Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Are you being served by AI?

Published: 23 February, 2018

Jo Gilbert tracks how artificial intelligence is emerging from the shadows, along with augmented reality, to become the ultimate interactive collaborator

Champagne exports catch up with French domestic consumption as value grows

Published: 22 February, 2018

Shipments of Champagne abroad caught up with domestic sales last year, new figures from the Champagne Bureau UK show.

Pernod extends Wincanton partnership

Published: 22 February, 2018

Pernod Ricard has renewed its long-standing partnership with Wincanton in the UK.

Navarra goes back to its roots with Garnacha rosados

Published: 16 February, 2018

In the not-so-distant past, Garnacha accounted for 90% of plantings in Navarra. After falling to around 20% in the 1980s, it is now on the rise says Navarra DO president David Palacios, as winemakers flock back to the region’s once signature grape

Sparkling sales continue to fizz in the UK

Published: 14 February, 2018

Sales of sparkling grew by 6% in volume and 9% in value in the off-trade last year, showing the popularity of the category continues to rise.

Gonzalez Byass goes sherry light with a twist on an old classic

Published: 13 February, 2018

Packed out sherry and port stands at Gonzalez Byass UK’s tasting yesterday showed there is strength in the traditional fortified category, with Quinta do Noval and flagship Tio Pepe brand drawing crowds.

CIVB launches first Bordeaux Wine Month alongside PR shake-up

Published: 09 February, 2018

The official Bordeaux wine body has announced a number of initiatives lined up for the UK for 2018, including an official Bordeaux Wine Month to run in UK independents throughout the month of June.

Smarter moves: Spotlight on Vivino

Published: 07 February, 2018

Jo Gilbert caught up with Heini Zachariassen, founder of the world’s most downloaded wine app Vivino, on how it has made the leap from information-sharing platform to marketplace

Sichel’s sales to China surge by 15%

Published: 02 February, 2018

Bordeaux winemaker Sichel’s exports to China surged 15% in 2017 as Chinese demand for French wine continues to explode.

Tre Bicchieri heads to London

Published: 31 January, 2018

As UK sales of Italian wine continue to boom, some of Italy’s top winemakers are converging in London next week for Tre Bicchieri Grand Tasting.

Louis Roederer shows its modern face at MMD tasting

Published: 29 January, 2018

Things sometimes move at a glacial pace in the world of fine wine, but even Grande Marque producer Louis Roederer showed it is up for moving with the times at its most recent tasting, showcasing zero dosage and experimentation with organic and biodynamic wines.

Asia’s thirst for Australia drives AU$2.56bn export high, but UK and USA dip

Published: 24 January, 2018

The most recent export figures from Wine Australia, released at the busy Australia Day Tasting (ADT) in London on 23 January, revealed that Australian wine exports to mainland China continue to boom in the wake of the 2015 free trade agreement between the two countries.

ADT suppliers up their Oz bids as competition ramps up from China and the US

Published: 24 January, 2018

A hardy – dare we suggest, typically Australian – attitude to price hikes and supply challenges was the main exhibit at yesterday’s Australia Day Tasting, where plenty of creative and business flair set out the category’s stall for 2018.

Hampshire producers prepare for annual tasting

Published: 23 January, 2018

A group of seven leading Hampshire producers are on their to way to London once again in February for their annual tasting.

How low can you go?

Published: 22 January, 2018

Low- or no-alcohol products are no longer resigned to Dry January. Jo Gilbert reports on how waistband- and hangover-friendly alternatives are fast becoming one of 2018’s top trends

UK bound: French Wine Discoveries

Published: 22 January, 2018

It can be a double-edged sword being a French winemaker.

UK to be overtaken by the US as the world’s bigger importer of sparkling

Published: 19 January, 2018

The UK’s status as the biggest importer of sparkling wines will be challenged over the next three years, with the US due to take the top spot by 2021.

French grapefruit aperitif goes up against Aperol and Campari

Published: 16 January, 2018

UK spirits distributor Mangrove has announced the addition of French aperitif Pampelle to its portfolio – marking the liqueur’s worldwide launch.

Average on-trade red bottle price rises £8 in a year thanks to premium upswing

Published: 05 January, 2018

Wine prices have seen significant upward movement in the on-trade, new research suggests, with red in particular receiving a generous boost from a rise in premium listings.

Catering exec and wine enthusiast dies in tragic plane crash

Published: 02 January, 2018

The foodservice industry is mourning the loss of one of its giants this morning, as the world media reports the tragic loss of Richard Cousins, CEO of catering company Compass Group.