Weak demand for cognac and spirits pulls down LVMH, Diageo and Pernod April 15, 2025 Weak demand for cognac and spirits has sparked a sell-off of LVMH shares and a dip for other listed luxury brands. Shares in LVMH fell 7.25 per cent in early trade, causing the fashion behemoth to lose its crown to Hermes as the world’s most valuable luxury company. Shares in London spirits maker Diageo and [...]
Naked Wines picks: three delicious bottles for World Earth Day April 8, 2025 In Libby’s Naked Wines diary this week, it’s the top picks for World Earth Day On 22 April we celebrate Earth Day so I have sought out some wines that are going above and beyond to make this world a better place – and are tasty drops, too. Naked Wines bottles of the week Silverhand [...]
Libby’s Naked Wines diary: Why I adore Coravin April 4, 2025 This week in Libby’s Naked Wines diary, she waxes lyrical about the benefit of Coravin I meet Greg Lambrecht under the gigantic, sculpted unicorns of Mayfair’s Bacchanalia. Huge frescos surround us as waiters weave between tables and Roman busts. This place is ostentatiously bold, but in a playful way, matching the energy of Lambrecht himself, [...]
Chapel Down expands into America with distribution deal April 3, 2025 Chapel Down has announced a new agreement with Jackson Family Wines for the distribution of its sparkling wine in the USA. It is unclear how the deal will be affected by Trump’s 10 per cent tariff on all goods going into America. The distribution agreement for wine in the USA – Chapel Down’s “largest potential export [...]
Welsh wine is no April Fools joke – and it’s delicious April 1, 2025 Firstly, I promise this isn’t an April Fool. Welsh wine is a real thing. Historically of course, they have always liked a drink. Welsh bards, poets and wordsmiths have dedicated their talent to the power and beauty of wine. As far back at the 6th century there are references to mead being drunk by warriors [...]
Echo Falls and Lambrini owner loses over £100m as alcohol duty hikes bite March 27, 2025 The owner of Echo Falls and Lambrini has slumped to a loss of more than £100m as the cost-of-living crisis and alcohol duty hike significantly impacted its finances. The UK arm of Accolade Wines, whose brands also include Hardys and Kumala, has reported a pre-tax loss of £103.8m for the 12 months to 30 June, [...]
Naked Wines promises to ‘recalibrate’ business with new growth plan March 27, 2025 Naked Wines has released details of its new strategic growth plan as it promises to “recalibrate” the businesses to drive growth. The wine seller also announced that its trading performance “continues to track in line with expectations” ahead of full-year results later this year. Its share price rose more than 11 per cent in early [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: London’s best dog-friendly restaurants March 26, 2025 Last week Franco Manca announced that they have become ‘dog friendly’. This a welcome turnaround for the restaurant group that turned away a guide dog from one of their venues in 2018. Fortunately, this shameful incident led to my meeting with Dave Kent, the blind gentleman who required his trusty friend Chad to lead him [...]
Libby’s Naked Wines diary: I visit Oxford’s trendy new rooftop March 26, 2025 This week in Libby’s Naked Wines diary, our wine columnist visits Oxford Simon Drake glides up to me in a jacket that looks and feels like he has skinned the Velveteen Rabbit. Indeed, it is so soft I pause for just longer than is potentially acceptable to stroke his velvety arm – before he gently [...]
Hannes Myburgh’s Meerlust Estate is wine tasting paradise March 18, 2025 Meerlust Rubicon was the first wine I bought en primeur. This is the process of buying wine while it is still aging, ahead of it coming to market. It means securing sought-after bottles at potentially lower prices while the winemakers receive an early cash flow. I felt very grown up and sophisticated and rather lucky [...]