text: Laithwaites celebrates 40 years
  Britain’s biggest wine company, Direct Wines, celebrated its 40th year with a birthday bash for 150 guests at Chateau Talbot in Bordeaux. The company is privately owned by Tony Laithwaite and his wife Barbara and is best known to British wine drinkers through the Sunday Times Wine Club which the Laithwaites have operated since 1973. This year Direct Wines expects to turnover £350 million selling wine through various wine clubs in the UK, the US, Germany, Switzerland and Australia.
  The company operates from a large warehouse in Theale, Berkshire and employs about 1,000 people globally. Most recently they have secured deals with the Wall Street Journal in the US and Die Welt in Germany and a similar deal is expected in Hong Kong.