Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Smaller New Zealand harvest could spell end of deep discounts

Published: 15 June, 2012

New Zealand Winegrowers is "relaxed" about an 18% fall in the harvest this year - the body had anticipated the crop to fall by up to 25%.

China Tang's Lazareth wins Absolut cocktail competition

Published: 30 May, 2012

Yoann Lazareth from China Tang has been crowned the winner of the Absolut Elyx Cocktail Competition, which coincides with the launch of the super-premium vodka.

Number of wine importers to China skyrockets

Published: 29 May, 2012

Vinexpo Asia-Pacific to is to give centre stage to the Chinese wine market after a Rabobank report revealed the number of importers has grown by around 73% in one year.

Negociants UK wants to be number one Australian and New Zealand specialist in the UK

Published: 24 May, 2012

Negociants UK is firmly focused on becoming the number one specialist operator in Britain for Australian and New Zealand wines.

Australia's top family wineries 'pull back' from UK

Published: 20 May, 2012

Australia's top family wineries are finding the UK increasingly tough - leading a number to "pull back" from the market.

LIWF - Australian Vintage spreads its wings

Published: 18 May, 2012

A double pod is in order this year for Australian Vintage at LIWF 2012, to allow it to spread its wings under the Tempus Two and Nepenthe banner, while also showcasing other premium wines from its ever-growing portfolio.

James Busby Travel confirms Australia 'trip of a lifetime' names

Published: 14 May, 2012

The first group of wine industry names have been confirmed for this year's James Busby Travel "trip of a lifetime" to Australia.

Naked Wines to open retail operations in Australia and US

Published: 09 May, 2012

Naked Wines is to invest £5.5 million in Australian and US winemakers in 2012, and will be opening low-key retail operations in both countries over the summer.

Sterling hits highs - Australian and NZ dollars hit lows

Published: 09 May, 2012

Sterling strengthened to fresh highs against the commodity backed currencies as risk aversion drove the market.

China to exhibit at LIWF

Published: 02 May, 2012

Brintex, organiser of the LIWF and Distil, has announced that China will exhibit for the first time this year at its annual trade fair in May.

Australian winemakers to march on parliament

Published: 30 April, 2012

Hunter Valley winemakers are leading a march on parliament in Sydney against government plans to allow coal seam gas exploration, which could threaten vine growing land.

Emerging markets offer big opportunities

Published: 25 April, 2012

Drinks companies that abandon or ignore business opportunities in the UK and Western Europe do so at their peril...

No Australia Day Tasting in 2013

Published: 20 April, 2012

Wine Australia is ditching its annual trade tasting in 2013, and will now hold the event once every two years.

Wine Australia changes to pay as you go funding model

Published: 18 April, 2012

Wine Australia is changing its generic marketing activity on offer to a user pays format - the body argues it will give it a "neutral position" and allow it to be "more agile".

Neil McGuigan: Consumers need education that 'less is more' on flavour

Published: 27 March, 2012

Consumers need to be educated that 'less is more' when it comes to trading up, according to Australian Vintage boss Neil McGuigan.

Legacy Wines adds New Zealand brand Shorn

Published: 14 March, 2012

Legacy Wines, the recently launched impulse, export and on-trade division of Manchester-based Kingsland Wines & Spirits has added New Zealand brand Shorn to its portfolio.

New Zealand pulls out of LIWF

Published: 06 March, 2012

New Zealand Winegrowers has pulled out of London International Wine Fair - but organisers insist it is no reflection of how Kiwi wines are performing in the UK.

Guala buys Australian screwcap maker

Published: 20 February, 2012

Guala Closures is continuing its buying spree - which has seen it acquire five firms within the last 18 months - with the purchase of Australian screwcap manufacturer ASA.

Penfolds: one of Australia's most-desired brands

Published: 06 February, 2012

Iconic Australian brand Penfolds dominated the Australian secondary wine market last year - securing 70 places in the top 100.

Tim Wildman MW: Australia in the Goldilocks Zone

Published: 03 February, 2012

In a bright, white gallery space on The Kings Road in Chelsea the annual Australia Day Wine Tasting took place last week. Amid the slurping and spitting, tasters who listened very carefully may have detected a rumbling; deep, subterranean, underground. It could have been a tube train passing below, or a low flying plane overhead. But it was neither of these. The rumbling you may have heard, over the clatter of bottles of Chardonnay and Shiraz, is the sound made as the tectonic plates of the Great Australian Wine Industry shift and rearrange themselves for the first time in a generation.