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just-drinks.com editor's weekly highlights | |
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The London International Wine Fair and Distil. 25,000 wines and spirits for tasting. Over 30 seminars, debates and masterclasses for learning. 30,000 wine and spirits trade professionals for meeting. But only 3 days.
Last week marked the beginning of a step-change for the US-based wine giant Constellation Brands, which, after years of snaffling up wine businesses, is now facing two years on a strict diet. (On a somewhat smaller scale, this is a position just-drinks can sympathise with, after a four-day Easter binge out of the office.) Shares in Constellation fell last week after the firm fleshed out its proposals to cut debt and costs, including a plan to shed 5% of its global workforce, following a US$301m net loss for 2008. The spending spree is now over, however, and Constellation must decide on which items it would like to keep. For everyone else, the sight of the world's biggest wine firm shedding jobs and cutting costs can only cause unease. While some might say that Constellation's predicament is partly of its own making, with pressure on wine industry margins and sales is clearly growing as the economic downturn takes hold. The other big story last week was The Coca-Cola Co.'s purchase of a stake in Innocent Drinks here in the UK. If you take a look here, you'll get a feel for the public's take on the move, while we also put the matter under our spotlight last week. Looking forward, meanwhile, we're only a month away from this year's London International Wine Fair and its spirits partner, Distil. As in previous years, we're going to be running our daily diary of who's doing what, where and when at this year's event. If you'd like your company to be included in the diary, which will run every day from 1 May to the Monday before the show (11 May), email us your details at news@just-drinks.com. Until next time... Olly Wehring, Managing Editor Web: www.just-drinks.com
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just the answer – Havana Club International [MEM] Already a growth spirits category, the rum sector is unquestionably made all the more interesting for the presence of Havana Club. In this month’s just the answer, Olly Wehring spoke with Marc Beuve-Méry, managing director of Havana Club International, about denominations of origin for rum, the US embargo on Cuban rum and the ensuing trademark battle between Pernod Ricard and Bacardi over the Havana Club brand.
A review of international food and drink regulators Every country has its own food and drink regulatory body or bodies: in the first place to ensure that its citizens eat safely and in the second to help safeguard its position in the rapidly-growing world food trade. The same principles guide the work of a number of international organisations. This latest briefing looks at the national regulators, the global bodies, and other key agencies serving the world’s leading food markets and identifies their strengths and competences and general characteristics.
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April 14, 2009 
