prosecco has a recognisable name easily associated to Italian oenology and typical 'made in Italy' products."

Gancia argues that leading producers "are always working to improve the image of Prosecco in terms of restyling and quality". But some things are beyond their control. "Critically, at a stage when the product is meeting a favourable demand, the 2007 grape harvest has witnessed a considerable increase in the cost of the grapes, which has doubled. We have increased the [selling] price by around 15-20 per cent, so we have only partially absorbed the cost increase. The increase in the price of Prosecco will probably affect retail prices."

The idea of marketing Prosecco in cans does not appeal to Gancia, who claims it "devalues the product image".

He is not alone. There has been some opposition to Rich Prosecco, a canned wine which does not qualify for DOC status. The way it has been marketed - namely with American heiress Paris Hilton in various stages of undress - has not won it too many admirers among the traditionalists (who also fret about developments such as rosé Prosecco).

The Austrian supplier sells Rich Prosecco in 27 countries, something which worries Italian producers who fear the Prosecco name is being abused. They want greater protection for the Prosecco name - not a simple task, given that it's a grape variety, and the one that Rich uses in its product.

But, with or without the help of Paris Hilton, Prosecco is enjoying a new-found momentum. Whether it continues its recent progress will depend on how it deals with cost increases, and if it can open up new markets to compensate for those which are mature or declining. In other words, it faces exactly the same set of challenges as most wine regions on the planet.

Critics may call it a bland, neutral kind of wine lacking the complexity and flavour of its more distinguished rivals. They said the same about Pinot Grigio - and look how consumers have fallen in love with that Italian export. Who's to say Prosecco can't emulate some of that international success? ?

These are heady days for rum, a spirit that is enjoying a new sense of confidence as export markets begin to understand the quality and provenance of the product.

In the US sales are already booming. Rum accounts for 18 per cent of all spirits sales, achieving revenues of US$2.1 billion in 2007, an increase of 8.9 per cent on the previous year. Only vodka does better.

Rum now stands a chance of repeating some of that success in the EU, a market where domestic spirits such as Cognac and Scotch whisky have traditionally been more concerned about the threat posed by vodka - a product that has gradually been naturalised as the union expands and production is exported.

The new Authentic Caribbean Rum Marque has now been launched by the West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers' Association, which will mean bottles are branded with an internationally recognised stamp to show the product is genuine and meets quality standards.

There are three versions of the marque, based on each brand's maturation length and premium positioning. Products that are a blend of rums will display a black and white version of the marque, while a silver and black version will be used on brands that have been matured for a minimum of one year, with the logo featuring the word "matured" and an image of three barrels.

A gold and black deluxe classification will be used on brands that have been matured for a minimum of five years - and this will be indicated by an image of five barrels.

According to Neil Morris, the association's head of marketing: "With the popularity of rum increasing year on year, there is no doubt that consumers are not only looking to explore brands, but are also seeking some help in the selection process. The new marque will help meet both these objectives and give further weight to the development of a distinct Authentic Caribbean Rum sector within the rum category."

The launch will be supported by a marketing campaign that includes ads in trade and consumer press, PR activity, bartender training and attendance at trade and consumer shows.

Caribbean rum is now strictly defined as "fermented and distilled from sugar cane or its by-products" on a number of West Indian islands, with the notable exception of Cuba.

Why should the marque and the marketing campaign suddenly happen now? And more pertinently, why should it be funded by EU money when Europe has plenty of spirits producers of its own that could use the cash?

Essentially it comes down to a trade agreement between the EU and the US dating back to 2000 that liberalised the trade in white spirits. The Europeans had previously pledged to consult with Caribbean rum producers on trade deals that affected their product, and when it was agreed this bargain had not been kept, they agreed a compensation package. As a result, e70 million has been made available for a range of initiatives, including the marketing drive in the EU's own back yard.

An integrated front

The Integrated Development Programme for the Caribbean Rum Sector granted in 2002 was expected to end on June 30 2007, but has

been extended to June 30 2010. This extension gives producers more time to upgrade their distilleries and clean up their environmental act, through energy efficiencies and better effluent disposal systems.

Producers will perhaps be more excited by the prospect of appointing marketing managers in the key target markets of the UK, Spain and Italy.

Dr Frank Ward, chairman of WIRSPA, said in the Scottish press: "We were quite insular and inward looking, but the trade liberalisation forced us to re-examine ourselves and we are slowly getting better. One of the studies has indicated that there is a need to raise awareness of Caribbean rum across Europe. Now we are out to show that we produce the best rum in the world."

The Edrington Group, the Scotch whisky producer best known for its Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark blends, neatly symbolised the new world order in the spirits market with its recent purchase of a majority share in the Brugal Company, the Dominican Republic rum producer. Clearly it can see which way the wind is blowing. Brugal sells 5 million cases of golden rum annually, has an 80 per cent share of its domestic market and is one of the fastest-growing rum brands in Europe.

In some EU markets, such as the UK, rum producers may find they are pushing against an open door, particularly if they are marketing golden rum, whose sales rose 12 per cent to £66 million in the 12 months to Feb 23 2008, according to figures compiled by Nielsen. This makes it easily the fastest-growing sector of the spirits market. Although white and dark rums both experienced small declines, total rum sales value in the UK is slightly ahead of gin - something that would have been almost unthinkable a decade or so ago.

Julien Gualdon is one of the best-known rum aficionados in the UK thanks to his Mahiki cocktail bar in the heart of London. "We have 36 cocktails and three-quarters of them are rum based," he says. "I sell twice as much rum as vodka. I've really pushed the rum category on my cocktail list and people love it."

Peter Martin, European manager for Appleton supplier J Wray & Nephew, says rum-dominated cocktail lists are "not unusual" in London these days. "If you go to Nobu or Zeta, or any of those style bars, they're probably more rum-based than anything else," he says.

"Some people say it's because rum makes superb cocktails, which of course it does," says Martin. "Rum lends itself to cocktail-making probably better than any other spirit, if you look at the depth of flavour you can get. Cocktail bars are in a boom. Rum is an extremely versatile product. That's a good thing and a bad thing - bad because you get labelled purely as a cocktail ingredient."

Katherine Abram, spirits buyer for Tesco, the UK's largest grocery retailer, says the off-trade is getting its impetus from the on-trade. "There's the popularity of the mojito, which is almost mainstream now, and also the popularity of dark & st ormy and other rum-based cocktails has helped quite a lot," she says. "It's more golden and dark styles that benefit."

Source matters

"I think it probably is capable of sustaining the growth. With the rise of other spirits like Tequila and so on, where people are looking for a lot more provenance and a story of what's behind it. People are starting to look around for something a bit more interesting and rum has the potential to provide that.

"People are willing to trade up, but they really need to understand what's so great about the product. It's an exciting category that consumers are willing to explore and buy into."

The new campaign will doubtless help producers and retailers get that message across, but rum's huge reliance on white styles - designed principally for leisurely and uncomplicated drinking - is unlikely to end any time soon, even if sales do appear to be in gentle decline.

The current economic climate will also hinder efforts to move consumers up the quality ladder - 2008 is unlikely to be remembered as the year in which any drinks category achieved a successful transition into premiumisation.

But even if all the campaign achieves is a better understanding of this most misunderstood of spirits, the EU's money will have been put to good use.

For the past few years, the Scotch whisky industry has witnessed spectacular growth in emerging markets, particularly China, for malts and deluxe blends. Standard blends, defined as those under 12 years old, have received far less coverage despite the huge volumes involved. Yet the 2007 figures from the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) are encouraging. In Europe, both Spain and France saw shipments increase significantly last year in volume and value, while Germany became a top 10 importer for the first time.

Even in the UK, Scotch whisky's most mature market and where 90 per cent of volumes are in standard blends, the mood is upbeat despite the sharp 55p a bottle duty increase in March. Diageo has just announced it will double its investment behind Bells with a £4 million marketing campaign starting in September to re-launch the 100-year-old blend as Bell's Original. This will put the brand, previously known as Bell's 8 Year Old, back on TV for the first time in three years.

Gold: Trophy G'Vine Nouaison 43.9 EuroWineGate Distilled gin

Gold: Trophy Tanqueray London Dry Gin 43.1 Diageo London gin

Gold Beefeater London Dry Gin 40 Chivas Brothers London gin

Gold Blue Ribbon 40 Oposit Wines & Spirits London gin

Gold Gibson's 37.5 La Martiniquaise London gin

Gold Larios 40 Beam Global España London gin

Gold Tesco Finest Classic No 1 Gin 43 G&J Greenall London gin

Gold Veda Gin 40 G&J Greenall London gin

Silver Asda Gin 37.5 G&J Greenall London gin

Silver Sainsbury's Blackfriars Gin 43 G&J Greenall London gin

Silver Brecon Special Reserve Gin 40 The Welsh Whisky Company Distilled gin

Silver G'Vine Floraison 40 EuroWineGate Distilled gin

Silver Greenalls Original Gin 40 G&J Greenall London gin

Silver Hayman's Old Tom Gin 40 Hayman Distillers Distilled gin

Silver Pink 47 47 Old St Andrews London gin

Silver Tanqueray No Ten 47.3 Diageo Distilled gin

Silver Whitley Neill London Dry Gin 42 Whitley Neill London gin

Bronze Asda Premium Gin 40 G&J Greenall London gin

Bronze Goa Gin 47 World Wide Distillers London gin

Bronze Junipero Gin 49.3 Anchor Brewing Company Distilled gin

Bronze Morrison's Gin 40 G&J Greenall London gin

Bronze Tesco London Dry Gin 37.5 G&J Greenall London gin

Bronze Waitrose London Dry Gin 37.5 G&J Greenall London gin

Bronze Waitrose Original Gin 40 G&J Greenall London gin

Bronze White Satin Gin 40 Heaven Hill/Chartered Brands London gin

Highly Commended No.209 Gin 46 Distillery 209 Distilled gin

Highly Commended Bulldog Gin 40 G&J Greenall Distilled gin

Highly Commended Gordon's 37.5 Diageo London gin

Highly Commended Juniper Green Organic London Dry Gin 37.5 London & Scottish International London gin

Highly Commended London Hill London Dry Gin 40 Hedges & Butler London gin

Highly Commended Morrison's The Best Gin 43 G&J Greenall London gin

Highly Commended Right Gin 40 Cellar Trends Distilled gin

Highly Commended Sainsbury's Gin 37.5 G&J Greenall London gin

Highly Commended The London Gin 47 Gonzalez Byass Distilled gin

Commended Coldstream Gin 37.5 Inver House Distillers London gin

Commended Old Raj Gin 55 Cadenhead Gin

Commended Svensk Gin 40 Svensk Export Vodka Gin

With immaculate timing - coinciding with preparations for this Challenge - the new EU definition for London Gin was recognised and passed into EU law on February 20 this year as part of the revised EU Spirit Drink Regulations. Along with it came equivalent technical definitions of two other categories - Gin and Distilled Gin - regulating distilling techniques and the addition of flavourings and sweeteners (see box p30) in the manufacture of gin.

"London Gin is the premium gin product and the definition will help maintain its high standards of production and protect the drink from counterfeit products," states the Gin & Vodka Association of Great Britain on its ginvodka.org website.

The new regulations enabled the inaugural Drinks International Gin Challenge to be organised in a refreshingly different way.

When it comes to categorising spirits, the accepted terminology of standard, premium and super-premium presents inherent difficulties. The terms are often subjective, relating as much as anything to a producer's marketing and pricing strategies, which can vary from market to market, as do tax regimes.

So categories based on official technical definitions added an interesting spin to the Gin Challenge tasting. Within this framework, the judging panel was asked to judge each gin on three main criteria: flavour profile, individual character and overall balance.

"It was very helpful to agree, as a group, what criteria we would assess for each product," said judge Quentin El-Bez.

"There was a wide range of products and the tasting was very efficiently conducted, allowing enough time for discussion and review. Each category presented various flavour profiles and individual characters but appeared to involve different purposes, different philosophies."

Most of the world's best gins were lined up for the Gin Challenge. Some were, regrettably, notable by their absence, such as Bombay Sapphire, Hendrick's, Broker's, Martin Miller's and Plymouth. In the latter instance, following discussions with V&S it was decided not to include the cult favourite from England's south coast. Although it is produced as a London dry gin, it is unique among gins in having its own Geographical Indication under EU law, meaning it could not be tasted alongside the London gins as defined by the new regulations.

Out of interest, Drinks International planted a bottle of Plymouth Gin among the London Gin samples in the Challenge tasting and, for the record, it averaged the second highest score overall, clearly exceeding the standard for a gold medal - all tasted blind, of course.

As expected, the standard was high. In all, from a field of 40 gins (27 London, 10 Distilled and 3 Gin) the panel awarded 8 Gold, 9 Silver and 8 Bronze medals. Among the Golds, three winners were from France - Eurowinegate's G'Vine Nouaison, Gibson's from La Martiniquaise and Blue Ribbon by Oposit. Indeed Gibson's achieved the feat of being the only Gold winner below 40 per cent abv.

Just two trophies were awarded in the competition and judge Nick Wykes said: "My notes on the gins in the Trophy round tend to confirm what I would have suggested before tasting. Tanqueray: I had simply written G&T next to this one. G'Vine: French vermouth and maybe some orange bitters might really lift this to another level. Gibson's: I had 'character and complexity' written down - not to try Gibson's gin in a Gibson would be a massive oversight!"

Agreeing, Jamie Walker added: "Tanqueray reigns supreme for me and shrugs off all of the new pretenders to the crown. The more exotic gins such as G'Vine with more exaggerated flavour profiles seemed very popular with the mixologists."

There was an equitable spread of Golds among the major producers: Pernod Ricard/Chivas Bros with Beefeater, Diageo with Tanqueray and Beam Global with Larios. UK gin specialist G&J Greenall submitted no fewer than 13 entries, all bar three of them supermarket own-label bottlings. The company scored well, netting five Bronze medals, Silver with two own-label bottlings and its own proprietary brand and two Golds: a bottling for the Tesco Finest range and Veda, a new brand to be launched at the end of the year (pictured, still under wraps).

Greenall's master distiller Joanne Simcock states: "To submit a project name and no packaging to the competition was important for me as I wanted to win on the liquid alone and ensure we certainly were on the right track. I am so happy and proud of the outcome.

"My inspiration for project Veda was all to do with the English country garden. I love to use only natural ingredients and stay well away from just adding ingredients for the sake of it."

Only one Gold medal winner emerged from the Distilled Gin category (although Brecon Special Reserve came very close). G'Vine Nouaison went on to win one of the two Trophies awarded in the taste-off final - and it's from France ...

Miguel Côrte-Real, like so many involved in the port industry, dresses more like a traditional city gent than most Englishmen let alone city slickers. Dapper in a pin-stripe suit, what looks like a Jermyn Street shirt and tie and Church's shoes, you would think that he works for Prince Charles - if it wasn't for his dark, obviously south European looks.

The 54-year-old is managing director and winemaker for Cockburn's, the port house now owned by the American drinks giant, Beam Global Spirits & Wine. The brand is one of a small clutch that is holding the line for the overall fortified wine sector. While sherry and Vermouth continue to decline, the likes of Cockburn's, Taylor's, Graham's, Fonseca, Warre and Dow's - premium ports - flourish in countries such as the US, Canada and the UK.

??? ?? Ridgeview Merret Cavendish 2005

(38 Ch, 35 PN, 27 PM, £19.95)

Very toasty, full aromas of rhubarb crumble. It's young but has plenty of rhubarb, plum and touches of cherry with a finely balanced acidic structure and complex finish. Needs some years in bottle.

??? ? Hush Heath Balfour Brut Rosé 2005

(57 PN, 40 Ch, 3 PM, £29.99)

Pale onion skin colour, almost not rosé. Fresh, delicate nose of cherry, baked pear with brioche touches. Subtle, complex berry fruit and toasty brioche. Really does resemble a sparkling Provence rosé.

??? ? Ridgeview Merret Bloomsbury 2005

(59 Ch, 31 PN, 10 PM, £19.95)

Fresh leafy lemon aromas, toasty brioche and yeast. Ripe and fruity, unveiling itself at a leisurely pace across the palate. Persists well to a good, toasty finish.

??? Biddenden Gribble Bridge Rosé 2005 (Gamay, PN, Reichensteiner, £15)

A bright, cherry-pink colour, nose reminiscent of cider with baked apples and sour cherry. Cherry and raspberry fruit with decent weight on the palate and a refreshing, dry finish. Good fun.

??? Camel Valley Cornwall White Pinot 2005 (100 PN, £24.95)

Strong varietal character on the nose, toasty damson and rhubarb. Lively, fresh pear juice, damson and cherry flavours with a biscuity finish.

??? Camel Valley Cornwall Pinot Noir Rosé 2006 (100 PN, £22.95)

Fresh, bright raspberry/damson aromas. Additional cherry comes in on the mid-palate with a pleasantly toasty finish.

??? Denbies Greenfields Cuvée 2004

(50 PN, 35 Ch, 15 PM, £21.99)

Open, leafy citrus nose with a whiff of flinty minerals. Lively citrus, light sherbet touches and gently toasty through to a dry finish.

??? Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 2001

(43 Ch, 28.5 PN, 28.5 PM, £25)

Full, baked lemon tart nose with rhubarb notes and toasty brioche touches. Full and fruity, rounded and fruit-focused mid-palate with a dry toasty finish and good length.

??? Nyetimber Première Cuvée Blanc de Blancs 2001 (100 Ch, £28)

Well matured, vegetal aromas with baked lemon and mushroom hints. Has a rich, vegetal Chardonnay palate, developing into lemon meringue on a clean finish.

?? Brightwell Sparkling Chardonnay 2005

(100 Ch, £19.95)

Full, straightforward lemon curd nose with an earthy touch. Bright, clean and fruity, no fuss.

?? Chapel Down Pinot Reserve 2002

(PN, Pinot Blanc, £25)

Heady, yeasty nose of pear and baked lemon. Pithy and fairly rich palate . A hint of spicy backbone. Interesting.

?? Denbies Rosé Cuvée 2005

(100 PN, £17.99)

Full, ripe cherry/berry nose. Big, fruity attack and toasty cherry, rhubarb and sherbet on the finish. Needs ageing.

? A'Beckett's Estate Sparkling

(55 Seyval Blanc, 45 Pinot Auxerrois, £14.50)

Fruity, lemon and blackcurrant leaf aromas, grassy. Crisp acidity cuts a fat fruity palate of decent weight.

Gone are the days when the mere concept of English wine was guaranteed to get a laugh. Sparkling wines from England are beginning to gain currency and are even being taken seriously in the home of quality fizz, France.

At the annual English Wine Producers tasting on April 23 in London the sparkling wines put in a strong show . Particularly of note was the range of rosés, even some of those not made from the classic French varietals.

The top names - Ridgeview, Nyetimber, Denbies, Camel Valley - are all known in the trade, and in March the UK's premium supermarket Waitrose announced plans to plant vineyards in Hampshire, primarily with the intention of producing its own sparkling wine.

All English Quality Sparkling Wine is produced by the traditional method and subject to full analysis. "It's something we're quite proud of," says Julia Trustram Eve, marketing manager of generic body English Wine Producers. "New hectarage is mostly being planted for sparkling wine, and Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are now in the top three planted varieties."

Competition success is becoming the norm, with Ridgeview's Merret Fitzrovia 2004 Rosé taking the Jean Feraud trophy for Best International Sparkling Rosé at Le Mondial du Rosé in France last year, and the same producer's Merret Bloomsbury 2004 a Silver at both the IWC and IWSC competitions in the UK.

Dutch entrepreneur Eric Heerema has invested heavily at Nyetimber in Sussex, with 100 ha planted and a target of producing 600,000 bottles by 2014. Kent's Chapel Down has similar volume ambitions, and also intends to switch from its current 65 per cent still wine production to 65 per cent fizz, according to sales and marketing director Guy Tresnan. "On my radar is more in Japan, some in Hong Kong, then the US, China and Russia," he says, "which in terms of consumption of luxury goods have to have potential."

As for prices, land and production costs are high in England's south east, but then these, as well as the soil and climate conditions, are not dissimilar to those in Champagne. The evidence of this tasting is that all the talk is justified. If you get the chance, you must give it a go.

David Longfield

As the debate starts in northern France over how to divide up the newly increased demarcated area of Champagne, it is worth considering who might be the best guardian of this re-zoned land . Should it be placed in the hands of the small grower, professional farmers, or the brand owners who create demand ?

It is an issue that affects many wine regions, especially in the Old World where small holdings are the natural result of the Napoleonic code.

In the Douro, this is a central issue as regulators struggle to create a road map for the future. Regulators are controlled by politicians and the forces are strong. Do we back the 38,000 small growers as traditional subsistence farmers rather than the face of a modern, efficient economy? Should support be given to the brand owners or does a partnership with professional farmers work?

As the oldest demarcated region, and until recently one of the most remote, the Douro valley has had time to fragment and fossilise. Demand has been there, production sold and the desire to maintain the status quo is strong. Couple that with its status as a World Heritage site and you've got an instant wine museum. However, it has not yet become one, largely due to the efforts of shippers over hundreds of years to amplify its message, beat a path to consumers and create demand. That job is getting tougher.

The golden years when the region was well known and consumers faced little choice ha ve passed. The emergence of new wine regions, combined with an increasingly complex and dynamic choice and a much more fickle consumer means that nothing can be taken for granted. In this new world, demand must be created every day and shelf space in wine shops justified. Port is a small niche product that must explain itself to consumers who know little about the basics of wine.

In this age, the brand becomes the signpost and the vehicle for exploration of a category. It is not surprising that the investment by well-known port brands is paying off. We have demonstrated that a brand such as Taylor's has been able to grow the special category port segment where the margins remain - for example vintage, single quinta vintage, LBV and aged tawny - to ensure the economic viability of the region's future.

As we create this demand, we must back it with reserves of ageing stocks and this means capital expenditure on aspects such as production , advertising and, if we are lucky, vineyards. In fact, it is vineyard ownership where mutually beneficial partnerships are formed. Shippers have always sought to protect the origin of their most iconic wines and invest ing in grade A vineyards helps to define and preserve quality and house style. However, genuine economic value for the region can only be created via a productive alliance with other substantial land owners, the professional farmers .

In the Douro valley it is argued that only 1,475 producers work at a scale sufficient to run a grape-growing business - that's less than 5 per cent . These growers understand the brands' contribution to the value chain. By investing their capital in vineyards and focusing on the production of quality grapes, they can secure their future and maximise economic returns. Our group has pushed this partnership further by providing technical viticultural assistance throughout the growing cycle. Our success has been such that, despite tripling our business in the past decade, we have cut our grower base from 850 to 73 key suppliers.

It is a partnership that works because each party understands its role and the mutual benefit of the union. Without the brands, the route to market is now closed. The job of selling requires so much effort that a brand owner must be confident that quality grapes can be supplied to produce the outstanding port that the market demands .

When considering the future of our region and its regulatory framework, it would be unwise to overlook this winning formula - which is one that underpins the phenomenal success of Champagne.

Prior to establishing a global business unit, Bacardi operated on a market-by-market basis. Good things were achieved, but the company was missing significant opportunities, according to Maurice Doyle.

"So we set ourselves four objectives," he says. "The first is to, over time, become the leading premium spirits supplier in the travel retail sector. The second is to have a shop window effect in travel retail to help domestic market sales of our core brands - Bombay Sapphire, Grey Goose, Dewar's and Bacardi. The third is to hit a profit target in this stand-alone target market - which in the first two years we have. And the fourth objective, which is a real passion of mine, is to became known as the leading developer of people with talent.

"And I'm glad to say we've made good progress - our business has grown and our profile has improved, but there's room for us to do more of the same."

The travel retail sector is still relatively new to Doyle because, although he has worked at Bacardi for 16 years in a variety of sales and marketing positions, these roles were all in the domestic market.

"Travel retail is a fun sector to be in," Doyle says. "Everybody is very competitive - and rightly so. But you have more links with your competitors than in domestic. So there's good camaraderie and that's one of the things I like best about it."

Five divisions report to Doyle - global marketing and global finance are both based in London, plus sales teams in three regions: Europe Middle East/Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific.

"Year one was really about forming the teams; year two was putting it all into practice; and now year three is the year we are expected to fully deliver."

Asked what plans Bacardi has for 42 Below, the vodka brand it purchased last year, Doyle replies: "Clearly we think that within the booming vodka market there's ample potential for us to grow the brand. 42 is a very strong brand for us in New Zealand in both the domestic and travel retail markets. It's also strong in Australia travel retail. It's relatively underdeveloped in the rest of the world, but we have made some inroads in terms of widening its distribution, and that will continue. We're not going to over-extend the brand. We want to make sure it builds sales and focus on building franchises in airports.

"The brand has a fantastic 'irreverent, spirit of the moment' personality, but trying to capture that in an airport environment will be challenging. But, if we can do it, then that's a space that no other brand can fill."

With regard to Barcardi rums, Dolye believes there's still a huge potential for Bacardi Superior, despite a generally static market for white rums. He is particularly proud of how, through a number of initiatives, significant growth has been generated for the brand.

These efforts included "the biggest ever" sampling of mojito cocktails at airports. Executed in a consistently high-quality manner, the promotion started in the Americas and ran across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It was a huge campaign that successfully informed consumers that there is a world in which they can drink Bacardi beyond Bacardi and Coke.

Doyle also says he re-focused the Bacardi travel retail team to be passionate about the potential of Bacardi. "Possibly, with new things coming in like Grey Goose, we had lost sight a little bit of Bacardi. But if you look at white spirits, led by vodka, then it's a very hot category. "

He believes it is a great time to be in travel retail with passenger numbers continuing to increase and the huge investments being made by airports. "I'm optimistic for the future of travel retail, but we have to give passengers something they can engage with - something that's exciting, new and different, with theatre and education," he says, "to try and restore some of the past glamour of travelling.

"If we can do that, it will have positive implications for our brands."

The predominant flavour of gin, according to EU definitions, must be juniper. So, should the growing number of 'gins' in which juniper does not dominate, be stripped of the title?

Chris Parker

managing director

The Organic Spirits Company

Like all legislation, the new EU rules are not as clear as they first seemed. The definition of London Gin does not include the requirement that juniper is the dominant flavour, although I have no doubt it was intended the preceding definition of gin would apply. I am advised that each stands on its own. Premium and super premium gin is an exciting growth category. A few of the new entrants will succeed. Most will fail. Why? Because the consumer will have decided. Should consumers decide that they have a different balance of botanicals, then that could lead to an enhanced marketplace. My view is that drinkers will not, and that juniper-led brands will win the day.

Joanne Simcock

master distiller/head of quality

G&J Greenall

We should stay true to the tradition of gin - the problem I see is that the definition itself gives rise to interpretation as it uses the word "predominant". This is subjective as what's predominant to me can be perceived as overpowering to one person or non-existent to the next. Rather than create flavoured vodka s, we should be protecting London gin's identity and look to complement the aroma of juniper with other natural botanicals . For example, there are unlimited amounts of herbs, spices, roots and flowers to experiment with - for me this is where the real skill of the master distiller comes into force.

Desmond Payne

master distiller, Beefeater Gin

Pernod Ricard

Where's the gin police, when it pretends to be something else? Gin has the widest flavour range of all distilled spirits, but it has to be about juniper in there somewhere. The predominant flavour of gin, according to EU definitions, must be juniper. Predominance is a hard characteristic to identify. A gin that uses more juniper than any other single botanical fits the bill - even though some other flavours may be strong. At the end of the day it's all about balance.

Wine drinkers in the UK are more likely to be aware of and to have purchased Fairtrade wine compared with their Irish or US counterparts, according to research from Vinitrac , the global wine survey conducted by Wine Intelligence. Two-thirds of UK wine consumers revealed they were aware of Fairtrade wines, a higher awareness level than in Ireland (57 per cent), but in the US fewer than 25 per cent claimed to have heard it . The UK also leads the way for consumption of Fairtrade wines - nearly one in five drinkers reported buying Fairtrade in the past three months. This compares with 14 per cent in Ireland and only 5 per cent in the US. These figures reveal that although Fairtrade is lagging in the US, it is becoming mainstream in the UK.

Paul Medder

Project manager, Vinitrac , Wine Intelligence

It was an ambitious project : gather some of the world's top winemakers to discuss "the latest and future trends in the winemaking industry", and then try to reach a consensus on whether increasing quality control in wine production is the enemy of wine diversity.

The simple answer is yes . As winemakers trot the globe to

learn techniques and share technological improvements with each other, a trend to homogeneity in wine styles is a real likelihood. But that's not to say two days of discussion on the topic wasn't a good idea.

The WineCreators debate took place in April, high up in the mountain town of Ronda in southern Spain. The event was conceived by Spain's foremost wine writer, José Peñin, and funded by the nearby commercial vineyard and property development La Melonera (see lamelonera.com) - itself backed by local government, financial institutions and other parties.

La Melonera's establishment was led by José Luis Pérez Verdú - pioneer of the Priorat DO in Spain's north east. The plan is for each vintage to be overseen and crafted by one of three different renowned oenologists, as selected by a panel of 20 eminent wine critics from around the world. The process of selection of the chosen three involved whittling down a long list of the top "wine creators" to 12, and then to three. This meeting of minds led to the idea of a WineCreators debate.

The April discussions were divided into six sessions across two days, each addressing a different but related topic, including "Is a sense of place a decisive feature in a good wine?" ; "Should an importer influence wine's design?"; and "Can vineyard management contribute to greater personality in wine?"

In each case, two or three of the critics sat on one side of the stage with two or three of the 12 shortlisted "wine creators", separated by a moderator in the urbane form of Victor de la Serna, wine critic and El Mundo journalist.

The goal was to exchange opinions and form a conclusion at the end of each session. Many topics were addressed: "For great wine, the winemaker becomes far less important," said Portugal's Dirk van Niepoort in the first session. "His function is to do less rather than more ."

Van Niepoort had alighted on a point that became very clear very quickly - this was a fine wine debate. This raises a question:

what is the point, for the average consumer - and there were paying members of the public present - in hearing a lot of high-level chat about a few high-level wines?

But it is relevant. These people set the pace for winemaking standards. Technology and innovation will eventually trickle down to the mass production end of the business - just look at the widespread use of temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, which was unknown to many 30 or 40 years ago.

In general, the discussions were a philosophical assessment of the role of the winemaker in producing wines that reflect where they are grown. But there was a problem in the way everyone on stage was determined to air their opinions, often regardless of the official agenda. At the same time, those present were very interested in hearing what everyone else had to say . So it was all too easy for the conversation, though absorbing, to veer away from the main point.

That said, the conversation was broad and lively: irrigation and biodynamics; the influence of wine critics; the global market for fine wine and emerging markets; the branding of wine, and of winemakers; the greater choice available to modern consumers ;

and the role of tradition and how

it differs for each generation.

On that last topic, the event's honorary president - renowned wine writer Jancis Robinson MW - said that anything modern is now being viewed as a bad thing, given global warming and the general trend towards environmentally friendly farming. "Fifty years ago," she said, "it was good to be modern. Quantity was important and the agrochemical industry came to everyone's aid. What we're doing now is rejecting that post-war modernism. You don't hear people saying, 'I'm doing what father did'; rather it's what grandfather did."

In her closing address on the second day, Robinson said: "I have been impressed with how meaty it has been. Real issues have been discussed. I hope the great value of it has been to stop, listen, think and exchange ideas." There was plenty of scope, she said, for a second event.

At the next such event, added Robinson, there should be more representation from the "middle segment" - agents, importers, distributors, merchants - and a harder examination of the wine critics themselves - "parasites on the wine business and the business of making wine".

In the meantime, La Melonera will see whether three of the world's greatest winemakers can coax a Mediterranean "sense of place" from the wines produced in its vineyards. The rest of us will ponder whether winemakers should be exerting their individual influence at all...

Brand owner Edrington

Produced in Scotland

Size 70cl (UK), 75cl (US)

Price UK £899 , duty -free £695, E1,200, US$1,800

Abv 48.3

Markets Worldwide

Contact laurent.cosson@maxxium.com



Highland Park, the Scotch whisky distiller based on the Orkney Islands, has released a flagship expression.

Highland Park 40 Year Old has been matured predominately in refill casks. It is described by whisky maker, Max McFarlane, as having sweet toffee notes, dark chocolate, sun -dried orange zest and aromatic heather peat smokiness.

Maxxium Global Travel Retail used the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition in Singapore last month to launch the whisky in to the duty -free and travel -retail sectors. Edrington, which owns Highland Park, says it will release approximately 1,000 bottles of the 40 Year Old for the foreseeable future.

It comes in a heavy, bell-shaped glass decanter, embossed with the brand's pewter "H ", in a dark oak wooden box with a leather-bound booklet.

Brand owner Lucas Bols

Brand owner Pernod Ricard

Produced in France

Size 70cl

Price E20.50

A bv 45

Markets Travel retail, exclusive to Aelia, predominately France

Contact shuhui.lim@wbdf.com



Pernod Ricard has introduced a limited -edition bottle for its traditional Ricard brand, exclusively for Aelia travel -retail shops.

The gold bottle is based on the formula: H²O+ Ricard = Or, as in gold in French.

It was created by Parisien design agency Wolkoff & Arnaudin, which is known for working with perfume houses such as Christian Dior and Givenchy. The inspiration was Ricard's essential ingredient: gold-coloured anis star oil . Also, w hen water is added, the amber spirit turns gold.

Brand owner ZGM

Produced in Chile

Size 75cl

Price £6.99, E4.99, US$8.99

Abv 14

Markets UK

Contact lisa.drennan@ zgm.de



ZGM, the German-based international wine producer, has introduced a new Chilean brand, initially to the UK market.

The wine for Viña Zamporia is sourced from the Coquimbo region, one of the most northerly in Chile. There are three varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Carmenère and Shiraz. The company says that this, its latest launch, is part of a £4.8 million investment.

The Sauvignon Blanc is said to give classic, crisp, gooseberry flavours, while the Carmenère has juicy, black fruit and spices and the Shiraz displays black olives and herbs.

Brand owner Protégé International

Produced in Germany , USA

Size 33cl

Price E1.65 , E4.80 (on trade)

Abv 4.5

Markets Worldwide

Contact info@protege-international.com



Protégé International has a new look for its Route 66. It was unveiled at TFWA Asia Pacific in Singapore last month.

Route 66 has resonances beyond the highway from Chicago, Illinois, and the industrial east to Los Angeles and the rest of California.

A rock guitarist is featured on the new label echoing: (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 , the rhythm and blues ballad first recorded by Nat King Cole that was made famous by The Rolling Stones and has been covered by many since then, including Depeche Mode.

Route 66 is a light Pilsner-style lager that is available in selected markets including the UK on-trade and Ireland, where it is stocked by 57 branches of Tesco supermarket.

Brand owner Company of Wine People

Produced in South Africa

Size 25cl, 75cl, 1.5l, 3l

Price £6.99 , E6.99 , US$9.99 (75 cl bottles); £1.99 (25cl pouch), £9.99, E9.89, US$14.99 (1.5-litre pouch)

Abv 13.5

Markets Worldwide

Contact barney@thecompanyofwine

people.co.za

The Company of Wine People has introduced range extensions to its Arniston Bay South African wine brand packaged in both in bottles and pouches.

There is now a Reserve range featuring a barrel -fermented Chenin Blanc, barrel -fermented Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, Pinotage and Cabernet Sauvignon. These are available in screwcap bottles only.

Arniston Bay is already produced in a 1.5 -litre pouch and now will be available in 25 cl and 3-litre sizes.

Brand owner Demerara Distillers

Produced in Guyana

Size 70 -75cl

Price £15.99-£268.99

Abv 40-43

Markets UK

Contact inspiritbrands.com



The entire range of El Dorado Guyanan Demerara rums are now available in the UK through Inspirit Brands.

The range goes from a 3 and 5 Year Old at £15.99 and £17.99 to 12, 15 and 21, to a 25 Year Old at £268.99.

The rums are said to come from the Diamond Distillery on the east side of the county of Demerara. Demerara Distillers is said to have started in 1670 when local sugar cane producers came together. It claims to operate the only remaining wooden Coffey still in the world. A ll El Dorado rums are made from local sugar cane and aged in small oak casks before blending.

The 25 Year Old comes in a sculpted glass bottle.

Brand owner Domaine Pinnacle

Produced in Canada

Size 37.5cl

Price E40 , US$60, £32

Abv 12

Markets Worldwide

Contact charles@domainepinnacle.com



Domaine Pinnacle introduced what is believed to be the world's first sparking ice apple wine at the TFWA Asia Pacific show in Singapore last month .

Made from a blend of six types of apple picked after the first frost, approximately 80 apples are used to produce each 37.5cl bottle. Production is just 30,000 cases.

Available in travel retail, exclusively through Camus, it is described as having a complex, intense, sweet apple flavour with balancing acidity.

The existing Summit Selection range is already widely available in travel retail markets.

Brand owner Ch âteau du Tariquet

Produced in France

Size 75cl

Price £60-£70, E55, US$90-$110

Abv 40

Markets Worldwide

Contact france.domaines@btconnect.com



Château du Tariquet, known for its Côtes de Gascogne wines and Bas-Armagnacs unveiled a XO Bas-Armagnac blend at the London International Wine Fair last month .

Made from a blend of 60 per cent Ugni-Blanc and Baco grape varieties, this Bas-Armagnac has been aged in oak in the Tariquet cellars with the youngest brandies in the blend being 15 years old.

Presented in a modern glass carafe, Chance XO is described as an easy drinking Armagnac with an intense bouquet of freshly baked bread, toast and underlying candied fruit. On the palate it is said to be fresh, supple and well-rounded, revealing a union of vanilla, oak and fruit.

Brand owner J Wray & Nephew

Produced in Jamaica

Size 75cl

Price US$250, E450, £125

Abv 45

Markets Selected worldwide

and travel retail

Contact catherine.macdonald@wrayandnephew.com



J Wray & Nephew's limited -edition Appleton 30 Year Old is being introduced into the Caribbean, US, Canada, Latin America, New Zealand and selected European countries including the UK.

Approximately 1,440 bottles will be released, hence the high asking price of US$250.

The rums that have been aged for 30 years have been hand crafted by the company's master blender, Joy Spence .

The bottles each have a cork stopper and hand -numbered certificate of authenticity.

Brand owner Overgaauw

Brand owner The Organic Spirits Company

Produced in Paraguay

Size 70cl

Price £14.45 , E16 , US$28

Abv 37.5

Markets Worldwide

Contact Chris Parker +44 (0)1483 894650 ; office@londonandscottish.co.uk

The Organic Spirits Company claims Papagayo is the first organic fairtrade golden rum. It is to be a single -estate rum, distilled from organically grown sugar cane harvested on a farming project in a remote region of Paraguay.

The project was launched in1993 to help around 1,000 poorly paid sugar cane farmers who now receive better prices for their cane. They also receive aid in terms of production, harvesting and transportation, as well as funds from the International Trade Fair Association

The sugar cane is crushed and the syrup extracted for fermentation. Thirty -six hours later, the syrup reaches the desired purity levels and is distilled in traditional stills. The rum is filtered and placed in special ageing barrels.

Brand owner Campeny Distilleries

Produced in Spain

Size 1 l

Price E10.50 -E11.50

Abv 30

Markets Europe

Contact sclavell@melody.es



The mojito is arguably the cool cocktail of the moment, so Barcelona-based Campeny Distilleries has launched Mojito Mamasita, a ready made version to which the bartender just has to add soda and garnish.

Mojito Mamasita's version of the classic Cuban cocktail is made from rum imported from the Caribbean, blended with lime fruit pulp, sugar and mint.

The brand is aimed at both bartenders and consumers - the former may not have time to assemble the cocktail and the latter may not have all the ingredients.

"Fast, easy and delicious," says the company.

Brand owner Champagne Gosset

Produced in France

Size 75cl

Price £120 , E125 , US$190

Abv 12

Markets Worldwide

Contact export@champagne-gosset.com



Champagne Gosset has unveiled its latest prestige cuvee: Celebris Rosé 2003 Extra Brut. This 68 per cent Chardonnay and 32 per cent Pinot Noir Grand Cru (including 7 per cent wines from Ambonnay and Bouzy) has a low dosage - just 5 g per litre - in line with the other two recent Celebris launches, the Blanc de Blancs and the Celebris Vintage 1998. As with all Gosset Champagnes, there is no malolactic fermentation.

The owner of U'Luvka vodka has urged duty-free retailers to make their spirit assortments and in-store merchandising more welcoming to women.

"The drinks industry is run by men for men," said Mark Holmes, managing director and founder of London-based The Brand Distillery.

l Bacardi Global Travel Retail has named Jason Druckenmiller (below) as its second roving brand ambassador on selected Celebrity Cruise voyages. He will present mixology seminars and staff training on key Bacardi brands. He will also host samplings for onboard duty-free shops.

l King Power International has listed Patrón tequila at 13 of its largest duty-free stores across Thailand. The brand is now available in more than 60 airports worldwide.

German travel retailer Gebr Heinemann teamed up with Diageo last month to run a Luxury Lounge promotion at Frankfurt airport that focused on the British company's premium reserve brands.

The highlight of the two-month long promotion, which ran at Heinemann's Schengen B Travel Value & Duty Free shop, was Diageo's new ultra-premium Johnnie Walker Blue Label King George V whisky, housed in a lacquer presentation case.

DFS at Singapore Changi airport is the only other outlet with the Blue Label product.

Other brands showcased were Cîroc vodka, Tanqueray No Ten gin, Talisker single malt and Bushmill's Irish whiskey.

Every customer who purchased a promoted product, received a gift , a glass from Scandinavian glassware brand Iittala.

Diageo Global Travel & Middle East trade marketing manager Constanze Vogel said: "The Luxury Lounge provided the perfect platform for our reserve brands. This exclusive reflects the value of the brands that we represent."

The European Travel Retail Council (ETRC) has welcomed last month's decision by the US Transport Security Administration to allow air passengers departing the US for international destinations to use security tamper-evident bags (STEBs) for carrying duty-free liquids.

The move aims to bring US aviation security measures closer to those of the EU and the council believes using the bags on US departing flights should substantially reduce confiscations when passengers transfer at European airports.

However, it could take months for the EU to formally approve the US decision, so it remains unclear whether the use of STEBs will have any immediate effect.

The ETRC plans to lobby the European Commission to quicken the process of security recognition between the EU and the US.

"I am delighted with this move by the TSA," said ETRC chairman Frank O'Connell. "We have been working hard with our colleagues in the US to achieve this for some time.

"Our immediate problem now is to attain recognition of this move by the EU as quickly as possible, and ensure business as normal for EU-bound passengers by the summer."

Mongolian drinks group APU plans to use duty-free as a key part of a strategy to introduce its two vodka brands to international markets. For the first time, the privately-owned company, which posted a turnover of US$50m in 2007, exhibited at the TFWA Asia-Pacific show last month .

APU's only notable export market to date is South Korea. Key product launches for the show included Bolor, a well-established vodka brand available in Mongolia since 1981, and Soyombo, a new super-premium vodka that was launched last November.

According to APU, Soyombo is already the leading super-premium vodka in Mongolia. Featuring a modern black tinted bottle with silver and black graphics and a matching embossed gift box, the packaging of Soyombo is described as "masculine, minimalist". It is priced in duty-free at US$20.

Explaining APU's plans for duty-free, export manager Dambinyam Bolortsetgeg said: "Our strategy is based on two main factors: the first being the rapid sales growth of white spirits and vodka in the world with the trendy culture to drink cocktails.

"Secondly, Mongolia is getting significantly popular as a new travel destination among tourists.

"People are interested not only in our unique culture and untouched nature, but in ecologically clean products made here in Mongolia too."

Established in 1942, APU is Mongolia's largest manufacturer of alcoholic drinks, producing 4 million litres of spirits and 18 million litres of beer last year .

Absolut Vodka, the flagship brand of V&S Absolut Spirits, revealed its latest promotional plan for 2008 at the TFWA show last month.

Absolut Masqu erade is a gift packaging concept that encases the vodka bottle in a zip-up red sequinned "dress".

The "in an Absolut world every night is a masquerade" campaign will be launched in travel retail outlets worldwide towards the end of the year.

Lotte Duty Free, the newly installed spirits and wine concessionaire at Seoul's Incheon airport, has unveiled ambitious new store concepts .

The retailer began its five-year contract at the South Korean airport in March and it is refurbishing most of the 12 stores under its control, including three anchor stores, one of which is located in a new 30-gate terminal.

Lotte Duty Free has decided to target high-spending passengers and is to introduce several ultra-premium lines, such as Johnnie Walker King George V, Ballantine's 30 Year Old, Rémy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl, and The Macallan Lalique. They will be on sale at a new Premium Shop focusing on ultra-premium lines.

Other store concepts planned to go live later this year include Asian Dream - a shop-in-shop focusing on sojus from Korea, Chinese spirits, as well as Japanese sakis - and a 100sq m wine shop showcasing premium Bordeaux wines and vintage Champagnes.

Seoul Incheon is widely considered to be one of Asia-Pacific's most important duty-free liquor locations, especially for Scotch whisky.

Liquor sales exceeded $80m last year, accounting for almost 10 per cent of the airport's duty-free turnover.

l 3rd International Shiraz Alliance

June 20-22

Barossa, Australia

shirazalliance.com

l New York Bar Show

June 22-23

Jacob Javits Convention Centre,

newyorkbarshow.com

l Hong Kong International Wine Expo

August 14-16

Hong Kong Convention Centre

hkwineexpo.com

l World Sauvignon Congress

August 26-29

Graz, Austria

worldsauvignon.com

l Brussels Beer Weekend

September 5-7

Brussels, Grand'Place

weekenddelabiere.be

l Oktoberfest

September 20-October 5

Munich, The Wiesn

oktoberfest.de

l Wine & Spirits Australia

September 22-25

Melbourne, Australia

wineandspirits.com.au

l Cape Wine

September 23-25

Cape Town Convention Centre

wosa.co.za

l IBA Congress & World Cocktail

October 5-10

Puerto Rico

iba-world.com/english/congress

l TFWA World Exhibition

October 27-31

Cannes

tfwa.com

l The Pub Show

October 28-29

Sydney , Australia

pubshow.com.au

Independent family distillers William Grant & Sons has announced Peter Gordon as the new non-executive chairman. Gordon, who is the great-great-grandson of the founder William Grant, joined the company in 1986 and the board in 2003. Charles Gordon, the previous chairman, takes up a newly created role of life president.

Rob Snel president of Grolsch International has been made managing director of Royal Grolsch, replacing chief executive Ab Pasman who left in May. SABMiller has also announced that Maria Ramos and Rob Pieterse are joining the board as independent non-executive directors.

Tony Truzzolino, a 25-year veteran of the drinks industry, has joined US sales and distribution company Future Brands as vice president sales - east region. He joins from Beam Global Spirits & Wine where he was vice president, commercial development.

The Wingara Wine Group, parent company of Australian wines, Deakin Estate and Katnook, has appointed Diego Jimenez as its new CEO. Jimenez is a member of the Ferrer family which owns Spain's Freixenet group, which is Wingara's majority shareholder.

Maxxium Global Travel Retail has appointed Mariska Van Beukering as marketing manager for southern Europe and the Middle East.

Mark Avellano has joined Cobra Beer as international sales manager after 13 years with Wells & Young's. He replaces Iqbal Ahmed who leaves to "pursue other business interests" after 11 years with Cobra.

Ian Smart has replaced Andrew Folson as business development manager for Protégé International. He will be the principal point of contact for the team of international consultants operating in key markets in the Middle East and Asia. He will also have responsibility for sales promotion and distribution in Europe and Africa.

CL World Brands has appointed Brian Woods and Andy Calder as joint managing directors of Paragon Vintners following Anthony Dee's resignation by "mutual agreement".

James Cluer has become the first new Master of Wine of 2008, and the third Canadian MW. James, 38, owns Fine Vintage in Vancouver, and acts as a consultant to clients including the BC Government, Fairmont Hotels and Qatar Airways.

James O'Malley is to fill the newly-created role of director of corporate affairs for Brown-Forman. He joins from the American Institute of Certified Accountants in Washington (public affairs).

Nick James has become managing director of Pol Roger following Bill Gunn's retirement.

== What has been your greatest achievement? ==

l SAB Miller, the South African-based international brewer, has bought 99.84 per cent of Ukranian brewer CJSC Sarmat from System Capital Management, a holding company, subject to competition law. The price has not been disclosed but the gross asset values are estimated at US$130 million.Sarmet is one of the largest brewers in the Ukraine, operating one brewery in Donetsk with an annual production capacity of

2.9 million hectolitres.

l Fortune Brands has filed a lawsuit in the US to prevent Vin & Sprit (V&S) from transferring its 10 per cent stake in Beam Global to the Swedish government. V&S, producer of Absolut vodka, has to dispose of its stake after being bought by Pernod Ricard for €5.6 billion.

l Heineken is to invest US$9.9 million to acquire a 51 per cent share in Rechitsa brewery. It consolidates Heineken's number two position in the growing Belarus beer sector, giving it a 24 per cent market share.

l Vinexpo Asia Pacific has broken all previous records in terms of visitors and exhibitors, according Vinexpo chief executive Robert Beynat.

The three-day expo forecasts a final visitor figure of over 8,500 - an increase of almost 24 per cent on the previous exhibition in 2006.

l The Famous Grouse has entered into a partnership with the RSPB to help save one of the UK's rarest birds from extinction, the black grouse. It will donate money for conservation work from the sales of its new whisky, The Black Grouse. For every bottle sold a donation of 50p will go to fund conservation work that is urgently required in Scotland, England and Wales.

Former French international football player David Ginola shared success with more than 3,500 medal winners in this year's International Wine Challenge, dubbed the "best ever" by organisers William Reed (owners of Drinks International).

Winners from the 2008 IWC were announced at last month's London International Wine Fair. There were 14 per cent more medal winners than at last year's Challenge, including 267 gold.

Among the 1,257 silver medal winners was David Ginola, formerly of Paris St Germain, Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur, and now promoting wines from his native Provence and specifically his Coste Brulade rosé

Ginola said: "It was a big surprise but I'm very happy. I was always confident about it."

Another of the silver medals went to the Robert Mondavi winery, for its Carbernet Sauvignon Reserve 2003 - a fitting tribute following the recent death of the 94-year-old "father of Napa".

Wine writer Tim Atkin MW said 2008 was the best IWC yet. "It was a good year for France and also New Zealand. Maybe this will be seen as a good year for cool climates."

France, the world's largest producer, scooped the most medals with 696. But several New World countries picked up ground, with Australia, New Zealand and Argentina all increasing their gold medal tallies from last year. Australia finished second in the gold medal table, as it did in 2007.

For a full list of the award-winning wines go to: [http://www.internationalwinechallenge.com].

Export sales of Scotch whisky topped £2.8 billion last year, setting a record high for the industry.

Exports increased 14 per cent compared to 2006, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) announced. Several distilleries, both large and small, are now investing in facilities to take advantage of growing markets such as China and India.

Scotch whisky exports earned £90 every second for the UK last year, according to the SWA. Export volume also grew 8 per cent to an historic high, with the equivalent of 1.135 billion bottles shipped overseas, added the SWA, using figures released by the UK Revenue & Customs.

Bottled blended Scotch whisky exports broke the £2 billion barrier for the first time, with shipment value up 15 per cent, to £2.22 billion. Bottled malt exports rose by 11 per cent in value, to £454 million.

SWA chairman and Diageo chief executive Paul Walsh said: "This is all the more impressive given the economic difficulties encountered in certain markets during the second half of 2007, and demonstrates that Scotch whisky's international appeal can mitigate against individual market or regional fluctuations.

Exports to most regions increased over the year, with shipments to Central and South America (+4 per cent in value), Asia (+4.5), North America (+5.5) and the European Union (+27) all growing. Tariff reform in the middle of 2007 gave exports to India a boost, up 36 per cent in value to £33 million. South Africa's rise into the industry's top 10 markets continued, with exports up 9 per cent in value, to £91 million).

Figures may reflect the final destination of consignments. They are based on individual company declarations of the export value and volume of shipments to each market, so the figures do not represent sales/consumption of Scotch whisky in those markets.

German city Mainz is set to join the likes of Bordeaux and Cape Town as one of the world's Great Wine Capitals.

Mainz, located on the Rhine and at the heart of Germany's vineyards, has been accepted by the Great Wine Capital (GWC) network following a visit by officials in April.

GWC includes the cities Bordeaux, Cape Town, Florence, Mendoza, Mel-bourne, Oporto, Bilbao-Rioja and San Francisco-Napa Valley, and encourages and promotes wine tourism, education and business exchanges.

Mainz lord major Jens Beutel said: "Mainz is the capital of the German state Rheinland-Pfalz, the most famous wine region in Germany. It is home to the German Wine Institute, the German Wine Fund and the Verband Deutscher Prädikats-und Qualitätsweingüter Wine Bourse, which brings together the top winemakers of Germany with the wine merchants of the world."

He added that six out of Germany's 13 quality wine regions (Rheinhessen, Pfalz, Mosel, Nahe, Mittelrhein and Ahr) are located near Mainz. The region is also the only one in Germany to have appointed a wine minister.

Mainz will now be eligible for 2009 Best Of Wine Tourism awards, which for 2008 saw more than 320 properties from five continents competing for the titles. This year's ceremony will be held in Cape Town in November.

Trinidad-based rum group Angostura is launching a Facebook-style website aimed at providing an online community for bartenders and mixologists around the world.

The site, myspeedrail.com, went live on May 13 in its initial "beta release" phase.

For two or three months before a full launch, a select group of up to 200 top bartenders will have access to the site to assess how it works and advise the company on what to change.

"The fundamental structure of the site is there but with minimal content," said Brian McKay, director of business creation at Fusework Studios, the Indianapolis web marketing company employed by Angostura to develop and manage the site. "Angostura aromatic bitters' core customers are bartenders, not consumers. We want to interest the target audience and allow them to start playing with the site."

Myspeedrail.com will be driven by user-generated content. Other features will include a Google Map function whereby any member can enter the details of their bar and fellow users can find its exact location.

The site will be sponsored, with the Angostura aromatic bitters logo visible along with links to related news websites, but Angostura's commercial involvement will be strictly limited.

"We want to listen and respond to bartenders," said McKay, "so that we can know what's happening next and they can get what they want sooner. It's not about marketing, and we don't want to lead the discussions. Content will change constantly."

Spain's Jerez region needs to grub up vines to balance supply and demand, according to Sherry council director general Cesar Saldana.

Speaking to Drinks International at the London International Wine Fair last month, he said Jerez could lose up to a quarter of its vineyards under EU wine market reforms, which are set to begin in August.

But rather than oppose a grubbing up scheme, he said that declines in Sherry's mature markets, such as Holland and Germany, meant it was necessary to return

balance to supply and demand.

But it remains unclear where the axe may fall hardest. Saldana said: "For the bodegas, it will depend on their supply needs. Independents may look to see what else they can cultivate profitably."

All major New World wine countries have begun talks on pulling out of the Vinexpo trade show, in favour of rival wine fairs around the world.

The talks, which Drinks International understands are at a "very embryonic" stage, involve generic wine trade bodies for all big New World countries, including the likes of Australia, California, Chile, South Africa and New Zealand.

A collective walkout from those countries could signal the death knell for Vinexpo's reputation as the world's most important wine trade fair.

Michael Cox, UK director for Wines of Chile, told Drinks International: "Everyone wants to look at opportunities and see how they can be maximised. It's no secret that Vinexpo works very well for some and less well for others."

A perceived bias towards the Old World countries at Vinexpo, which is held biannually in Bordeaux and more recently in Hong Kong in alternate years, is understood to have triggered the talks.

Complaints about Vinexpo have erupted before. But the growth of rival shows, such as Germany's Prowein and the London International Wine Fair, may offer New World countries creditable alternatives that are closer to their target markets.

Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton and Mika Häkkinen have signed up to Diageo's Johnnie Walker responsible drinking campaign. Before last month's Monaco Grand Prix, which Hamilton won, the two were on hand to publicise the programme, which will be launched formally across Europe later this year. The Finn and twice Formula One world champion launched the campaign in Asia in April. Additional events were held in Brazil in the build-up to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and in Canada prior to Montreal. As part of the announcement, the young Englishman and Häkkinen unveiled a prototype of The Pact Simulator as the latest tool in the Diageo Scotch whisky brand's programme to promote responsible drinking. The futuristic pod gives consumers a demonstration, in a controlled virtual environment, of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Leading international drinks firms have welcomed a global resolution to reduce alcohol abuse, agreed by members of the assembly of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

All 193 WHO members signed up to a resolution to reduce alcohol-related harm at the World Health Assembly in Geneva last month (see Drinks International, May).

Alcohol is linked to 1.8 million deaths worldwide every year, and is believed to be the root of more than a fifth of liver disease, road accidents, oesophageal cancer and homicides, according to WHO.

It will now spend the next two years developing a global alcohol strategy.

Major drinks industry players welcomed the new resolution as "balanced" and "constructive". A coalition of 16 companies, named the Global Alcohol Producers Group, has been in discussions with the WHO for the past three years.

Chris Swonger, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Beam Global, said: "Although alcohol is enjoyed responsibly and in moderation most of the time by most consumers who choose to drink, a minority of individuals misuse alcohol products."

Tax on alcohol remains a potential flashpoint between drinks firms and health bodies, however.

The WHO is believed to favour tax rises as a way of curbing excess drinking. But drinks firms this week cautioned against "a singular focus on high taxes and restrictions on availability being seen as a panacea that will solve harmful drinking".

Leading international drinks firms have welcomed a global resolution to reduce alcohol abuse, agreed by members of the assembly of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

All 193 WHO members signed up to a resolution to reduce alcohol-related harm at the World Health Assembly in Geneva last month (see Drinks International, May).

Alcohol is linked to 1.8 million deaths worldwide every year, and is believed to be the root of more than a fifth of liver disease, road accidents, oesophageal cancer and homicides, according to WHO.

It will now spend the next two years developing a global alcohol strategy.

Major drinks industry players welcomed the new resolution as "balanced" and "constructive". A coalition of 16 companies, named the Global Alcohol Producers Group, has been in discussions with the WHO for the past three years.

Chris Swonger, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Beam Global, said: "Although alcohol is enjoyed responsibly and in moderation most of the time by most consumers who choose to drink, a minority of individuals misuse alcohol products."

Tax on alcohol remains a potential flashpoint between drinks firms and health bodies, however.

The WHO is believed to favour tax rises as a way of curbing excess drinking. But drinks firms this week cautioned against "a singular focus on high taxes and restrictions on availability being seen as a panacea that will solve harmful drinking".

At the time of going to press, rumours were rife among stock market analysts that InBev, the world's largest brewer, is contemplating a bid for Anheuser Busch, owner of Budweiser and the biggest US brewer, with more than 40 per cent of that market.

Earlier rumours that the two brewers were in discussion over a possible merger have been superceded by speculation of an outright US$46 billion takeover bid.

InBev is itself a merger of the Belgian brewer InterBrew - owner of Stella Artois, Beck's, Hoegaarden and Leffe - with the Brazilian brewer AmBev, owners of the Brahma brand.

Many consider a tie-up as the ultimate piece of beer industry consolidation - bringing together a company that is dominant in Europe and South America but fairly non-existent in the US with America's foremost brewer.

A-B also owns a significant share of the leading Mexican beer brand Corona, the number two premium export beer after Heineken, and more than 20 per cent of leading Chinese brewer Tsingtao.

Earlier this year, Carlsberg and Heineken formed a consortium to buy and carve up UK brewer Scottish & Newcastle for almost £8 billion, while SABMiller and Molson Coors have agreed to merge their US operations.

Diageo, the world's largest drinks company, has bought Constellation Spirits' Quebec distillery and bottling plant.

Diageo said it had agreed to buy the Schenley distillery and bottling operation in Valleyfield, Quebec as part of a deal expected to be sealed this month.

The Constellation Spirits division had been looking to offload the distillery following its decision to consolidate Canadian production at its Lethbridge facility in Alberta.

Schenley has been a long-term supplier to Diageo of both distillate and packaging services. As part of the agreement, Diageo will retain the employees.

"The Schenley distillery has been an integral part of our supply chain, providing high quality distillation and bottling services for a variety of Diageo brands," said John Council, president of Diageo Americas Supply.

"After reviewing a number of options, we have determined that the possibility to purchase this facility was a great opportunity and the best way forward to support the continuing growth of our brands.

"The facility has dedicated and skilled employees, a welcoming community and business environment and we look forward to being present and operating there."

Private equity group Lion Capital has announced that it has bought a majority stake in the Russian Alcohol Group, owners of the leading vodka brand Green Mark.

The Central European Distribution Corporation , one of the world's largest vodka producers and a big player in Poland and Russia, has also invested in Russian Alcohol.

Russian Alcohol claims to be the largest producer of vodka and ready-to-drink (RTDs) in Russia. Created by Industry Investors in 2003, its flagship Green Mark brand claims to be largest vodka brand by volume in Russia and one of the top five globally.

CEDC president William Carey said he was "extremely excited" by the deal, and hinted that his firm may seek to buy Russian Alcohol in full.

"Should we realise full ownership of the Russian Alcohol business, we expect that there will be significant synergies across our business in Russia, which we believe should create an enviable portfolio and market position," he said.

Russian Alcohol also makes premium vodka Zhuravli, and boasts one of the largest portfolios of long drinks in the country. It is based in Moscow and employs 3,500 people across five production facilities. In its current financial year, the group expects to generate more than US$500 million in sales.

May was another hectic month of exhibitions and events with exhibitors hastily packing up stands at one to race across the globe to another. While exhibitions are losing their appeal in some industry sectors, drinks shows - where buyers have the unique opportunity to meet winemakers from across the world and discover and

taste as many varieties as their palates can endure -

seem to be flourishing.

Positive reports have come from the TFWA show in Singapore and also the London International Wine Fair. The LIWF, together with the new spirits show Distil this year, attracted a record number of visitors - just short of 16,000, of which over a quarter were from overseas. Previous numbers have never capped 14,000.

The inaugural Distil show proved successful. The hall was positively buzzing with activity, especially when the bartenders flooded in to participate in the tutored category tastings and cocktail competitions. This was the first show of its kind dedicated to spirits. Guests could visit not only key brand owner stands, such as Diageo, but also generic stands representing a specific region or category of drink - for example, tequila, pisco, rum or Armagnac - to sample a range of brands from a number of different producers. And there was no shortage of new products to discover. This show definitely has something worth building upon for the future.

Other events taking place this past month included: the Angostura Cocktail Challenge in Trinidad (see p49); the International Wine Challenge (p6); the Drinks International Gin Challenge (p28); and the Drinks International Cocktail Challenge finals, which took place at Distil - the results can be found at drinksint.com and will be featured in full in next month's issue.