Non-Scotch whisky, comprising Irish, America, Canadian, Indian and Japanese whiskies, is one of the fastest growth areas of the wine and spirits industry. In 2006, this collective category reached 134.7m cases, a rise of 5.6% on 2005, and growth rates are accelerating. Preliminary figures for 2007 suggest the category added a further 8.7% to reach 146.m cases. (Source: IWSR)

The exhibition held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, welcomed 8,868 exclusively professional visitors, exactly 28.8% more than in 2006.
45% of these came from Hong Kong and Macao, while 55% were from 19 other Asian-Pacific countries: continental China (2,254) led with twice as many visitors as in 2006, followed by Korea (657), Taiwan (438), Japan (209), Singapore (203), Australia (175), Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and other countries in the region. (Source: Vinexpo)

The Australian Wine Research Institute says reducing the alcohol levels could get a better wine because high alcohol has a tendency to suppress the flavour of wine. (Source: ABC News)

The eight winegrowing areas listed by Unesco, representing 6 European countries, are working together to preserve and highlight the European winegrowing culture. They point out that “behind the most prestigious names of European wines, there are areas where the inhabitants are keen to preserve their expertise.” (Source: AFP)

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, tequila imports into the USA have increased by 46% since 2002. This Mexican spirit has taken on the image of a sophisticated beverage in America, which is no longer drunk just in shots by young people with salt and a slice of lemon, but by working people who are prepared to pay up to $200 dollars (€130) per glass to experience a “super premium” tequila. (Source: Vinexpo)

On their own, cherries have sweet, aromatic, slightly tart flavours. When used in desserts, Enrico Bernado suggests marrying them with medium sweet wines made from the grenache variety, which are both round and powerful, sweet and velvety, intense and long. (Source: Le Figaro)

Those mouth-watering king prawns with their ocean-fresh taste, so smooth and fleshy, according to Enrico Bernardo, are best with pure, young, dashing wines that are attractively sappy. So we stay away from the Bordeaux and Burgundy whites that have been so patiently aged, and go more for the dry whites of Alsace, the Loire or Provence, or even the Mediterranean rosés. (Source: Le Figaro)