Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Profile: Fells – driven to succeed

Published: 12 April, 2022

Having emerged from the pandemic in good shape, Fells has ambitions for the future. Andrew Catchpole catches up with MD Steve Moody to find out more.

Reasons to pick Riesling

Published: 29 September, 2021

Harpers partnered with Wines of Germany for its Big G closing debate, which mulled over the topic ‘A wine for all reasons: why German wine is the smart choice’. These extended highlights give a flavour of that far-reaching discussion and what indie retailers and restaurateurs alike can do to boost their German category sales. Andrew Catchpole reports.

Indies: Crossing the divide

Published: 29 June, 2021

Specialist supplier Graft Wine Company has dipped its toe into bricks-and-mortar retail, enhancing its understanding of indie needs. Six months on, Andrew Catchpole discovers what’s been learnt.

Canada’s Cool Climate Sensibility

Published: 03 June, 2021

Harpers’ recent Canadian-flavoured webinar looked at the emerging regions and styles from this exciting country as it emerges onto the global wine scene, as Andrew Catchpole reports.

Big debate: How Covid-19 will prove a catalyst for change

Published: 30 July, 2020

Leading suppliers joined Andrew Catchpole in our recent Harnessing the Crisis for Change webinar to look at how Covid-19 will shape the road ahead.

Roundtable: Pinotage catches up

Published: 05 September, 2019

South Africa has undergone Darwinian-levels of evolution over the past decade. Where the country – and its flagship varietal – goes from here formed the crux of Harpers’ recent roundtable in association with Kumala Wines. Jo Gilbert hosted the debate.

Gallic Groove

Published: 02 March, 2018

French wines rank third in the UK off-trade in terms of value sales by country of origin (Nielsen, off-trade MAT to December 12, 2017), and fourth in terms of volume, with only New Zealand commanding a higher average price per bottle sold, at £8.80 versus £9.50 respectively.

London’s first bulk wine show reflects growth of premium private label

Published: 23 February, 2018

IBWSS London opens its doors to the UK trade on 26 and 27 February against the backdrop of a market that has seen huge growth in bulk shipping and in-market bottling, along with the rise of premium private label.

Global supply and brand building

Published: 27 September, 2017

With Europe poised to deliver a vintage shortfall, Andrew Catchpole talks to Rabobank strategist Stephen Rannekleiv about the positive effect for brand builders of a general tightening of global supply

World’s largest gathering of Aussie Women in Wine to descend on London

Published: 29 August, 2017

Wine Australia’s Women in Wine event on 26 September will see some 57 female winemakers and winery owners on hand at Australia House in London for an event that aims to help drive perception of premium Aussie wines and bring new wines to market.

Millennials and the power of online reviews

Published: 29 August, 2017

Online reviews can increasingly make or break a business and nowhere is this more true than with millennials and the restaurant world.

‘Stable’ global wine inventories likely to tighten in 2017 against backdrop of worldwide value growth

Published: 26 July, 2017

Rabobank’s Q3 Wine Report has revealed that global wine inventories are in the main “balanced to slightly tight”, while bulk wine prices for most varietals are “stable or rising”, with 2017 hail and frost damage in European vineyards likely to further impact on these continuing trends when set against a coming shortfall in this year’s northern vintage.

Q&A: Paul Jenkins and Guillem Kerambrun

Published: 28 March, 2017

Harpers met Caprice Holdings & The Birley Group's purchasing director and its head sommelier/group wine buyer at Annabel's to discuss buying across such a diverse portfolio

Revamp for Mouton Cadet

Published: 27 March, 2017

After 15 years of deliberation and development, Mouton Cadet has unveiled a new look to mark an upgrading of quality and repositioning of Bordeaux's most prominent volume brand

Survey reveals rising costs top on-trade concerns but drinks offer often underplayed

Published: 24 March, 2017

Cost pressures including rising business rates, food inflation and staff costs the major challenges faced by industry according to CGA Peach's 2017 Business Leaders Survey

Millennials: sorting the facts from the fiction

Published: 22 March, 2017

A Wine Intelligence presentation at Prowein sought to debunk much of the common notion that Millennials are a fundamentally different consumer group with a clearly cohesive mindset, with implications for those creating targeted new brands

Trapiche unveils Argentinian coastal wines

Published: 22 March, 2017

Grupo Penaflor has opened a new frontier for Argentinian wines with the launch of its Trapiche Costa & Pampa range from Chapadmalal on the Atlantic coast.

Why increasing duty is counterproductive to raising a new generation of educated drinkers

Published: 08 March, 2017

There seems to be little expectation in the trade that duty rises on wines and spirits will be frozen in this coming Budget, let alone cut by the 2% that the Scotch Whisky Association and WSTA have been calling for (on spirits, and wines and spirits, respectively).

WSET debate: Education and Training

Published: 02 March, 2017

On the eve of the Wine & Sprit Education Trust's (WSET) graduation ceremony in London's Guildhall in January (see over), Harpers brought together a cross trade group of those involved in education, training and recruitment to debate the needs of the modern trade.