Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Jerry Lockspeiser: Can we plan for the unknown?

Published: 23 November, 2020

“The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.” Charles Bukowski

Inter Beaujolais partners with home dining app

Published: 18 November, 2020

Inter Beaujolais is launching a new UK trade campaign to support restaurants which are finding customers in new ways during the coronavirus pandemic.

Naked apologises for site crash due to Christmas surge

Published: 16 November, 2020

Naked Wines has seen pre-sales of its Deluxe Christmas Collection sky-rocket, with 40,000 cases being snapped up in the first 24 hours.

IXSIR powers through Lebanon challenges to declare healthy vintage

Published: 16 November, 2020

Leading Lebanese winery IXSIR is reporting a “healthy” 2020 vintage, despite the harvest beginning within days of the deadly explosion that rocked Beirut and increasing Covid-19 restrictions.

Diageo pivots Learning for Life to pandemic support

Published: 04 November, 2020

Diageo has repurposed its Learning for Life training programme to help support the on-trade through the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Occitanie raises profile with online films

Published: 03 November, 2020

The Occitanie region of France is about to be much better known in the UK.

Tring Winery packs a postable punch

Published: 03 November, 2020

Alex Taylor and Jamie Smith of Urban Craft Wines at Tring Winery are sending innovation out the door, as Andrew Catchpole reports

‘Shop out to help out’ scheme needed for small retailers

Published: 02 November, 2020

Extra help is needed to support small, independent retailers through a second lockdown, including a ‘Shop out to help out’ scheme and a cashflow windfall, it has been suggested.

González Byass releases rare 1878 vintage

Published: 02 November, 2020

González Byass has released an ultra-limited-edition Pedro Ximénez – with just 78 bottles for sale.

CyT thrives in Q3 despite pandemic

Published: 02 November, 2020

Net profits at Chilean wine giant Viña Concha y Toro have risen 54% in the third quarter, the company has announced, with EBITDA growing 53%.

Second national lockdown a "calamity" for hospitality without more govt support

Published: 02 November, 2020

There are deep concerns across the hospitality sector about the impact of the government’s latest lockdown measures for England which were announced on Saturday evening by the prime minister.

Jerry Lockspeiser: Which wines do Pamela Anderson and Kate Moss remind you of?

Published: 26 October, 2020

About 30 million people in the UK drink wine. For years, producers and marketeers have been trying to grab their attention, hoping to figure out how to successfully communicate their wines through words and images.

Diversity talk urges wine industry to own up to its privilege

Published: 22 October, 2020

Wine education to diploma level costs upwards of £10,000 – a number which has been used to highlight the issues involved in making the wine industry a more diverse and inclusive place.

UK retail lifts moribund global sales at Pernod Ricard

Published: 22 October, 2020

Drinks giant Pernod Ricard has seen its sales drop 6% in the first quarter of the financial year, though UK retail sales remain dynamic.

South Africa looks to higher ground

Published: 22 October, 2020

Hard hit by the pandemic, South Africa’s winemakers are proving their resilience and fighting back with an eye on higher quality and pricing. By Andrew Catchpole

Medium and smaller brands take lead over private label

Published: 21 October, 2020

Private label sales are down across almost all European countries, with mid-sized brands and smaller companies performing best.

South Yorkshire follows Manchester into Tier 3

Published: 21 October, 2020

South Yorkshire has officially joined Manchester in the highest bracket of Covid measures, meaning bars and restaurants not serving seated meals will close.

Simon Thorpe MW joins Wine GB team

Published: 21 October, 2020

Wine GB has strengthened its team with the appointment of Simon Thorpe MW as new CEO.

Popular trade figure Terry Threlfall passes away

Published: 19 October, 2020

It was with surprise and a heavy heart that the wine trade community – in the UK and beyond – received the news of Terry Threlfall’s untimely death. Terry passed away last Friday from a heart attack, aged just 43.

Wine drinking occasions up in lockdowns

Published: 16 October, 2020

Wine drinkers across key consumption markets have been turning more often to the beverage during the pandemic. This is spurred by new lockdown occasions and more drinking outside of mealtimes, according to a new Wine Consumer Trends in the Covid-19 Era report released by Wine Intelligence.