Louis Thomas

St Albans

Staff Writer at The Drinks Business

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Articles

Simon Rogan releases rosé

5 days ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Louis Thomas

Simon Rogan, the restaurateur behind the likes of L’Enclume and Aulis, has partnered with Wiston Estate in West Sussex to launch an English sparkling rosé. The Simon Rogan x Wiston Sparkling Rosé is a classic Champagne-style blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay. A non-vintage traditional method sparkling, it does contain a some reserve wines from Wiston Estate going back to 2009.
Josh branches out into non-alcoholic fizz

1 week ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Louis Thomas

Having gone viral on social media last year, Josh Cellars is now hoping to capitalise on another trend – the rise of non-alcoholic sparkling wine. Although it was founded in 2007 by Joseph Carr as a tribute to his father, Josh, the US wine brand really hit the mainstream in January 2024 when online commenters latched onto the fact that the wine had a person’s name, with a flurry of memes generating significant publicity for Josh Cellars.
Humble Chicken reopens after renovation

1 week ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Louis Thomas

Humble Chicken reopens today after a three-month renovation, with the revamped Soho restaurant on the hunt for a third Michelin Star. It was only in February that Humble Chicken, opened by Angelo Sato in 2021, received its second star in the latest edition of the Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland, having gained the first in 2024, a year after its first refurbishment.
Breakthrough in Italy’s de-alcoholised wine 'deadlock'

1 week ago | news.wine.co.za | Louis Thomas

In late 2024, Italy’s minster of agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, permitted Italian wine to be marketed as ‘wine’ even if its alcohol had been removed – if the ABV was below 0.5%, it could be deemed ‘de-alcholised’, whereas between 0.5% and 8.5%, it would be considered ‘partially de-alcoholised’. This marked a major u-turn of Lollobrgida’s own views expressed during Vinitaly 2024.
Stonegate prepares for job cuts

1 week ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Louis Thomas

Stonegate Group, which operates more than 4,000 pubs and bars across the UK, is reportedly planning a major restructure which could result in the loss of 150 jobs. Reported in , it has been revealed that Stonegate Group is in talks with consulting firm AlixPartners over plans to restructure the business. Stonegate Group, formed in 2010, is now the largest pub group in the UK and the operator behind the likes of Slug & Lettuce, Be At One, Pubsmiths, Heritage Pubs and more.
Fuller's toasts 'excellent' FY2025

2 weeks ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Louis Thomas

Fuller, Smith & Turner P.L.C. has released its Full Year Results 2025, with the pub operator reporting rises in both food and drink sales in the 52 weeks to 29 March 2025. Like-for-like sales of food across Fuller’s pubs were up 4.8% and for drinks it increased by 5.3%, and overall revenue rose to £376.3 million, a 4.8% increase on FY2024’s figure of £359.1m. Adjusted profit before tax increased by 32%, going from £20.5m to £27m.
Tenuta Rapitalà boss leaves amid GIV acquisition

2 weeks ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Louis Thomas

Gruppo Italiano Vini (GIV) has completed its acquisition of Tenuta Rapitalà, located in western Sicily, with second generation owner Laurent Bernard de la Gatinais stepping down from his position at the winery. Tenuta Rapitalà, in the province of Palermo, came under the custodianship of the Gatinais family 1968 when Frenchman Hugues Bernard de la Gatinais and Sicilian Gigi Guarrasi married and undertook the modernisation of the winery.
An introduction to Valtènesi rosé

3 weeks ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Louis Thomas

Nestled between the Alps and Lake Garda, the region of Valtènesi in Northern Italy is a haven for the production of gastronomically-inclined rosé. Situated in the east of Lombardy, Valtènesi’s vineyard area covers 800 hectares across 18 municipalties in the province of Brescia.
Why Etna's eruption was not as bad as it looked

3 weeks ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Louis Thomas

Dramatic shots of huge plumes of ash bursting from Mount Etna yesterday sent the media into frenzy, but, at least as far as this Sicilian region’s wine industry is concerned, it’s business as usual. Shots of tourists stampeding down the slopes of Etna as the a huge cloud of grey ash mushroomed behind them resembled scenes from a Hollywood disaster movie, with the speed and scale of this latest eruption capturing the world’s attention.
Trivet team opens Mayfair restaurant

3 weeks ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Louis Thomas

Sommelier Isa Bal and chef Johnny Lake, the founders of the two Michelin-starred Trivet near London Bridge, are due to open a new restaurant at the COMO Metropolitan London this September. Trivet, which opened in late 2019, has become one of London’s most-celebrated restaurants, gaining it’s first Michelin Star 2022 and a second two years later. Now, Bal and Lake will be opening their second location together.