ALLIED DOMECQ, the maker of Beefeater gin and Ballantines whisky,
looks set to lose the bidding battle for Montana Group, New Zealand's
biggest wine producer.
But the UK company will not abandon its hopes of boosting its wine
portfolio. Yesterday, the group admitted that it is interested in
buying Kendall- Jackson, a private Californian wine producer valued
at $1.2bn (pounds 828m).
Allied appears to have been outmanoeuvred in its attempt to take
over Montana. Lion Nathan, the Australasian brewer which is already
Montana's biggest shareholder, is expected to confirm today that it
has raised its stake in the business ...