Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Q&A: Agustin Trapero, sommelier, Almeida

Published: 09 February, 2015

Fiona Griffiths talks to Agustin Trapero, sommelier at Almeida in Islington, about swapping the restaurant's printed wine list for a 'wine wall' and tasting table

Action Week 2: Call to indies to lobby local MP and media for a Drop in Duty

Published: 09 February, 2015

Harpers is today calling on independent wine merchants across the UK to lobby both their MP and local media to back the Drop the Duty campaign and help raise the profile of their business on this key business issue.

Q&A: Andy and Claire Kitching, Friends of Ham

Published: 06 February, 2015

How do a construction manager and a City headhunter end up running a bar that has been voted the best place to drink in Britain? Nigel Huddleston meets Andy Kitching, half of the team behind Leeds' award-winning Friends of Ham

Profile: Frescobaldi - stepping into the unknown

Published: 06 February, 2015

Italy's Frescobaldi family may be world famous for its wines, but can it succeed in the highly competitive restaurant world? Douglas Blyde goes behind the scenes at its first standalone restaurant off London's Regent Street

Profile: Bottle Apostle

Published: 06 February, 2015

Bottle Apostle is one of the new breed of independent wine merchants hitting well-heeled high streets across the country. Both cool and quirky, it has its sights set on young and affluent customers, as Helen Arnold discovers

Chief of the Week: Orson Welles - trying to promote Amercian "Champagne"

Published: 06 February, 2015

Today we remember the late, great Orson Welles famous not only for his pioneering work as a film director, but also for his ability to shift (and drink) so much alcohol during his career. Yes, who can forget his booming voice overs for all those Carlsberg TV commercials and the great "Carlsberg. Probabaly the best lager in the world" punchlline.

Chris Dee takes helm at Booths after 20 years with northern retailer

Published: 06 February, 2015

Chris Dee, who started his career at Booths as a wine and spirits director, has been promoted to the new position of chief executive officer after 20 years with the company.

Supermarkets special report: Why less is more

Published: 06 February, 2015

As the UK's major multiples look to pare back their wine and spirit ranges in order to boost performance and compete with discounters, Gemma McKenna asks what this new direction will mean for the rest of the trade

10 Top Tips for suppliers on how to work better with independent wine merchants

Published: 06 February, 2015

Tim Carlisle, consultant and formerly of wine merchant businesses, Slurp and SH Jones, offers 10 Tips to suppliers on how they could work more effectively with independent wine merchants as part of Harpers' ongoing March for the Independents campaign.

Independent merchants: the ones to watch

Published: 06 February, 2015

As part of our March for the Independents campaign, here we highlight some of the independent merchants across the country worth keeping an eye on. Gemma McKenna reports

Tesco calls on wine suppliers for added payments as Grocery Code Adjudicator starts inquiry

Published: 06 February, 2015

In the last 24 hours Tesco has issued two separate requests for wine suppliers to pay effectively the same additional payment for increased sales volumes they have received for their products following its recent product cull.

Tim Heath, senior winemaker of Cloudy Bay, talks about the challenges of making an iconic Sauvignon Blanc

Published: 06 February, 2015

Tim Heath, Cloudy Bay's straight-talking 38-year-old Aussie winemaker, talks about the challenges of producing one of the world's most iconic Sauvignons, his winemaking ethos - and his loathing of accountants.

Wine merchants can have their say and take part in March for Independents survey

Published: 06 February, 2015

There is still time for independent wine merchants to have their say and share their views on how they see the sector, the opportunities and challenges they face, which wine and spirits categories are selling the most and what they would like to see more from their suppliers, by taking part in Harpers exclusive online poll.

Newly formed New Zealand Craft Beer Collective comes to the UK

Published: 05 February, 2015

The New Zealand Craft Beer Collective, a group of craft brewers that formed in mid-2014, will soon be imported and distributed in the UK.

Aldi set to open another 70 stores this year in the UK

Published: 05 February, 2015

Aldi plans to open 70 more stores across the UK and hire 150 store managers, 300 assistant managers and 4,500 store staff in 2015.

Glenrothes releases a 1968 edition to its Extraordinary Cask Collection

Published: 05 February, 2015

Berry Bros & Rudd has unearthed another rare single cask it is releasing to become the third editon in its Extradordinary Cask Collection series.

12 ways indies can work better with suppliers says Les Grands Chais de France

Published: 05 February, 2015

A growing list of major wine suppliers and producers are now seriously looking to work closer and more effectively with independent wine merchants. Here Tim North, UK director for Les Grands Chais de France, one of the largest French wine producers with estates in all the main wine growing regions, offers his advice to merchants on how to buy and then market and sell their wines. Les Grands Chais de France is one of the partner suppliers behind the March for the Independents campaign.

Great Western Wine reports strong 2014 sales helped by surge in Christmas trading

Published: 04 February, 2015

Great Western Wine has reported strong 2014 sales up 14% on the previous year with a particularly strong Christmas trading period where it increased sales by 25% year-on-year.

10 tips for merchants to improve buying and selling skills for March for the Independents

Published: 04 February, 2015

As part of Harpers ongoing March for the Independents campaign Angela Mount, former head wine buyer for Somerfield and now retail and management consultant for the wine trade, offers her Top 10 tips on how she thinks independent wine merchants can improve their buying and selling skills.