Tuborg Gold is about to return to the giant US market after an
absence of nearly 10 years following an agreement between brand
owner Carlsberg and US distributor Bowmont.
Good weather in most of September has balanced the poor summer
period and left Bordeaux wine producers optimistic that the 2002
vintage will produce wines of good quality.
New legislation in Spain designed to restrict alcohol advertising
in a bid to reduce consumption levels will take account of the fact
that beer and wine both have a lower strength than spirits,
according to the country's food...
US fruit juice business Jamba Juice has launched a new smoothie
containing blueberries, raspberries and strawberries - a mix the
company claims offers a range of health benefits.
Dutch brewer Heineken is already profiting from its recent
strategic alliance with Costa Rican brewer FIFCO. The two companies
have joined forces with soft drink bottler Panamco to buy Baru, one
of the leading brewers in Panama.
Interbrew's Czech brewery Prazske Pivovary has completed the first
stage of its financial restructuring designed to help increase its
share capital and provide cash for future developments.
The US Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) has named
Accelerade, made by PacificHealth Laboratories, its official sports
drink. As part of the new partnership, PacificHealth will also
develop a nutrition education programme...
Pepsi Bottling Group, the largest maker of Pepsi-Cola drinks, said
on Tuesday its third-quarter profit rose, meeting expectations, as
strong results in Russia helped offset lower-than-expected volume
in the United States and Spain.
Amorim Cork America, a division of international Amorim Group, the
world's leading producer of natural cork closures, has released
results from a survey conducted among US winemakers and vintners
which reveals a marked preference...
A lacklustre stock market performance compared to many of its
rivals belied a good first half performance from Wolverhampton
& Dudley, Britain's biggest regional brewer.
Britain's oldest brewer, Kent-based Shepherd Neame, has benefited
from strong demand for its Spitfire brand and an excellent
performance from its managed pubs to post its 27th annual increase
in profits.
Rioja wine exports grew by 8.5 per cent in the first eight months
of the year as a result of increasing demand in core markets such
as the UK and Germany. But the average price per litre continued to
fall, showing that Rioja's...
Now fully focused on wine and spirits, France's Pernod Ricard group
has announced a strong rise in first half sales and profits, thanks
to good organic growth from brands such as Jacob's Creek, and to
the addition of the...
Nestle Water's acquisition of a stake in the Saphir home and office
delivery water business in France gives it nationwide coverage and
will facilitate the roll out of its Aquarel brand.
Allied Domecq has announced the latest phase of its Move to Market
business plan with the appointment of a number of key managers to
three new business units within its spirits unit.
Beverage producers, wholesalers and retailers should join forces
with their respective industry associations to present a united
front on the issues of responsible drinking and taxation, says Paul
Clinton, head of Diageo's US...
Glenmorangie tightens its pan-European distribution by transferring
sales in key markets from Moet-Hennessy to Bacardi-Martini, thereby
reinforcing its exisitng relationship with Brown-Forman as well.
Despite the concern that it can cause TCA - the mouldy smell
attributed to bad wine - natural cork is the preferred closure for
most US winemakers, according to a survey carried out on behalf of
the Amorim cork group.
The addition of the Pommery brand, acquired from LVMH in April,
will help Vranken Monopole lift its sales and profits this year,
although the company is expecting an improvement even without the
new brand.
Having closed its Irish Glass Bottle Company with the loss of 375
jobs earlier this year, Ardagh has reported an operating profit
from its continuing operations of €14.6 million in the first half.
The surging interest in farm wineries led to a doubling in the
population of bonded wineries across the United States in the past
decade and has now reached 2,700, according to a survey by the
American Vintners Association (AVA),...
The Catalan authorities claim that Spanish winery and cava producer
Miguel Torres is continuing to make wine from grapes grown on
illegally-planted vineyards - a claim denied by the producer.
ZonePerfect Nutrition Company is launching five new nutrition bar
flavours at the Natural Products Expo East show taking place this
weekend in Washington. The company says the new flavours are in
response to high demand for its products.
Ball Corporation will release its third quarter 2002 earnings on
Thursday 24 October before trading begins on the New York Stock
Exchange. At 9am US Mountain Time, Ball will hold its regular
quarterly conference call on the company's...
Launching its advertising campaign online means that Spain's
Bodegas Gandia can reach a far wider audience at a fraction of the
cost, a vital necessity for a company which prides itself on its
relationship with consumers worldwide.
The board of the National Stock Exchange of Lithuania (NSEL) has
decided to remove shares in Grafobal Vilnius, the paper and
paperboard packaging manufacturer, from the bourse's Current List
of Trading with effect from 1November,...
Leading Brands, the Canadian maker of the Trek energy drink, has
reported a revenue increase of 41 per cent for the second quarter
of its 2002 fiscal year ended 28 February 2003. Sales of the new
Trek performance drink have exceeded...
The worst weather for many years in May, June and July kept profit
growth at Scotland's AG Barr to a 'disappointing' minimum in the
first half, but the return of the sunshine in the latter part of
the summer bodes well...
Solid evidence is mounting that drinking tea can prevent cell
damage that leads to cancer, heart disease and perhaps other ills,
scientists said on Tuesday.
A difficult half for beer, spirits and lower-end wine sales was
offset by a good performance from premium wine brands at the
US-based drinks group Constellation Brands, though the UK unit also
showed positive developments.
A steady drop in the company's share price over the last month has
prompted Coca-Cola HBC's main shareholders to withdraw plans for a
secondary listing in New York.
South African wine sales in the UK have been growing rapidly in the
last few years, and four SA brands are now among the top 20
best-sellers there. But more can be done to promote Cape wines in
the UK, such as focusing on recognisable...
After a difficult few years of restructuring and debt reduction,
Brau und Brunnen has decided to combine its beer and soft drink
sales units to offer a broader range of products and to allow it to
react more quickly to consumer demand...
Anheuser-Busch successfully defends its rights to the Budweiser and
Bud names in Italy, forcing Czech rival Budejovicky Budvar to
change the name of its beer sold there. The ruling by the Court of
Cassation comes a mere 17 years after...
CEDC, the Florida-based company which is one of the leading
distributors of alcoholic drinks in Poland, has added another
distributor to its portfolio, plugging a gap where it had
previously been under-represented.
Nescafe is the world's best known coffee brand, yet in the US it
has been limited to a handful of markets on the West Coast. But now
the brand is set to go nationwide with the launch of Nescafe
Frothe, a speciality coffee drink...
United Glass has officially opened its glass recycling centre in
Alloa, Scotland. The £1.3 million (€2m) project was funded by an
investment of Packaging Recovery Note money to construct the
processing plant and a new visitor centre.
The world's largest and most expensive collection of old Scotch
whiskies is embarking on a worldwide tour in a bid to drum up
interest in an eventual auction. All the whisky aficionado needs to
walk away with a bottle of The...
Declining consumption has prompted many observers to pronounce the
premature death of the German beer industry - with investment by
major foreign brewers seen as the only waty of resurrecting the
body. But is this really the case?...
Negotiators in Prague and Brussels are nearing agreement on the
definition and labelling of the traditional plum brandy slivovitz
once the Czech Republic joins the EU.
The different levels of taxation on wine, beer and spirits within
the European Union remains a 'distortion of the single market',
claims taxation Commissioner Fritz Bolkestein who, it seems, has
not abandoned his much-derided...
With the sale of the Agros Fortuna fruit juice and canned food
business, Pernod Ricard's Polish business is now 100 per cent
focused on drinks - which was the reason why Agros was acquired in
the first place.
Artificial sweeteners are less likely to lead to weight gain in
overweight people than consumption of foods containing sucrose,
according to research from the US published this week. With rates
of obesity increasing worldwide, the...
Vendange Wine Cellars, the Californian wine producer, has revealed
new packaging for its varietal table wines, which it is making
available in 750 ml and 1.5 litre sizes.
The world's second largest Coca-Cola bottler is to list 5 per cent
of its shares on the New York Stock Exchange, adding to existing
listings in Athens, London and Australia.
The world's greatest secret agent James Bond, whose latest film
premieres in November, is being used to promote sales of both
Finlandia vodka and 7 UP soft drinks - though not necessarily
together.
In a major U-turn, the New Zealand Appeals Court has reversed a
decision allowing Czech firm Budejovicky Budvar to sell its beer
under the Budweiser name - another victory for Anheuser-Busch and
its Budweiser brand.
Red Bull continues to dominate the western European energy drink
market with a 66 per cent share, and it also provides the model for
most of its rival brands. But despite the dominance of one brand,
the market shows no sign of stagnating,...
