The UK government is too influenced by supermarkets and the drinks industry, according to a new report issued by MPs.

The Commons health committee said the drinks industry and supermarkets hold more power over the government than health experts and called for a minimum price for alcohol, a rise in duty and much tighter regulations.

But Prime Minister Gordon Brown dismissed the idea of minimum pricing when it was suggested last year by Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer, saying it would unfairly hit the majority who are moderate drinkers.

The average moderate drinker would pay 11 pence more per week for alcohol if a minimum price of 40 pence per unit was set, the report said.Read more

Children introduced to alcohol by their parents more likely to grow into problem drinkers

Parents who give their child the occasional glass of wine with their meal could be turning them into binge drinkers, scientists have warned.

Growing numbers of middle class parents are following the example of French families and allowing their offspring to drink wine with their meals, in the belief it will teach them to drink responsibly, The Daily Mail has reported.

But now a study has found children who are introduced to alcohol by their parents are more likely to grow into problem drinkers later in life.Read more

Supermarket launches its first ever World of Wine Showcase

Waitrose is taking its customers on a round-the-world trip in a bid to encourage wine lovers to be more adventurous.

From 2 September to 27 September the supermarket will launch its first ever World of Wine Showcase, where its wine team has chosen special parcels from the world’s best wine-making regions to encourage its customers to explore some of the more interesting grape varieties.Read more

Tours offered along the Moselle, Rhine and Main to Germany’s capitals of wine

Forget visiting Berlin, Germany has so much more to offer. Why not explore the famous wine regions including some of the country’s beautiful historic cities along the river valleys of Moselle, Rhine and Main?

The 14 cities of the “Historic Highlights of Germany” network include some of the country’s major destinations for wine lovers such as Trier, Koblenz, Mainz and Würzburg. Here, vineyards, wine festivals and historic buildings wait to be discovered.Read more

A dozen men and women will compete to launch their own wine brand

The six-part 30 minute series of The Winemakers will air on the US public broadcast network PBS next month.

It will see a cast of six men and six women – lawyers, teachers, engineers and wine retailers – compete in action-packed challenges to create a brand from the grape to the bottle to the store shelf. Professional winemakers have been excluded.
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