Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Q&A: Andreas Clark, CEO, Wine Australia

Published: 28 January, 2016

Wine Australia's chief executive officer Andreas Clark at this week's London Australia Day Tasting discusses the challenges facing the UK market

Q&A: Footballer Hidetoshi Nakata talks sake

Published: 21 January, 2016

Anna Greenhous, talks to one of the greatest Japanese footballers of all time, Hidetoshi Nakata, about retiring and becoming an international sake ambassador.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Is it time for the wine trade to face up to the health risks of drinking?

Published: 19 January, 2016

Jerry Lockspeiser weighs in on the new Chief Medical Officer guidelines of alcohol consumption and argues as a trade we have an 'obligation to pay attention'. Are we skeptical because we simply don't want to believe the argument is valid?

Opinion: New Zealand's Sauvignon addiction - a dangerous thing?

Published: 15 January, 2016

With plantings of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc reaching saturation point and New Zealand heavily reliant on its lead variety, James Lawrence argues that the country must necessarily evolve its offer

Interview: Mike James is Aldi's ace in the pack

Published: 13 January, 2016

Mike James, wine buying director at Aldi UK, is driving a category which is driving a discounter at the forefront of the industry. Erin Smith reports on the changing face of its wine range

Q&A: Paul Schaafsma, chief executive, Accolade Wines

Published: 11 January, 2016

The recently appointed head of Accolade Wines talks about life in the top job, Chilean wine brand Anakena launching in the UK and how he plans to make Accolade a global one-stop shop for New World wines

Christopher Cooper: Bartenders versus sommeliers - who brings the 'cool' to the drinks industry?

Published: 08 January, 2016

Perception is everything in the battle of the elite drinks purveyors, so it's about time we factored "cool" into wine's appeal, says Christopher Cooper

Andrew Catchpole: A promising year for the wine trade

Published: 08 January, 2016

Consumer confidence - and spend - is on the up, a stronger pound is easing the path for UK buyers, and time has seemingly been called by the multiples on an era of heavy discounting, with range cuts also playing into the hands of adventurous independents selling on the contrasting breadth of their portfolio.

Guy Woodward: The many reasons to be thankful for our wine press

Published: 08 January, 2016

When my name first started appearing at the top of this page each month, I promised myself there was one topic that I would strenuously avoid. Eighteen months in, I'm about to break that promise...

Tim Atkin MW: Debating the merits of terroir

Published: 08 January, 2016

"Soil is dirt." I'm sure the Californian producer Bill Jekel was being deliberately provocative when he entered into a well-publicised debate about terroir with Bruno Prats of Château Cos d'Estournel at the end of the 1980s, but he was also articulating a position that was widely held in the New World at the time.

Christopher Cooper: The rise of the drinks expert entrepreneur

Published: 07 January, 2016

Christopher Cooper has worked in the restaurant scene for over a decade, but it all prepared him to launch his own drinks start-up. Here are some of the lessons he learned along the way.

2015 year in review and hopes and fears for 2016: Clare Griffiths, Concho y Toro

Published: 04 January, 2016

Our final look back at 2015 is from Clare Griffiths, commercial director for Concho y Toro UK which saw an impressive performance for 2015- which may be tough to beat. But looking ahead Griffiths is most excited about continuing the work her team has been doing in 2016 by focusing on building strong brands that deliver value in the UK market.

2015 year in review and hopes and fears for 2016: John McLaren, Wines Institute of California

Published: 04 January, 2016

As we all ease our way into 2016 and we have a few of our final thoughts as the year begins from John McLaren, UK director of Wines Institute of California. Californian wines have done incredibly well in 2051, but McLaren sees consumers which buy from supermarkets as a challenge ahead in 2016.

2015 year in review and hopes and fears for 2016: Ted Sandbach, Oxford Wine Company

Published: 31 December, 2015

Ted Sandbach, managing director and owner of the Oxford Wine Company, looks back at an exciting 2015 with opening of another Wine Cafe and figures are up with his wholesale business. He is looking forward to enjoying the Great Escape over the Christmas break, but looking to 2016 Sandbach sees more consolidation ahead for the industry.

2015 year in review and hopes and fears for 2016: Anita Jackson, Wines of Chile

Published: 31 December, 2015

Anita Jackson, UK director of Wines of Chile, looks back at a successful 2015, with volume and value figures up over the previous year. She was particularly pleased with the success of the innovative Mercado Andino tasting in 2015. But over the Christmas period she looking forward to putting her feet up and enjoy a little down time before 2016, where she sees the biggest challenge ahead is getting consumers to trade up in their wine purchases.

2015 year in review and hopes and fears for 2016: Bernard Fontannaz, Origin Wine

Published: 30 December, 2015

Bernard Fontannaz, founder of Origin Wine, looks back at an overall positive 2015 and is excited about the sustainable future he is building for his company. He had a year full of expansion and is looking forward to more innovation in 2016.

2015 year in review and hopes and fears for 2016: Nik Darlington, Red Squirrel Wine

Published: 29 December, 2015

For founder of Red Squirrel Wine, Nik Darlington, 2015 was a year of tremendous growth. Next year Darlington is looking forward to getting his wines even further around the UK. He sees that in 2016 the way forward, although challenging, will be through building a loyal and sustainable customer base.

2015 year in review and hopes and fears for 2016: Dan Townsend, Treasury Wine Estates

Published: 29 December, 2015

Dan Townsend, general manager of Europe for Treasury Wine Estates, saw 2015 as very strong year at TWE and thinks that the reverse takeover of Matthew Clark by Conviviality "has the potential to be a real game changer in terms of the UK trading landscape." Townsend is most excited about the opportunities that lay ahead in 2016, but sees Duty as one of the toughest challenges that trade faces next year.

2015 year in review and hopes and fears for 2016: Sarah Abbott MW, Turkish Wine Alliance and Swirl

Published: 28 December, 2015

Sarah Abbott MW has her fingers in many pies, including running her own events company Swirl and helping clients like the Turkish Wine Alliance promote their wines in the UK. While 2015 was a brilliant year for her, she is looking forward to 2016 and helping wine producers in countries that face huge political and economic pressures promote their wines in the UK as wine in these countries is a symbol of defiant hope. But 2016 will also have challenges and she worries about the uncertainty of the UK remaining as part of the EU.

2015 year in review and hopes and fears for 2016: Miles Beale, WSTA

Published: 28 December, 2015

Miles Beale chief executive officer of the Wine and Spirits Trade Association, celebrated the 'best budget outcome for almost 20 years' in 2015. Looking ahead, Beale is gearing up to to make the case for a 2% duty cut and fairer treatment for wine in 2016.