This week in spirits & wine on just-drinks

This week in spirits & wine on just-drinks

Here's a round-up of this week's top stories in the spirits & wine categories. We also have similar round-ups for beer & cider and soft drinks & water.

Do you ever get the feeling that something's not quite right? I got that feeling last month: It was at Lyon's Grand Stade, just before kick-off for the final game of European rugby's Champion's Cup, and all appeared in place: the crowd hushed, the players tensed, the referee's whistle poised. But, as the advertising boards that enclosed the pitch cycled through their usual litany of airline, watch manufacture and beer brand, one message seemed slightly off-kilter.

The drinks industry appears to be holding its breath as the Central Bank of Nigeria plans to float the Naira currency from 20 June.

The regulatory body for Spanish sparkling wine Cava has announced a new Single Estate classification as producers look to raise the premium credentials of the product. 

Skin cancers, whether melanoma, basal cell, or squamous cell, are all increased by ultra-violet rays of the sun, and such cancers are much more common in areas of the world with more sun exposure. The risk of such cancers, however, is higher among individuals reporting excessive tanning.

French wine group AdVini is in exclusive negotiations to acquire Burgundy-based Béjot Vins et Terroirs (BVT).

Mast-Jägermeister has appointed Michael Volke to the role of CEO, following executive board spokesman Paolo Dell' Antonio's decision to leave the company. 

The international spirits category is in danger of splitting in two as continued solid growth for premium brands glossed over big declines elsewhere, new IWSR figures for 2015 show.

A new study has found a large disparity between what industry executives think customers want and what customers say they require.

just-drinks is launching a new series of regular articles, in which we take a closer look at the on-trade trends that are emerging in cities across the world. This month, Chivas brand ambassador Max Warner talks about the drinks, spirits and cultural trends driving the bar scene in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Brown-Forman's recent strategic moves represent a narrowing of the company's focus on its core strengths: Whisk(e)y in all its forms, with Tequila playing a supporting role. The big question now is whether that process should continue to its logical conclusion with the disposal of Finlandia vodka, a brand that has hardly been a star performer in recent times.

Beam Suntory has said a media report that highlights discord between US and Japanese management "doesn't reflect the very real success" of its integration with Suntory Holdings.

At a dinner in London last night, Gruppo Campari officially unveiled the latest permanent additions to its Glen Grant Scotch whisky range. The two 12-year-olds and one 18-year-old were first announced last month. Then, as last night, what sparked most interesting was their resolute age-statement credentials.