Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Oxford Wine Company launches tourism platform

Published: 09 February, 2021

The Oxford Wine Company (OWC) has launched a wine tourism platform aimed at making wineries "accessible to everybody".

Brexit: Reality bites

Published: 08 February, 2021

The actualities of shipping goods from the EU are beginning to sink in as wine incurs an estimated €200 per shipment, making groupage cost-prohibitive for many. Jo Gilbert calculates the knock-on costs to the trade

Tim Atkin MW: China’s risky moves

Published: 04 February, 2021

“Don’t trust them,” says Leon Panetta, a rueful former US defense secretary interviewed in BBC documentary China: A New World Order, “that’s the bottom line.” It’s advice the Australian wine industry and now, apparently, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), would have done well to heed.

Wales comes out top as “most sophisticated” UK wine nation

Published: 04 February, 2021

When it comes to buying wine, the Welsh are the most sophisticated while the English hunt for a bargain, according to data which aims to map the buying behaviours of UK drinkers.

Long read: It’s time for a France re-think

Published: 04 February, 2021

Rowena Curlewis, CEO of drinks design specialist Denomination, tells us why she thinks French wine brands could afford to up the ‘badass’ design stakes when marketing overseas.

Tech vs critics: developing satellite scores

Published: 03 February, 2021

Saturnalia aims to overcome the ‘mystery and magic’ surrounding fine wine pricing and scores with space-based technology. Felicity Carter eyes up its heavenly ambitions

Jerry Lockspeiser: The wine and book markets are eerily similar

Published: 02 February, 2021

What can wine learn from other sectors of the economy? How do they add value to their products, communicate with consumers, achieve profitability?

Inter Beaujolais appoints new President and Vice President

Published: 01 February, 2021

Inter Beaujolais has appointed Daniel Bulliat as President and Philippe Bardet as Vice President.

NZ online wine retailer reports record-breaking year

Published: 28 January, 2021

Online wine retailer The New Zealand House of Wine has reported record-breaking sales.

Opportunities abound

Published: 27 January, 2021

The likelihood of a free trade agreement between the UK and Australia has led to optimism among many wine producers that new possibilities lie ahead. Andrew Catchpole reports.

Lay & Wheeler snaps up further ex-Berry Bros staff

Published: 27 January, 2021

Lay & Wheeler has appointed a new head of operations, while also expanding its private clients team as part of the company’s growth strategy.

Trivento enters top 10 branded light wines

Published: 26 January, 2021

Trivento, Concha y Toro’s (CyT) Argentinean wine brand, led the charge as the company delivered strong off-trade growth for the 12-week period to 2January 2021.

Five minutes with Matthew Jukes

Published: 26 January, 2021

When wine critic Matthew Jukes turned to producing non-alcoholic alternatives to pair with Michelin-level food, his Cordialities hit a chord. By Andrew Catchpole

Calls for UK trade to help crippled SA by freeing up tank space

Published: 25 January, 2021

Richard Bampfield MW has issued a call to the UK trade to support the beleaguered South African wine industry as producers continue to suffer crippling government restriction and oversupply issues.

Vega Sicilia signs distribution deal with Berkmann Wine Cellars

Published: 25 January, 2021

Legendary Ribera del Duero winery Tempos Vega Sicilia (TVS) has recruited Berkmann Wine Cellars (BWC) to take on the exclusive distribution of its portfolio to Great Britain and the Channel Islands.

Sustainability: Join the Myths Around Food Miles debate

Published: 21 January, 2021

In just under a fortnight, Harpers and New Zealand Winegrowers is bringing together an international panel of leading trade voices for our Challenging the Myths Around Food Miles webinar.

Wine Drinkers UK calls for first tax cut in 40 years

Published: 20 January, 2021

Wine Drinkers UK (WDUK) have renewed their calls for the government to recognise wine as the UK’s favourite drink by cutting increasingly burdensome taxes.

2021 Events guide

Published: 20 January, 2021

James Lawrence rounds up the highlights of the coming year’s events calendar

‘Tariff free’ trade continues to muddy the Brexit waters

Published: 20 January, 2021

The scrapping of lab tests for EU wine heading to the UK will save the wine industry tens of millions of pounds a year. However, the new trade deal between the EU and UK has thrown up new questions around how much cross border trade in 2021 is likely to cost, with EU wine travelling via GB to Northern Ireland and other parts of the EU now entering a no man’s land where it temporarily belongs to neither region.