French group Pernod Ricard has been chosen by the Swedish government to take over Vin & Spirit Group, owner of Absolut vodka the fourth largest selling spirits brand in the world. By putting €5.6 billion euros on the table, Pernod Ricard becomes worldwide leader in premium vodkas and the second largest spirits group after the British group Diageo. The Swedish state, which controlled Vin & Spirit, sent out a tender for which two American groups and a Swedish organisation returned bids.

Pernod Ricard expects to find savings of between 125 and 150 million euros from synergies after the take-over. (Source: Les Echos)

The Grand Hyatt and Renaissance Hotel, which offer the closest rooms to the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre are already full for Vinexpo Asia-Pacific. They have been completely booked up by the large number of exhibitors and the crowd of visitors, who plan to attend the event. Please book your accommodation now with the exhibition’s partner hotels – the list is available on www.vinexpo.com. (Source: Vinexpo)

The first album of the Japanese manga entitled Kami no Shizuku (“The drops of God”), which makes several references to the great wines of Burgundy and their qualities is due to be published in French in early April. In Asia, the impact of this cartoon on wine sales has been substantial. This is especially clear in South Korea, where Burgundy used to be little drunk and where sales have now grown by 20%. (Source: Vinexpo)

Visitors and journalists, order your electronic badges on the special web pages reserved for your use on www.vinexpo.com. All you have to do is fill in the form to receive your electronic badge; it is simple and fast. Once printed, this badge is what you use to obtain your customised badge when you arrive at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre – without having to wait in the queue! (Source: Vinexpo)

As Spain allocates 13 million euros to promote wines and in the US, consumers still refer excitedly to the French Paradox, France remains incapable of defending the message that drinking wisely is part of wise living.

Yet moderate, responsible wine drinking, far from threatening health, helps combat alcoholism and turns wine into a cultural, business and social vehicle that is distinct to each producing country. (Source: Vinexpo)

The first Chinese Tesco Express opened in Shanghai in February. More outlets in the same format are expected to follow in the main Chinese towns throughout 2008. Tesco already runs 50 hypermarkets in China as a joint venture with a local group Tin Cao. The giant British operator intends to dedicate a budget of around £300 million every 12 months to fund its expansion in China over the coming years (source: VSB).

In February, the Paris Appeal Court supported the ban on web-based advertising related to alcoholic beverages resulting from a first case lost by Heineken in a lower court. Heineken Entreprise points out that “its site only presents its complete product range while respecting the limits imposed by the French “Evin” law. The law was however passed  in 1991, when commercial websites did not exist. “Such court decisions clearly go beyond the original intentions of law makers”, observed Entreprise & Prevention. “They again raise the question of the right to take court proceedings given by the government to an organisation, whose goal is not to serve the common interest, but its own agenda, which as we see here, consists of adopting an increasingly more radical moralistic and prohibitionist standpoint”. (Source: Décision Boissons)