Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Bar Douro launches Portuguese wine club

Published: 03 September, 2020

London-based Portuguese restaurant and wine bar, Bar Douro, has unveiled a new nationwide subscription wine service.

Long Read: Moonshine and fruit wine – a postcard from post-Covid Latvia

Published: 03 September, 2020

Pernod Ricard, Mentzendorff and Lucky Saint alum Hugh Jones upped sticks recently and headed to Baltic capital Riga where he found an emerging drinks industry with parallels to the UK's own.

2020 NZ harvest "exceptional"

Published: 03 September, 2020

Despite the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, New Zealand’s 2020 vintage is “exceptional” in terms of both quality and quantity, according to the 2020 New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Report.

The Wine Society launches initiative to support ‘key’ growers

Published: 03 September, 2020

The Wine Society has launched a campaign to support some of its key growers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ornellaia appoints MMD as its UK distributor

Published: 02 September, 2020

Maisons Marques et Domaines (MMD) has been been appointed UK distributor for Italian winery Ornellaia, taking over from Armit Wines.

Majestic reverts back to traditional logo

Published: 02 September, 2020

Majestic has revealed it is reverting back to its traditional ‘bunch of grapes grape’ logo, which was used as the company’s identity between 1991 to 2018.

WSET candidate figures hit by Covid but buoyed by online

Published: 02 September, 2020

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has reported an 11% drop in candidates taking a qualification in the last academic year (2019/20).

Q&A: Luís Sottomayor, head of winemaking, Casa Ferreirinha and Sogrape Porto Wine

Published: 02 September, 2020

From Barca Velha to small-batch single varietal Douro wines by way of Clink cocktails, Luís Sottomayor gives Andrew Catchpole the lowdown on life at the helm

Pernod Ricard UK appoints wine portfolio director

Published: 01 September, 2020

Pernod Ricard UK (PRUK) has appointed Lucy Bearman to the newly created position of wine portfolio director.

Chris Wilson unveils details of new urban winery

Published: 01 September, 2020

Winemaker and wine journalist Chris Wilson has announced his much talked about Cambridge urban winery will start production this month.

Ghost kitchens and virtual restaurants are the next step in the accelerating on-trade evolution, which completely strips out the dine-in part of the restaurant experience. So where does alcohol fit into this increasingly food-focused, delivery-only mix? Jo Gilbert reports.

Primum Familiae Vini appoints Matthieu Perrin as new president

Published: 01 September, 2020

Primum Familiae Vini (PFV), an association of twelve European family wine producers, has appointed Matthieu Perrin of Famille Perrin in the Rhone Valley as its new President.

Gyles Walker, Co-op: Back to Business Q&A

Published: 27 August, 2020

As the trade measures up to extraordinary times and swings through summer, leading businesses and operators take stock of trading conditions in the new normal.

Investing for the Future webinar: Sign up now

Published: 26 August, 2020

In the latest from Harpers Wine & Spirit’s popular series of lockdown webinars, we will be putting a spotlight on the ways businesses can ensure long-term sustainable growth.

Mark Roberts, Lanchester Wines: Back to Business Q&A

Published: 26 August, 2020

As the trade measures up to extraordinary times and looks ahead beyond summer, leading operators take stock of doing business in the new normal.

Jerry Lockspeiser: What happens next?

Published: 26 August, 2020

One of the many reasons people like working in the wine trade is the sense of common bond. Trade outsiders may doubt how friendly people who are direct competitors can really be. But they often are. People can’t help liking and respecting each other. The bonhomie that wine engenders helps, as does admiration for the labour, love, and sheer dedication of those who make the stuff. From producers to distributors, retailers, and communicators, an unstated feeling of shared mission is in the air. Now, too, the trenches spirit that comes with having backs against the wall.

Jackson Family acquires Giant Steps Winery

Published: 25 August, 2020

Jackson Family Wines has acquired Yarra Valley winery Giant Steps for an undisclosed sum.

Portfolio boosts for Bibendum

Published: 24 August, 2020

Bibendum has added a further new agency to its portfolio, boosting its Italian range aimed at the independent merchant and on-trade sectors.

Graft bolsters Australia and South African portfolios as it gears up for digital tasting

Published: 24 August, 2020

Graft Wine, last year’s merger of Red Squirrel and The Knotted Vine, is gearing up for a bumper month of activity in September, with two Southern Hemisphere additions joining the company as it takes its autumn tasting online.

Bid for Beirut auction organises relief for Lebanon

Published: 24 August, 2020

A new auction to provide much-needed relief for Lebanon’s struggling wine sector has drawn support from the UK wine trade, after a massive explosion decimated the country’s main port on 4 August.