Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

Calvet headline wine partner of this year’s LRF

Published: 27 August, 2019

French wine brand Calvet has been confirmed as the headline wine partner of this year’s London Restaurant Festival (LRF).

International demand for New Zealand shows no sign of slowing

Published: 27 August, 2019

International demand for New Zealand wine is showing no sign of slowing, with total export up 6% to a record $1.83bn, on volumes up 5% to 270 million litres, for the year ended June 2019, according to the 2019 Annual Report of New Zealand Winegrowers.

Cape promise

Published: 27 August, 2019

Tim Atkin MW distils three decades worth of South African knowledge into his ten top trends

From L’Hotel to L’Atelier

Published: 27 August, 2019

Having cut their teeth at Hotel du Vin under the late, great Gerard Basset, Steve Pineau and Dimitri Mesnard have a slick operation in Brighton offering wine and Prohibition era-cocktails. Jo Gilbert caught up with the dynamic duo

US arm of Naked Wines named ‘best wine club’

Published: 23 August, 2019

Nakedwines.com, the US arm of Naked Wines, has been awarded ‘Best Wine Club’ 2019 in the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel awards.

Bibendum to offer free wine training

Published: 23 August, 2019

Bibendum is set to offer free wine training as part of WSET’s Wine Education Week.

AXA Millésimes buys top estate in Portugal

Published: 22 August, 2019

AXA Millésimes has acquired the Quinta do Passadouro winery in Portugal for an undisclosed sum, the company has announced.

Australia: On-trade viewpoints

Published: 21 August, 2019

Lucy Britner asked leading on-trade figures what turns them on about Australian wines – and how they ensure those wines work on their list. Here are their replies.

Serving up sustainability

Published: 21 August, 2019

Sustainability encompasses myriad aspects of business and production. These range from the big-ticket environmental and carbon-emission concerns – seeking to mitigate and adapt in the face of now-rapid climate change – to the socio-economic, whereby workers and employees are offered a fairer deal, including aspects of pay, work conditions, education and advancement.

Sam Linter takes on director role at Wine GB

Published: 21 August, 2019

Wine GB has announced that Bolney Wine Estate’s Sam Linter has been appointed as director of the company.

Hybrid indies: Opportunities and pitfalls

Published: 21 August, 2019

The rise in independent merchants looking at the hybrid model and offering a drink-in option to complement traditional off-trade sales has seen the landscape change in recent years.

Trading places: Swapping the UK trade for winemaking

Published: 21 August, 2019

“I think it’s inevitable if you’re in the wine trade that you think you can make wine better than anybody else,” says solicitor turned wine importer turned winemaker Robin Baum. “So I thought I’d give it a go.”

On-trade secrets: Top tips for buying for the on-trade

Published: 21 August, 2019

What are the secrets to buying wine for the on-trade? Does it differ from buying for other sectors? And what are the current trends that buyers are embracing?

Doors at 67 Pall Mall to open to non-members for the first time

Published: 20 August, 2019

Private members club 67 Pall Mall is set to open its doors to non-members for the first time.

WSET reports record annual candidate figures

Published: 20 August, 2019

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has reported its highest ever annual candidate figures for the last academic year.

Looking ahead: Sara Salut, co-founder and owner, Salut Wines

Published: 20 August, 2019

As the first half of 2019 draws to a close, Harpers asked key trade figures to highlight the current challenges, ongoing trends and opportunities

Franciacorta set for strong harvest

Published: 19 August, 2019

Expectations are high for the Franciacorta harvest, which starts today.

Great design can transform wines’ fortunes – so why do so many ignore its potential?

Published: 19 August, 2019

Advertising spend in the wine sector is a fraction of that for beer, so brand and packaging identity have to work especially hard to influence consumer decision-making, says Rowena Curlewis, CEO of drinks design specialist Denomination

The return of the wets

Published: 19 August, 2019

Investor interest is returning to the high street, particularly when it comes to wet-led venues, where optimism is on the rise.

Yalumba finalist in Women in Wine Awards

Published: 16 August, 2019

Yalumba winemaker Natalie Cleghorn and Barossa vineyard manager Brooke Howell have been announced as finalists for Winemaker of the Year and Viticulturist of the Year respectively in the Australian Women In Wine Awards (AWIWA).