News - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Indie Beer Week 2026 begins with backing of 700 breweries

Published: 10 April, 2026

Indie Beer Week 2026 has begun today (10 April), promoting “independent pubs, beer and people” in a string of events across the UK.

Scotch brand aims for ‘deep sea’ cask maturation experiment

Published: 10 April, 2026

Scotch whisky producer Domhayn is launching a fundraising campaign to carry out an experiment exposing a spirit-filled cask to “deep sea” pressures – equivalent to 1,000 fathoms or 1,830m below sea level.

Frugalpac launches second-generation bottling machine

Published: 10 April, 2026

British paper bottle company Frugalpac has announced the release of the Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine 2 (FBAM-2), which significantly increases the speed of its bottle production.

Georgia introduces new national viticultural framework

Published: 09 April, 2026

The National Wine Agency of Georgia (NWA) has approved a new national framework. The new guidelines mean that all new commercial vineyards will require NWA approval.

Graft Wine adds Champagne Pertois-Moriset to its portfolio

Published: 09 April, 2026

Independent importer Graft Wine has announced the addition of third-generation family grower Champagne Pertois-Moriset to its portfolio.

Wealth managers detail drastic rise in fine wine investment among clients

Published: 08 April, 2026

New analysis from fine wine trading platform WineCap’s 2026 Wealth Report, which surveys top UK wealth managers, reveals that high net worth (HNW) individuals are committing a far greater proportion of their portfolio to fine wine compared to last year.

Wines of South Africa restructures UK office

Published: 08 April, 2026

Wines of South Africa (WoSA) has announced the redundancies of both of the current roles at its UK office, as part of a restructure of its operations. Jo Wehring, market manager UK & Europe and Claudia Pritchard, PR & digital manager will both be leaving the organisation after the completion of their notice periods – at the end of May and April respectively.

Volume of champagne shipments to UK saw growth in 2025

Published: 08 April, 2026

The volume of champagne shipments to the UK grew by +1.9% in 2025 compared to 2024, according to figures from Comité Champagne.

Rosé sales grow, avoiding wine market shrinkage

Published: 07 April, 2026

Rosé wine sales are bucking the trend of declining still wine sales, according to the WSTA’s latest Market Report.

Top Cava producer Juvé & Camps set to jump ship to Corpinnat

Published: 02 April, 2026

Juvé & Camps are set to leave DO Cava and join the Corpinnat association, increasing the latter’s membership to 22.

‘National spirits’ lead global beverage alcohol decline over 2025

Published: 02 April, 2026

According to preliminary data released today by the IWSR, total beverage alcohol (TBA) volume declined in 2025 by -2% across 22 markets – representing about 75% of the global market.

Hallgarten becomes Harpers Sustainability Partner

Published: 02 April, 2026

Leading specialist UK wine merchant Hallgarten & Novum Wines has become Harpers Wine & Spirit’s latest Sustainability Partner.

WineCap: Q1 shows stabilising fine wine market with sensible pricing emerging

Published: 01 April, 2026

In its Q1 2026 report, fine wine investment platform WineCap detailed that the fine wine market is stabilising. Reduced release prices from top names also indicated signs of a fresh pricing strategy following the market correction of recent years.

Cité du Vin plans celebrations for its 10th anniversary year

Published: 01 April, 2026

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, wine museum and cultural centre the Cité du Vin is launching a ‘year of festivities’, with events and activities planned across 2026.

Wynn Signature Awards announces medal winning Chinese wines

Published: 01 April, 2026

The 2026 Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards has released its list of gold, silver and bronze medal winners.

Chorus of industry bodies laments April price hikes

Published: 01 April, 2026

Fresh survey data from four leading hospitality trade bodies reveals that as a result of the government’s 1 April cost hikes 64% of on-trade businesses will cut jobs.

London cork recycling initiative announced

Published: 31 March, 2026

In partnership with Harpers, APCOR (the Portuguese Cork Association) is launching the first UK Cork Harvest, an initiative to promote cork recycling amongst independent retailers.

Bordeaux trade confidence high despite low market prices

Published: 31 March, 2026

Wine business consultancy Wine Lister has released its tenth annual Bordeaux study, which shows that average trade confidence when it comes to the region's fine wine has increased to 6.4/10.

New study links GLP-1 use to reduced alcohol consumption

Published: 31 March, 2026

New research from consultancy KAM, in partnership with the Drinkaware charity, has highlighted a -29% reduction in how often the users of GLP-1 drugs (Ozempic or Wegovy being examples) consume alcohol.

Auctioneer Whisky Hammer expands into Asia

Published: 30 March, 2026

Family-run online whisky auctioneer Whisky Hammer – which is based in Aberdeenshire – has expanded into Asia with the launch of a new hub in Hong Kong.