The flavor of maple syrup in wine

Berry Bros & Rudd has reported a 13% year-on-year increase in online sales for the two-month period ending 31 December 2021 (internal data). Moreover, online sales soared 107% versus the same period in 2019, according to the fine wine and spirits merchant. Average online order value increased by 19% year-on-year compared to 2020, with Berry Bros & Rudd’s online fine wine exchange [BBX] reporting a 25% increase. The strong online results helped sales across the business increase by 2% yea ...

‘New’ is the second most popular word in any sales catalogue. (The first is ‘Free’.) We scribblers can’t resist it: it guarantees copy of one sort or another. Even in the slowly evolving world of wine, where the main ethos of the product is historical continuity, ‘new’ sells. To someone like me with a strong sense of history, not to mention conservative tastes, it can be a bit unsettling. It’s not really change that bothers me. There is always room for improvement. What can irritate me is change ...

Foley Family Wines has returned to the acquisition trail in California by announcing its acquisition of Sonoma’s Chateau St. Jean from the Americas division of Treasury Wine Estates, owner of Penfolds in Australia. Foley said it ‘plans to restore the winery to its former glory’. A fee for the deal was not disclosed, but the purchase includes the historic 1920s chateau building, a 6,000-square-foot visitor centre, a winery facility and almost 32 hectares (79 acres) of estate vineyards. Fole ...