Vijay Mallya, the fugitive former head of India’s United Spirits, has successfully argued that he should be allowed to appeal against extradition. (Photo: Wiki) After hearing arguments from Clare Montgomery QC, Mallya’s counsel, Mr Justice Leggatt and Mr Justice Popplewell, granted him permission appeal to the High Court in London that the decision in February by British Home Secretary Sajid Javid to order his extradition to India was ill-founded. Mallya’s case will now be heard by the Court of Appeal at a date to be set. He will remain on bail until the hearing. Mallya is...

A distillery in London has made a gin-spired lower alcohol spirit, bottled at 4.2% ABV, which it claims has the same flavour and mouthfeel as a full-strength gin. Temperance by Portobello Road, devised by distillery founder Jake F Burger, will be available to order for the on and off-trade from mid-July. with an RRP of £23. According to a statement, the company is targeting “gin-fans who are looking to moderate their intake of alcohol,” but Burger said it would “never call Temperance a gin” due to its much lower ABV. It has been distilled using the same nine botanicals...

McGuigan Wines has initiated its largest UK advertising campaign to date in a sponsorship deal that covers Timeless Entertainment programming on UKTV’s Drama channel. McGuigan’s sponsorship builds upon last year’s out-of-home ‘Bring a McGuigan’ campaign which included coverage across key locations throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland.  Anticipated to reach a total of 20 million people across the country and with a media value worth over £2 million, the sponsorship contracted by C4 Sales and Goodstuff will commence on 1 July and run for 12 months. Produced by UKTV’s award-winning...

The 11th annual Diageo Reserve World Class bartending competition will return to Hong Kong on Sunday, 7 July, to determine the city’s top bartender in 2019. The competition, which will run from 12-9 pm at the Hysan Place Atrium in Causeway Bay, will see 10 of the city’s finest bartenders face off in three fun but fearsome challenges. The winner will get the chance to compete in the world finale in Scotland later this year. First off is the Speed Challenge, which will require candidates to make and present six cocktails in under six minutes. They will be judged on cocktail quality, interactions...

Following a successful launch in Hong Kong and Singapore back in January, one of England’s top sparkling wine producers, Nyetimber, has brought its Rosé Multi-Vintage to the two cities as well. A classic sparkling wine blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, Nyetimber has spotted the growing popularity of rosé wines in Asia and so has introduced its own “quintessential” English version to the region for fizz fans to enjoy in the summer heat. Described as having “redcurrant, raspberry and cherry flavours”, the rosé is a good match with lighter meals such as salmon, crab and carpaccio. One...

If the main challenge of the first day of the Giro di Toscana was the extreme heat, and the second one as well – along with some major ascents – day three was about both these challenges, plus something else…. Mentzendorff’s Andrew Hawes, leader of the Giro di Toscana, held in aid of drinks trade charity The Benevolent That additional troublesome element concerned the road surface for today’s route, which is found on a type of track common around this, the central part of Tuscany, called Strade Bianche, translating as white road. Taking its name from the colour of the crushed marble that...

Super Tuscan label Masseto is launching a second wine this autumn, the first release of which will only be available in Italy and the US. The second wine will be called ‘Massetino’ and the 2017 vintage will be the first release this October. A hot and dry vintage, less Masseto was produced and so it was thought the “right moment to bottle Massetino”. Giovanni Geddes, CEO Masseto commented: “It seems to be a natural development for the Masseto Estate to produce a ‘second vin’ and the 2017 vintage proved to be the right time to do it. “It is an exciting moment for the Masseto Estate...

The teething troubles of day one seem distant – almost 200km away in fact – as the second leg of the Giro di Toscana comes to a close in Montalcino. Punishing climbs were a feature of day 2 The ride, done in aid of drinks trade charity The Benevolent, began yesterday in the up-and-coming coastal part of Tuscany – the Maremma – and today moved inland to the some of the most ancient and priciest vineyards in Italy: Montalcino, the mountain-top home of Brunello. For those who read yesterday’s report will know, the main challenge of the ride so far has been the excessive heat afflicting the riders,...

UK pub chain Brewhouse & Kitchen posted an operating loss of more than £500,000 in its 2018 results, but has been recognised by the London Stock Exchange as “one of the fastest-growing” SMEs in the country, after a year of heavy investment into its workforce and estate. Photo: Brewhouse & Kitchen Brewhouse & Kitchen has been listed in the LSE’s annual “1000 Companies that Inspire Britain” report. The report, which is now in its sixth year, features  small and medium-sized businesses from a diverse range of sectors and regions, “reflecting the...

Starting day one of the Giro di Toscana, it felt as though I’d consumed a litre of wine and managed fewer than five hours sleep… and that was because both were true. Best assembled with a clear head Although the ride began from the Maremma’s famed Tenuta Fertuna this morning, I had arrived with the 11 other cyclists in time for dinner the day before, allowing Paolo, the head winemaker, to treat us to a long and lavish evening complete with large servings of white Sangiovese – that’s right, a vino bianco called Droppelo made from Tuscany’s most famous red grape (it’s pressed very gently...