International Sherry Week and Copa Jerez align for autumn celebration

International Sherry Week will this year coincide with the biannual food and wine focused Copa Jerez competition during November.

Rioja plays a starring role in Cune’s first UK campaign

Hatch Mansfield has announced the launch of its first UK marketing campaign for Spanish label Cune, which will hone in on the brand’s Spanish heritage while promoting their range of Riojas.

Frost signals “significantly smaller” vintage for New Zealand harvest

Cooler spring weather and late frosts have led to a “significantly smaller vintage” for 2021, New Zealand Winegrowers has said, applying pressure at a time when the industry is facing increased production costs.

Historic Inglenook winery renews ties with New Generation Wines

Rutherford’s Inglenook winery has renewed its partnership with UK importer and distributor New Generation Wines as it aims to grow its international appeal.

Independents roundtable: Creating stronger supplier relations

Looking ahead to a receding pandemic, our recent How to Forge the Best Relationship with Suppliers round table explored how suppliers and merchants can best work together to ensure that the needs of old, new and evolved channels of business can be best capitalised upon and maximised. Andrew Catchpole rounds up the key takeaways

Soaring sherry sales prop up Tio Pepe’s 12th release

Drinks Wholesaler Spotlight 2021 – our business survey

Given the immense disruption of the past year, we’re morphing our annual Top Wholesaler list into a 2021 showcase for the innovation, adaptation and support seen from companies across this all important sector.

Bordeaux trading rises on US tariff suspension ahead of 2020 EP campaign

Market sentiment towards Bordeaux is “showing signs of recovery” as this year’s En Primeur campaign swings around, according to the Liv-ex members’ Bordeaux report released today.

California: Challenging French supremacy

The smartly boxed and sleekly designed sample bottles distributed ahead of the recent California Wine Institute’s Essential California at Home series of tastings were eye-catching in other ways too.

Indie supply disruptor Propeller ramps up distribution with SA’s Ross Sleet

Indies distribution incubator Propeller has teamed up exclusively with the Ross Sleet founded South African négociant Rascallion as it grows its model-defying footprint in the UK market.

Spirits vs Wine: Rolling with the times

Definitive figures from Kantar show just how much shopping habits changed in 2020, with spirits overtaking wine in baskets for the first time and online reaching hitherto unmatched heights, as Jo Gilbert discovers.

Portman research predicts “cautious return” to pubs post lockdown

Pubgoers look set to tailor some of their pre-pandemic drinking behaviours once restrictions ease, the Portman Group has said, with many planning to drink less when they return to the on-trade post-lockdown.

Covid passports hang over trade

Covid passports could still be introduced at a later date for hospitality venues, a new government report has revealed, despite the Prime Minister ruling out their introduction for outdoor reopening over the next six weeks. 

Trade Hospitality app adds new membership tiers ahead of re-opening

The Trade Hospitality app has launched two new membership tiers ahead of the 12 April partial on-trade re-opening, with access to private member clubs and a corporate deal now featured.

Expanded indie-focused campaign follows rise in Georgia imports

Georgia’s national promotional body has teased a number of new initiatives in the UK market after 2020 showed a marked increase in the number of importers, wholesalers and retailers working with Georgian wines.

Spirits overtake wine in shopping baskets

Spirits reached a major milestone in 2020, overtaking wine to become the largest category in terms of penetration in the off-trade for the first time in at least five years.

Low and no: How far will it go?

Consumer demand for no and low alcohol products and ready-to-drink is on the rise both globally and in the UK. But how long will this growth continue? Jo Gilbert looks ahead.

First wine produced outside Chile for Casillero del Diablo

Concha y Tora has expanded its Casillero del Diablo brand with a Spanish Tempranillo from Cariñena.

Year of shuttered restaurants and bars has left hospitality ‘shattered’

In the year since the first hospitality shutdown, the sector has taken a battering with more than eight months of closure delivering a heavy blow.

Champagne Gosset Matchmakers 2021 open for entries

Champagne Gosset is once again reaching out to chefs and sommeliers to take part in its annual Matchmakers competition and be in with a chance of winning an all expenses paid trip to its estate.