Wined Up Weekly

Spirits sales see massive increases in 2020, especially in the USA, but hospitality industry struggles - Export news: fall in exports to Japan; Australian exports to China fall by 98% - Wine ban in South Africa challenged and then lifted - Über buys Drizly for $1.1bn - WSET suspends teaching in China - No monks at Achel: one fewer Trappist brewery in Belgium -  Do tannins protect us from Covid?! - Wine of the Week: Mondeuse from Savoie

Bars & restaurants reopen in California - News from the spirits industry, as Rémy-Cointreau sees sales increase by 25% - London Wine Fair to be held digitally in 2021 - Amorim reveals breakthrough technologies to eradicate detectable TCA - Wine of the Week: English sparkling wine

News from lockdown UK: alcohol sales soar, Champagne sales up, as are South African wines - wine.com sales over $300m in 2020 - Snow destroys roof and three vintages of Priorat winery - Williams-Selyem owners sell stake to Domaine Faiveley - Wine of the Week: German Blaufränkisch!

New sizes for containers agreed in the States: Good news for canned wines? - Changed en primeur dates announced in Bordeaux; South Africa also announces revised dates for Cape Fine & Rare Auction - South Korea wine imports on the rise - Wine of the Week: "Tsoin Tsoin" a Cabernet Franc/Gamay blend from the Loire Valley

As the UK finally leaves the EU, a trade deal is agreed: what are the consequences for the wine industry? - South Africa bans sales of alcohol, again; while England bans pubs from selling take-away alcohol - Freixenet launches alcohol-free sparkling wine - Wine of the Week: Rhône Syrah by a Loire producer

Permanent tax break announced by senate for US drinks producers - Fraud alert in the global drinks business: Illegal winery found in Alabama and counterfeit whiskey in Spain - Two of Champagne's largest co-ops merge -

Wine of the Week: Cinsaut from South Africa

More sexism in the wine industry: French publication En Magnum criticized for sexist cartoon - More Chinese tariffs on Australian wine while UK removes tariffs on US drinks - Wine glut in South Africa with excess 300m liters of wine - Wine of the Week: Vinho Verde

Australia reacts to Chinese tariffs - Alcohol consumption down by 8% globally, although UK supermarket see sales rise by a third and are upbeat about 2021 - German wine event ProWein 2021 cancelled - Court of Master Sommeliers appoint new board - Wine of the Week: is it wine? yes and no, it's vermouth!

China imposes tariffs of up to 212% on Australian wine - New lockdown restrictions in England - Henzell Freixenet once again on the move, completing purchase of online UK retailer Slurp - Vinitaly changes its dates to June 2021 - Wine of the Week: English bubbles!

and a Wined Up Weekly update: new episodes will now be available of Wednesdays #winewednesday

International wine trade fairs: are they going to happen in 2021? - International Wine & Spirits Competition 2020 winners - James Symington, leading Port figure, dies aged 86 - English "Nouveau": trend or gimmick; Wine of the Week: Czech Sauvignon

Watch the IWSC 2020 online ceremony here.