Spanish estate La Rioja Alta has said it will contribute €130,000 this year to farming projects in Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Democratic Republic of Congo and the Caribbean island of Haiti. The money will be donated as part of the winery’s ‘Viña Ardanza Solidario’ programme which was set up in 2007 and sees the winery donate 1% of its annual profits to agricultural initiatives in developing countries. So far the programme has raised €1.1 million for various projects in Cameroon, Mali, Benin, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Guatemala and India among others. This year’s beneficiaries will include...

A genetic study of Iron Age, Roman and medieval era grape pips has revealed that the Savagnin we enjoy today has existed for over 900 years. DNA from the seeds, which were found at various sites across France, also showed that the Romans were making wine with grapes genetically related to Pinot Noir and Syrah. The DNA from the seeds was matched to a genetic databank. Savagnin, the principal white grape of the Jura, was so instantly recognisable because its genetic material has been constantly preserved and passed down through clonal propagation when cuttings were taken. Dr Nathan Wales from...

Upmarket London retailer Selfridges has launched a 20-strong range of wines from the Okanagan in Canada, tipping the up-and-coming region for growth. The wines, which are now on shelf, come from the 50th Parallel Estate Winery, CedarCreek Estate Winery, CheckMate Artisanal Winery, Free Form Wines, Haywire Wines and Mission Hill Family Estate, and will be available at the prestigious retailer on London’s Oxford Street until July, after which, only some of the wines will be carried on. Prices range from £18.99 for Poplar Grove’s Pinot Gris to £94.99 for Mission Hill Family Estate’s...

One of the UK’s largest wine brands, i heart, has announced it is launching its first television advertising campaign. The first such campaign the brand has ever done, the ad is described as “simple, straight-talking and fun”, designed to reflect the “brand’s essence” and drive “engagement and awareness” of the brand’s still and sparkling wine offering. The advert will air during Love Island on ITV2 as well as the ITVhub and during entertainment shows on 4OD. The campaign will begin on 10 June and will run for 10 weeks. It will be backed up through social media and digital advertising as well...

Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Gymkhana on Albemarle Street in Mayfair has been forced to close after a blaze ripped through the restaurant yesterday. Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Gymkhana in Mayfair has been forced to close after a fire It took 60 members of the London Fire Brigade to get the fire under control yesterday afternoon, after it ripped through multiple stories on Albemarle Street. While the cause of the fire is not yet known, a statement from London Fire Brigade yesterday afternoon said: “Half of the ground floor kitchen and half of the ducting from ground floor to roof...

China’s oldest and largest wine producer, Changyu, is in the process of converting its 250-hectate Château Changyu Moser XV estate in Ningxia to biodynamic viticulture. Château Changyu Moser XV in Ningxia is converting to biodynamic viticulture Speaking to db in London this week, Changyu’s chief winemaker, Lenz Moser, said the company hopes to be certified biodynamic in three years. “My big aim for Changyu is to convert the estate to being 100% biodynamic. We’re in the early stages of conversion at the moment and want to be fully certified by a European body in three years. If we achieve this,...

Total food and drink exports saw the biggest boost in first quarter sales on record, the FDF have reported, with sales rising 10.7% on last year’s figure to £5.8 billion. Whisky topped the list of the UK’s top ten food and drink exports, rising in value by 19.2% in the first quarter of 2019, a boost of £183.6 million to take the total value of whisky exports to £1,139 million, it said, compared to the same period the previous year. Volumes sales also rose, up 15.8%. The value of Whisky exports equate roughly to the combined exports of the next five categories, salmon, chocolate, cheese,...

We at team db want to celebrate the very best bottles from our Global Masters. Every Wednesday, we’ll select a wine that picked up either a Gold or Master from our competition series, and tell you why the judges loved it. (Photo: Château Maris) From Napa to Navarra, the world of wine is paying more attention to cultivation and how to let fruit shine through without using harmful chemicals. We revealed the results of our 2018 Organic Masters last July, where a just a handful of bottles picked up the top accolade of a Master medal. This eco-friendly, deep-coloured expression from Occitanie, made...

Spirits giant William Grant & Sons has launches its first ultra-low alcohol spirit, bottled at 0.5% ABV. (Photo: Atopia/Youtube) The spirit, which has a recommended retail price of £25 per bottle, was created by WG&S’ master distiller Lesley Gracie. So far there are two products in the Atopia range: Spiced Citrus, and Wild Blossom. The spirits company has uploaded two tutorials to Youtube demonstrating how to use its new products. Gracie said the distillates were “selected and combined with care and precision, meaning you can pick out each flavour separately whilst no...

  London brewery Beavertown held an event last month to encourage more people to sign up as blood donors by giving away free pints of its Bloody ’Ell Blood Orange IPA. Beavertown gave away its fruity beer to the first 500 people who visited its taproom from 2pm on 25 May if they had signed up to be a blood donor. At the start of the year, the NHS Blood & Transplant Service issued an appeal for more male donors. According to figures published in January, twice as many women gave blood in England than men in 2018. The organisation said that 13,719 women who registered last January became...