Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

One Champagne house left standing in Royal Warrant refresh

Published: 13 May, 2024

A number of Champagne brands could have fallen out of favour in King Charles III’s first Royal Warrant list after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Champagne faces off against sparkling Riesling

Published: 07 May, 2024

Champagne’s supremacy was put through its paces last week when it went head to head with a ‘lost and forgotten world-class category’ of sparkling wines in a blind tasting.

WineCap Q1 2024 Report: A summary

Published: 18 April, 2024

Wine investment firm WineCap has released its Q1 2024 Fine Wine Report offering a comprehensive market overview.

‘Rare gems’ on show at Keeling Andrew tasting

Published: 17 April, 2024

Keeling Andrew’s trendy portfolio attracted a suitably young and vibrant crowd at its tasting in Holborn yesterday (16 April), where the business took the opportunity to highlight some of its under-the-radar producers while honing in on specialisms in Burgundy and Champagne.

Analysis: PIWIs come of age

Published: 09 April, 2024

A new generation of PIWI varieties are on a roll, pushing deeper into Germany, Italy and France. Jo Gilbert considers the future for these next-gen grapes.

Fine wine market shows signs of recovery

Published: 02 April, 2024

Signs of economic recovery are starting to appear in the fine wine market after a year of consistent declines. The industry benchmark, the Liv-ex 100 index, has been in freefall since March 2023, dipping 14.6%, whilst the broader Liv-ex 1000 index has fallen 15.3%.

Berkmann expands premium portfolio with EPC Champagne

Published: 13 March, 2024

Berkmann Wine Cellars has reached an agreement with EPC Champagne to distribute the brand in the UK market.

Bibendum & Campari shake on Champagne partnership

Published: 23 February, 2024

Bibendum and Campari have teamed up to give a fresh boost to Champagne Lallier, with the Campari-owned house now joining the on-trade distribution’s portfolio of premium brands.

Bordeaux Index: Fine wine takes a tumble in 2023

Published: 22 January, 2024

‘Frenzied activity’ characterised the fine wine market during the second half of 2021 and most of 2022 in particular for Champagne and Burgundy, when prices increased by 69% and 58% respectively according to Bordeaux Index. However, things were much more subdued in 2023, with the platform also predicting some return of optimism in 2024.

2023 Champagne shipments down 8.2%, 'as expected'

Published: 15 January, 2024

Le Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC), the organisation grouping the actors of Champagne production and trade, has revealed that total Champagne shipments in 2023 were down 8.2% to 299m bottles.

BWS Christmas sales down for UK multiples

Published: 11 January, 2024

Despite record spend on groceries during Christmas in UK supermarkets, sales of beer, wine and spirits were all in decline over the same period.

WineCap cautiously optimistic for 2024

Published: 11 January, 2024

Following news that the Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Index ended 2023 down 14.1%, WineCap has outlined its expectations for the year ahead, amid a ‘correction phase’ which might present opportunities for investors.

Interview: Carine Bailleul, Champagne Castelnau

Published: 30 November, 2023

In partnership with Champagne Castelnau.

Bibendum predicts the top wine trends for 2024

Published: 29 November, 2023

Bibendum has revealed its top wine trends for 2024 based on analysis from PROOF Insight, the drinks insights agency.

Headline Heroes: A question of time for Champagne

Published: 22 November, 2023

David Kermode quizzes the experts about why lees ageing is so important when it comes to the finest Champagnes.

Champagne Day 2023: Recovery for the world’s top sparkler

Published: 31 October, 2023

Champagne appears to be holding onto its status as everyone’s favourite premium sparkling wine, new figures reveal, as the category continues an export drive dating back more than 20 years.

Headline Heroes: Crémant rises

Published: 02 October, 2023

The UK’s appetite for sparkling wine has led to increasing sales for wallet-friendly Champagne alternatives, and crémant ticks the right boxes. James Lawrence reports.

Looking Back, Forging Ahead Q&A: Justin Liddle, Mentzendorff

Published: 04 September, 2023

Midway through 2023, Harpers is taking stock of yet another turbulent year for the drinks trade, with plenty of highs and lows, so far. Here, we conclude our series with Justin Liddle, interim MD at Mentzendorff. to find out how the year has gone so far, and what the remainder may bring.

Gosset Matchmakers 2023 finalists announced

Published: 15 August, 2023

The Champagne Gosset Matchmakers competition has revealed the top sommelier/chef teams who have made it to the final stages for 2023, where they will be battling out to be crowned top of the class.