#WeekInPictures: db Awards winners announced as royalty visits Titanic Distillers in Belfast

This week’s drinks industry gatherings ranged from the announcement of the Drinks Business Awards 2026 winners to a royal visit at Titanic Distillers during the launch of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Elsewhere, mature Opus One vintages were poured in London, Acosta Tequila debuted in the UK and producers from Moldova and South Africa showcased new wines to the trade.

The Drinks Business Awards 2026 honoured global trade excellence

The Drinks Business Awards 2026 celebrated achievements across the international drinks trade, recognising innovation in design, retail, logistics, tourism, campaigns and sustainability, alongside leadership contributions shaping the future of the sector.

Opus One poured mature vintages at 67 Pall Mall

At 67 Pall Mall, Charlie Matthews, Export Director, Opus One, organised a tasting of vintages 1979-2000, hosted by chief winemaker, Michael Silacci, with Meghan Zobeck, director of Winemaking. Born of Mondavi and Rothschild, Opus One showed a more drinkable, Bordeaux-minded Napa than cliché permits: 1979 alive, cranberry-bright and precise; 1980, birth year of attendee, Douglas Blyde, supple; 1985 fleshy, beautifully rounded; 1986 absurdly youthful; 1987 smoky and bell-pepper edged; 1989 tight, yet highly drinkable, picked after Silacci woke to rain and called in seven picking crews. The bottles came direct from the winery, recorked and topped with the same vintage. Across the first decade, what struck most was the absence of alcohol heat: balance, acidity and precision.

Acosta Tequila launched in London

Frank Acosta, founder of Acosta Tequila, was in London as the Jalisco-made brand debuts in the UK through Boutique Brands. Made with 100% Blue Weber agave, stone-oven-cooked piñas, natural fermentation, and Cognac cask ageing, with Acosta personally hand-selecting casks, it has launched at Bagatelle Mayfair and Amazon (£250 for Joven, £265 for Reposado, £425 for Añejo). “I choose to build it with my hands,” said Acosta.

Moldova’s Spring Wine Vernissage drew more than 1,200 guests

Spring Wine Vernissage 2026 welcomed more than 1,200 visitors as 66 wineries presented over 500 wines, focusing on white, rosé and sparkling styles. Indigenous grapes Fetească Albă and Fetească Regală stood at the centre of the tasting, reflecting Moldova’s growing international profile.

Titanic Distillers welcomed Their Majesties to Belfast

Titanic Distillers hosted King Charles III and Queen Camilla during the official launch of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026 at Thompson Dock and Pumphouse in Belfast. Guests toured the restored distillery site with founders Peter Lavery and Stephen Symington before a whiskey tasting led by head distiller Damien Rafferty.

Babylonstoren unveiled its 2026 Mourvèdre Rosé

Babylonstoren introduced its 2026 Mourvèdre Rosé at The Newt in Somerset ahead of the wine’s return as the official rosé of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 for the sixth consecutive year. Cellar master Klaas Stoffberg described the vintage as shaped by a dry growing season delivering concentration and freshness, with notes of watermelon, rhubarb and cherry.

Canned Wine Co. enters more than 200 Waitrose stores with Grüner and Garnacha

Waitrose & Partners introduced two new wines from Canned Wine Co. across more than 200 stores nationwide. The new additions comprise a 2025 Grüner Veltliner sourced from Austrian producer Markus Huber and a 2022 oak-aged Garnacha made with Norrel Robertson MW. Founder Sophie Dodd described the launch as a significant moment for premium single-serve wine in UK retail, with the Grüner offering citrus and spice, while the Garnacha brings ripe cherry fruit with vanilla and baking spice from oak maturation.

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