Allied Domecq and Diageo are thought to be keen on acquiring New World wine companies. Rumours that Diageo was going to bid for Foster’s Brewing Group are indicative of such an interest.
Although forecasts issued by the organisers of the Vinexpo trade show argue that the world’s wine industry will face a surplus of more than 100m hl a year by 2005, Beringer Blass’ Managing Director, Terry Davis, was quoted as saying that there was still a shortage of premium grapes.
That is probably one of the reason why Australasian wine companies are on a frantic buying spree. In March Southcorp (Penfolds, Lindemans), which produces 18m cases, took over the family-owned Rosemount Estates wine company, which produces 4.25m cases, for A$1.5bn (US$735m).3bn company (US$2.1bn (US$539m)..

They will soon have to rephrase their famous tagline. According to Foster’s CEO, Ted Kunkel, serious consideration was given by the board to change the name for Foster’s Brewing Group (FBG) to reflect the changed status in the beverage and hospitality world. Foster’s expanding wine division, Mildara Blass, has already been renamed to Beringer Blass Wine Estates.
Forecasts indicate that earnings from Foster’s wine division will overtake those from beer in the next 18 months. FBG reported a 20.5 % increase in net profit (pre-abnormals) to A$293.1m (US$143m) for the half-year ended 31 December 2000. The result was ahead of market expectations. Analysts in Australia said that a three month earnings contribution (EBIT) from the newly acquired Beringer of A$63.6%..

Lion Nathan is preparing to fight a critical appraisal of its offer to buy up to 51 % of New Zealand winemaker Montana Group. A report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that the offer by Lion of NZ$3.20 to NZ$3.80 a share was too low. Fair value was in the range of NZ$4.16 to NZ$4.64 a share. Lion already holds 28.2 % of Montana.

DB Group, 76.6 % owned by Asia Pacific Breweries, said that it would begin a NZ$60 million redevelopment of its Waitemata brewery. The redevelopment, which includes a new packaging hall, is expected to be completed by the end of 2002.

It would have taken a long breath to succeed in the Chinese beer market. Too long apparently for Tasman brewer Lion Nathan. Rumour has it that Lion Nathan will sell its operations in China sometime soon. The assets are worth US$162 million. In the year ending 31 August 2000 Lion Nathan reported a loss of US$13.2 million in China, which makes it yet another year written in red ink since 1995.

In December, McWilliam’s Wines in Sydney recalled Holsten’s five-litre party keg due to an active yeast culture. Though it was claimed that the yeast was not harmful, the pressure build-up could cause seal failure. Customers were asked not to consume the product and to return it to the point of purchase for a full refund.

They gave us the sweaty palms and knee-trembling sort of cliff-hangers - and we judge from experience having suffered through the best cliff-hangers produced by Hollywood ever. Actually, it was a bit like a re-run of the street-emptying Penelope-Ulysses saga. Since September, the auction for the Seagram wines and spirits portfolio has kept potent suitors of the likes of Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Bacardi, Brown-Forman, Allied Domecq and Vin & Sprit on their toes. While the best and finest from Central Casting competed for Penelope’s favour, she or rather France’s Vivendi, a media, telecommunications and utilities conglomerate, feigned disinterest and patiently waited for the right one (read most cash rich one) to allow into her bed chamber.15 billion in cash on a debt free basis..

Carlsberg A/S (Carlsberg) has signed an agreement with the Asian Chang Beverage Company to form Carlsberg Asia Ltd. (Carlsberg Asia), a 50 : 50 joint venture that will look after the companies’ marketing and brewing activities in the Asian region. Carlsberg Asia will have a pro-forma net turnover of approximately US$770 million in the first year of operation. The pro-forma profits of the joint venture after tax are expected to be approximately US$100 million in the year 2001. Carlsberg Asia will, through its own breweries and licensed operations, brew 17 million hl of beer in its first year of operation, of which the Carlsberg brand is expected to represent 2.0 million hl.
The new company was established on January 1, 2001 with the head office in Singapore. Ltd..

Okay, the label is on the moronic side of tasteless, but we thought that if the Kiwis like it, who are we to judge. Blonde Mac, a wheat beer flavoured with orange peel and coriander, was released this past November to acknowledge Mac’s sponsorship of the Bizarre Bra section of the New Zealand Wearable Art Awards. It displays an automotive themed bra called "Hooters". Mac’s, a Nelson-based craft brewery owned by Tasman brewer Lion Nathan, has committed itself to releasing innovative beers which are supposed to capture the imagination of beer drinkers and non-beer drinkers alike. It has certainly achieved this goal. By the way, last year’s winner of the Bizarre Bra section was some contraption called "Flying Bazookas". Let’s hope its wearability was as high as Blonde Mac’s drinkability.

So James Bond, a.k.a Sean Connery, broke his promise that he would never return. Did we mind? Not a bit. Because "Bond ... James Bond" came back to save the world from an angst-master villain, enlisting the help of a woman with great pneumatic qualities. All was right.
Some years back, Asahi vowed that it would never enter the Happoshu market, a promise it broke in February with the introduction of the low-priced Asahi Honnama label. Happoshu tastes like beer but is usually significantly (ca. 30 %) cheaper than beer due to its low malt content, which attracts lower taxes.
Whether all is right in the Japanese beer market is open to doubt as Happoshu products last year accounted for 22.2 % of Japan’s malt beverage market. While Happoshu’s sales rose 15.
Asahi, Japan’s No..