Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

All female-panel selects the winners in the 2015 Argentina Wine Awards

Published: 20 February, 2015

An all-female line up of international judges have voted for the winners in the 2015 Argentina wine awards.

New Lindeman's wine packaging to hit shelves next month

Published: 19 February, 2015

Treasury Wine Estates' Lindeman's brand will start appearing on shelves with its new packaging from March onwards, with the refresh completed by May.

Moet launches pop-up Champagne academy in London

Published: 19 February, 2015

Moët & Chandon is launching a pop-up Champagne school on London's Southbank in order to show consumers how the premium French fizz differs from other sparkling wines.

Rhone wine brand Les Dauphins expands to US

Published: 19 February, 2015

Rhône wine brand Les Dauphins will launch in over 40 US states this spring, marking the opening of its 25^th export market.

E&J Gallo to psychoanalyse tweets of Apothic Red drinkers

Published: 19 February, 2015

E&J Gallo is ramping up its marketing activity for its Apothic Red wine brand by aiming to psychoanalyse consumers on social media after seeing UK sales double in 2014.

Majestic Wine chief Steve Lewis steps down

Published: 19 February, 2015

Majestic Wine's chief executive Steve Lewis is leaving the retailer with immediate effect, on the back of poor festive sales.

Justin Keay: Appreciating the new Austria

Published: 18 February, 2015

Justin Keay gets to grips with the growing diversity of Austrian wines at the country's recent London wine tasting.

Australian Vintage pulls back from bulk to focus on branded wine in UK

Published: 18 February, 2015

Australian Vintage is pulling back from bulk wine sales in the UK to focus on its core branded range as prices sink.

Chile's Cono Sur extends Tour de France partnership

Published: 18 February, 2015

Concha y Toro's Cono Sur brand has signed up as official wine of the cycling race the Tour de France for the next three years.

London Wine Fair brings fine wine to 2015 show

Published: 18 February, 2015

London Wine Fair's organisers are launching a restricted-access area at this year's fair, specifically for producers of premium wines priced £30 or over.

New Zealand's Ara Wines moves to Bibendum PLB

Published: 18 February, 2015

Bibendum PLB has signed a deal as the exclusive UK distributor of Marlborough's Ara Wines - formerly supplied via Negociants UK.

Top wine business students rate London market

Published: 18 February, 2015

A host of top MSc students in the wine sector are travelling to London to evaluate the wine trade this week as part of their studies.

'Painful moment' for Argentina's wine exporters, says Rabobank

Published: 17 February, 2015

Argentina's wine exporters are having a "painful moment" as fast-rising inflation rates make it unprofitable to ship goods, says Rabobank.

Education franchise Local Wine School grows turnover 42%

Published: 17 February, 2015

The UK-wide Local Wine School network has seen turnover grow 42% to £1.26 million in 2014, as seven new franchises opened.

Cape Wine 2015 auction raises over R10.5m

Published: 17 February, 2015

The 2015 AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction raised R10.565 million for education in the Cape Winelands, up 50% on last year.

Sales up 5% at Spanish wine giant Bodegas Torres

Published: 16 February, 2015

Spanish wine giant Bodegas Torres, which also produces wines in Chile and California, has seen its sales grow 5% to €240 million in 2014.

Wine sales rocket 20% to €44m at Vente-Privee

Published: 16 February, 2015

Wine sales rocketed in 2014 at flash sales site Vente-Privée, which is celebrating a 20% increase in wine turnover to €44 million, as it ramps up its UK focus with the appointment of a new managing director.

Tim Atkin takes the Vinopolis stage for Skin Côntact Comic Relief gig

Published: 16 February, 2015

Anyone in the wine trade who has been on the receiving end of a review by wine critic and journalist Tim Atkin MW - good or bad - will get the chance to give him a critique back when he bravely takes the stage as one of the guest singers for the ever growing Skin Côntact band when it plays its one off gig on March 9 to raise money for Comic Relief.

UK wine industry backs calls for alcohol duty cut

Published: 16 February, 2015

The UK's growing wine industry has called for the Chancellor to cut the high rate of alcohol duty rate by 2% in the upcoming Budget.

Vinoteca's Kings Cross site to open in March

Published: 16 February, 2015

Vinoteca's fifth site, this time at the One Pancras Square development in Kings Cross, is getting ready to open its doors as head chef Kieren Steinborn joins the team.