Namaqua first mainstream wine brand to go Fairtrade

South African wine giant Namaqua has converted two of its lines, supplied to the Cooperative in the UK, to Fairtrade - which should boost Fairtrade wine sales in the UK by 10% over the next year.

World Cup boosts sparkling wine sales by 25% in week one

The World Cup's first week saw off-trade sparkling wine sales up 25%, but beer and cider were the real winners with sales boosted by well over 40% thanks to the football.

Jackson Family Wines expands Oregon holdings

Jackson Family Wines has appointed key staff to its new Willamette Valley winery in Oregon, one year after it bought to 220-acre vineyard.

Wines Direct offers insights as well as new customers for major online wine players

Specialist online aggregator site, Wines Direct, is now able to give its users the chance to pick out the most popular wines by price, style, country or brand from the UK's leading multiple wine retail sites based on the behavior of its 130,000 unique users a month.

Wiine.me looks to crowdfunding to raise money for new susbcription education site

Crowdfunding could enable Swiss online wine subscription service Wiine.me to incorporate an innovative online wine education platform, The Wine Academy, into its offering.

The week that was: top news, Q&As and opinion on Harpers.co.uk

In case you missed some of the headlines this week on harpers.co.uk, we have done a review of the top online news, Q&As, and opinion stories.

Symingtons release "personal" tribute to AJ Symington with Graham's Ne Oublie 1882

Port family, the Symingtons, has released a special Port - Ne Oublie - that dates back to 1882 and the days when Andrew AJ Symington, aged 18, first went to the Douro Valley to work at Graham's.

Wines over £5 account for almost half of supermarket sales

Fledgling New Zealand wine brand Te Pa says UK is top priority

Fledgling New Zealand wine brand Te Pa is aiming to harvest a million plus cases per year within the next five to 10 years and is targeting the UK first.

Drinks trade backs England to drive sales during World Cup

The drinks trade is eagerly anticipating tonight's England match to drive beer consumption across the on and off-trade - although one in 10 pub goers will choose wine as their match tipple.

Sluggish May for managed on-trade operators

Although 2014 kicked off with a bang, managed pub and restaurant operators saw sales growth slow in May with like-for-like sales up just 0.2% compared to the same month last year.

Matthieu Longuere comes out top in Wine Australia's Tasting Blind Club

Master Sommelier, Matthieu Longuere, has been announced as the 2014 winner of Wine Australia's Tasting Blind Club.

Italian Franciacorta and Brunello producers link up for first UK specialist tastings

The UK wine trade will get the chance to discover some of the premium wines available from two key Italian wine styles  - Franciacorta and Brundello - at special  masterclass tastings taking place in July.

London Wine Week attracts over 7,000 people to 100 events across the capital

Over 7,000 people took part in the first London Wine Week earlier this month which included a series of specialist tastings, including Robert Parker's first UK appearance in 25 years, and events across the capital.

UK imports of Loire wines have jumped by one third

Exports of Loire wine to the UK have grown by one third in the first four months of 2014 compared to the same period last year, according to figures from InterLoire

Independent merchants who work together can boost sales by £30k per year

Independent merchants who work together on the high street could boost their sales by up to £30,000 annually, according to a new report from American Express.

Humble Grape aims to open 16 tech-focused wine bars

London-based wine business Humble Grape has set its sights on becoming the 'Starbucks of the wine world', complete with enhanced technology, and plans to open16 franchised wine bars.

Underage alcohol sales have fallen, but proxy purchasing is rising

Retailers have made major progress in driving down underage alcohol sales, but proxy purchasing is on the increase, according to a new report.

Majestic boss says wine price inflation has stymied growth

Speaking to Harpers.co.uk following the group's results yesterday, Steve Lewis described the group's total sales growth of 1.4% to £278.2 million as "not where I'd want it to be", adding that the combination of poor harvests and duty increases had made for "difficult trading conditions".

Oxford Landing's ad campaign demonstrates 'absolute' commitment to UK

Australia's Oxford Landing wine brand is launching a 'significant' advertising campaign across London's underground stations, streetscapes and black cabs.