Laurent-Perrier’s Alexandra Grande Cuvée Rosé 2004 is now available to retail nationally. This is the first time the vintage Cuvée Rosé – one of the House’s most prestigious Champagnes – has been available in Australia, and while the market for rosé Champagnes is relatively small here, the brand is hoping the new release will help to grow the category; working with a number of leading on-premise venues to…

The Glenlivet has released The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve – a new SKU that will become a permanent benchmark expression in the brand’s core range. The announcement has come in the wake of an unparalleled year of growth for the brand, with similar newly introduced (but limited-availability) expressions thought to be an underpinning of the success. Anne Martin, Marketing Director for Pernod Ricard Australi…

Jacob’s Creek has created a new product that combines wine with cider. Using white grape and apple juice, Pip & Seed according to the brand offers a lighter and cleaner style of cider that’s not as sweet as most. To produce the new release, Jacob’s Creek Winemaker, Rebekah Richardson used her knowledge of winemaking to blend locally-sourced Australian apple juice with the brand’s wine. Ms. Richardson …

Small Acres Cyder has released the 2013 vintage of its The Cat’s Pyjamas cider. Named after the 1920s saying, meaning the best that you can do, The Cat’s Pyjamas is only produced in good vintages. Small Acres Cyder uses 100 per cent estate grown apples that have fruit and acid balance. The cider house also uses Methode Traditionnelle to produce this premium cider, including malolactic fermentation, lees s…

Cleighten Cornelius, winemaker for the Mud House brand in New Zealand, was in Australia last week to celebrate the arrival of the latest vintage release of their Central Otago Pinot Noir. Mud House has been producing this flagship wine for ten years now and each year the wine just keeps getting better, receiving numerous accolades around the world. Cleighten is really positive about the 2014 vintage; the …

Beam Suntory has released Hibiki Japanese Harmony in Australia this week – a modern recreation of one of the House’s original blends. First distilled in 1989 to commemorate House of Suntory’s 90 year anniversary, Hibiki epitomises Suntory founder, Shinjiro Torii’s vision of creating a truly Japanese whisky – subtle, refined, yet complex – a whisky that would suit the delicate Japanese palate and enhance t…

Previously distributed by Bacardi Lion, island2island Beverage Company has now secured the rights to Distell’s Amarula Cream Liqueur in Australia. The two already have a strong relationship in Australia with island2island managing Distell’s Burn Stewart Scotch portfolio. Sam Martin, Regional Business Manager for Distell comments: “Distell’s strategy to consolidate and focus has led to the decision to appo…

Inspired by the Tooheys brothers’ first brewery, Darling Pale Ale is the newest release from the brand, now offering consumers an easy drinking style beer alongside Tooheys New, Old Dark Ale and Extra Dry. Purchased in 1872, Darling Brewery was where John Thomas Toohey and James Mathew Toohey brewed their first beer – Tooheys Black Old Ale, known today as Tooheys Old Dark Ale. While making reference to th…

Murray’s Dark Winter Beers Distributed by: Murray’s Craft Brewing Co Murray’s Craft Brewing Co. has released five new dark winter beers, including its iconic Wild Thing Imperial Stout, plus a Wild Thing Chocolate Imperial Stout. Released each June, this year’s dark beer releases also include a Strong Belgian Ale – The Night Demon, a Dunkelweizen – Ronny Dunkel and a Baltic Porter – Ashes to Ashes. “Dar…

Distributed by: Accolade Wines RRP: 2014 vintages $29.99 and 2013 vintages $39.99 A number of new multi-regional blends have been added to Hardys’ Heritage Reserve Bin (HRB) range. Wines in the range aim to showcase the result of combined fruit from across Australia, a method first coined by young Thomas Hardy in 1865, when he blended a parcel from the Adelaide Plains with another from the Southern Dist…