The Drinks Business

6 days ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Lauren Eads

Zero-alcohol wines are now outperforming their low-alcohol counterparts as consumer preferences evolve rapidly. With innovation accelerating and major producers investing in premium offerings, the future of alcohol-free wine is increasingly sparkling. For years, the wine industry has worked towards developing the technology necessary to produce a low ABV wine in hopes of finding a balance between moderation and quality.

6 days ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Sophie Arundel

Despite ideal conditions for organic viticulture in Mendoza, Dr Laura Catena, managing director of the Catena Zapata winery in Argentina, tells db why scaling organic productionisn’t always easy – or cheap. While Mendoza may seem like paradise for organic wine production, the reality of scaling up isn’t as straightforward as the sunshine might suggest.

6 days ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Louis Thomas

The tiny enclave of Vatican City might just be the world’s most secretive wine market. Louis Thomas investigates. The year 2025 is already proving to be a milestone for Vatican City. The death of Pope Francis, aged 88, on 21 April coincided with it being a Jubilee Year, which is typically celebrated every quarter of a century. More than 30 million pilgrims are expected to flock to Rome, and to the microstate housed within it, over the course of this year.

6 days ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Eloise Feilden

US-based soju brand Tokki Soju has taken over The Old Man in Hong Kong to reimagine classic cocktails with a Korean twist. Tokki Soju, the brand of Korean rice spirit founded by master distiller Brandon Hill in 2016, has partnered with Hong Kong cocktail bar The Old Man. The takeover, a two-month pop-up experience, sees the bar reimagine classic cocktails, using Tokki Soju’s products to give the drinks a Korean twist.

6 days ago | thedrinksbusiness.com | Eloise Feilden

China has opened up a direct shipping route to Peru amid ongoing tensions with the US. Eloise Feilden explores what this means for wines from South American countries including the likes of Chile and Argentina. Guangzhou Port, the largest shipping hub in southern China, opened a direct route to Peru’s Chancay port at the end of April, Chinese broadcaster CCTV has reported. The move is an attempt to reduce logistics costs and bolster Chinese trade with South America amid a tariff war with the US.