Europe Intelligence Wire articles from June 2008

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from June 2008

Zubkov Subdued in Gazprom Debut.
June 30, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) In a departure from his trademark brusque public style, First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov read from prepared notes while delivering a carefully worded maiden speech as chairman of Gazprom on Friday. ...

Estonian Leader's Freedom Call Creates Storm.
June 30, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) KHANTY-MANSIISK The Kremlin left the Estonian president off the guest list for a Finno-Ugric conference last year. It might wish that it had snubbed him again this weekend. Estonian President Toomas Ilves...

Wall St. Watering Hole.
June 30, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) Wall St. Bar, as the name might suggest, is positioning itself as a place for stock traders and the like to unwind after a hard day working the markets. While Moscow may not have a long-standing tradition of such...

Cash Couriers Robbed During Football Game.
June 30, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) As much of the city was engrossed in a football match, armed assailants attacked two cash couriers delivering money to a Russky Standart bank branch in southwestern Moscow, killing one and briefly making off with...

Lavrov: Few Concessions Over WTO.
June 30, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) Moscow will make few compromises with the European Union in a wood tariffs dispute seen as the final hurdle in the country's bid to join the World Trade Organization, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday....

Putin Offers Assurances On Inflation.
June 30, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Sunday that a recent decision to boost the minimum wage "shouldn't have a serious effect" on inflation. Speaking before State Duma deputies from the ruling United Russia...

Looking Behind The Mirror.
June 30, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) I haven't seen eyes as hungry and excited as those of Russian women looking at cosmetics in any other country in a long time," Fred Langhammer, president and CEO of the Estee Lauder Group, told Expert magazine...

Shareholders demand share of proceeds from Deutsche Post sale of banking subsidiary.
June 28, 2008... (From Suddeutsche Zeitung) DSW, the German shareholder protection association, has called upon Deutsche Post, the German postal service provider, to pay a bonus or special dividend to shareholders if it sells its banking subsidiary,...

IKB shareholders urged to take action.
June 27, 2008... (From Borsen-Zeitung) DSW, the German shareholder protection association, is urging shareholders in IKB Deutsche Industriebank, the German bank which finances medium-sized businesses, to secure damage claims against the bank before July...

Possible merger is back on the cards for DZ Bank and WGZ Bank.
June 27, 2008... (From Suddeutsche Zeitung) The announcement that Christopher Pleister is to resign as head of the German co-operative financial association BVR appears to reflect a mood of change. DZ Bank and WGZ Bank, the two central banks of the...

Siemens management discusses restructuring plan.
June 27, 2008... (From Suddeutsche Zeitung) The management of German technologies group Siemens held a meeting on Thursday to discuss restructuring plans which, according to informed circles, could involve up to 15,000 job losses, of which many in...

Late-Landing Solana Upstaged by Medvedev.
June 27, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) KHANTY-MANSIISK -- EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana found out Thursday that it does not pay to be tardy. Solana's plane touched down about an hour late at the Khanty-Mansiisk airport, where the four...

Khodorkovsky Told To Seek Early Release.
June 27, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) As jailed former Yukos chief Mikhail Khodorkovsky turned 45 on Thursday, his lawyers and human rights activists urged him to appeal for early release. Khodorkovsky's lawyer Yury Schmidt said he had drafted an...

Wife Held Hostage at Gunpoint in Car.
June 27, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) A jealous businessman took his common-law wife hostage Thursday morning in central Moscow, holding her at gunpoint inside his sports utility vehicle until police commandoes stormed the vehicle, arrested the...

Naryshkin in Surprise Visit to Chechnya.
June 27, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Naryshkin and his deputy, Vladislav Surkov, made a surprise visit Thursday to Chechnya to meet with Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov and discuss local governance and economic...

AAR Threatens Suit Over Meeting It Led.
June 27, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) The Russian billionaires who own half of TNK-BP threatened new legal action against BP on Thursday for not following their wishes at a shareholders meeting presided over by one of their own representatives. ...

Chubais Praises TNK-BP Shareholders.
June 27, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) OGK-1, majority owned by Unified Energy System, said Thursday that it had created a joint venture with TNK-BP, which UES chief Anatoly Chubais hailed as "a sign of a positive future" for the embattled oil firm....

Getting Sour, Sluggish and Old on Kvas.
June 27, 2008... (From The Moscow Times) To Our ReadersThe Moscow Times welcomes letters to the editor. Letters for publication should be signed and bear the signatory's address and telephone number. Letters to the editor should be sent by fax to...

Suppliers need to be more 'personal'.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Laura Clark Independent retailers say suppliers are not doing enough to help them compete with the multiples and promote responsible drinking. Retailers at the Federation of Wholesale Distributors'...

Cider tops movers list.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Bulmers Original is the fastest-growing drinks brand in the British off-trade, OLN can reveal. The Scottish & Newcastle cider saw sales rocket by 320% in the past year, according to Nielsen data published today in...

Retailers sceptical of 4% Stella launch.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) The imminent launch of a lower-strength version of Stella Artois has received a lukewarm response from retailers concerned it will further erode the beer's image and clutter the category. Buyers fear Inbev's...

Davenport direct.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) The ink is barely dry on the deal which will see bar counters and beer aisles painted Heineken green and the historic loss of S&N, the country's last major brewer - but the stage looks set for another significant...

Feedback.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Oh no, here we go again. Not content with driving up "Challenge" limits and demanding excessive levels of record-keeping on attempted under-age purchase, the police - or one high profile one at least - come up...

Top cop's plan could improve customer-retailer relations.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) My first thought on reading your story about the police chief who wants to seeAalcohol sold only over-the-counter wasAone of horror at yet more unjustified, anti-retailer propaganda from the prohibitionist lobby....

A storm is brewing.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) If Inbev's attempted acquisition of Anheuser-Busch comes off it will set in chain the biggest upheaval the take-home beer category has seen in modern times. Should the $46 billion deal survive Busch family...

To delist, or not to delist.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Is there such a thing as an irresponsible drink? It's a question that has been with us for a while now. In certain areas of the drinks industry clear guidelines are laid down to remove ambiguity around this idea....

MARKET MONITOR A graphic guide to the off-trade.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) A parking space outside the shop, a council with a positive attitude towards motorists , friendly traffic wardens - all can mean make or break for off-licences. A poll by Virgin Money Car Insurance has ranked the...

Change for the better.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) For most employers - small employers in particular - it is likely that the most significant upcoming legal change will be the Employment Bill's repeal of the statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures. These...

Is stocking Cognac a good idea?
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Q What's the state of play with Cognac sales? Are they still in decline and if so, what are people buying instead? I'm planning a review of my spirits range and would like to get the balance right. A Actually,...

the forum.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Q How often should I send out email alerts to my customers? IAdon' want to appear too pushy or unenthusiastic. Is once a fortnight about right? A It all depends on how much you're expecting your customers to...

Honesty is the best policy.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Q We have started writing tongue-in-cheek shelf tickets, making extravagant claims such as "this is the best wine ever made" or "the Queen serves this to heads of state". I thought it was clear we were just having...

Oddbins goes for smaller parcels.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Oddbins buyers are sourcing small, unusual parcels of wine in a bid to keep shop staff interested - and will not be stepping up the chain's branded offering. Six week-long promotions will focus on wines from...

Angostura invests AGBP15 million in European launch of rums.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Nigel Huddleston The flagship rums of Trinidad's Angostura are to be given a UK release through the distiller's sister company, Paragon Vintners, as part of a Europe-wide push for the brand. A...

Meteor storms into mini-kegs.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Alsace brewer Meteor is to enter the fledgling in-home draught lager sector with the launch of its own mini-keg system in the UK. The Meteor Draft system will be imported by speciality beer distributor...

Wine has winning ways.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Wine sales in supermarkets and off-licences are up a healthy 5%, according to the latest data, with sparkling wine growth leading the way. Although the figure is not quite as impressive as the 6% recorded by...

In Brief.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Thresher's McEvoy joins Spar Former Thresher and Sainsbury's wine buyer Helen McEvoy has joined Spar, replacing Giles Walker, who has moved to Morrisons. McEvoy joined Sainsbury's in 2004 and became buyer for...

OLN's fastest movers.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Fastest growing" is a phrase beloved of suppliers whose products sell one unit in the first year and three the next. Happily, our chart concentrates purely on brands which are already shifting respectable volumes...

Cider continues its inexorable march.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) It seems a long time since the dark days of Bulmers, a seemingly moribund brand which was over-traded, under-packaged and over the hill. The big plastic bottles with 50% extra free symbolised everything that was...

Beer hangs in the balance.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Beer is a category currently witnessing some depressing declines - and the situation has worsened since our chart was compiled. When the calculations were done, the off-trade beer market was static. The latest...

Boom time for Chile.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) In the wine sector, any brand achieving a sales uplift of 6% or above can pride themselves on a market-beating performance. Concha y Toro's 80.8% increase is, however you look at it, extraordinary. "It has...

The spirit to make an off-trade stake in.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) On the spirits front, Absolut has turned in the star performance and is perhaps ending years of relative under-achievement in the UK market. Pernod Ricard will find the brand in good shape in this country, thanks...

Wine sweatshop will be reality.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Anyone who wears Primark clothing will have been shocked by the revelations in this week's Panorama. Working undercover, the BBC current affairs programme discovered that three of the chain's Indian suppliers use...

Oz harvest bucks expectations.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Nigel Huddleston The boss of the Winemakers' Federation of Australia says grape production figures for 2008 show the country is still capable of meeting the quality demands of the global market. A...

Arniston Bay says it's a shore contest.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) The Company of Wine People has run a week-long campaign for the Arniston Bay pouch . More than 4 million people were targeted through a competition in the Metro and a consumer sampling drive in mainline city...

Sainsbury's revamps look.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Sainsbury's has launched the first wine in its repackaged own-label range - a Hungarian Pinot Grigio. The redesign aims to give the range a consistent, more premium look, as well as make labels clearer and...

Casillero in box seat after Summer Proms sponsorship deal.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Chilean wine brand Casillero del Diablo is the exclusive wine sponsor of the Summer Proms series of concerts that takes place at 25 castles and stately homes from July to September. The deal gives the company...

Two additions for Gnarly Head in UK.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Bibendum Wine is launching two wines under the Gnarly Head brand from Californian producer Delicato. The Chardonnay and Merlot varietals are being listed by Sainsbury's with a bottle price of AGBP6.65. ...

Heidsieck shows market bubbling.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Charles Heidsieck has added a non-vintage rosA Champagne to its range. The new RosA Reserve fizz will be available exclusively as the Champagne of the Month for June at London's Ritz hotel, before going...

Mateus turns to Portugal.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Mateus has launched what it claims is the first ever sparkling rosA wine from Portugal to enter the UK market. The non-vintage Sparkling Brut RosA has been added to the Mateus range by distributor First Drinks...

Namaqua backs Twenty20 Cup.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) The Namaqua South African wine brand is sponsoring Sky Sports' live coverage and highlights of matches in cricket's Twenty20 Cup. The deal includes on-air coverage for the brand through idents and break...

Prosecco leads rise in Waitrose sales.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Nigel Huddleston Waitrose says it is selling more sparkling wine than ever before, with prosecco showing the most dramatic uplift in sales. Total sparkling wine sales are ahead by 13% year on year,...

Wine in brief.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) l Alsace wines grew sales by 7.9% to AGBP5.4 million in the UK in 2007, and boosted volumes 2.4% to 12,800hl. The UK is the sixth-biggest export market for Alsace, which grew its overall volumes by 0.8% to 1.1...

Big day celebrated with Pop culture.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) A bottle clad in the Stars & Stripes has been added to the Pop Champagne range ahead of US Independence Day on July 4. The 20cl special edition from the Pommery Champagne house will have a UK rrp of AGBP13.50....

Voga in vogue with revolutionary bottle.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) A range of wines in a revolutionary cylindrical bottle is being brought to the UK by Guy Anderson Wines. Voga Pinot Grigio was launched by Italian producer Enoitalia in the US in 2005 and is now aiming to tap...

JW Lees eyes Majestic's patch.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Graham Holter Manchester brewer JW Lees is to challenge Majestic with the planned opening of around 20 wine retail warehouses in its north west heartland. The brewer's Willoughby's wine division...

Don' miss International Beer Challenge 2008.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) The world's biggest packaged beer competition, the International Beer Challenge, is once again open for entries. The competition, chaired by respected beer critic Jeff Evans and organised by OLN publisher...

Aluminium bottle for new Beaujolais.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Boisset, one of the first producers to release a wine in Tetra Pak in the UK, has launched a Beaujolais in an aluminium bottle. Beaujolais brand Mommessin has already won silver awards for creativity, style...

Peroni Nastro Azzurro.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) is offering a trip for 16 people to the Italian Grand Prix in a new cash and carry promotion. The tickets are being given away in prize draws and staff incentives which will reward the best in-store displays. Over...

The winners revealed.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) On June 10 and 11, a team of 16 judges led by Tim Atkin MW tasted nearly 900 wines to select a line-up of the best Spanish wines available to the UK off-trade. After two days of intense scrutiny the judges had...

The next big thing.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) aoe San Juan Shiraz San Juan has been compared by some to the Barossa in terms of its landscape and terroir, so it should be no surprise that Shiraz thrives in this dry, sun-kissed climate. Although it's not quite...

The hills are alive ...
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Aquiet revolution is happening in Austrian wine: exports are shooting up across the board, and those to the UK - its sixth-biggest export market - grew 27.5% to E2.5 million in 2007. In the year to Nov 3 ,...

Romans ready to conquer the unbelievers.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Roman Pfaffl and his wife Adelheid started out in 1978 with just 0.7ha of vineyards. Like many of their neighbours in Stetten , north of Vienna, they had 20ha of mixed agricultural land plus cows, pigs and...

Biodynamic future to cram terroir into bottle.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) As an only son with two older sisters, Hannes Sabathi was destined to take on his family business - and did so at 19, assuming full responsibility for both vineyards and winemaking. He now manages a 13ha estate....

Breaking the gender barrier with a passion.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) As a woman winemaker, Sylvia Prieler is unusual in conservative Austria. The eldest child of Engelbert and Irmgard Prieler, with a younger sister and much younger brother, she studied molecular genetics and had no...

Making the people happy.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Maverick winemaker-cum-marketing guru Willi Opitz is a man on a mission. "We don' want to make the people drunk, we want to make the people happy," he says, pushing the corners of his mouth upwards. Opitz's...

Wines with a strong sense of self.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Willi BrAndlmayer took over his parents' wine business in Langenlois, Lower Austria, in 1981 - just four years before the anti-freeze scandal. But when it hit, his wines were quickly cleared: "All the wines which...

Gastronomy is key to Austrian breakthrough.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Markus Huber is the 10th generation working the Traisental vineyards the family has owned since 1778. He has worked there since he was tiny, and studied oenology before spending two years in South Africa at...

Other European newcomers are advancing on the UK.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Central and eastern European countries are targeting UK wine drinkers - and with their diverse range of climates, terroirs and indigenous and international grapes they could see a sales boost as the pound weakens...

Out of the wreckage.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) In a climate of war and religious persecution, producing wine can be a dangerous business. But living with danger has been the norm for generations of Israeli and Lebanese winemakers, who are attempting to...

Investment for Wadworth.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Wiltshire's Wadworth brewery is investing AGBP1.5 million in an environmentally friendly brewhouse in a bid to cut its carbon footprint. The four new stainless steel brewing vessels will replace the copper...

Best of Spain's wines are revealed.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) The red Rioja Luis CaAas Reserva Especial Amaren 2002 and the white Mas d'en Compte 2006 are the overall winners in this year's New Wave Spanish Wine Awards competition, which took place in London on June 10 and...

Smoking ban fails to ignite revolution.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Nigel Huddleston Consumers are spending less on tobacco than a year ago - but the ban on smoking in public places hasn' had a significant impact on long-term trends. Tobacco Manufacturers'...

Beards are exposed at latest beer event.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) A four-day consumer event will bring international products, food matching and education to London's beer lovers and category newcomers. Beer Exposed will take place at the Business Design Centre in Islington...

In Brief.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Chilean wine match Chilean winemakers have joined forces with the University of California in Davis to work together on a series of research projects. Research organisations Vinnova and Technovid will team up with...

Landmark Keane on own-label cider.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Christine Boggis Cash and carry chain Landmark Wholesale has launched an own-label over-ice cider to retail at AGBP1.39 for a pint bottle. Keane's has 4.5% abv and aims to give Landmark's...

Global drops two beer imports.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Global Brands has dropped two imported beer brands - but is still committed to beer and keen on new brands. The company has axed Viru from Estonia and Carib from Trinidad & Tobago , saying the move came as it...

Cobra revs up track offer.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Cobra Beer is giving consumers the chance to win VIP track days at Silverstone in an on-pack promotion. The promotion launched last week and will run on all four-packs of Cobra 5.0% Premium and Zero %. The...

Broadland creates Belgars brand.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Broadland Wineries, which contract-makes and bottles fruit wine and perry for trade customers, is entering the branded drinks market in its own right. The Norfolk-based company has created Belgars, an umbrella...

Beer in brief.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) l Asda has gained an exclusive listing for a beer brewed by England cricketer Matthew Hoggard. The 3.8% abv Marston's Night Watchman was crafted by the fast bowler under the guidance of the producer's head brewer...

Stella has lift-off over London.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Stella Artois is sponsoring an airship that will offer fare-paying passengers flights over London through the summer. The airship takes to the skies from July 10 for six weeks, with flights taking off from...

The hunt for Russia's Stoli.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Byline: Laura Clark Russian vodka Stolichnaya looks set to become the subject of a multi-billion-pound bidding war between the world's leading spirits companies. SPI, the brand's Russian owner, has hired...

A fine epitaph for Jackson.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) William Grant & Sons is launching a new version of its Glenfiddich Rare Collection 40 Year Old Single Malt in honour of whisky writer and broadcaster Michael Jackson. Jackson, who passed away last summer aged...

Glayva's offer gets the juices flowing.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) Whyte & Mackay is running an on-pack promotion for its Glayva liqueur, which is a blend of fruit, spices and malt whisky. Bottle-neck tags will feature the recipe for a selection of summer drinks, including...

Disaronno fires fashion statement salvo.
June 27, 2008... (From Off Licence News) First Drinks Brands is rolling out a raft of marketing initiatives for its liqueur brand Disaronno. Created to drive sales among fashion-conscious young women, the push will include an opportunity for...