Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Patagonian wine taking steps into the multiples with Buckingham Schenk

Published: 14 December, 2016

Patagonaian wines from southern Argentina are taking steps into the UK off-trade with a new listing at Waitrose.

Jerry Lockspeiser: A great time to be in wine

Published: 14 December, 2016

I don't want to be a siren of gloom. After all Christmas is the time for good cheer. But we are racing towards the end of a year where disruptive global events - Brexit, Trump, Aleppo - have shaken our feelings of security.

Christmas could rescue the multiples from a dismal November

Published: 14 December, 2016

Shoppers might have been happy with their purchases but Black Friday failed to bring a boost to supermarkets when the shopping holiday landed on November 26.

Growers Champagne offering an alternative to Prosecco this Christmas, says Virgin Wines

Published: 13 December, 2016

Grower Champagnes having been sparking consumer interest at Virgin Wines, where wine buyers are expecting sales to flourish this Christmas.

What lies ahead for 2017?

Published: 13 December, 2016

As a tumultuous year draws to a close, Harpers asked key trade figures to highlight the challenges, ongoing trends and opportunities in 2017

Bolney Wine Estate on opening the door to 2017

Published: 13 December, 2016

When Bolney Wine Estate was started in 1972 by owners Janet and Rodney Pratt, it was one of only six commercial vineyards in the country.

Santa Rita named Chile's Winery of the Year

Published: 13 December, 2016

Major Chilean winery Viña Santa Rita has been named as Wines of Chile's 2016 Winery of the Year.

Wine trends: Predictions 2017

Published: 13 December, 2016

White from red regions, Loire and premium US whites are going to be 2017's big winners, according to Bibendum.

Boris Becker backs new Accolade Wine brand as TWE ends UK bottling deal

Published: 12 December, 2016

Tennis star Boris Becker has been revealed as a brand ambassador for a new Chilean brand from Accolade Wine as Australian wine giant Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) announced it will no longer be bottling its wine destined for the UK market at the Accolade Park base.

Around the World in 80 Drinks: Review of The Thinking Drinkers

Published: 12 December, 2016

Watching Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham at last nights Around the World in 80 Drinks at the Museum of Comedy in Holborn, you might be forgiven for thinking that the Fogg & Passepartout duo were embarking on nothing more than an hour long global booze fest; a kind of drinks pantomime that takes place from Italy to India and Korea to Venezuela.

Tasting offers glimpse of the future for Australian wine

Published: 12 December, 2016

Australia Day Tasting, the event which gives a taste of things to come from Down Under over the following year, has given a glimpse of some of new releases for the trade to try when it returns to the UK next month.

Top Tipples of 2016: The 12-month countdown

Published: 12 December, 2016

As the British electorate showed us in June - followed by Americans in November - 2016 has been the year to rip up the rulebook.

Bird in Hand joins Seckford for UK partnership

Published: 09 December, 2016

Australian producer Bird in Hand has appointed New World specialists Seckford Agencies to ramp up distribution of their brand across the UK.

Bancroft Wines grows Italian and Spanish range in the UK

Published: 08 December, 2016

Bancroft Wines has added two new producers to their portfolio, Cantina della Volta from Emilia Romagna and Es Fangar from Mallorca.

Men driving growth of Fairtrade wine says Co-op

Published: 08 December, 2016

Evidence that the growing number of ethically sourced and social responsible drinks companies is in response to consumer demand for alcohol with a conscience has been backed by data from the Co-op which revealed that its sales of Fairtrade wine are up 25% YOY.

Gonzalez Byass UK expands range with new Basque addition

Published: 07 December, 2016

Gonzalez Byass UK (GBUK) is expanding its Spanish wine range in the UK with the addition of Txomin Etxaniz, a leading producer of DO Txakoli, to its portfolio.

Top of the pops: Fizz leads the top trends for Christmas and beyond

Published: 06 December, 2016

The enduring success of sparkling ignited by consumers' unquenchable thirst for Prosecco over the past decade is already reaching into 2017 and is pushing new boundaries.

Waitrose Cellar buys up barrels from historic wine auction

Published: 06 December, 2016

Waitrose wine buyers have bolstered their premium offering by buying two barrels of rare wine at the historic annual Hospices de Beaune auction.

Bourgogne Week comes to London

Published: 06 December, 2016

Christmas is still two-and-a-half weeks away but the organisers of the event which aims to "unlock the secrets" Burgundy are already preparing to showcase what the region can offer in 2017.

Bumper Christmas weekend predicted for the on-trade

Published: 06 December, 2016

Bars and restaurants could be looking forward to an extra windfall over this year's Christmas weekend, thanks to the fortuitous dates of Christmas this year.