Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Campari to buy majority stake in Champagne Lallier

Published: 20 April, 2020

Campari Group has announced it is in talks with privately owned French company Sarl Ficoma to buy a majority stake in Champagne Lallier.

Champagne: Weathering the storm

Published: 20 April, 2020

With little to celebrate, it’s unlikely consumers will be reaching for the Champagne any time soon, but the category has weathered storms before, says Chris Losh.

Friday Read: Covid-19 set to devastate Champagne's recovery?

Published: 17 April, 2020

Like a staunch liberal and a UKIP voter forced by coronavirus to cohabit under one roof, Champagne has enjoyed a troubled – and complex - relationship with the UK of late. Both Nielsen and CGA Strategy have tracked falling demand for Champagne over the past few years in the UK; in the 12 months to December 2019, the total volume and value of Champagne sales fell by 5.8% and 4.9% respectively in the on-trade. Meanwhile, Nielsen figures indicate that Champagne sales in the Christmas period 2019 fell well short of expectations. It's hard to rally against statistical evidence - the figures do not lie.

Champagne Top 100 launched in London

Published: 03 March, 2020

London fine-wine club 67 Pall Mall is partnering with wine-event and education provider Scala Wine to launch The Champagne Top 100.

Panel discussion: Taste the Trends

Published: 19 February, 2020

Assembling a fantastic panel to peer through the prism of wine to explore upcoming trends promised to be a novel adventure. Especially in front of a knowledge-thirsty, wine-savvy audience. And so it proved when Harpers partnered with Berkmann Wine Cellars at its lively annual London tasting to lead a Taste the Trends seminar, which threw the spotlight on some of the most meaningful and sustainable developments in the wine world today.

Friday Read: Price and vintage in Champagne

Published: 31 January, 2020

To the untrained eye, little has changed in the world of Champagne marketing. The Grande Marques, endowed with lavish budgets, continue to position themselves at the most glamorous events. Vintages are declared and the well-oiled marketing machine continues to roll.

Nicolas Feuillatte pinpoints no/low as key rival for Champagne

Published: 27 January, 2020

Nicolas Feuillatte has pinpointed the burgeoning no/low category as a key rival for the Champagne market going forward.

New MD steps up at Lanson UK ahead of major brand overhaul

Published: 16 January, 2020

Robert Rand has been appointed as The House of Lanson’s new UK managing director as the company prepares to unveil several far reaching changes to its range.

Veuve Clicquot to open London Champagne bar

Published: 17 October, 2019

Veuve Clicquot has partnered with award-winning US singer-songwriter Annie Clark, better known as St Vincent, to open a Champagne bar in London’s Covent Garden.

Changing of the guard at Taittinger

Published: 16 October, 2019

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger is to step down as president of the eponymous family-owned Champagne house at the end of 2019.

Climate change hits Champagne harvest

Published: 27 September, 2019

Global warming cost Champagne over 10% of its potential harvest this year, the Champagne Bureau has revealed.

March of the crèmants

Published: 18 September, 2019

Over the past decade, the UK sparkling wine market has increasingly become a tale of two sparklers.

UK release for Champagne Armand de Brignac’s rarest cuvée

Published: 11 September, 2019

Champagne Armand de Brignac has announced the UK arrival of its Blanc de Noirs Assemblage Three (A3) - the third assemblage of its ultra-prestige cuvée.

Prestige Champagne fizzes as sub-£20 falls

Published: 29 August, 2019

Research has shown that Champagne is experiencing continued uplift at the premium end of the spectrum, with brands leading the category to a higher average price per bottle.