Maximum of 1% of Australia’s total vineyard area damaged by fires to date

Wine Australia has said that, while the “toll on individuals cannot be underestimated and should not be downplayed”, a review of fire maps suggests a maximum of around 1,500ha of vineyards fall within the regions affected by the current bushfires to date.

London restaurateurs call for wine duty cut

Henschke drops Enotria for Liberty Wines

Iconic family-owned Australian wine producer Henschke has appointed Liberty Wines as its UK agent.

Wine’s darker materials: glass vs the alternatives

A rising clamour over packaging and sustainability is leading many parts of the industry to go back to the drawing board on glass and look at alternative materials. Does plastic deserve its bad reputation?

The "Pope of Beaujolais" dies

Legendary Beaujolais wine merchant Georges Duboeuf has died.

Click to head sales at Ste Michelle

Wine entrepreneur Peter Click has joined Washington State winery Ste Michelle Wine Estates as vice president of international sales.

Artisanal Oz and Georgia among diverse new agencies for Berkmann

Berkmann Wine Cellars has ushered in the new year with the addition of five new agencies to its portfolio.

Indie gateway: the wholesaling survey

Independent merchants play an increasingly important role in local and regional wholesale, as our exclusive survey results reveal (link below). 

Jerry Lockspeiser: The essential Christmas gift for every wine entrepreneur

About twenty years ago I tried to sell a sparkling wine from Italy that was almost unknown in the UK market. We were a significant supplier to the major retailers and worked closely with them on new product development ideas, from lesser known grape varieties, regions and countries, to new styles and packaging for better-known wines. My Italian sparkling wine was from a medium sized organic producer whose wines we had won listings for, but the buyers felt that it was not well known enough in our market and wouldn’t sell. It was, of course, Prosecco.

Hillebrand acquires US warehouse and transportation business

Hillebrand has acquired US warehouse and transportation business Royal Logistics and Royal Service Transport (Royal) for an undisclosed sum.

Spotlight on 2020: Hugh Sturges, Jeroboams

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers will be taking the month of December to look back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

Spotlight on 2020: Alex Hunt MW, Berkmann Wine Cellars

As we enter a new decade, Harpers look back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

Spotlight on 2020: Simon Doyle, Concha y Toro UK

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers will be taking the month of December to look back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

Spotlight on 2020: Andy Talbot, Off-Piste Wines

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers looks back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

Spotlight on 2020: Mark Roberts, Lanchester Wines

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers will be taking the month of December to look back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

Spotlight on 2020: Damian Clarke, Freixenet Copestick

As we prepare for the new decade, Harpers looks back over 2019 and ahead to what the coming year will bring – hopefully full of revived optimism for both politics and the trade.

Gerard Basset travel scholarship still open for applicants

There is still time for UK-based sommeliers to send in their application for The Gerard Basset Travel Scholarship created in honour and memory of the late Gerard Basset OBE, MS, MW, MSc (OIV).

What we can learn from the Majestic/Naked 'experiment'

The matchmakers behind the Majestic and Naked Wines merger speak to Jo Gilbert about why the ‘experiment’ didn’t work, and why the demand for niche products is driving wine businesses to double down on their specialisms

Naked/Majestic consumer-bases were a bad ‘fit’

The matchmakers behind the Majestic and Naked Wines merger have said that the ‘experiment’ was doomed to fail because of the inherent differences between the two sets of customers, and because of increasing consumer preference towards companies that have a unique USP.

Food and drink industry gives cautious welcome to Tory victory

The food and drink industry has given a cautious welcome to the Conservative party’s general election win last night, which saw the Tories claim 364 seats, securing a majority parliament compared to rival Labour’s 203.