UK Wine Show 173 Champagne Closures with Roger Begault of Duval-Leroy

Champagne house Duval-Leroy is experimenting with a new type of closure to replace the traditional champagne cork. We catch up with Roger Begault to find out more.

Prestige fizz getting pricier

Prices of top Champagnes are shooting up despite the economy heading the other way.

Asda Champagne sales are up

Supermarket chain Asda is reporting an increase in sales of Champagne which they say bucks the overall market trend of decreasing sales.

Champagne exports falling

Champagne shipments worldwide are falling as Champagne enters its most important trading period.

Moët buys champagne house

Moët Hennessy has acquired Montaudon Champagne to add to their portfolio of prestigious brands.

Champagne sales hit Majestic

Majestic Wine has reported a 2.9 per cent fall in like-for-like sale for the ten weeks ending January 5, triggered by a fall in Champagne sales.

France is world's number one but there is trouble in Champagne

France has overtaken Italy as the world's biggest producer but in Champagne yields are to be cut to stabilise prices.

Bubbles hold the flavour of fizz

It's the bubbles that give Champagne its flavour confirming the long-held view that Champagnes with a fine and persistent mousse, or stream of bubbles, are of a higher quality.

Sub £10 Champagne

Lidl cuts the price of Champagne to under £10 a bottle and other supermarkets discount heavily.

Royal family to plant vineyard

Royal family to plant vineyard at Windsor Castle.

Champagne increases yield to meet demand

The permitted yield of grapes for the upcoming harvest in Champagne is to be increased to 12,500 kilogrammes per hectare (kg/ha) to cope with growing demand for Champagne.

Harvest underway early in France

The 2011 harvest has started early in Bordeaux and Champagne.

Decanter hosts panel tasting of grower Champagnes

Decanter magazine's first-ever panel tasting of grower Champagnes concludes that grower champagnes have character, sophistication and are good value for money.

Tesco lightweights champagne bottles to help the environment.

7.2% weight reduction in standard 75cl Champagne bottles sold at Tesco

Quick the French are coming!

Pierson Whitaker Grand Cru Champagne house has partnered with English landowners in Hampshire to produce a sparkling wine called Meonhill.

Sparkling wine from across the world makes a splash in the UK

Sparkling wine sales are outperforming Champagne in the off trade.

Champagne crops hit badly by frost

Early budding vines in Champagne spurred on by a warm March are hit by April frost.

Australia has best growing season in decades while Champagne has one of the worst

Australia is set to benefit from the best growing conditions in the past twenty years but Champagne has seen the worst growing season in decades.

Champagne shipments dip thanks to the French

The volume of Champagne shipped in 2012 was 14 million lower than 2011 thanks to a slump in Christmas trade and a decline in Champagne sales in France itself.

A third of drinkers can't tell difference between Prosecco and Champagne

Mintel report shows 36% of sparkling wine consumers say there is little difference between Champagne and Prosecco.

China to protect the Champagne name

China has agreed to protect the name Champagne so that only wines produced in the French region can bear the name.

The Xmas build up begins with discounted Champagne under £10

Christmas deals in the wine aisles begin.

Prosecco sales bubble over as Champagne falls flat

Global sales of Prosecco have overtaken Champagne.

Immigrant workers in Champagne region exploited

Immigrant workers found living in exploitative conditions but there to work the champagne harvest.

Where is the UK fizz in the Government

Government spending on fizz revealing.

Champagne exports set to outstrip domestic sales

Champagne volume and value sales are up driven by exports.

Still 30% of UK wine consumers haven't tried English Wine.

ThirtyFifty customers give their views on English Wines

France reigns at IWSC competition

IWSC release Northern Hemisphere 2015 results

What links the Forth Bridge and Champagne?

Burgundy, Champagne and Forth Bridge all given World Heritage status

Online retailer of the year delists big name champagnes

Roberson Wines delists major champagne brands

Drappier makes 'extreme' Champagne using single varietal Pinot Gris

Champagne producer Michel Drappier has made the first vintage of Pinot Gris Champagne at his property in the Aube.

What's hot, what's not in the wine world?

Australia, New Zealand and Prosecco grow at the cost of traditional rivals

Vive Le English Sparkling Wine!

English Sparkling Wine beats Champagne in blind tasting

Champagne Jayne beats the CIVC

Champagne Jayne wins her case against the CIVC

Boat launch champagne banned

Australian coastguard bans bow bottle smash launch

Bad weather gives Champagne nothing to toast about

Champagne economy majorly affected by weather

Chambong latest drinking fad?

New champagne vessels launched

Bolt is new CEO of Champagne House

Usain Bolt has been appointed CEO at Maison Mumm

Sparkling wine sales continue to climb

Sparkling wine sales grew by 9% in the last year.

Blue wine, now blue fizz, but you’ll have to look fast

Scientist discovers blue cloud of gas escaping Champagne bottle when opened at a warmer temperature.

Bubble size, now they can measure it with a microphone

If Champagne bubble size is important to you, and for some it is, then you will be relieved to know that the bubbles hum as they are formed, telling the listener how big they are.

UK Wine Show 8 James Ellis from Ellis of Richmond

We talk to James Ellis of Ellis of Richmond, supplier of wine to the independent restaurant trade, and pick up tips on what to look out for on wine lists.

UK Wine Show 9 Wine buyer Mathew Cooper from Ellis of Richmond

This week is the second in a three part series looking behind the scenes at restaurant wines. Matthew Cooper, wine buyer at Ellis of Richmond, reveals some of the differences between restaurant and supermarket wines.

UK Wine Show 17 The UK Wine Consumer, Richard Halstead of Wine Intelligence

Richard Halstead of Wine Intelligence provides an insight into how UK consumers approach wine, revealing our attitudes and behaviour when it comes to buying and drinking the stuff.

UK Wine Show 118 Stephen Skelton on the UK Vineyards Guide 2008

Stephen Skelton MW is an expert on English wine and author of the UK Vineyards Guide 2008. We find out about the book and what's changed on the UK wine scene since the last edition was published in 2001.

UK Wine Show 168 Ian Edwards of the UKVA

Ian Edwards of the United Kingdom Vintners Association talks to us about the EU wine reforms and how the changes will affect UK vineyards.

UK Wine Show 193 Jamie Hutchinson of The Sampler

Jamie Hutchinson owns the award winning wine shop The Sampler in Islington, London. We find out about his concept for sampling and selling wine and his plans for expansion.

UK Wine Show 245 Ian Meadows on Roman vineyards in the UK

In this second interview with archaeologist Ian Meadows we find out about the excavation of the first proven Roman vineyard in the Nene Valley, Northampton.

2005 Bordeaux soaring in value since release, says Berry Bros & Rudd

Berry Bros & Rudd is finding cases of Bordeaux 2005 that it sold ‘en primeur’ have increased in value more than any other vintage between harvest and being shipped to the UK

English Wine Week gathers interest

English Wine Week, the countrywide campaign to promote English wines and vineyards, kicks off on Saturday 24th May.

Bulk wine importing and lighter bottles benefiting the environment

CO2 emissions have been cut by over 28,000 tonnes a year as a result of WRAP’s GlassRite Wine initiative.

British set to be biggest wine spenders in Europe

UK drinkers are predicted to become the biggest European spenders on wine within the next three years.

NZ wine bounty grows by 39%

New Zealand’s grape harvest has come in 39% bigger than last year.

Asda selling French wine by the vin-load

French wine is back in fashion with consumers at Asda

UK government supports SA carbon study

The UK government is to help fund research into the carbon footprint of the South African wine and fruit industry.

New book details all the UK's vineyards

Another of this year’s handful of books on English wine has just been published.

Prestige fizz getting pricier

Prices of top Champagnes are shooting up despite the economy heading the other way.

Drinkers set world record sip

Wetherspoon has broken the record for the world’s largest wine tasting.

Drinkers set world record sip

Wetherspoon has broken the record for the world’s largest wine tasting.

ThirtyFifty launches tastings in Oz

UK tasting company ThirtyFifty is launching down under.

Drink drive fatalities down as motorists face random breath tests

Fatalities resulting from drink-drive accidents fall by 18% as survey could prompt random breath testing

Oz and James drink to Britain

Oz Clarke and James May will be back on our screens in January with a new BBC TV series 'Oz and James Drink to Britain'.

American wine overtakes France

American wine sales have overtaken French wine sales in the UK for the first time ever.

British Government rejects minimum pricing

A recommendation by UK chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson to impose a minimum price on alcoholic drinks of 50p per unit in England and Wales has been rejected by prime minister Gordon Brown.

English Wine Week 23-31 May

English Wine Week will begin on 23rd May, a countrywide campaign to promote English wines.

London gets new vineyard

London's first commercial vineyard has been planted at Forty Hall Organic Farm in the London Borough of Enfiel

All change at Nyetimber

English sparkling wine producer Nyetimber has appointed a new sales manager Francis Brackley.

Low alcohol wine ban is lifted

British consumers will soon be able to purchase a low alcohol wine 2 years after it was banned by the French government.

Wine sales show signs of recovery

The still light wine market may be showing the first signs of recovery with volumes up 2%.

English wine harvest in full swing

The harvest is well underway in English vineyards with producers reporting healthy yields, high sugars and balanced acidity in the grapes.

Majestic sales are up

Majestic's half-year trading figures show its change in strategy to reduce minimum purchases to 6 bottles seems to be paying off. Like-for-like sales increased by 5.4% and pre-tax profits were up 9% to £6.1 million over the period.

Majestic sued by wine writer

Wine writer Martin Isark has issued a writ against Majestic Wine, claiming damages believed to be in the region of £50,000.

Sub £10 Champagne

Lidl cuts the price of Champagne to under £10 a bottle and other supermarkets discount heavily.

Wickham Vineyard buys 14 First Quench stores

Hampshire based Wickham Vineyard has stepped in to save 14 off-licences from closure following the collapse of the First Quench group.

Majestic sales surge

Majestic Wine saw a surge in sales of 11.7% over the Christmas period after the collapse of First Quench in November.

Prosecco laws leave M&S without fizz

A new EU law that came into force in August last year has caught out Marks and Spencer with their Rosecco brand.

Laithwaites opens flagship store

Laithwaites opens flagship store at Vinopolis with a focus on fine wine.

English wine more than doubles

Production of English and Welsh wine more than doubled in 2009 to 2.5 million litres.

English wine week is 29 May-6 June

English Wine Week kicks off this week from Saturday 29th May to Sunday 6th June with a countrywide campaign to promote English wines.

UK drinking habits changing

Reports shows changes in the habits of UK wine drinkers and alcohol consumption across the UK.

English & Welsh Wine Competition results

More medals than ever before were handed out this week at the English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition.

UK picks wine by grape variety and promotional offers

The grape variety is now just as important as promotions when it comes to buying wine in the UK.

Wine Rack back in business with 21st store opening

Almost 2 years after the collapse of First Quench and its Threshers and Wine Rack off licences, Wine Rack opens 21st store.

Camilla is next president of UK Vineyards Association

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall has taken over the role of President of the United Kingdom Vineyards Association (UKVA).

England riots affect the drinks trade

The riots this week affected the drinks trade with off licences, bars and restaurants directly under attack from looters

Government bottles opportunity to send price signals to UK drinkers

UK Government deny considering levying higher taxes on more alcoholic wines.

Money is tight in the UK but you can still go out, just spend less.

Leisure industry report shows that consumers are going out more regularly but spending less.

Quick the French are coming!

Pierson Whitaker Grand Cru Champagne house has partnered with English landowners in Hampshire to produce a sparkling wine called Meonhill.

Minimum pricing plans may have little impact on wine

A report reveals that only 5% of wines are currently being sold in supermarkets at below the proposed minimum price of 40 pence per unit of alcohol that the UK government is planning to introduce.

Olympics hits wine business hard

The London 2012 Olympics has failed to bring extra custom to central London as Londoners have stayed away, heeding messages from Transport for London to keep the transport system moving and avoid gridlock.