This week in the world of drinks: England rugby star Chris Robshaw pays a visit to Nyetimber, Blur’s Alex James goes one step further with plans to make his own English fizz under the name Britpop, Erdinger prepares to serve 250,000 pints during Oktoberfest in London and a whisky release prompts a police call-out in Scotland.

We were asked this week whether we thought Angélus 2005 might now be worth buying, after its decline against an otherwise firm market, and the query threw up two interesting points. First, it pays to shop around, and second, a Parker 100-pointer still has a certain cachet.

American beer brand Budweiser is more popular in China than in its homeland, with sales in China surpassing those in the US for the first time this year.

The Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, has had a pub installed in time for its maiden voyage to the US later this month.

As drought conditions continue to grip much of South Australia, winemakers in Hunter Valley are preparing to begin culling kangaroos, which, desperate for food, could threaten the industry come September.

Renowned French chef Alain Ducasse has lodged a lawsuit, fighting against his eviction from the famed Jules Verne Restaurant at the top of the Eiffel Tower, after losing the tender to a pair of rival chefs.

The on-going strength of California’s leading labels has prompted Liv-ex to launch an index that tracks five of the state’s top fine wines.

Sotheby’s has announced further details of the wines of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti that are being sold from the cellars of Robert Drouhin this autumn.

db‘s Phoebe French heads to wine bar and restaurant Linden Stores for warm pea and oozy Yorkshire fettle cheese croquettes, smoked and fried spuds slathered in gutsy bovril mayo and Turkish Sauvignon Gris.