Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Two travel bursaries awarded for 2021 Gerard Basset Travel Scholarship

Published: 19 October, 2021

Two travel bursaries in Gerard Basset’s name are set to be awarded this year.

Sparkling wine premium could be scrapped in alcohol duty overhaul

Published: 19 October, 2021

Reports from the national press suggest that the premium on sparkling wine duty could be scrapped by chancellor Rishi Sunak in the upcoming Autumn Budget in a move which could bring sparkling wine duty in line with still.

WSTA makes further calls for duty freeze

Published: 19 October, 2021

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) is again calling on the Government to freeze alcohol duty as consumers face record high prices over the festive period.

Diverse paths

Published: 19 October, 2021

Jo Gilbert caught up with the first two winners of the Gérard Basset Foundation’s diversity scholarships to talk wine, representation and onward journeys.

The big freeze

Published: 18 October, 2021

The tailbacks at Felixstowe are the latest plot-twist in the ongoing Covid and Brexit supply saga which is causing disruption for operators. Jo Gilbert looks at the impact on bulk shipments.

Coravin opens first pop-up wine bar and retail outlet

Published: 14 October, 2021

Coravin, the wine preservation system, is to open its very first pop-up wine bar and retail outlet in London.

Tim Atkin MW: The new joy of travel

Published: 14 October, 2021

After 18 months of Zoom calls, Instagram Lives and home tastings, of Coravin capsules, small samples and endless recycling bags, I finally got to visit a wine region two weeks ago. To be strictly accurate, I did go on an inspirational visit to Danbury Ridge in Essex last year, squeezed in between lockdowns, but my trip to Ribera del Duero involved getting on a plane and flying to another country. Spain always lifts my spirits, but this time they soared.

Long Read: Who do you think you are talking to?

Published: 14 October, 2021

Simon Huntington, former head of ecommerce at trade merchant and retailer Roberson Wine, looks at some of the difficulties faced by companies who have diversified into online retail and outlines how by trying to talk to everyone, they risk being heard by no one.

Ferovinum gets capital backing to support wine and spirits sector

Published: 14 October, 2021

Ferovinum, the company that provides capital against wine and spirits inventories, has unveiled a new funding facility with BCI Finance that will enable it to increase the scale of its support.

Soho Street Cocktails signs exclusive distribution deal with Vindependents

Published: 13 October, 2021

Soho Street Cocktails, the ready-to-drink premium cocktail brand, has signed an exclusive distribution deal with Vindependents, the independent merchant buying group.

WineGB Wessex appoints Jacob Leadley as new chair

Published: 13 October, 2021

WineGB Wessex has appointed Black Chalk winemaker and CEO Jacob Leadley as its new chair from 9 November.

Headline hero: Olivier Richaud, Domaine d’Aussières

Published: 12 October, 2021

Since you started your tenure at d’Aussières in 2020, what key changes have you overseen at the estate?

Nyetimber unveiled as wine producer of the year

Published: 11 October, 2021

Nyetimber was unveiled as Wine Producer of the Year in the first-ever Tim Atkin MW England Special Wine Report.

When in Rome implements climate footprint labels

Published: 11 October, 2021

When in Rome, the Stroud-based wine company, has revealed that it has become the first wine brand in the UK to implement a climate footprint label on its packaging.

France Report: The Rhône’s great whites

Published: 11 October, 2021

A fresher, technology-driven approach to white wine in the Rhône is helping producers in both the north and south of the region to find an audience, as Simon Woods reports.

Diversity scholars recognised at The 2021 Golden Vines Awards

Published: 11 October, 2021

The 2021 Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships have been awarded to Angela Elizabeth Scott from the USA and Dr Erna Blancquaert from South Africa.

Wine Drinkers UK call for wine duty freeze

Published: 07 October, 2021

A combination of climate change, labour shortages and increased shipping costs are threatening Britain’s wine supplies, with price rises likely to follow, Wine Drinkers UK (WDUK) has claimed.

Long Read: Will vogue for organic grow beyond pandemic?

Published: 07 October, 2021

The organic market, along with its wine and beer subdivision, swelled during the past year, but whether this was a spur-of-the-moment spike driven merely by the pandemic remains to be seen. Callum Saunders, planning director at Zeal Creative, dives into the UK trend to explore whether organic wine and beer is set to be a staple in the drinks sector.

Alliance Wine strengthens team with new appointments

Published: 06 October, 2021

Alliance Wine has revealed it has strengthened its business with two new appointments.

Discovering the charms of Roussillon

Published: 06 October, 2021

As the home of France’s fortified sweet wines, with a dazzling array of soils and microclimates forming a vinous bridge between France and Spain, the Roussillon deserves to be recognised as a distinct region with its own unique identify. Jo Gilbert discovers a region ready to stand on its own two feet. In partnership with Wines of Roussillon.