Wine imports soared 31 percent in 2006 from a year earlier as a growing number of people enjoyed the grape beverage deemed beneficial to health, a report showed yesterday.
The country’s wine imports reached $88.6 million last year, up from $67.6 million the previous year, according to the report by the Agriculture and Fisheries Marketing Corp. [...]

The European Union on Thursday asked India to cut high import duties on wine and spirits, seeking to resolve the issue through talks rather than turning to litigation at the World Trade Organization.
The European Union is disappointed that India’s 2007-2008 budget unveiled last week didn’t lower the duties on wine and spirits which are seen [...]

The government has cut by half duties on wine, beer and other types of liquor to promote tourism and the alcoholic beverage trade, Financial Secretary Henry Tang said in his annual budget speech.He said duties on beer and other types of liquor containing not more than 30 pct of alcohol will be cut to 20 [...]

The value of Australia’s wine exports rose to $2.8 billion in 2005/06, new figures show.
The two per cent increase on the previous year comes as more Australian wine than ever is consumed locally and overseas.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ASX: ABS.ax) figures showed 722 million litres of wine was exported in 2005/06 - eight per [...]

Shanghai’s A shares have a market value of 7.46 trillion yuan and Shenzhen’s 1.89 trillion yuan, compared with respective totals of US$6.92 billion and 82.2 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$7.37 billion) for their B shares, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The value of A shares traded in Shanghai averaged US$3.04 billion a day last [...]

WINE warehouse chain Majestic said yesterday it was “pleased” with trading over Christmas after like-for-like sales improved 4.4% on a year earlier.
The group, which has 133 outlets, said wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Spain and New Zealand sold particularly well, while there was a further increase in demand for Champagne.
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Jan. 4 (Bloomberg) — Constellation Brands Inc., the world’s largest winemaker, said third-quarter profit fell, missing some analysts’ estimates, on lower wine sales in the U.K. The company lowered its annual earnings forecast.
Net income in the three months ended Nov. 30 dropped to $107.8 million, or 45 cents a share, from $109 million, or 46 [...]

There has been a true boom for “Made in Italy” wine exports to the United States, with an increase of +7.6%, and the concrete possibility of reaching a total value of one billion dollars by the end of the year (thanks in part to the effects of the Italian World Cup soccer victory). These are [...]

 MUMBAI: Indians are warming up to imported wines like never before. The market for imported wines is expanding at a brisk pace, posing an impressive growth of 80% in ’05-06. According to the figures from the customs authorities, wine imported in ’04-05 was worth $5.24million while the figure was close to $10million for ’05-06.
Understandably, the [...]

By ONLINE REPORTER
November 23, 2006
 
EUROPEAN judges have rejected a legal bid to allow online shoppers to buy cut-price cigarettes and alcohol from the Continent.  
The decision is a blow to consumers hoping for a pre-Christmas bonanza.
But it is good news for Chancellor Gordon Brown, who had been facing a multi-billion-pound-a-year hole in revenue from domestic excise [...]

The European Union (EU) is scheduled to request formal consultations on Monday with India in the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding India’s import regime for spirits and wines, said the European Commission.
This decision follows an investigation carried out in the framework of the EU’s Trade Barriers Regulation at the request of the EU spirits and wines industry.
The [...]

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will lodge a formal complaint against India with the World Trade Organisation next week over the taxes and duties the country levies on EU wine imports, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
“Their regime is not compatible with WTO rules. There are trade barriers that are a clear breach of [...]

TOKYO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Kirin Brewery Co. (2503.T: Quote, NEWS, Research) said on Thursday it would buy a 50.89 percent stake in wine maker Mercian Corp. (2536.T: Quote, NEWS, Research) for 24.8 billion yen ($210.6 million)
The beer maker said it would pay 370 yen per Mercian share, a 41 pct premium to Mercian’s closing [...]

Top Ulster wine merchant to set up in France if tax rules change
By Lesley-Anne Henry
14 November 2006An Ulster wine merchant today said he will set up business in France if a new ruling on European imports goes ahead.
James Nicholson, who runs one of the biggest distribution companies in Northern Ireland, said he would expand his [...]