The French government has launched a multi-million euro rescue plan
for France's ailing wine industry, including €12m export support
and an overhaul of the quality control system.
Dynasty Fine Wine Group, one of China's top three wine makers, is
set to increase its production capacity to 50,000 tons this year,
to meet fast-rising demand for the drink in an increasingly
affluent population.
More and more wineries are putting pictures of animals on their
wine labels, a plan that has shown early success with younger,
fun-seeking consumers, says a new report.
One of southern France's biggest wine groups has pulled out of
negotiations over a battle plan for the country's ailing wine
sector, days after militant winemakers sent 1.5m litres of its wine
flowing into the street.
A controversial agreement to protect Europe's traditional wine
names like Champagne and Port from use by American winemakers has
been officially signed by the US and European Union.
Burning police cars, wine gushing into streets and trashed
government offices have threatened to send violence in southern
France's vineyards out of control this week.
Consumers all over the world are trading up for their drinks, says
SABMiller's chief executive, telling an analyst conference how the
beer industry can secure long-term growth.
Strong performances in Russia and the UK helped brewer Scottish
& Newcastle to improve sales and profits in 2005, helping to
offset the market slump in mainland Western Europe.
A new 'South of France' wine brand covering the whole of France's
biggest wine region, Languedoc Roussillon, has been launched to
help French wine re-assert itself on the world stage.
ViniSud, a showcase of the up-and-coming wines from the Languedoc
region of France, begins in Montpellier today, occurring in a
region that epitomises the current problems affecting the industry.
Militant winemakers attacked train and phone lines in southern
France Wednesday as thousands of fellow vintners protested through
the streets at the crisis they say is strangling their industry.
SABMiller has moved further into southern China by spending $8.9m
to acquire another brewery, hoping to take advantage of the area's
above average beer consumption.
Scientists from the European Space Agency are peering at satellite
images of Italy's Frascati wine region as part of project to use
space technology to improve wine industry management.
A new report has injected a much-needed shot of optimism into the
stagnant US beer market for 2006, yet the bad news just keeps on
coming in Western Europe.
At least two packagers are attempting to cash in on the growing
demand for wine bottled in plastic at an industry showcase being
held in Sacramento this week.
The thought of English wine can still conjure a smirk from many.
But, the natives are getting better, as more wineries look to take
advantage of Britons' increasing preference for grape over grain.
SABMiller has signed a joint venture deal with a top Vietnamese
dairy company, hoping to use the firm's local knowledge and
distribution network to break into Vietnam's emerging beer market.
Britain's advertising watchdog signalled it was getting tough on a
new code for alcoholic drinks adverts by telling UK brewer Young's
to remove posters linking alcohol with social and sexual success.
World wine giant Constellation Brands continued to profit from its
takeover of Robert Mondavi wine in its third quarter as the group
looks to focus more seriously on Europe.
A senior official said the industry was not consulted on the
European Commission proposal to re-categorise spirit drinks, but
welcomed plans to update production regulations.
French prime minister Dominique de Villepin said the plan would
help to dig France out of wine crisis, yet under-pressure
winemakers are planning more protests.
A public consultation was launched yesterday ahead of a plan to
transfer regulatory authority over the UK's wine industry to the
Food Standards Agency (FSA).
Militant French winemakers are planning to increase attacks across
southern France over the next few months as the government's grip
on the wine crisis appears to weaken.
Middle weight brewers Greene King and Worlverhampton & Dudley
continued to show there is life and lucrative deals to be had in
Britain's ale market, despite poor consumer confidence.
French wine sector leaders have launched a battle plan to tackle
the industry crisis, including fixed minimum prices and vineyard
conversions, as militants re-launch their campaign in the south.
Portable, idiot-friendly wine analysis equipment was all the rage
at this year's Sitevi wine production expo, with one machine using
rays to assess the quality of grapes standing out.
Two French entrepreneurs have developed a novel hand-held wine
tester that will better help wine firms meet specific consumer
tastes by taking scientific samples like a diabetic measures blood
sugar.
The EU and US have signed off the first stage of their wine
agreement as France's agriculture minister tells annoyed winemakers
the deal is not as strong as it could be.
French wine makers are planning a new protest in Narbonne, the
centre of violent scenes earlier this year, in answer to the
continuing low prices on the market and poor government support.
The increasing theft of beer kegs is costing brewers millions of
pounds every year, as industry bodies pledge tougher surveillance
to halt the beer keg bandits.
Alco-pops have lost the plot on the UK alcoholic drinks market and
the sector will carry on sinking until producers come up with
something new for Britain's youth, says a new report.
Nestlé has filed patents all around the world for a new, foamy
coffee drink that is made and looks like beer but contains no
alcohol, in a sign it is exploring new product avenues.
Prices for quality French wines have continued to crumble in recent
months as the gap closes between them and their less regulated
counterparts, leaving ominous signs for the future of some in the
industry.
The world's biggest drinks firm has shunned the chance to buy New
Zealand's Montana wines off Pernod Ricard because it will not
generate enough growth.
A 40 per cent increase in marketing funds should help French wine
makers tackle falling sales in the UK and combat the very real
threat from New World wines.
As the EU announces another €450m round of subsidies for member
states to restructure their vineyards, plans are already being laid
for major reforms to Europe's wine sector next year.
Italian fraud police have seized more than nine million bottles'
worth of high quality Chianti Classico wine at the renowned Ruffino
winery in Tuscany, seriously threatening the group's supplies at
the start of the new season.
A herbal beer developed by an Indian research institute will
finally reach the market in 2006, claims the researcher, after
several delays to its launch.
Seasonal beer is Anheuser Busch's latest attempt to reinvigorate
itself on America's stagnate beer market as the firm attempts to
get closer to the craft beers that are out-performing the sector.
Carlsberg has confirmed it plans to shut around half its European
breweries within a decade to reflect a permanent shift in beer
market growth from west to east, and more specifically, China.
French wine cooperatives have rejected the recent wine labelling
agreement between the EU and US, claiming the deal will not benefit
European producers as much as the Commission thinks.
A chance to fight Pierce's disease, one of the wine industry's most
deadly foes, at its origins has come a step closer after scientists
found common weeds nestling in vineyards were helping the sickness
to spread.
US wine producers may soon scrub names of traditional European wine
regions, like Champagne and Burgundy, off their bottles in exchange
for better access to EU markets, in a breakthrough deal.
New yeast blends to help vintners enhance flavour as they make
wines with ever higher alcohol content have been developed by
international ingredients firm Chr Hansen.
Freak storms have ravaged France's Languedoc-Roussillon region,
threatening to damage the new wine crop by leaving some vineyards
under water at the crucial harvesting stage.
