The Champagne Academy is set to toast a landmark in Birmingham - the golden a nniversary of the organisation.

The Macdonald Burlington Hotel in New Street will be hosting the "Old Boys" event on Monday.

The organisation was founded in 1956 to educate members of the wine trade in the UK and Ireland in all aspects of the history, production marketing and appreciation of the finest champagne.

It is now made up of 16 Grande Marques Houses ranging from Bollinger and Krug to Laurent-Perrier and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin.

Valerie Spittle, organiser of the event, said every year, 16 "candidates" were invited to travel to Champagne in France.

It was a course that every person who entered the wine trade aspired to join.

She said the "Old Boys" was formed following the first Academy trip to maintain the spirit and feeling of the visit.

The event comes as wines and spirits group Pernod Ricard, the world's second largest, said first-half net profit rose 51 per cent to 488 million euros (£337.9 million) and raised its full year guidance.

The figures were the first time the maker of Jameson whiskey had given consolidated results since it swallowed Britain's Allied Domecq last July and the gain came despite weakness in France, where its trademark aniseed drinks are suffering.

The company noted that France accounted for only 11 per cent of the enlarged group's sales, which amounted to 3.27 billion euros (£2.26 million) in the six months to December 31, a rise of 67 per cent on the comparable period in 2004.

More than 50 per cent of sales and earnings were now generated outside Europe in stronger growing regions, it said.

Pernod said despite some distribution problems of Allied Domecq brands in the Americas, and destocking in Spain and Mexico, it increased its operating margin to 23.5 per cent of sales from 23.0 per cent in the same 2004 period.

Operating profit of 767 million (£530 million) exceeded analyst forecasts.

The company cautioned that the second half would be weaker than the traditionally strong pre-Christmas period and would not be boosted by brands like Dunkin Donuts and Glen Grant whisky, disposed of in March to help cut the debt it took on to finance the Allied Domecq deal.

Deputy chief executive Pierre Pringuet said: "We said the 2006/07 financial year would fully benefit from the effect of integrating Allied Domecq and that the strong growth projected from the third year of the merger should be realised from 2006/07.

"In principle, net current earnings per share should rise by more than 15 per cent."

He said the company would consider a stock split later this year to make its shares more accessible to any private investors.