Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Hallgarten adds Bodegas Resalte de Peñafiel to Spanish portfolio

Published: 19 March, 2019

Hallgarten & Novum Wines has added Ribera del Duero producer Bodegas Resalte de Peñafiel to its Spanish portfolio.

Prowein: Record Champagne turnover, but UK and France still in decline

Published: 18 March, 2019

Total turnover for Champagne reached a new high of €4.9 billion in 2018, up 0.3% on 2017, although volumes fell by 0.8% to 301.9 million bottles.

Prowein: Cellier des Dauphins unveils new design and trail of NPD

Published: 18 March, 2019

Rhône wine brand Cellier des Dauphins has been been given an overhaul including a new design and a trail of NPD.

Joe Fattorini: On wine, lemons and cow shit

Published: 18 March, 2019

Head of London sales at Fields, Morris & Verdin

Jerry Lockspeiser: What’s the cost of a decent bottle of wine?

Published: 17 March, 2019

The You and Yours programme on BBC Radio 4 recently ran a piece in which a £7.50 Chinese wine in Sainsbury’s was described by the interviewer as “cheap and cheerful”. A flurry of listeners comments followed, aghast that £7.50 should be thought cheap. Many were paying £4-5, unable to afford more, and generally happy with what they were buying. One listener said his wine buff family members couldn’t tell the difference between his £4-5 wines and more expensive ones anyway.

Round Z

Published: 15 March, 2019

The younger generation is drinking less and spending less time in bars, but demanding more. Jo Gilbert finds out how bars can box clever.

Yellow Tail and Casillero del Diablo top Wine Intelligence global brand power index

Published: 14 March, 2019

Yellow Tail and Casillero del Diablo have emerged as the two most powerful wine brands in Wine Intelligence’s Global Wine Brand Power Index for the second year running.

Wines of Germany takes 31 Days of Riesling ‘up north’

Published: 13 March, 2019

Wines of Germany is taking 31 Days of Riesling to Manchester and Edinburgh this spring, marking the first time the tasting will take place outside London.

Prowein turns 25

Published: 13 March, 2019

An anchor point in the calendar of the wine industry, the industry is busy gearing up for this year’s Prowein, a special 25th anniversary edition of the wine and spirits trade fair.

Harpers on Tour: Indies Down Under

Published: 13 March, 2019

There is a point on every trip, once travel fatigue has passed and the daily rhythm of tasting, talking and tucker becomes the norm, when a borrowed moment of freedom over a bottle of wine captures the spirit of the tour. During a recent indie merchant buyers trip to Australia this came in the refreshingly left-field shape of a magnum of Brash Higgins Zibibbo, providing a rather early sundowner in the leafy garden of the McLaren Vale Motel, as the group relaxed ahead of a big tasting and dinner.

China and the US drive boom in global premium wine consumption

Published: 13 March, 2019

Wine priced between $10 and $20 will be the biggest driver of value growth for still and sparkling wine over the next couple of years.

Japan: ready to launch

Published: 13 March, 2019

Thanks to two key trade deals, Japan has increased its reach to a billion people so far in 2019. Jo Gilbert looks at the knock-on effect for the country’s drinkable exports

California pushes mid-range value at UK tasting

Published: 13 March, 2019

California Wines used its Essential California tasting yesterday (12 March) to swing the focus onto wines under £50 RRP, with an emphasis on the message of value for quality to the fore for the UK market.

UK tops value increase for German wine exports

Published: 12 March, 2019

Quality Riesling appears to be on a roll, with the average price paid for exported German wine breaking records in 2018, while UK consumer thirst drove the biggest value increase of any export territory, according to German Wine Institute (DWI) figures.

Surrey Hills vineyards join forces to form ‘English wine region’

Published: 12 March, 2019

Five vineyards based in the Surrey Hills area of outstanding natural beauty have joined forces to form a new English wine region - ‘Vineyards of the Surrey Hills’.

‘Exceptional’ vintage prompts UK distributors to turn to Muscadet

Published: 12 March, 2019

An ‘exceptional’ 2018 vintage coupled with a consistent rise of quality of wine production from a new generation of vintners in the Pays Nantais has prompted UK distributors to turn to Muscadet.

UK ‘culture of wine’ central to Franciacorta’s export drive

Published: 11 March, 2019

Franciacorta is positioning itself as ideal for “a new drinking demographic”, with the UK at the forefront of a renewed export drive.

Consorzio Vini delle Venezie DOC embarks on ‘second era of Italian style Pinot Grigio’

Published: 11 March, 2019

Consorzio Vini delle Venezie DOC has embarked on the ‘second era of Italian style Pinot Grigio’.

Restaurants continue to struggle as consumers tighten purse strings ahead of Brexit

Published: 11 March, 2019

The restaurant trade suffered another tough month in February with the mini heatwave towards the end of the month failing to move the whole market much, despite an encouraging performance from the pub trade.

Robert Oatley brings Katie MacAulay to the UK to 'develop market’

Published: 11 March, 2019

Robert Oatley Vineyards has brought its business development manager Katie MacAulay to the UK as part of a strategy to strengthen its position in the UK market.